New Game, New Thinking: Brian Vranesh profile

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As part of the New Game, New Thinking series (click here to learn more), PGATOUR.COM freelance writer Rudy Klancnik profiles Brian Vranesh.

If one thing is true about today's economic climate, it's this: He who has any cash can find some rockin' good deals. Enter a PGA TOUR rookie with a few extra bucks and the Scottsdale, Ariz., housing market. To put it mildly, it's a buyer's market. We caught up with Scottsdale resident and hopeful future home owner Brian Vranesh after a house-hunting spree found some appealing opportunities.

PGATOUR.COM: So how's the market in your neck of the woods?

VRANESH: It's unbelievably bad -- which is unbelievably good if you're in the market for a house. We looked at around 20 properties, and 17 of them were in foreclosure. We saw houses that were sold for $700,000 for under $300,000. If you can't find a good deal in this market, you're not looking very hard.

PGATOUR.COM: You told me on your earlier message that you were picking up your mom and her sister from the airport. Did you fly those guys in for the shopping spree?

VRANESH: Absolutely. They love this stuff, and I really appreciate their opinions. We had a good time looking at all the places.

PGATOUR.COM: Is this the house for the honeymooners?

VRANESH: That's right, I'm getting married on Dec. 19 in Vegas.

PGATOUR.COM: Is it going to be an Elvis wedding and then a night at the Sands?

VRANESH: Not quite. I've got a great connection at the Las Vegas Hilton, and he's taken care of everything. We can do the bachelor's party and roll right into the wedding. Perfect.

PGATOUR.COM: Family is obviously very important in your life. You also have a cousin who's been very influential in your athletic career.

VRANESH: Yes, Jon Garland is my cousin. We're best friends and talk all the time about our careers. He's been a huge influence. When Jon was on the White Sox, I celebrated on the field with him after they clinched the World Series. Good times.

PGATOUR.COM: Garland is a Greg Maddux-style pitcher, a guy who beats you with his mind and great control of the strike zone. Is that your approach on the golf course?

VRANESH: I'd certainly like it to be, but I'm not quite there yet. I was talking to Jon at dinner the other night about one of his recent spring training starts. He told the bullpen coach that he was going to throw 85 mph versus his usual low 90s just to stay relaxed and work the zone. He ended up throwing three shutout innings. That illustrates what can happen when you just relax and not try to overpower everyone. I can learn a lot from that. I'm able to hit it long, and I've got a good iron game, but it's the little stuff that holds me back.

PGATOUR.COM: Has the mental part of the game been the biggest adjustment to the PGA TOUR thus far?

VRANESH: I'd say that's about right. If I could have putted the ball a bit better in Puerto Rico, though, I wouldn't have worried about missing the cut. I hit the ball well and couldn't do a thing around the green. But overall, yeah, the mental part of the game, the part that keeps things in perspective after good or bad shots is critical. On the mini-tours, we would ride carts to the ball. That means you couldn't stew over bad shots because you were hitting the next shot in just a few seconds. Out here, you find yourself going nuts in between shots as you walk to your lousy shots.

PGATOUR.COM: Lose your temper yet?

VRANESH: I can run pretty hot at times, and I'll toss out some choice language after bad shots. I don't think I'm ever out of control. In fact, I think you've got to be fired up to exceed at this level. Why else be out here? If I hit a good shot, I'll go fist pump on you.

PGATOUR.COM: What, if anything, about the PGA TOUR has caught you off guard?

VRANESH: The easy answer is the courses since I've only played a couple of them in my life. You've got to have a professional caddie who can scout out the courses. On the mini-tours on courses that I knew, I would always know the places to stay away from. Before you get to know the courses, it's impossible for you to relax. The other thing that's become a distraction are all the interactive scoreboards on most holes. I'll find myself reading the information about the players as I approach the hole. I'll actually catch myself in mid-sentence before I think, "What the heck are you reading about that guy when you need to focus on the next shot!?" There are a ton of distractions at this level, and you've got to tune them out. The best players are laser focused on the next shot and the next hole.

PGATOUR.COM: Do you ever feel that you're losing control of a round as it happens?

VRANESH: My second round in Puerto Rico was pretty frustrating. I shot under par on the first day and should have easily made the cut. Then I can't make a putt from less than 10 feet and blow my entire week. I knew this would be a good week to take off to get away from it for a little while. I played a lot of baseball growing up, even played a year for my junior college team. In baseball, you can lose because of something another teammate does. On the golf course, it's you and only you. That's why it's very easy to get down on yourself and to explode when things go wrong. You have to realize that all I can control is putting the tee in the ground and letting it rip.