THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Chad Ramey to the virtual media center here at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Welcome back. Your second start here and just your fourth PGA TOUR start. If I could get some comments on what it's like to be back here.
CHAD RAMEY: I'm just really excited to be back here, it's kind of like a home tournament for me. Three years ago I believe it was I had some good memories, played well here after I Monday qualified and I'm just going to kind of draw off that a little bit and I'm looking forward to the week.
THE MODERATOR: You talked about this being kind of the home tournament, you're up the road in Fulton, Mississippi. What is it like to kind of have this be a familiar course that you played here before?
CHAD RAMEY: I mean, it means a lot, just because I do know the course, I'm not having to learn anything new. I did notice they put a couple of new bunkers in here or there, but for the most part the course is the same. So it just, I can kind of focus a little more on just getting used to the speed of the greens and the way the ball's reacting chipping and put a little more of my focus on that, since I kind of already know how to play the course.
THE MODERATOR: You've had your best finish here on TOUR with a T-26 back in 2018. Any special strategy or how this course fits your game?
CHAD RAMEY: No special strategy. I know that week it was pretty soft, I remember playing in the rain the first round, so I don't feel like the course is going to quite play the same. I know the next couple of days there is a little bit of chance of rain, but I have a pretty good feeling that by Thursday, Friday, things are going to start to firm up.
THE MODERATOR: Now coming on TOUR, but back in June you captured one of your first wins since back in college at Mississippi State. What confidence did you gain from that victory at the Live and Work in Maine Open?
CHAD RAMEY: Yeah, that's a lot of confidence just because, you know, I've kind of, I guess, been drawing off faith a little bit over the years, just knowing I'm supposed to be here and knowing I can win and just to make that become a reality definitely gave me the confidence and I just got to keep drawing off of it and know that I belong out here and just grind it out.
THE MODERATOR: For that victory you had your father Stanley on the bag for you, correct?
CHAD RAMEY: Yes, I did.
THE MODERATOR: This week he will not be on bag for you, but how special was it for that victory to have him there?
CHAD RAMEY: It was, honestly, kind of as good as it gets. My caddie, we had been on the road for a little while, kind of wanted a week off. And I said, Hey, my family's actually going up to that tournament, so I was like that will work perfect, I can get my dad to caddie. And you just couldn't have written it up any better. For him to be on the bag, my fiance' was there and my mom and some more family friends, we had a lot of people there in my corner and, who knows, maybe that's kind of what put me over the edge and brought me to the win.
THE MODERATOR: Mississippi native, your father Stanley or other family members will they be following along this week on the course?
CHAD RAMEY: They will. So my dad still helps me a good bit with golf, so he was actually here yesterday and today and he's got to go back home, do some work, but yeah, he's going to, I think he's going to make it back down Friday. But I'll definitely have some people from back homemaking the trip down to watch.
THE MODERATOR: Grew up at a young age, your dad being a superintendent on a golf course, is there any specific or special memories that you have between you and your father that he's really supported you to make it to where you are today?
CHAD RAMEY: Over the years he's obviously pushed me really hard, which looking back at it now it was well worth it. But I just remember just all the long hard hours that we had in Fulton at the nine-hole course growing up and they were well worth it.
THE MODERATOR: Did you do anything special to celebrate once you got your PGA TOUR card?
CHAD RAMEY: Honestly, no, because whenever -- I guess whenever I technically locked up my card we were still playing and I was still kind of fighting for spots out here or spots on the Korn Ferry so I would get in more PGA tournaments. So whenever I locked it up I was still playing and then we only had that one week off after the finals event in Indiana, so I actually kind of, I tried not to check up, I took a day or two off, just get a little bit of rest and then I was right back at it.
THE MODERATOR: Wasn't probably quite the start you were wanting last week in Napa, but anything you learned from last week or where your game is trending right now?
CHAD RAMEY: Yeah, so over the last year to two I've been putting it really well and hitting my driver really well. Those are the two clubs that really let me down in Napa. So over the week off I've been putting a lot of work in with the driver and the putter and I feel like they're on the right track and just stick to my game plan and I think I'll be just fine.
THE MODERATOR: A lot of familiar faces out on the course between last week and this week with a large rookie class. Are there certain players here on TOUR that you confide in or any players that have given you any great advice so far?
CHAD RAMEY: Not really. I guess I'm kind of new out here, I like to play early when there's not a lot of people out here. So I played with a couple of guys out here though and they have definitely given me some advice, but for the most part I'm just trying to kind of keep to the game plan that got me here and just stick to it.
THE MODERATOR: Well take questions, please.
Q. I feel like you were answering this right when I hopped on, but I just wanted to ask you, how is it just being back home and playing in your home state and kind of around a lot of familiar faces with the outside opening back up this year?
CHAD RAMEY: It's awesome. Just this is about as close to home as I get for a PGA TOUR event and just to be close enough to home that a lot of people that never get the chance to come out and watch me have that opportunity now and I'm just looking forward to seeing familiar faces out here.
Q. What do you want to say to all of the Mississippi State fans and supporters who might be coming out to support you as well this weekend?
CHAD RAMEY: I'm looking forward to seeing you, thanks for your support and I'll take all the support I can get.
Q. I guess just in general this season how great of a feeling has it been to have fans back and just people in attendance as opposed to just kind of empty courses?
CHAD RAMEY: It's honestly been amazing. Whenever I won in Maine the crowds there were actually pretty big. It was pretty early on when fans were starting to get to come out and just coming down the stretch and we had a pretty big crowd following us and the fans were very involved and it was just a great feeling, I mean that's one of the reasons we play the game. To have fans back is just, it's awesome.
Q. You already alluded to it a little bit earlier but what does the Sanderson Farms Championship mean to you? I know it's kind of, people -- some people over here they might not know with the sales of the company and stuff, that feature of the golf tournament, but just what has it meant to you?
CHAD RAMEY: It means a lot. Just to have a tournament in your home state you always want to play well and hopefully win it and just for it to be in your home state you want to show up and play well and because you have a lot of support here. So it means a lot to play well, but I'm not going to try and treat it any differently than any other tournament. I've got my game plan going into the week and I'm just going to stick to it.
Q. You kind of touched on it but do you come out here with more is it as a goal-oriented person, expectations, what kind of approach do you have?
CHAD RAMEY: I would say more of a process-oriented person. There is obviously some goals out there that I would like to achieve, but I'm more of a process-oriented person and day-to-day I have a set routine of drills and physical stuff and stretching and just all of the above that I have to take care of and then I feel like if I do my part and take care of those things, then the results will come.
Q. What are you most confident with as far as your game, what part of your game are you most confident with and conversely what part do you think needs the most work?
CHAD RAMEY: The last year or so I've been hitting my driver really well and been putting well. But in the past two or I would say the past month or two it's switched a little bit, I've been hitting my irons and my wedges pretty well, the putter and driver's not quite been where I want it to be. But like I said earlier, I've been working the last week or two pretty hard on the putter and driver. So I feel like they're coming around, but here recently I've been hitting my irons pretty well.
Q. What would be considered success for you this week?
CHAD RAMEY: Just to compete. I'm just here to compete. I'm not going to set any just real expectations, but I feel like if I show up and I take care of my process and I do what I'm here to do, at the end of the week I'm just here to put myself in a position and compete.
THE MODERATOR: We appreciate your time always. Certainly wish you the best of luck this week. Thank you.
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