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HP BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP


May 17, 2012


Ryan Palmer


IRVING, TEXAS

THE MODERATOR:  Ryan Palmer, thanks for joining us for a few minutes.  Clean card, 6‑under, 64 in round 1 of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, capped off for a nice save there for par at nine.  Comments on the round?
RYAN PALMER:  Continuation from last year, that's what's cool about the whole thing.  It was great.  Felt great all morning, warm‑up was great.  I knew everything was going in the right direction, it was a matter of putting it all together at once.  I drove it great for 14 holes, hit irons, putted great, had a short game my last four holes.  I was talking to James walking up to the scoring table, and I was excited about my score but I was disappointed in myself and how I locked up the last four holes.
I had big pull hooks on my last four tee shots.  I fought my way in, but I got up and down 60 yards for par on 7, in on 8 and great up and down on 9.  I fought to get in and the short game was awesome, but I was disappointed in the way I kinda locked up on my tee shots, but that's what the short game is there for, and fortunately it was good.
It's great to be in this spot again.

Q.  Ryan, obviously the scoring conditions were pretty good today and it looks like it's going to be similar to last year where the wind is going to pick up tomorrow.  Talk about preparing for that and where you see similarities from last year to that?
RYAN PALMER:  Blow wind blow!  Looking at the forecast, my draw was exciting, because they're saying 20 to 30 tomorrow and picking up about 12:45 hopefully, because I'll be done.  It looks like there are going to be gusts this weekend and, it's a defenseless golf course.  We saw 3‑under win the tournament last year, and it's nice to get that round early because you don't have to do so much to get back in the race.
Shoot a low number early, come out tomorrow morning with calm conditions and maybe we can build on it and set myself up for a big weekend.

Q.  When you talked about it being a continuation of last year, were you talk about James calling the shots and you hitting them?
RYAN PALMER:  Exactly.

Q.  Did you do that last year after this or are you just doing it for this golf course?
RYAN PALMER:  We actually tried it at the BMW at Cog Hill last year, and it lasted about six holes.  Then we actually tried it last week a little bit, but the PLAYERS ‑‑ for some reason, this golf course ‑‑ I get in the frame of mind with this golf course and what me and him are doing, and it was the exact same thing.  I didn't move until he put the bag down and half of the time he pulled the club out of the bag and handed it to me, I don't know what the club is.
It was a continuation of last year, and we did it to the exact tee today, every tee shot, second shot, and just got a little loose on the last four holes, but I'm sticking with it.  For some reason this golf course we have figured something out.

Q.  Is it weird that it works here and hasn't translated?
RYAN PALMER:  I think it works here because we're so mentally in tune‑‑ we go to other courses we try it, it's like, are we really doing it or just going through the motions?
Here we actually ‑‑ we have Randy Smith in James' ear saying, "Get your brain ready," you sit back, relax, and hit the ball.  That's what it is.  I guess this week we're so in tuned to the idea of it, where we get to another golf course it's kinda half‑assed, I guess; we don't even think about it.  This week it's a grind, for both of us.

Q.  Ryan, obviously you had a good week last year here.  Is there a different mind‑set to get it done, to get it finished after being runner‑up last year?
RYAN PALMER:  I keep telling myself, "redemption"!  I didn't lose it last year by any means, but to get back in the same setting with the same people watching, here where I live, and just to have that feeling again.
This time be the guy standing with the trophy.  That's been my focus once I got home from Jacksonville and leading up to the start of this tournament.

Q.  Just what's the relationship like‑‑ we talked about it last year, but is it relaxing for you, is it pressurized, is there a time when you sit there and go, I don't know that he's giving me the right instruction, or do you just clear your mind and go?
RYAN PALMER:  It keeps me from thinking about it, because a lot of times you get over a shot and you think, well it might be a soft 7 or a hard 8; it just gives me one thing in my mind and I go with it.  I questioned it one time today on 15, tug back right pin, and he said, "Hit this and drive it hard and low," and I said, "What's the carry on the pin?"  And he said, "I don't care.  That's not where I'm telling you to go.  I want you to hit here," and I hit it to 8 feet and made birdie.
So that was one of those things like, "Here, hit this shot and go," and it keeps me from thinking about other things, should I hole it, should I not hole it.

Q.  Talk about being in Texas and wanting to do well in Texas considering your background?
RYAN PALMER:  This year it's kinda gotten better.  In Houston I played well for three days, struggled on Sunday.  In SanAntonio, I played well for three days and struggled on Sunday.  But here, where I live, it is nice to go home to Jen and the kids and relax.  I've got two major‑‑ I've got a fifth and sixth major, this one and Colonial, so it's fun to play good in front of friends and family.  Maybe that's why I'm so relaxed here, because I go home and hangout.

Q.  It's easier?
RYAN PALMER:  I don't know about easy but, yeah.
THE MODERATOR:  All right‑‑
RYAN PALMER:  Coach, you have to have something!  Former golf coach.

Q.  Did you see how the boys played today at regionals?
RYAN PALMER:  I haven't seen it.

Q.  They are tied for fourth.
RYAN PALMER:  Perfect.
THE MODERATOR:  Ryan, great start, congratulations.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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