THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Dean Burmester from Stinger GC. Well played today, 6-under par round of 65. You are 9-under par leading by two heading into the final round. Talk us through your day today. What went well for you out there?
DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, playing with Phil two days in a row is special. The crowds are so positive when Phil is around, and the Chicago crowd certainly turned out today. Walking on that first tee, you always get those butterflies, but it just felt special today, Phil having achieved what he'd done and a lot of comments that were flying, it was great humor. For me, it just put me at ease.
First hole played really tough, and then second hole kind of played tough and sort of got into the round from there. Made a couple good saves on 1 and 2, and then from there, it just kind of fed into the rest of the round, and then made two lovely birdies on 6 and 7 and then 8 I actually didn't hit a bad putt and got a gust of wind and missed like a three-and-a-half-footer and I kind of woke up again. I think I was living in a bit of a dream world and then realized how tough it was.
12th hole to make eagle two days in a row to keep the momentum is exactly what I needed. I've hit two perfect 4-irons in there both days and left myself with a chance, and today I got a great read off of Tyrrell and just rolled it straight in the middle, and then all of a sudden it felt I got on a little run there, eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie, and then it was just hang on coming in basically.
Q. You've had a great season so far, currently eighth in the standings. I think your strongest finish was second in Hong Kong. What would it mean for you to get it done tomorrow at this stage in the season with one event to go?
DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, I feel like I've knocked on the door a couple times. Hong Kong, Saudi, and then the UK. I know Joaco played incredible, but I felt like I was trending in the right direction there.
For me, it's been a great season with a lot of highlights, but there have been some lows in there, but that's just the game of golf. For me to kind of have a chance coming this late in the season is kind of what I need and what I wanted. Just to have a chance to win on a Sunday is special, and to do it against one of the best players in the world in Jon and a new exciting kid in Ballester is going to be special. It'll be fun. Going to have to brush up on my Spanish, but it'll be a good day.
Q. Stinger GC trending well this week. You're 10-under, currently second. What would it mean for you guys to get it done?
DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, that's probably the most special thing. I think all four of us have been speaking about how we've had a lot of chances in the last couple of years and we haven't got a win over the line with four scores to count.
But the guys are putting in a lot of hard work. Branden has really started to trend this back end of the season, which is special and it's great for us all to see. This week we organized a house for the four of us for the first time in a while. Last time we did it actually was Tulsa, and we won in Tulsa. House again this week, it could be a good omen for us. Yeah, it's special, and it's nice to see the guys pushing on.
I know it's tough and tricky in the wind, but for all four guys to pitch in is good.
Q. All four of you are staying in the house this week?
DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, all four guys and then Louis's eldest daughter Yana, so yeah, we're all in the same house. She's keeping us on the straight and narrow, I think. Otherwise it would be a few too many brandies and beers.
Q. So it's hot out there, it's windy. Are there any similarities to when you won in Miami?
DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, there are, actually. Miami, Doral is probably a slightly more challenging golf course to the eye, but this golf course plays tough. I know the scoring has been pretty good, but honestly, the golf course, it's bouncy. You need a little bit of luck, kind of hold a few of these fairways. Then the greens are just pure. They're as good a bentgrass greens as you'll see, especially in this heat.
If you take a combination of driving it well, which I am, and what I did in Miami is I drove it really well and gave myself a lot of birdie chances, that's kind of what I'm trying to do here, just manage my way around and give myself as many -- even if it's a 40- or 50-footer, it's better than going at a pin and short-siding yourself with this gnarly rough.
Very similar to Miami, so I suppose that brings back some good memories. Thanks for that.
Q. When I saw you Sunday at Valderrama, you obviously weren't a particularly happy camper. Was that something that was kind of easy to dismiss, that result, or did you use it as some type of motivation? How did you process it?
DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, Valderrama was probably the lowest point of the season for me. Obviously my worst score by a long shot since I've been on LIV.
But that golf course just lends itself to you're just a little bit off and you just get punished, and then it just feels like you get punished over and over and over again. I was in a little bit of a low spot there, but I did use it as motivation. I've worked really hard since then.
I've tried to lose a few pounds and get myself back into shape, which I kind of found myself fatiguing a little bit towards the end of rounds, so I've done that, and I've done a good job so far, and I've got a long way to go still, but I want to get back into some sort of shape because these young kids are coming out thick and fast, so we've got to keep up with them.
That's kind of boded well. I think mentally that's helped me. I think I feel better about how I look and how I feel, the whole vibe around how I walk around the golf course. So I think that's boded well going into the UK and making the cut at The Open and those kinds of things. Just the body is reacting well.
Q. You're obviously one of the longest hitters in the league and in the world. How do you balance trying to gain and continue to chase distance without sacrificing accuracy?
DEAN BURMESTER: Yeah, for me, I'm pretty fortunate I've never had to chase it. I've kind of always had it since I started out. I've always hit it a pretty long way. So for me, it's more a control thing. Like this week, for instance, I teed down quite a few shots into the wind to try and maximize the roll on those fairways, almost played like a linksey kind of tee shot. So that's great. Then when it's downwind you kind of let it rip.
Yeah, I'm lucky I don't chase it. I don't hit many fairways in general. But when I do, I seem to contend and do a good job.
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