	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BARRACUDA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 2, 2018

Denny McCarthy

Reno, Nevada

Q. I know that wasn't the finish you were seeking, but you're still in really good shape after the first round. Tell us about your round. Obviously a lot of good things happened early.
DENNY MCCARTHY: Yeah, played a good first hole and made, you want to call it, a bonus 25-footer on your first hole, it's always nice to get off to that kind of start. But chip in for eagle on 13 was definitely what got the round going.

It's always nice to get a five-pointer. You're not trying to make them, but it's nice when they come along, and just fed off of that.

I thought Derrick, my caddie, and I did a good job of judging the distances. We're obviously pretty high up here, almost 6,000 feet altitude. So it makes it tough. Certain shots -- some shots do play short, really short and some don't.

So I think that's something we've always done well is, I think, judge the altitude and how far the shot's playing. And kind of just takes your mind off of everything else. You're just engaged on each shot and trying to figure out it's kind of like a puzzle piece on each shot. So it's just by going, the thought process, that way, just taking it shot by shot and really being engaged and figuring out each shot is really helpful out here. And made some nice putts that played really nicely. Like you say, it was really unfortunate to finish with that bad swing. That's okay. I'm still in a really good spot for the next couple of days.

Q. This is your first start here at this tournament. What's it like playing a different format for you? Was there anything that's a little unusual about it?
DENNY MCCARTHY: Yeah, it's a little different. You're not quite thinking of -- you don't even know how many under par you are. You just kind of know how many points you have. It's a little strange. But I like playing it.

I actually play at a club, my club back home, we have games every Wednesday and Friday. And they're quota games. Stableford system. A little different point system, but very similar. So I feel comfortable out here. I like playing at altitude. I like being able to make good decisions. I think it just plays into my strength.

Q. With the morning time tomorrow, do you think the course will play any different than it did this afternoon?
DENNY MCCARTHY: I'm sure it will probably be a little softer, and the ball probably won't go quite as far early in the morning, as we probably get towards the middle of our round. Towards the back nine I'm sure it will start going about as far as we've been playing today. Like today, we played a similar percentage on most shots. It might be closer to normal distance early in the morning. We'll kind of get a feel first couple holes on how they're flying. So I'm sure it will be a little softer. The wind will be a little -- will be down in the morning. So I think it will be very scorable.

Q. You had the best score [inaudible]. Does that help you in terms of like feeling like you kind of --
DENNY MCCARTHY: Yeah, I enjoy the challenge. I feel like I play well in tough conditions. I like going out and just kind of grinder's mentality where every shot's really important.

And this golf course isn't easy. If you get out of position -- you need to hit it really well. If you get out of position, it's tough. That's how you can make scores. Like at home, on the last hole, minus three, double. But for the most part I was putting it in play. I was giving myself really good looks on the greens. Obviously a nice bonus, five-pointer. It's always nice in this kind of format.

Q. When you're going around the course are you thinking pars and bogeys?
DENNY MCCARTHY: Yeah. Obviously I think my goal for this week was to kind of, to not make a double and not have a minus three. So I got -- I didn't achieve that. But there's still a golf tournament to go out and try and win this week and still in a great spot to do that. So I just gotta keep my head down and really stay patient.

Q. How much are the FedEx playoffs in your mind at all, trying to get into that?
DENNY MCCARTHY: We're always trying to advance our way up the FedExCup board and trying to get into those playoff events. Obviously means you had a pretty good year. There's a lot of really, really good players out here that are playing really, really well most of the time. So if you're not on your game mentally and physically you're going to get lapped out here, I promise you. You've really got to be mentally sharp and in tune every single day out here or else it's not going to go well for you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297