Media Center Interviews
April 3, 2019
Pre-Tournament Interview with Andrew Landry
JOHN BUSH: We would like to welcome our defending champion, Andrew Landry, into the media center. Andrew, before we go further into questions, let's go ahead and go back to last year. Great final round, opened up with three birdies. The only player in the field with four rounds in the 60s. First PGA TOUR victory. If we can just get some thoughts on what that week meant for your career.
ANDREW LANDRY: For sure. It was one of the most special moments of my life. Obviously to have a dream come true, to win a PGA TOUR event and to do it right here in the home state of Texas, it's such a special place. This is one of the greatest venues I feel like we play at all year strictly from the hotel aspect to the golf course, the condition of the golf course to the food. Overall, it's just a great family tournament to come to and it's great to be able to pick up a victory here so close to home.
JOHN BUSH: And with that two-year exemption, not quite as much pressure on you this year, but I know you still have some goals. Just talk a little bit about your season up to this point and your goals the rest of the way.
ANDREW LANDRY: Yeah, it's kind of the first time I've actually got to take a breather in my career. Yes, my play has not been that great, but we're trending in the right direction kind of at the right time.
So it's good to be back here this week to relive those moments from last year and pick up on a lot of good, you know, positive vibes and just go from there. You can only move forward from where I've been playing in the past and it hasn't been all that great, but like I said, it's trending in the right direction.
Q. Andrew, when you say your play is trending in the right directions, in what ways specifically, what things have you seen change?
ANDREW LANDRY: Putting has just been, if you look at some of my stats, putting hasn't really been that great. I've been just kind of working on different stuff with my putting coach and just trying to get my routine a little bit cleaner. You know, the way that I walk into the ball sometimes gets me lined up a little too far right and gets my face shut. It's just we're trying to move in the right direction that way, just kind of clean my lines up and my ball-striking, clean my lines up in my putting. I've seen a difference. Last round in Valspar, I had a late double and shoot 3 under par, I think it might have been the round of the day. I was out early, but I played a very, very solid round and that's something to really pull from. Three good rounds there. I just kind of had a seven-hole stretch there in the middle of the third round that didn't go my way and that kind of took me out of the tournament. Overall, that was a great week and a great little start to move in the right direction.
Q. How does this week feel differently where it falls on the calendar compared to last year? Obviously you're coming back as the defending champion, but in what ways do you feel like yourself and other guys are using this week maybe to prepare a little bit in addition to trying to win?
ANDREW LANDRY: Yeah, I think the golf course is set up so beautiful right now with the overseed, the whole aspect of the course is playing long, way longer than last year. Last year it was firm and fast and this year we get a little bit of firm greens, but the fairway speed is slow. A lot more longer irons in, so it's kind of setting up a little bit for Augusta. But, you know, like we're going to stick to this week. I just think that having this tournament right before to where I can do some media with you guys and just kind of relive those moments is kind of putting me in a good mind frame to move into this week and next week.
Q. I was wondering what you thought of the field there. Rickie's here, Jordan. Did you anticipate being the week before the Masters a little more some of the bigger names or how do you feel about the field?
ANDREW LANDRY: I think the field's great this year. I think that they did a really good job on the way that they set the golf course up and I think that players want to come here. Like Rickie said about himself, you know, he said everybody told him that this was a good golf course for him. It's a great -- this is a great golf course. For the PGA TOUR players that haven't played it, it is outstanding. It's hard, it's a great test. You've got to be precise kind of on your tee shots, just literally everything.
So I think the field -- I think when you see Rickie Fowler come here and you see Jordan Spieth come here, I think that these guys are going to be like, oh, this is a good place and it's a hard golf course and a great venue. The hotel's outstanding. Just kind of the whole aspect of this whole trip and I think you're going to start seeing a lot more bigger name players coming here.
Q. Year after year?
ANDREW LANDRY: Year after year, 100 percent, regardless if it's before the Masters or not.
Q. Do the changes to the course this year suit your strengths or how are you feeling about that heading into it?
ANDREW LANDRY: Not really, they don't really suit my strengths that well, but I like it when it's playing really hard, windy, firm and fast. That's just kind of always been my strength. I'm kind of a low ball hitter and some of these par 4s now, like 15, you know, I think I hit maybe 4- or 5-iron into it today. I knew it was a little bit colder. But 4 yesterday I hit 3-iron into; it's like I was flipping 9-irons and wedges into it last year. It's a big difference.
Wind direction, you know, I think is prevailing at southeast. I think that's kind of what it's going to be blowing all week. I think it's definitely going to suit a long hitter, whatever.
But you never know. I mean, I have such good memories here, so I know the greens and just play well, I think it takes care of itself.
Q. After earning your first PGA TOUR victory, give us details of what happens after that. Obviously it gives you that sense of security and it gets you into tournaments, but does it help or hurt your mindset because you know you've done it but you know how hard it is to actually close?
ANDREW LANDRY: Yeah, it 100 percent hurt me, to be honest with you. I kind of feel like I slacked a little bit over the last -- not over the last year. I had some really good finishes after that, but I learned a lot on how to take these weeks that I play really well and how to move forward. I think that I slacked a little bit, to be honest with you.
I don't think that I've played the best golf that I'm able to play and it hasn't been consistent, and that was kind of what I was leading for last year is consistency. We're just trying to get back on track right now. I think that I'm doing a better job at it now. I'm playing more tournaments now. Just kind of getting back at it and trying to get my game back in shape, especially for this week and the following weeks coming up. This is a nice four-week stretch for me coming up with a lot of good golf courses that suit my game.
Q. Also having a young family, too, how does that play into things and balancing how much time you practice and what tournaments you enter?
ANDREW LANDRY: Yeah, I still don't know. I still don't know how to balance that. I need help on that. It's really, really hard to be able to take your family with you and have to get a house and stay with the baby and try to get practice in, workouts in. Just kind of the whole aspect of it. You're just so tired at the end of the day, it just wears on you when they're traveling a little bit more than you typically have them traveling. But, you know, it's nice because I hate being away from my son, it just kills me.
Q. I know you're buddies with a lot of the guys who came through the Web.com Tour with you. Anybody older who's been out here doing that very thing, traveling with family for a little while who's kind of walked you through a few things?
ANDREW LANDRY: No, not yet. I need to go talk to someone about it because I don't know. It's tough being a dad and being a pro golfer and traveling and being away from your home, especially at his young age. He's like a year and a couple weeks. It's just not fair for him to just take him out of his element and have him traveling and sleeping in hotel rooms and pack-and-plays. It's just not fair. We're going to kind of ease off for the rest of the year and they're going to come out the next couple events, this week and the Masters since we're so close at home here, then we'll shut it down for the year.
Q. Andrew, is there any particular moment when you look back at last year from that tournament that really jumps out or stuck with you the most?
ANDREW LANDRY: No, nothing really. I did everything pretty awesome last year. It was a pretty outstanding ball-striking round for four days, putting rounds, driving, just kind of the whole game was there. Everything stuck out.
Iron play was probably the most important part if I were to say one thing. I switched iron shafts last year on Wednesday night right before the first round. Never even touched a hole with them. It was an immediate change. We were looking for a little bit more height, a little bit more spin. I was still able to flight them into the wind and it just kind of worked out that way. Kind of crazy, the first time I ever played with a set of clubs I won with. They're still in the bag, though.
JOHN BUSH: Anything else? Andrew, we appreciate your time and best of luck in your title defense this week.
ANDREW LANDRY: Thank you.
