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GINN CHAMPIONSHIP AT HAMMOCK BEACH

April 1, 2007

Brad Bryant

PALM COAST, FLORIDA

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Brad, it was an exciting day in the inaugural Ginn Championship. I know not the outcome you hoped, but nonetheless exciting. Maybe a couple thoughts. You had made two eagles there on the back 9 to jump right back into it. And then the last four holes sort of got most everybody.
BRAD BRYANT: Last four holes were really difficult, especially with the way the wind is. We knew going in, the way the wind's blowing right now it's not going to be a pretty finish. The way I finished was not pretty.
But I ain't pretty. So that's all right. One shot better and I'd be happy. If I finish second, I'm happy. But I kind of messed up there and bogeyed those last two.
So all day long I felt like if I could just shoot a couple under I'd have a chance to win. And something in the 60s would probably -- the course was playing tougher. And sure enough that's what I needed. I just needed to par those last two holes.
17, I just kind of I hit a pretty good shot, but I mean you could tell when I hit it, it was just a touch left. And the ball ended up where I couldn't play.
It was on a down slope hitting up the hill. And it's a shame that it's that way. If it was rough out there, I actually would have had a chance to make a par, from where the ball went. Basically I'm playing for 4 there and, shoot, almost made 5 because of the wind.
I think that that slope over there on the left side of that green sort of needs to be addressed. It's a little steep for the way that the wind blows there.
And, you know, first time out at a tournament you learn things about a course.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Can you talk about the two eagles there at 10 and 14?
BRAD BRYANT: Did I make two eagles this week? Made four eagles this weekend. It was pretty cool.
The way I played the par 5s today, I should have won this tournament. I played them, what, 6-under today; is that right? I played the par 5 6-under par. Shot 1-under par. Pretty much shot me is what I did.
10, I hit a beautiful 3-wood off the tee and just hit a textbook 6-iron like you want, sloped off down the hill. We had gotten behind early in the day because I got into the bushes and had to get a ruling and it took a long time to get out there.
We walked up and my ball looked like my ball was deep in the bushes. And so I just told everyone, "Don't look for it," because I hit my other one out there. If it's a lost ball I'm in the fairway, I'm fine. Some guy found it. I asked him, "Why did you look for my ball?" He said, "I just kind of saw it." I said, "Okay."
And he was just trying to help me. But the way it turned out, I had to play it. It was just -- I was so dead it was ridiculous. So I made a 6 there.
And so as we're trying to catch up, and I told Keith as we're walking up there, Keith had put the ball in the bunker there on 10. I told him, "The fastest way for us to gain ground is for all of us to make 3 here. So just go ahead and knock it in the hole from the bunker, and I'll putt it in."
And Tom had a short putt. We'll make three 3s and go on. Sure enough he knocked it in the hole right out of the trap. So that was pretty cool. I put it in on top of him.
The next par 5 I hit a driver and a 6-iron. Beautiful shot to get the ball near the hole and hit a really good putt. Hit a lot of really good putts today that didn't go in.
So for the way I've been playing for the last two months, actually I far exceeded my expectations this week. I really thought I would finish about 20th. So I probably ought to be happy.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: How long was your putt at 14?
BRAD BRYANT: At 14? About 18 feet. Maybe a little less. But it was really a good one. And Keith hit it right there. Keith really played well. We need to congratulate Keith.
It's great when the good guys, seems like every week we have a good guy win. But the last couple of weeks we had Tom win a couple of weeks ago, which was really wonderful.
He's such a great guy to be with and play with. And then to have Keith. I've known Keith -- gosh, we were talking about that the other day. I've been trying to hit it up with Keith for about 35 years. He's always outdriven me.
So it's pretty funny. But I've known Keith a long, long time. He's just a great guy. So I'm really happy for him.

Q. I know you were talking about you playing right-to-left and Jack setting up courses for left-to-right. Is that what the comment about finishing 20th was all about, or was that more about the way you were just kind of playing in general?
BRAD BRYANT: I've been playing poorly to begin with, up until this week. I kind of, on the practice tee, Wednesday, it started getting a little better and just progressed, up until the last few holes. And today I hit three shots really right. And that's not my game. Normally when I'm playing well I've got the ball hooking pretty good. And today I pitched it out three times.
Those are the three shots that ultimately I feel like really cost me the tournament today. The one at 17 was unfortunate. But it was really a pretty good shot. You get 2 behind, you kind of have to take a chance somewhere. I knew 18 was going to be brutal. So that's how the way it was.

Q. 17 actually landed on the green, it looked like, then bled down the hill maybe, what, two yards maybe left?
BRAD BRYANT: It was two paces too far left.

Q. Slowed down and went...
BRAD BRYANT: Yes. And in fact the only place you really can make an aggressive putt at the hole is from the left of that hole because the slope is so severe. You're putting -- that hole, if you're to the right of the hole off the tee you're putting downhill, down grain, downwind.

Q. That's why your putt went so far back?
BRAD BRYANT: Right. Keith, you could see Keith putted it 12 feet by. Of course he had a long putt.
Like I said, that's a place where, okay, the golf course is a little over the edge there. They need to go in and just take that slope out, make that left side of the green nice and flat. It's a good hole, but you're standing on the tee and you know all of this.
And I knew it all. Still did the wrong thing. (Chuckling).

Q. When you enter in the last few holes here today, did you realize no lead was safe? Were you thinking that when you went into these last few holes?
BRAD BRYANT: When Keith hit it in the bushes on 16, I thought I had a good chance to win. Because I had already put the ball right down the middle of the fairway.
And those holes are perfect for me. That pin on -- the pin on 16 is a good pin for me. I bailed it out to the right. I don't have anyone to blame there but me. I still made a nice par. In fact, I hit a great putt. I thought it was going in.
And so all in all it was a pretty good week. And Ginn should be congratulated as well as Keith. They put on a great show -- for the first time, they did a marvelous job. I think we have a marvelous golf course here. There's just nothing but good things to be said this week about this tournament.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Thank you, Brad.

End of FastScripts

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