What they said: Scott Piercy

text size

MORE INTERVIEWS: Shriners Hospitals Open transcript archive

THE MODERATOR: I would like to welcome Scott Piercy to the interview room. Scott shot a 65 today and is at 17-under for the tournament. Scott, can we talk about your round and then we'll take some questions?

SCOTT PIERCY: I got off to a great start. I hit it about 18 inches on the first hole which is a nice break there. I made birdie on 5 which was huge. I hit it in there about ten feet. I made bogey on 6, hit it in the rocks, knocked it up by the green, just a 10-footer for par. No. 9, I hit driver, 5-iron on the green, 2-putted. 10, I hit 3-wood, sand wedge about three or four feet. I made a great par on 11. I hit a flier over the green, back bunker and down slope, green going away, hit a great shot to 15 feet and made it. That was a huge there. No. 13, knocked it on the green in two and just two putted. 14, drove it pin-high, knocked it up to about 12 or 13 feet and made that. 16, par-5, hit driver 7-iron middle of the green and 2-putted. 2 nice pars coming in.

Q. You thought you had a birdie putt at 18, didn't you? That looked good?

SCOTT PIERCY: I don't know how it didn't go in. It looked great, it really did. That would have been sweet.

Q. Scott, can you talk about the emotions that you have gone through the entire week, waiting for the baby to be born, having him born, coming out here with friends and family? This must be so tough for you to deal with emotionally, everything you've been through.

SCOTT PIERCY: It's definitely been a roller coaster. I think early in the week it was the anticipation of having the baby. And I think emotionally that wears you down . Yesterday, I really felt like emotionally drained. I had nothing in the tank. The golf course has been kind of a quiet retreat from everything that I can just kind of punk up and down the fairway and take my time doing nothing. Once I leave here it's kind of a pretty fast-paced with the three boys now, taking care of all of the things they need to do. Just making sure that everything is ready to go. And then, you know, I'm just trying to stay really calm, not really get to wrapped up in the emotion of each shot and, you know, just play solid. My caddy told me at the beginning of the week, you don't make a bogey, and you will win. I'm trying not to make any bogeys.

Q. Who is your caddy?

SCOTT PIERCY: Darren Willard.

Q. I got to think he has been so important to you this week just from an emotional standpoint?

SCOTT PIERCY: He is one of my best friends which it's nice to have a friend out there. He calls us a hostile environment out here on the PGA TOUR. Just because everybody is so good. Everybody is trying to beat your brains in. We are trying to do the same. Yesterday, when I was emotionally down and trying to kick it into overdrive and stay kind of level headed, he knows when to say something, come on, come on. Just being best friends. He knows me and my golf game. I trust a lot of what he says.

Q. When did your friendship begin with him?

SCOTT PIERCY: Junior Golf. We took from the same teacher probably when I was 10, he was 13.

Q. Is he a Vegas guy?

SCOTT PIERCY: Well, he moved here when he was 8 or 10. Something like that.

Q. Did you go Bonanza with you?

SCOTT PIERCY: He went to Clark, actually.

Q. Rivals?

SCOTT PIERCY: I beat him.

Q. I know you are absolutely exhausted yesterday, were you more well rested today?

SCOTT PIERCY: Definitely more well rested today. It's the emotional draining rather than the physical. Physically I'm a little tired as well, because that kind of places on the -- the emotion plays on the physical a little bit. I didn't sleep a lot last night, but I was in bed for a long time. I got rest, just not very well.

Q. Anything you can take out of last week? I know you were in the same position.

SCOTT PIERCY: You know, last week I was tied for the lead and I ended up 12th which you are, like awe, man, you played like crap which wasn't the case. I think I hit 14 out of greens. 14 out of 18 greens on Sunday. I missed 5 putts inside of 8 feet on Sunday. As TOUR player you are expected to make four of those. You make those 4 putts, 3; you finish second, tied for first. If you make all 5 you win. I worked on the putting whether I came home. The putter has been a little bit more this week. If I hit it like I did in New York and the putter keeps rolling, then I might have what we want.

Q. If you did finish this off with a win ideally can you put it into words what this week would mean to you?

SCOTT PIERCY: Do they make words like that? You know, it's kind of like one of those not real weeks. You are holding the baby. Am I really holding the baby? Getting your first win is the same way. At least for me on Nationwide last year. Oh, I won. Okay, I won. Like a light bulb turns on and you realize you did it. It would mean a lot to do it in front of friends and family in pretty much my home golf course. I wouldn't know what to say.

Q. Has it been a distraction at all this week especially since the baby has been born, people read about you or seen you on TV yelling at you, hey, congratulations, all of the love you are getting from the gallery?

SCOTT PIERCY: Not really. Actually everybody has been pretty cool about it. They're not yelling crazy things. I think they are enjoying the golf this week. It's been perfect weather. It hasn't been too crazy. The text messages has been a little crazy. A lot of people found out through TV that our son was born, which is kind of cool. But being too much of a distraction, I don't think so.

Q. How about your boys?

SCOTT PIERCY: They were exhausted last night. They were in bed at 8:30 and they slept to 8: 30 this morning when I woke them up. The older one thinks it's kind of cool I'm on TV sometimes. The little one, he is just like come home, dad. They were both playing at a friend's house today. So not a lot really. Their world doesn't change a whole lot, just learning how to hold the baby.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks a lot, Scott, see you tomorrow.