Q. Braden, in with a 4-under 68; bogey-free. Walked off and said you always enjoy this place. What's so special about it for you?
BRADEN THORNBERRY: Yeah, I haven't played here since this tournament in 2019 I believe, but I played a bunch junior tournaments here and I think I'd won I think three here from when I was 15 to 17 or something like that.
Just always feel like it's a good course, where like if I hit the shots I'm trying to I can read the greens really well and the round seems to have a good flow. So I was able to do that today, and hopefully keep doing that and give myself good looks.
I feel like I can really roll it out here, so...
Q. What did you do particularly well today game-wise, and was there a highlight?
BRADEN THORNBERRY: I didn't drive it amazing, so I didn't quite have as many opportunities as I could have. I really feel like when I was in position I was able to give myself 15 feet and then like make a good bit of those.
I feel like you have a lot of wedges on this golf course, and it's just about kind of getting your way around and -- you are going to be in some weird spots. Unless you hit every fairway out here like it's tricky when you're in the rough and you have flier lies and different stuff.
Right there on 18 I had 185 and I am hitting like a 9-iron just trying to judge that flier and barely clear the bunker without going long and stuff.
So it's just when you get in the bad spots you got to figure it out, and when you are in the good spots take advantage.
Q. You come in here in a pretty tough position with your ranking in the 190s I think. How much did you look at this week as a real opportunity for you knowing the venue?
BRADEN THORNBERRY: Yeah, I been looking forward to this week all year simply because it's a home event. Also, yeah, I think something I have struggled with this year has been learning the golf courses and kind of feeling I have to -- I'm using a lot of energy early in the week to try to learn these places, and then I get on the golf course and still don't feel fully comfortable.
Where like this, I've probably played here 20, 25 times, something like that. Like I said it's been a while, but I feel comfortable. I know the tee balls, where you're supposed to hit it when the wind switches, all that kind of stuff.
Like I said, I feel like I usually putt well on bermuda, and these in particular I've always seemed to be able to read well. Just hopefully keep that up and keep shooting under par rounds and see where that puts us?
Q. Have you set a goal for the rest of the fall, this next segment of play? Have you set yourself are goal and you able to share that?
BRADEN THORNBERRY: Yeah, not really. The same as all year, just trying to play well. At this point maybe I don't have to win exactly, but it's easy to set a goal of I'm just going to try to win one these last five or however many I have.
This is just a great opportunity for me, playing a golf course I know and I like. It's three hours from where I live. It's very comfortable all around. The golf course, I know the city a little bit, all that stuff. Very happy with the week and today and everything. Just looking forward to the next three.
Q. Your first TOUR event you ever played in finished Top 5. When you came out here and knowing you're going to have a career out here, does it change your expectation, and has it lived up to what you thought it might be so far?
BRADEN THORNBERRY: Yeah, in college I was kind of riding a hot wave at the time. I was playing really well. Came out there -- again, that was a golf course that was 20 minutes from my house and I had played and so I was comfortable on it. That seems to be -- courses I'm comfortable on and not having to think too much -- like with this week it's one of the rare weeks where I'm not having to look in the yardage book every hole. Like I kind of know when the wind is down here you hit this club, and stuff like that.
So to me, when I have a comfort factor I feel like I can focus on the golf as opposed to doing math in the yardage book. That brings out the best in my game.
Q. If you advance to next year and keep your status, do you feel like that will be an advantage having played...
BRADEN THORNBERRY: Oh, 100%, yeah. Because on the Korn Ferry I played a lot of the those events three, four, five times. Definitely this past year on the Korn Ferry I felt comfortable where I was like, okay, I can show up late Tuesday -- I can do my prep at home, show up late Tuesday, play nine, play the pro-am, and be ready to roll.
A lot of time this year I've been playing the Monday pro-am, nine Tuesday, and then I don't get to see the course Wednesday.
So that's a little bit of like an excuse, but also kind of feel like it compounds a little bit when you're not playing well. Then you don't have though use that energy early in the week. Just trying to focus on this week and just very happy that I got off to a good start and can roll from here.
Q. How was the fan support out there for you?
BRADEN THORNBERRY: Not much early in the round. Had a couple Ole Miss Hotty Toddys here and there, but coming in the back nine there was a couple more, and expect tomorrow, being the afternoon tee time on a Friday, be a good bit out there. Excited about it.
Q. Michael La Sasso is playing late today. He was in earlier talking to the media and he said that you were a bit of a mentor for him. Talk about your relationship with him a little bit.
BRADEN THORNBERRY: Yeah, we'd played a couple times when he was on the Ole Miss team before I realized he was really good. I would play with him and tell coach, this kid feels like he's kind of got it. He played decent for like maybe last year then all of a sudden this year won some tournament by ten. I was like, okay, this is the guy that I saw in there.
And then obviously did what he did at NCAAs and been rolling from there. Yeah, doesn't surprise me at all. He has got a big time game and I wouldn't be surprised to see him play well anywhere.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports