MORE INTERVIEWS: Shriners Hospitals Open transcript archive
THE MODERATOR: I would like to welcome Las Vegas native Scott Piercy to the interview room. Scott matched his career best round on the PGA TOUR with a 64 today. If you would start off, go through your bogey-free round, and he will take some questions.
SCOTT PIERCY: No. 1, I made about a 15 footer for birdie.
No. 2, I made a 15 footer for par which was a great save. That was 3.
4, I actually made another 12 footer for par.
No. 5, par 3 I hit in there about four feet, made that.
No. 8, par 3 I hit a hybrid from like 260 to about 15 feet and made it.
No. 9, I hit a driver, 4 iron, chipped it to about a foot for birdie.
I parred 10, 11 and 12.
13, I hit driver, 3 wood on the green and 2 putted.
14, I hit a 9 iron in there about five feet, made that.
15, drove it on the green and 3 putted for par.
16, I hit driver, 8 iron onto the green in two and 2 putted for birdie.
Two putt pars on the last two holes.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. Scott, it looked like you did what you have to do on this course. You played the 5's and the 3's below par.
Can you talk about how you were able to negotiate those? Other than 17, obviously?
SCOTT PIERCY: You know, No. 5 is a real good hole especially where the pin was, it was a perfect number for me. I hit a high cut 5 iron in there. I landed over the bunker. It was four feet.
No. 8, I told my caddy that was one of the best shots of the day on the par 3 with a hybrid. It rolled right passed the pin and 15 feet coming back.
No. 9, I killed the drive. I was almost putting right off the green.
13, I got on in two on the par 5, I hit two really good shots there.
Q. What was the key of having success today? Was it your putter or the fact you were putting the ball in play and giving yourself a chance to score?
SCOTT PIERCY: Well, the par 5s I drove it a ton. I was either on the green in two or just off the green. I putted really well today, too. The par 3s I just hit it close except for No. 8, it was like 15 feet.
No. 5 and No. 14, I had four or five feet. I hit it close. I was making putts. I was hitting it a long way. When you go bogey free and shoot well you kind of got it all going.
Q. Was today's round reminiscent of your great start early in the year at FBR, or there were a couple of tournaments where you played really well back in January and February?
SCOTT PIERCY: I feel like I'm a better player than I was then. It's only be nine months or so. When you get on a roll everything seems pretty easy. Early in the year things are seeming pretty easy. I didn't realize this was the low round. I thought I shot 63 once, but maybe not. You know, when you start doing numbers like that, everything seems fairly easier when things are going your way.
I got 2 great breaks, I hit it on the rocks on 3. I hit it in the rocks again on 6. I made pars. I almost made birdies on both of them. I got my good breaks today, made some putts. That kind of took care of the par 5s.
Q. How exciting is it, now that you put this number up, knowing that traditionally the guy that gets off to a fast start here is usually around Sunday. It's not like most tournaments.
SCOTT PIERCY: Some golf courses you got to shoot 5 under just to keep up every day. There has always been one that seems that way. It might not be as much this year because they changed number 3 to a par 4. Somebody said 26 under won last year, I'm not sure. I can't imagine seeing it that low this year but maybe.
So it's always good to get out of the gate fast. It's tough to spot these guys strokes if you are not playing well the first day.
Q. You mentioned getting on a roll, I know you had a pretty good week last week too, do you feel like you are getting on a roll right now?
SCOTT PIERCY: Yes, I've actually hit the ball really well for about the last eight weeks. Exempt maybe one week in the middle. Just the scores haven't come. Finally last week the scores started showing. I guess today it showed, too. There has been a lot of good things going on. For me I usually make a lot of birdies. So if I can start taking away bogeys, I will have a chance.
Q. With this tournament, you are local and everything, would it be more special for you to have a good last three days and be in the running on Sunday?
SCOTT PIERCY: Definitely. My wife is getting ready have a baby any day, any minute. I was looking at my phone every three or four holes saying, hey, did she go to the hospital yet? Having a baby any time, being in front of my hometown, home golf course, it would be pretty sweet.
Q. Will you been able to continue playing if Sarah is going into deliver on the weekend?
SCOTT PIERCY: I told her I will do whatever she wants.
Q. I would think after today she would say stay out of there.
SCOTT PIERCY: I called her right when I was done and she said you really don't want to see this baby come home right now, do you? If I have a five stroke lead, we'll see when the baby would come.
Q. Is this likely your last tournament of the year, or do you think you may play Disney or something?
SCOTT PIERCY: There is a chance I might play Disney.
Q. You will see how it goes?
SCOTT PIERCY: If I play really well this week you might not see me. Maybe a chance at Disney.
Q. One other thing, what was it in June, did you have an injury, you took time off, what happened?
SCOTT PIERCY: I was just tired. You know when you are playing Nationwide and that category, and Q School, I just got off to a hot start. You get reshuffled into more tournaments. You start getting invitations. I played my way in the THE PLAYERS Championship, so that was about four or five more tournaments that normally I probably wouldn't have been in that I felt like I had to keep playing and playing. By the U.S. Open I was exhausted. I needed three weeks off. We found out about the baby and the timing of that, so I just kind of played. Right after the playoffs, when I got knocked out of the playoffs, I got three weeks off right before New York which I think really helped.
Q. What was it, like you are freezing on the airplane there, and now its 88 degrees, a beautiful Vegas typical summer day, it's got to be weird?
SCOTT PIERCY: You kind of stay in the moment. One of the things that helped me I put a new golf ball in play, a new Titleist Pro V1x, it spins a lot more. I've been able to control my irons a lot better. I get a lot more shots within ten feet of the flag rather than, when I hit a good shot, 25 feet. And I put that in in New York for the first time, too. So that's been one of the key things, too.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks a lot, Scott. Good luck the rest of the week.