	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

FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC

June 9, 2011

David Mathis

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

DOUG MILNE: Okay. David, thanks for joining us for a few minutes. Great opening round, 5-under 65 today. I think that matches your career low round, if I looked at the stats correctly.
DAVID MATHIS: Could be. I have no idea.
DOUG MILNE: Obviously, either way, off to a great start here at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Just a few comments on the round and how the course is setting up and, you know, obviously got to be feeling good as you're heading into tomorrow.
DAVID MATHIS: Yeah. It was a pretty -- it was a solid day. I'm looking at the scores early this morning and seeing 4-under leading the golf tournament and obviously the golf course was playing with a little bit of difficulty, even though there wasn't any wind.
So, you know, I felt like that I wasn't -- I didn't have to necessarily play ultra-aggressive to try to make as many birdies as you can. Some events that's the case, and, you know, I made like a 6 or 8-footer on my first hole, No. 10 of the day, and then, you know made a long putt like 20 feet or so on No. 11.
That just kind of jump-started my day and, you know, just had some confidence. I was driving the ball in the fairway and hitting irons in spots I was looking to hit them and, you know, just added up to a 65 thankfully.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. We'll -- with that, we know it's late and you want to goat out of here, open it up for a couple of questions.

Q. David, it looked like were you rolling the ball real well with your putter. Anything particular you changed or just happened -- things were rolling well for you today?
DAVID MATHIS: You know, I've been putting the ball fairly well or feel like I've been putting the ball well. My last probably four, five rounds I've had, you know, little bit of issues, and I noticed something. My coach was here with me this week, and, you know, I just noticed a little something in my set-up before I would actually take the putter back. So just try to clean that up a little bit, and before you know it, I started rolling the ball on the line and, you know, bam, just started making some putts. I guess the confidence kind of carries over from there. Yeah, I was fortunate.

Q. Again, just talk about the birdie, string of birdies that you had, how you felt.
DAVID MATHIS: You know, like I was saying earlier, you know, I knew the golf course was playing difficult just because the greens are so firm in spots, especially if you land the ball down-grain.
I don't know. I just never really felt that much pressure to try to hit phenomenal shots. So i was just giving myself a lot of looks and then holed some putts. I avoided ed mistakes. I got the ball up and down on my 18th and 9th hole, 17 and 18. That kind got the momentum going. And then made a great birdie on No. 2 from the fairway bunker. I made about an 18-footer or so, you know, then hit a wedge probably about 12 feet on the next, and it just, you know, just kind of -- avoiding mistakes and making some putts.
It can add up to a pretty good score. I was fortunate from that standpoint.

Q. Looking, I don't know how much you watched the scoreboard during the round, but like yourself and somebody else on the Nationwide Tour is doing well from a year ago. Did you notice the scoreboard?
DAVID MATHIS: You know, I watched the scores early this morning just to kind of get some idea what the golf course is playing like. You know, the greens are small and they're firm and, you know, they can be quick in spots. It's like, you know, when you see 4-under is low after the morning, you know, you recognize that there's something going on, whether it be pin placements or firmness of the greens or tricky wind or, you know, something is probably going on.
So, you know, just try to be patient. Like I said, I hit some really good shots early and then avoided the mistakes. Add that with making some putts for birdie and it turns out to be a solid day.

Q. Tell me how sweet is it to be back on Tour based on how you finished in the last year on the Nationwide Tour. Are you more appreciative of it now?
DAVID MATHIS: You know, I don't want to say I was uncomfortable in '09, but it's just so different. You're seeing -- besides the guys you've played with, now it's a whole new year of totally different individuals. Obviously a lot of those guys that you've watched play for years and years and years. After that kind of wears off, then it's a matter of knowing the golf courses and how they're going to play come tournament time. So I think, you know, I feel way more comfortable at courses that I've played a couple of times, whether it be a nine or prior, I think Monday I entered this event, first, second year of playing professionally and just having some comfort level I think makes a huge difference.
You know, then just from there it's knowing the golf course, you know, knowing where to hit it. If you get in between numbers, where to miss it, and, you know, for me, that's kind of a big deal.

Q. Right now looks like you're going to have a one-stroke lead going into tomorrow. Have you had a round lead at this level and what could it mean being in this position at least this early?
DAVID MATHIS: Yeah. I haven't been in this position before. I don't feel stressed or uncomfortable in the position. I know there's tons of golf left. I'm just trying to keep poise about me, I guess I would say, while I play and recognize that hey, there's a lot of holes to play between now and Sunday and so, you know, just take it for what it is, enjoy it, you know, be thankful for a good round and try to reproduce it for the next three days.

Q. Did you get a later start in the sport? You came on the Nationwide Tour I guess four, five years ago?
DAVID MATHIS: My first year I think was 2006 on the Nationwide Tour. I was playing, gosh, early on UT college. My first two, three years I played mini tours, one, two-day events. Not too far from home, normally. Then I started playing the Canadian Tour. I played that through '05, you know, and then in '06 I finally got some status and been fortunate to improve on each year I've played.
You know, late start, I don't know. I guess like -- somebody asked me the other day, "How long have you been playing. Like 13 years or something like that."
I was, "Like really?"
So, anyway, obviously the time flies, but, you know, it's been an enjoyable ride coming from that -- coming from that place, you know, makes me appreciate playing out here for sure.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. Anybody else? Okay David, we'll let you get to business. Great round today. Thanks for joining us.
DAVID MATHIS: Sounds good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297