What they said: Leif Olson

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MARK STEVENS: I'd like to welcome Leif Olson to the interview room. Leif shot a 6-under today and after the morning wave is in a share of the lead. Leif, if you'd start off, I know you're from Colorado, so you're probably used to some cold conditions. If you'd talk about the conditions today and about your round, then we'll take some questions.

LEIF OLSON: Sure. Yeah, you know, it's just really wet and cold out there. Yesterday was bad, but I think it's just more cold today. Ball is going a little shorter off the tee than yesterday. You're not getting my roll out there.

Greens are good. Greens aren't too fast. But that's probably because of the rain.

It's just a long golf course. The benefit, though, is the lift, clean and place we had today. In the rough you can tee it up. You know, that's a big thing. If we didn't play it up out of the rough, I think it would make it much more difficult.

Yeah, it's just cold. But I'm used to it, though. I grew up in Colorado so I get used to these conditions. I think I'm kind of used to playing in cold weather and what it's like and staying warm. So I guess if anything it's a little bit beneficial.

Q. Can you rank this as far as pro TOUR rounds that you've played as among the top five toughest conditions or first or where?

LEIF OLSON: In terms of toughest conditions?

Q. Mm-hmm.

LEIF OLSON: I would say so for me, yeah, as a rookie, this is probably the hardest conditions. I think when I played in the Open at Shinnecock in '04, that was hard. But this is, rookie year, yeah, I'd say it's the hardest.

Q. Help us out with a bio. All we've got from the media guide is you're a Dukie, got out in '03, turned pro and got through three stages of Q-school here.

LEIF OLSON: Yeah, I played pro golf just for like a summer and then I stopped. I wasn't playing pro throughout that time. I just kind of started up last summer.

So yeah, I mean, I consider it really my first main year playing as a professional. Fortunately I was able to get through Q-school and get all the way here.

Q. What did you do in between those three years?

LEIF OLSON: What I did? I went back to school, actually, did a postdoc degree at Northwestern to go to med school, and I took two years out to do that. Then I took my MCAT and I had to decide if I wanted to try golf one more time. So I said I'll give it a go. My dad bankrolled me and I worked hard that summer and got through Q-school, so it worked out.

Q. How did you do on your MCATs?

LEIF OLSON: I did well. I mean, well, what's that? I think I had around a 32 or so. But that's not well compared to my friends. My friends, I think, were 38. So it's all relative.

Q. What's it been like out on TOUR this year for you?

LEIF OLSON: It's been a huge learning experience. You know, I have played Nationwide tournaments this year when I wasn't able to get in the PGA TOUR tournaments. It's just those little things that's just another level. Everyone out here is just really, I guess, used to just keeping the foot down on the pedal and keep on going low, and that's kind of what -- outside of just trying to play well out of the gates, being able to keep playing well and keep playing well, that's the challenge. That's really the big difference, I think, that I've noticed. But I don't have a lot of experience.

Q. You ranked the round based on conditions. How about rounds that you've played this year? Where would this rank?

LEIF OLSON: This is my best round, no question. I mean, I've played well, but yeah, this is my best round. I think it's probably my lowest score on the TOUR.

Q. You had 66 at Wyndham the second day.

LEIF OLSON: Oh, I did? Okay, I would say this is my best, though.

Q. Conditions were probably a little better there.

LEIF OLSON: Yeah, they were. And first rounds in general, I don't know what my stats are, I always feel like I play better in the second round and third and fourth rather than first. So yeah, I would say this is my best so far.

Q. Did you actually attend med school?

LEIF OLSON: No, I didn't. I was applying to med school, and then I decided to try golf one more time.

Q. Right now today golf looks pretty good, but med school is still something --

LEIF OLSON: We'll see. It's always on the horizon. I have all the stuff on my application ready. I don't have to go back to school, only if I need to take the MCAT again. I want to see how I do with this and I think take it year by year.

But yeah, I mean, I love science. I wouldn't rule that ever out in the future. But it's a long road, med school, so I figured if I did it, I would never turn around.

Q. I noticed you haven't played an official tournament since like August; is that right?

LEIF OLSON: Not TOUR, no.

Q. What have you been doing since then?

LEIF OLSON: I played a few Nationwides. I think I played T17 or something up in Boise, and I missed the cut in Utah. I think those are the only two I played since Wyndham. Just those two, and then I think I had a week to kind of practice and stuff, maybe a couple in between.

Q. Was there any indication that this was the week you'd play really good?

LEIF OLSON: No, I played well last week. I know I shot 63 the second round at the Nationwide and I got into second.

Q. Where was that last week?

LEIF OLSON: That was in Boise -- no, two weeks ago. And then I shot, I think, 1-over and even the last round, which pushed me back.

I've been playing well. Yeah, I mean, I've been playing well. It's different obviously playing well when you're out in practice rounds and stuff and doing it in a tournament. But in general I've been playing pretty well.

Q. You saw Dustin win here last year. Can this be a place where young guys and rookies can get --

LEIF OLSON: You know, I think so. I think it's a long ball hitter's course. I hit the ball pretty good out there. It's definitely advantageous because you're all carry out there, no roll. I've never met Dustin. I think he hits the ball pretty long. I think it benefits guys that can get out there a little bit.

You know, hopefully. We'll see. I don't know, just take it day by day. That's all I can do, hole by hole.

Q. Do you let yourself think ahead at all and think, hey --

LEIF OLSON: No, not right now I don't, because first round, you just want to get off to a good start. Guys are going to tear it up tomorrow, a few guys. At least after the first round I don't ever think about that. Maybe after the third round.

Q. Being a man of science, a self-professed man of science, you got birdies on 11, 13, 2 and 7, which almost every year rank as the toughest holes on this course. Just tell me what you did on 11, 13, 2 and 7.

LEIF OLSON: Okay, 11 I hit a low choke 3-iron, and I hit a really good shot. Pin was in the middle, I think, and the tee box was all the way back.

Q. About 230?

LEIF OLSON: No, it was like -- what was it to the pin, around 215, 210. Hit it to seven feet, eight feet.

13, I drove it past that bunker on the right, about 20 yards by it up the right, and I hit like a little choke 9 in there. Hit that to like two feet. That was an easier one to make.

And then 2, I hit just a little 4-iron, hit a really good 4-iron, just another kind of one of those easy ones, because it's so wet you have to -- there's no place to take a lateral drop or anything out there. I hilt a good shot there.

7 is that par-3. I hit just a little -- no, wait. Oh, the par-4. I hit 3-wood there and then an 8-iron, I think, to about nine feet or so, nine, ten feet, and made a good putt there.

Q. How far was the putt?

LEIF OLSON: On 2? About eight feet again, a little under ten feet. I putted really well today.

Q. Were 12 and 13 playing into the wind?

LEIF OLSON: Yeah, 12 and 13 were -- yeah, 12 and 13 were into the wind.

Q. Usually it's a left-to-right kind of wind.

LEIF OLSON: Yeah, it was straight in on 12. It was more in, a little left-to-right on 13, not fully into us. I think it was more straight into us on 12.

Q. Anything close to a hole-in-one off another guy's ball?

LEIF OLSON: No. That was pretty funny, wasn't it? No, I played with Chris though, again today. He's the guy I hit it off of. No, I don't think that will ever happen again, at least not to me.

MARK STEVENS: Thanks a lot, and good luck the rest of the week.