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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 13, 2010

Bruce Smith

KOHLER, WISCONSIN

Q. First of all, how would you compare Whistling Straits to the Pete Dye course at French Lick?
BRUCE SMITH: Well, I think very similar in layout. Obviously from a PGA major championship perspective, probably deeper rough. The wind is probably a little bit more of a factor here. I know it sure can be in Indiana, as well. We saw a little bit of that in the last round.
We caught some weather today. I played in some conditions that if somebody would have come asked me to play golf today, I would have said, no way, going through holes 1, 2, 3 and 4, driving in that wind and rain, hitting 4-irons 200 yards, and No. 4 not even being reachable.
The rough and the bunkering and just the golf course looks a lot different with all of the people on it than it does when you just look at a flat piece of terrain or just a regular hole. But for me, nerves didn't seem to be a factor. I had high hopes coming into this week, but I didn't really get it done on the greens yesterday very well.
I hit a lot of fairways and felt like I hit my driver okay. There were a few places that I missed, and judging how the ball is going to react out of the rough is very difficult for me from a strength perspective and a line perspective.
I think of all of the shots I hit out of the rough, 28 possible fairways, I would guess I probably hit 22, and the six that I missed, I had four go crazy directions and two that I hit halfway decent.
You know, Pete's piece of property up there at French Lick is awesome, and obviously this place is world class. They are fantastic.

Q. Was it difficult finding your rhythm out there? You mentioned the wind, also with the fog delays, did that factor into the way you played at all?
BRUCE SMITH: Well, I think yesterday was the most difficult thing for me being that you're preparing to go off at 2:15 and then it's 4:00 and then it gets pushed all the way back to 5:30 and knowing you're not going to complete your round; for somebody like me, having the opportunity to get out and just practice and trying to stay loose, my back would have a tendency to get tight on me sitting at home on a couch and watching TV.
You know, you want to enjoy the entire experience, so I probably spent perhaps a little bit too much time out here yesterday taking it easy, sitting around waiting for my time. You know, I was a little tentative on the greens in the beginning and missed a few crucial putts, a few crucial wedge shots.
Just really never got into anything going in my entire first round; I don't think I made my first birdie until my 20th hole. Getting the ball into the hole on the greens in an event like this is probably the most important thing.

Q. Can you talk a little about represent your section and The PGA of America in the PGA Championship?
BRUCE SMITH: Well, obviously it's an honor to be here, myself and 19 peers that are here this week competing with PGA professionals. I was a little embarrassed by my first round score; even though I shot six shots better in my second round today, it felt like 15 strokes better with the conditions.
But representing my section, all of the text messages, I can't say enough about the staff and everything that they have done for me, and I did everything I could to carry northern Texas flag and the PGA flag as best as I could.

Q. Now this being your second PGA Championship, is this time around, does it feel any different for you?
BRUCE SMITH: From a perspective of coming in here and preparing for a golf course that I've already seen, that seemed to be a little bit easier. You know, they did a lot of work on the greens. I got here really early. I came in last Thursday to work with my caddie and he actually got sick today after the first nine holes. He made it the first nine holes. He was really sick last night. I got somebody I didn't even know for the second 18. All of the caddies here at Whistling Straits are really cool.
So from that perspective, the preparation seemed to be a little bit easier, but, you know, a diabolical golf course, what do you say? I'd like to say that I have the game to get around this thing, but as I told many people when I came in here, I have to find a level of comfort on the greens which I didn't do yesterday.
I don't drive the ball far enough to compete on some of these holes. I played with a wonderful world-class player for the first two rounds in Simon Dyson, and that guy was steady as the sun for two straight rounds. I think his total is 2-under; I guess that's about six shots back the last time I looked at the board. You're talking about somebody that's got a chance to make The Ryder Cup Team for the European side; was actually a pleasure to play with.

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