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SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP


October 28, 2016


Brandon Hagy


Jackson, Mississippi

Q. Solid round for Brandon Hagy here which started off with quite a highlight eagling, holing out on number 1. What does that do to set the tone for the rest of the day for you?
BRANDON HAGY: Yeah, it's a solid start obviously hit a good 50-degree wedge in there. It's nice to get it going early and then just kind of executed the game plan for the rest of the round. You're never expecting those to go in, but it was a nice shot.

Q. So after eagling No. 1 you go out and continue to play well. For you as you're a rookie and learning all the golf courses out here, what made this golf course, country club of Jackson, feel so good to you?
BRANDON HAGY: I'm hitting a lot of drivers, and I think the par-5s, I like the way they set up where I'm having to hit 2-irons or 3-woods into the par-5s just to get them up near the green. So I think that's definitely an advantage. And I think I've been reading the Flyers out of the rough pretty well, so that's been good, just playing conservative, you know, when I have the chance to play the front of the green and let the flier take it in the middle of the green, I think I've done a good job of that so far.

Q. Where do you let your expectations go as you are now contending on the weekend in a PGA TOUR event?
BRANDON HAGY: I think the Web.com Tour really prepares us for coming out here. I've been in contention before a couple of years ago in Puerto Rico and I'm going to take that experience and use that for the next couple of days. But I think getting in contention on the Web.com Tour I think those feelings are very similar, and I know that I've handled very well in the past, so I think I'll just rely on that.

Q. Brandon, well played out there today, 9-under par through two rounds. What's been the key for your success so far?
BRANDON HAGY: I've hit a lot of good drives, and then I made a few putts at good points in the round, and holing out on the first hole today definitely helps as well.

Q. What do you feel about this golf course, does it suit your game?
BRANDON HAGY: I think so. I think the par-5s suit my game for sure, being able to hit drivers and then hitting some longer clubs into the green, just being able to get it out around the green I think is a big advantage. There's a few where I've been able to hit irons on to the green which really helps, and I think just being able -- the fairways are pretty tight, being able to get your drives up there far enough where you're hitting wedges out of the rough as opposed to mid to long irons I think has been an advantage. You can kind of predict the Flyers a little easier that way.

Q. Are the conditions out there any different than yesterday? Looked like the wind was coming up as you guys finished out there.
BRANDON HAGY: Yeah, the last couple holes it definitely picked up. I think it's playing pretty similar to yesterday. I think you just have to just be careful with some of the pins, especially coming out of the rough, just take your medicine and play to the middle of the green. When you have a green light, go for it, but I think I've managed my game pretty well.

Q. Tied for 35th at Safeway, you come in now 9-under par, what are your expectations coming into the weekend?
BRANDON HAGY: I feel good. I'm hitting my driver well. I've hit some good iron shots, and like I said earlier I'm just relying on some experiences I've had before on the PGA TOUR and also on the Web.com Tour, just know that I've done it before and played well also. I'll definitely keep that in the back of my mind.

Q. So Shot Tracker said you had 122 to the hole on that first shot. Is that what you had yourself?
BRANDON HAGY: Yes. Yep. I was trying to land it a yard past, a little to the right, and it landed a yard past a little to the right and ^ spun left to the hole. Yeah, so that's a nice way to start. I chipped in a couple of times last tournament and holing out first time this week I think is definitely nice to have those type shots.

Q. When it left the club face, what are you thinking? Are you thinking, oh, I hit that good?
BRANDON HAGY: Yeah. I mean when it took off, it was a little right, had a little bit of draw spin. It kind of hit the trajectory that I was looking for and I took just enough off of it. It was a little in between clubs, and I had to take a little bit off of 50 degrees. So that did well.

Q. We haven't seen video of it. Did it hit and barely get to the hole? Did it hit hard?
BRANDON HAGY: To be honest, it landed maybe three feet away, and I saw it spin left, but I didn't see it go in until Andres like said, oh, yeah. So I mean I was kind of tracking it but I lost it for a second. So I think it kind of went in behind the flag. So I lost the ball for a second and then Andres was like, oh, it went?

Q. When you do that, obviously you're excited but then what do you do next? How do you get back into your game?
BRANDON HAGY: I think you gotta -- for me I think the last year I've really worked on my breathing during the round, and I think that's important not only for when you make a bogey but when something good happens because it's easy to go to the next tee all jacked up. So after that shot I just kind of worked on my breathing and made sure that I tried to be as neutral as possible in hitting the next tee shot.

Q. And then you were 5-under through six holes for the round. Are you tracking that in your mind at all or are you just playing golf?
BRANDON HAGY: I mean the last two days it's been nice to get off to the start. I know I was 4-under through three yesterday and 5-under through six today, so it's nice to get those type of starts, but the way I look at it is it's just birdies in the bank, just keep plugging along. There's always stuff that's going to happen out there during the round, so if you can get off to a good start, that's great. And obviously I noticed that I was moving up the leaderboard, but you know, there's a lot of golf left.

Q. What has the career trajectory been like for you? If I got this right, you were the player of the year at the Byron Nelson?
BRANDON HAGY: So the Ben Hogan is actually the player of the year. Byron Nelson is the combination of academics, community service and golf.

Q. But it's such a big honor for you?
BRANDON HAGY: Yes.

Q. But there's still a lot of people who probably don't know who you are out here.
BRANDON HAGY: Uh-huh.

Q. So how do you get this career going? What are you doing? How do you fight through that because there's a lot of other guys out here in the same position you are.
BRANDON HAGY: You know, I think, you know, I started playing well in high school. So I was a little bit of a late bloomer and it seems like each level I've gone out it's taken me a couple of years. But I keep telling myself you just gotta stick to the process, how you practice, getting your body right. And I think the results will take care of themselves. But I think I've got from just being known to hitting it far to now kind of having some different parts of my game that have come together and help me shoot better scores when everything isn't quite on. So I'm really happy with what I've done with my short game. I think if I can continue to have that feel like a strength for me, then I think I'll be in pretty good position.

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