Q. Davis, could you go through the time frame of this morning and when you found out you were getting in and how that all played out?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, exactly. I was in the exact same scenario for the Memorial, so I knew how to approach it. So I arrived on property around 6:30. I just wanted to make sure I gave myself plenty of time because if I do get in, I want to be somewhat prepared; I don't want to be scrambling and wasting an opportunity and running out there.
I gave myself plenty of time, and it worked out perfectly. The worst is whenever you get here at 6:30 and you're just sitting around all day and then you get the 2:00 tee time. You're like, well, I'm exhausted because I've gone back and forth to the range three or four times.
But yeah, I arrived on property at 6:30. I got the text probably right around 7:15 that I got the tee time, and yeah, I got my stuff together and was ready to go.
Q. Did you have an idea that Brian might withdraw at all?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, not Brian. The TOUR competitions has been in touch with me that there were a couple withdrawals from the pro-am. There were actually three withdrawals from the pro-am, so that honestly was a big -- I was kind of teetering whether I was going to come or not because I was in the same scenario at Memorial and it was terrible sitting around Thursday and wasting a couple days it felt like.
But yeah, I got here Wednesday and a couple withdrawals from the pro-am, and I was like, okay, maybe something is going on because there's some people that were sick; I knew there was a bug maybe going around, so I was like, okay it's probably worth just being up there. Yeah, just to get a tee time was awesome.
Q. Where did you come from here?
DAVIS RILEY: Dallas. I came from home. I played the U.S. Open last week and then I was just enjoying a week at home, and I was like, you know what, I might as well just go up there because if I don't go up there and I get in, I would be pretty mad at myself, so I just wanted to be here just in case that were the circumstance.
Q. How do you set up expectations for yourself getting into a tournament and playing an early-round tee time under the circumstances that you were in?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, it was kind of nice because it felt like one of the days I play at home with all my buddies because I'm not really grinding. I'm just kind of like, oh, I'm hitting a couple putts, running some routines, like just warming up pretty quickly, not like an in-depth routine like I would on a normal tournament week. I feel like that brought a little -- maybe not laxness to it, just a little bit more easygoing, and I'm like, well, I'm in. Obviously I feel like I'm playing good golf and I want to have a good week, but at the same time, it feels like I have nothing to lose, so to speak.
I just tried to carry that kind of easygoing morning I had into the round, and I got off to a great start and just tried to execute the best I could, and I feel like I've been executing pretty nicely lately, and it felt like a good day.
Q. You've played this tournament the last few years. How much was your familiarity with this venue able to let you relax a little bit more than if you were at a venue where you got in this way and you hadn't played it before?
DAVIS RILEY: For sure, yeah. I had played here, I think, three or four times. So that certainly helped.
My biggest concern starting the round was getting the speed of the greens just because you're practicing at home and played the U.S. Open last week so you don't know how similar or whatever they're going to be. So that was my primary concern.
I just tried to really focus on being really cognizant of when I hit the putts, how much they were rolling out. Even when I missed them, just being aware of what the speed is like, and I feel like that translated well.
There was one or two -- I three-putted a par-5 because it was my first putt over 30 feet on 6, and I just didn't have a good bearing quite yet for the speed. But yeah, I feel like after that I adjusted pretty quickly and got the flow of it. But being here multiple times certainly helped with my sight lines off the tee and all sorts of kind of stuff like that.
Q. Can you speak a little bit about the conditions that you faced early on and how those changed potentially? Looks like maybe the wind is just starting to come up. What was it like for you as you went through your round?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, for sure. Obviously I got here late last night, but just being on the range and the putting green this morning, it looked like they had gotten some rain maybe prior in the week, so it seemed a little soft under the feet, and seeing some balls reacting to the greens, it was pretty soft, so I knew -- but I knew the sun was going to come out, and it dried up a little bit, but the wind is really starting to go now, and I'm sure throughout the afternoon it'll dry up and you'll start seeing a little bit more bounce on the greens.
Q. When did you decide to come? Was it yesterday or Tuesday?
DAVIS RILEY: It was yesterday. I woke up in the morning and had gotten the call from competitions because initially I wasn't going to come. But I got the call from competitions saying there was two or three withdrawals from the pro-am, and I was like, okay, maybe there's a bug going around; I need to just be up there. But yeah, yesterday morning I booked a flight -- I booked two actually, one at 1:45 and 7:00. I was like, I'll just be safe and take the 1:45. But yeah, this all transpired very quickly.
Q. Had you ever gotten in as an alternate like this before? I know Memorial you said you sat around and didn't get in.
DAVIS RILEY: No, I don't think I've ever sat around and gotten in as a first alternate. Memorial I was first alternate. But it's tough, these are the best -- these are really good tournaments with really good fields and a lot to play for, so you kind of think guys aren't going to back out. But I was like, you know what, I would be mad if I was sitting at home and I were to get in.
But yeah, not very familiar with the scenario, so I just tried to be here when I could.
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