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VALERO TEXAS OPEN

September 18, 2004

Bart Bryant

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

PHIL STAMBAUGH: You bettered your previous career low by three strokes today with a 10-under par 60 and tied the 18-hole tournament record and set the La Cantera Resort Course record. Very nice playing.

BART BRYANT: Thank you. That feels good. I'd like to do that some more.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Take us through the day and then we'll go through the birdies. Take us through how your round went.

BART BRYANT: Well, my round went pretty good, I can tell you that.

No. 1, I hit a sand wedge in there to about ten feet and made a real good putt.

2nd hole was a pretty key hole for me. I faded my drive just over that bunker and had that tree in the way, and I had to really hit a risky shot and slice it. I hit a 6-iron and got it on the green and made a two-putt there. That was really good. That could have been potential disaster.

3rd hole, I hit a 5-iron in to about 13, 14 feet, made another real good putt there.

4th hole, I had to hit a long iron, didn't hit a real good drive, and I ended up hitting a 4-iron to about 40 feet.

5, I birdied 5, I hit it to 14 feet on 5, hit a 7-iron there.

Next hole, hit a sand wedge in there. Next two holes I hit sand wedges in there to about five or six feet and made two really good putts. I think that put me 6-under at that point.

Then on 9, I had about a -- I actually hit a fairly good shot in there about 10, 12 feet past the hole. I had a chance to shoot 28 there and left it short coming down the hill, and Bob Estes came over and said, "I ought to slap you for leaving it short."

10, I made a good two-putt.

11, I hit a sand wedge up to about 18, 20 feet, made a nice putt but didn't make it.

The next hole I hit a loose shot out there out to the right into the rough and ended up catching a really good lie, was able to knock it on the green from there and made a really nice putt from probably 16, 18 feet.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: What did you hit in there?

BART BRYANT: That was a 6-iron into a little breeze. You know, if you hit a good shot, you're going to have an 8 or 9-iron in. It was a very loose shot.

Next hole is a little par 3 down the hill, hit it fairly close there, about five or six feet, made a nice putt.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: What did you hit in?

BART BRYANT: I hit a sand wedge.

Next hole, I hit a real good drive on 14, the par 5, in the middle of the fairway. I hit a 4-iron into the right middle of the green, probably had about a 25-, 30-footer, made a nice two-putt.

Next hole I hit a 6-iron probably 18, 20 feet right of the hole, made a nice putt but didn't make it.

Next hole I hit a 4-wood left in the left rough, and again, caught a nice lie, ended up hitting a 9-iron about 18 to 20 feet left of the pin and made a very nice putt there but didn't make it.

Then the next hole, the par 3, hit a 7-iron a little bit downhill into the wind, and Bob Estes hit a 6-iron in front of me and hit a beautiful shot that flew past the pin. I was lucky he hit first because I would have hit 6. I hit a 7 just off the edge of the green.

Next hole I had a punch 8-iron in from about 138 yards and hit it left of the pin about 30 feet and drained it. It was just one of those days.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: At the 8th hole you made a birdie. Do you remember what you hit in? Was that a wedge?

BART BRYANT: No. 6 was the 60-degree sand wedge, No. 7 was the regular sand wedge.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: And your putt was how far there?

BART BRYANT: Both those putts were probably in the five-, six-foot range.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: You made a nice save really at 2. Is there any point in the round that you had an inkling that you were going to show this kind of a score?

BART BRYANT: I'll tell you, after I made the putt on No. 8 to go to 6-under, I felt like I had the potential to shoot very low. Then I had the putt on 9 there obviously, and that would have been sweet to make that one.

But at that time I felt like if I could play holes 11, 12, 13 and 14 really well, I could get a good score. For some reason, it seems like those holes you can get some birdies, and I think I got three out of the four.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: After 14 did you start thinking maybe 59 was possible?

BART BRYANT: Well, I probably shouldn't admit this, but I was thinking that a lot earlier than that (laughter). After I birdied 8, I really felt like it was possible. It didn't happen, but who knows, one of these days maybe.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Still an awfully good round. Set us up for tomorrow. Right now you have a three-shot lead. When is the last time you've been in a position close to the lead or in the lead?

BART BRYANT: I think it was when I was about 11 years old in a Mexico Junior PGA Championship (laughter). No, I've never been in this position on the PGA TOUR. I'm in uncharted water. I'm surprised I have a three-shot lead to be honest with you.

I just have to go out tomorrow and try and take care of business, try and relax as best I can. I was a little bit nervous on that back nine today with the cameras following me. That's part of it.

I promised myself a couple months ago that if I could get in this position that I'd go ahead and do it, that I wasn't going to back off and be fearful of what may happen, I'm just going to try to stay up there.

Q. I heard you say on television if you got into position that you told your wife you wouldn't be scared. What did you mean by that, as far as being scared by it?

BART BRYANT: Well, actually I was talking to my wife about shooting a low score because I hadn't done that this year but I felt like I had one coming. Luckily it was today. I was talking to them, and that's what I said about getting close to the lead; for some reason in the past -- you know, you hate to admit this, but I've had chances to get close to the lead or maybe take the lead and I've always held myself back. I think it was the fear of just not being able to finish it off. You feel more comfortable maybe a few shots back. I promised myself next time I'm playing well, I'm going to try to get the lead by as much as I can and try to stay there and not fear what the outcome may be.

Q. What was it like for you out there during the round? Was it almost surreal when you were shooting that well and you were just sort of locked in the zone?

BART BRYANT: You know, I've shot some low rounds, not on the PGA TOUR, but I've shot 60 a couple times in mini-Tour events around the Orlando area. I've shot low before. I really was trying to shoot low. I mean, the whole way around, I was really trying to shoot 59. That's what I really wanted to do.

I felt like I had to birdie 16 to do that. So my frame of mind was really -- I was not protecting, even though I hit a couple loose shots. I was trying to play aggressively smart, not do anything stupid and kind of ruin the round that I had, but I really felt like I had an opportunity to shoot 59. I felt like if I could eagle 14 or get a birdie on 15 or 16, that would give me an awfully good chance.

It seems like 18 right now has kind of become a birdie hole. You know, years past, that hole played a little bit longer, but it seems like the ball is going so much further now that you don't have to worry about that water on the right as much, and you kind of get up there and bust it and you have an 8 or 9-iron in there. It's kind of become a birdie hole.

My goal was to be 10-under going into that last hole and give myself a putt at it.

Q. On 13 your caddie looked over and your brother was pumping his fast at you. You didn't see it.

BART BRYANT: Oh, really?

Q. He says he was checking the leaderboard for your name, was very cognizant of what you were doing.

BART BRYANT: I'm sure he was. What did he shoot today?

Q. I think he's 7- or 8-under.

BART BRYANT: That's pretty good.

Q. He said if he catches you tomorrow, he's not going to let you win. He wanted to pass that message on.

He played right behind you the whole time. Were you cognizant that he was back there?

BART BRYANT: I couple times I looked back there and watched where his driver shot, but for the most part, I was taking care of Bart and not too worried about Brad.

Q. You're from Texas, and shooting this kind of score at the Texas Open, is there anything special about that?

BART BRYANT: Well, I was actually born in Texas, although I grew up in New Mexico. I never actually lived in Texas. Yeah, I mean, it's kind of fun. Where I grew up, actually the terrain is a lot like San Antonio. This course is pretty hilly. We didn't have quite the hills where I grew up in the southern part of New Mexico.

I've always felt pretty good playing here. The course kind of fits my eye. It's not a real long hitters' golf course. You've got the two par 5s; one of them everybody reaches. You have a lot of short irons, and if you drive the ball well, you're just going to have opportunities to shoot low, and for some reason I've always felt pretty comfortable playing here.

Q. Do you do anything tomorrow with the bull's-eye on your back or do you have to play like you normally would coming out as the leader tomorrow?

BART BRYANT: With the bull's-eye on my back?

Q. Do you have to play any different with a bull's-eye on your back thinking everybody is going to be chasing you?

BART BRYANT: Gosh, I don't know. Maybe you can help me out with that one. I'm in a place I've never been before. I'm just going to go out and try to manage my game. I focused really hard this week on my pre-shot routine, really focusing on alignment in front of me. I have a couple small swing triggers I'm thinking about. I've just got to stick with that and hopefully that will carry me through.

I know I'll be nervous out there. The more that I can do to get into my routine, kind of forget about the outcome and focus on this shot, then that's what I'm going to have to do. It's not easy, but everybody out here has to do it, and it's a good position to be. I'm going to learn a lot tomorrow. Hopefully I'm going to learn how to win on the PGA TOUR.

Q. Any superstitions that you have before you play?

BART BRYANT: No, not really, although I had me a nice little filet last night. I might have to go back.

Q. Where did you eat that?

BART BRYANT: The Land & Cattle Company or something, Texas Land & Cattle Company. I'll have to write them a thank-you letter.

Q. When you shoot a 60 and you're looking back at No. 9, it was like a 12-foot putt and you hit it 11 feet and 11 or 11 and a half inches, do you look back and say there's that one and that one and that one and it was right there for me?

BART BRYANT: Later I might think I was that close, and if I would have hit that a little harder, a little right, a little left. You shoot 60, you're just grateful for it. Hopefully I can get in that position again and have another opportunity and maybe seal the deal next time.

Q. Are you going to have trouble sleeping tonight?

BART BRYANT: I probably will a little bit. I'm guessing. It's hard for me to know. Right now I don't feel too bad. I'm guessing tonight I'll probably start thinking about the round tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have some nerves.

But everybody does. Even guys that probably have won 30 or 40 times, I'm sure they think about it a little bit the night before. For a guy like me and others who have the opportunity to win a golf tournament for the first time, it's probably a little more so, and you just learn to deal with it.

I've been through that PGA TOUR school more times than I want to admit, but the pressure there is tough, and sleeping before that last night when you know you've got to shoot a 70 or 71 to get your PGA TOUR card, it's tough. I managed myself well in those situations and hopefully I can draw on that a little bit, even though I'll be nervous. I'll just try to take care of business and work through it.

Q. You mentioned that you kind of felt like you had a real low round coming. Was it just a matter of the way you were striking the ball recently or you kind of felt like a low round was coming?

BART BRYANT: I've been striking the ball fair, although the last three weeks I haven't played great, but I went through a stretch there where I made quite a few cuts in a row. I think I had a few opportunities to get higher up, close to the lead, and I was just kind of holding myself back. I was not allowing myself to do it. Honestly it was more the putter than anything.

So this week I attribute my success so far to two things: I've putted better, I've been more aggressive with my putts, and mentally I just had to let it go. I just said, "You know what, in the end if I make a complete big fool out of myself, I don't even care, I just want to get there." That's not to say that I feel like I'm going to play poorly tomorrow; I hope to play very well and go out and win the golf tournament.

Q. I was just looking at how you played 7 and 8 on the front nine. You had like identical approaches there, about 90 yards out and you dropped it about five feet away on both of those holes.

BART BRYANT: That's correct.

Q. How did that help you for the back? I mean, at that point did you know that you were really onto something or did you know sooner?

BART BRYANT: Well, no, when I hit both of those fairly close and then hit two very nice putts from five feet, of course, you kind of expect to make those, but having those that close and then making them, I really knew at that point that I had an opportunity to do something pretty special.

I mean, I knew there would be a lot of 5-, 6-, maybe even 7-unders out there today. You know, there's going to be low scores on this course. Some of the pins were accessible today. But at that point I felt like maybe I had an opportunity to do a little better than some of those really good scores. I felt like I had an opportunity to one better the guys that are playing really good.

Q. Did you already talk about your long putt on 18?

BART BRYANT: I just mentioned that putt, yeah. Yeah, that was kind of a bonus. I mean, I was lagging all the way and it just happened to roll right in. I had a perfect spot between me and the hole to aim at, and I just hit it the right speed. Any time you make a putt from that distance, you know, it's a little bit of luck involved maybe. It was good.

I've been getting my putts to the hole this week, which is important. Hopefully tomorrow I can stay aggressive, get the ball to the hole. In fact, I think I've had three three-putts this week from putting it past the hole, but at least I've stayed aggressive and made some putts.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Thank you very much, and continued luck tomorrow.

BART BRYANT: Appreciate it. Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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