Media Center Interviews
April 22, 2016
Interview With Brendan Steele
Q. It's been five years since Brendan Steele lifted the trophy here at the Valero Texas Open. For you, you got off to a great start, 8-under through 13 then darkness. You had to have wanted to keep that round going last night. How were you able to restart your momentum?
BRENDAN STEELE: Definitely. You always want to keep going when you're feeling good. The ball was going a long way in the afternoon. Very really good conditions.
Come out this morning early and little bit colder and try to re-gather that momentum was a little bit different. I have to do it at the start of the 2nd Round.
Q. Statistically, little bit below average putting this year. You had a really good round last two days. What has changed in your putting, really, this week?
BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, couple adjustments working with my coach, Chris Mason, helps me with my putting. Last week I got kind of to where I was searching for some kind magic potion and had a talk with myself. We know the couple things we need to work on. Let's keep it simple and attack the approach a little bit better, not be as result-oriented.
Q. Has to be more comfortable to putt on greens that you know very well. What is the feeling of coming back to this place and once again putting yourself in a good position?
BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah. I mean I always feel good here. I know the shots. The course sets up really well for me. Kind of plays into my strength which is usually driving the ball.
And so to see it play a little bit softer and with a little less wind, my eyes kind of lit up. It always plays so difficult, firm and fast and the winning score is just a handful under par usually. To see it soften up a little bit, I knew it was good.
Q. You shot 2-under, tying the 36 hole record in this event. Brendan, I thought that you played like a man who has won this tournament before which is exactly what you have done.
BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, thanks. I definitely feel comfortable here. Even other than the win, I've had a couple other good results here. It's always nice to come back to a place that you feel good at.
Q. Played here five times, three Top-10s. I thought you hit your driver well. Got away from you on 9 and 15 but, by and large, I thought you kept the ball in front of you.
BRENDAN STEELE: That's what it's all about out here. There's so much trouble down each side of every hole if you drive it well you're going to be in pretty good shape. That's normally a good part of my game. That's something I try to lean on around here.
Q. I thought there were a few tight hole locations. From 7 on in was 4 from the edge, left to right.
BRENDAN STEELE: Definitely tight ones. The one on 5 I saw the dot this morning, that was our first hole and the dot kind of freaked me out, to be honest, because I didn't know that you could put a pin back there. Ended up kind of affecting my wedge shot and making bogey because of it but there are a couple that I hadn't seen and I wasn't really comfortable with.
Q. I thought really for you to respond to the double bogey with a birdie at 17, too.
BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, definitely. I mean you never like to make a double. I got kind of a good break over there in the native stuff. I was able to get it back into play and I know that that spins off on the left on 15. I hit a pretty good shot but got to be right of the hole. Just a few mistakes in a row. It's nice to finish with at least one birdie in the last three.
Q. Thoughts going into the weekend.
BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, just more of the same. All the cliches, one shot at a time, all that stuff.
I definitely feel good with my game. I felt like I really sharpened it up the beginning of the week. Keep doing that, it will be a good result.
Q. It was a pleasure watching you play.
BRENDAN STEELE: Thank you.
Q. Up and down a little bit.
BRENDAN STEELE: Lot of the same stuff. Really good things. Couple of little mistakes. Can't miss it left at 9. I missed it left at 9 trying to make a putt for bogey and then you can't miss it left on 15. I missed it left on 15.
And when I was able to get it back in play still made a double. Couple mistakes there but other than that, I think I still had what, maybe 6 birdies today?
So, from that side of it it wasn't that much different. It's always tough to backup a round like yesterday's with a really low one today and, of course, we had to play five holes to finish out that round first. So, it's been a long day.
Q. You started today with looking at birdie putt on what was it?
BRENDAN STEELE: On 5.
Q. Didn't make that; is that right?
BRENDAN STEELE: I didn't make that. I had about 6 feet for par. Another really nasty pin on 5. Two pins on 5 have been outrageous so far.
Q. You must have been excited though going to sleep last night knowing that you had that there after the round that you had.
BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, definitely. I was feeling really good. I was obviously happy with where I was and it was about 16 feet for birdie there and it really wasn't that makeable a putt because it's such a slippery kind of nasty putt.
But I was happy with where I am. I figured it wouldn't be a hard two-putt although I ended up with 6 feet coming back.
Q. Little bit different today, wasn't it?
BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah. Fairly similar. Pins were maybe a little bit tougher. I don't think they maybe realized there was such a good score out there yesterday and then toughened it up a little bit today.
Normally it's so firm, so fast, they have to use kind of easy pins to keep the field moving forward. Normally the rounds are very long. Scoring average is really high. With it being a little bit softer, it was a little bit more getable. I think they made the adjustment on the 2nd Round.
Q. You won this before, Brendan. Obviously you feel confident here.
BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, I definitely feel good. It's my favorite place to come. I have good memories, good mojo. I like all the shots. I know kind of all the wind and even if I make a mistake I know it's a mistake, you know, it's nothing really tricks me too much. So, yeah, just really happy to be here and happy to be in the position I am.
Q. Suits your game pretty well?
BRENDAN STEELE: Definitely. I always lean on my driving. That's kind of the best part of my game as a rule and out here it's so demanding on every hole that the guys that spray it a bit are really in trouble and normally I drive it pretty straight and long so the combo is pretty good out here.
