What they said: Chris Tidland

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FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN: Transcript archive

MARK WILLIAMS: Chris Tidland, thanks for joining us, 7-under 65 on the North Course in the first round here at the Farmers Insurance Open. You graduated from the Nationwide Tour last year to get back to the PGA TOUR for I think the third time and had a win in Wichita last year. Talk about your round today and obviously what it's like to be back on the PGA TOUR after a few years.

CHRIS TIDLAND: Well, it's great to be back. Having the best year I had in my career last year, I was excited to start this year off and play against the best players in the world.

Today I was pretty fortunate. I didn't take advantage of the par-5s. I parred them all. But played the tough holes well, made the key putts and kind of kept the round going.

MARK WILLIAMS: Is this your first start this year?

CHRIS TIDLAND: No, I played Hawai'i and Palm Springs.

Q. What did the wins at Wichita and Boise do for your confidence?

CHRIS TIDLAND: I mean, the Boise one was probably bigger. That was the first time I had ever won on the Nationwide. I had lost in three or four playoffs, and that was always one of my favorite events, one of the best events out there, and to win there was pretty special.

And then Wichita was just two hours from my house. My son came with me. It was just me and him all week, and I won, so that was pretty special.

Q. Have you had a hard time keeping your confidence up after the ups and the downs? You've had a lot of them. How far have you been down, and was it hard to come back up?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Not really. I feel like I've improved every year in different ways. But I've always been motivated when I play poorly; I work harder. I've never been one to -- obviously there's disappointments, but I get over them pretty quick and it makes me work harder. This game is kind of built to frustrate you, so if you understand that, it's going to do that. But I feel very fortunate to do what I love and I've been able to support my family for 15 years now, and I love it.

Q. Having played in Orange County growing up, do you have any family and friends down here?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Oh, yeah, my dad is here and then a bunch of friends, yeah. And they'll be coming and going. I've been running by will call tickets every day, so that's going to be fun. I played here a lot in junior golf, so I have great memories. It's always been one of my favorite places.

Q. Your parents still have a place at Alta Vista?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Yeah, they're still in the same house I grew up in.

Q. Do you get back there to practice at all?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Yeah, quite a bit. My wife grew up right next door to me right there, so all her family is out here. So this is kind of our second home.

Q. Talk a little bit more about your history here going back to junior golf. What are the best memories?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Well, you know, I played Junior World here every year, our 15-, 16-, 17-year-old year, and that was always the biggest tournament for me of the summer. So it was always special to come here. I eagled the last hole one year to finish 9th, and I thought that was the greatest thing ever. I wasn't a great junior player, highly recruited or anything, so that was a big deal to me. So I've always -- every time I go down the 18th hole my caddie gets sick of it, I tell him this is where I hit it and this is the putt I made. He's like, "Yeah, I know."

Q. What did you hit in and how far was it?

CHRIS TIDLAND: I remember. It was 5-iron from like 180. It was when it was a lot shorter obviously. I could have 5-iron for my third now.

Q. And how far was the putt?

CHRIS TIDLAND: About a 50-footer or something. Yeah, a bomb. That was fun.

Q. Who were your peers at that time?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Chris Riley from here, Jason Gore, Tiger. Tiger was kind of the perfect age younger than us. I was 16, he was 13, and he was still beating up on us. So I played a lot growing up with him, and that is always fun to kind of play against the best at every level.

Q. As a guy who played against Tiger, and obviously we've been writing so much about him the last couple of months, what's your reaction, and do you get a feeling here without Tiger? Is it any different?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Oh, sure, it's different. The traffic is not as bad. The crowds aren't quite as -- there's not as much buzz right now. But with Phil around, you kind of get that feel. But you know, we're all looking forward to him getting back soon. Just to have the greatest athlete in the world in your sport, we feel pretty fortunate, and it's fun to compete against him.

Q. Did you beat him at all?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Very little. Very little. I beat him to win the National Championship for Oklahoma State. We won the team National Championship. That was 15 years ago. I think that's the last time I beat him.

Q. Did you play with him head-to-head that final day?

CHRIS TIDLAND: We played together the first two rounds. But yeah, I mean, I've known since he was 11 years old -- I didn't know he'd be the best player ever, but you knew he was pretty special, and I've always enjoyed being around him and playing with him.

Q. What was the year you played with him in the Western Amateur?

CHRIS TIDLAND: That was in '94, I think, yeah, and I birdied the last six holes to tie him, take it to extra holes, and I birdied the second hole and he eagled it. It's kind of the same story he always has, just a different person on the other end.

Q. We all know how golf will drive you crazy and get you down when things go wrong. Do you ever sit around and think, God, I used to beat this kid, and now we're equals?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Well, like I said, I never beat him. He was four years younger. I beat him in one tournament. No, not really. I feel fortunate to have played with him. Every time -- when he was a little kid we went over to France together for two weeks, and we were partners in alternate shot.

Q. Was that Walker Cup?

CHRIS TIDLAND: No, it was a junior golf thing, Southern California, and we -- the things he thought about at 13 years old, what he could do with the ball, I couldn't -- I was just trying to advance it, and he was -- it's always been fun to listen to him. I kind of try to pick his brain every time I get a chance.

Q. Having seen all that, do you go back as far as with Riley or anything like that, just what's your personal sense of loss for him, or what is your emotion?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Yeah, it's sadness. It's tough with a family being -- struggling right now, and there's lots of people this affects. You kind of just pray for him and hope for the best, and hopefully he can work through this and the rest of his family.

Q. Going back to your round today, you talked about the par-5s. That's a heck of a score not birdieing the par-5s.

CHRIS TIDLAND: Yeah.

Q. Can you just give us the brief highlights, a couple of the really good holes?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Well, I got off to a good start. I missed a short putt on 1 for birdie, but I played it pretty solid.

And then I hit a little pitch shot on 2 to about three feet and made it.

Then hit a 6-iron on the next hole to about four feet and made it.

And then a 7-iron to about 15 feet on the next hole and made it.

So I got off to a good start. I wasn't feeling very comfortable, had a terrible warm-up, and so to get off to that start, it kind of settled me down, and then I kind of got into the round and hit some nice shots, a few squirrelly ones but got away with them and ended up with a great round.

Q. What did you hit into 18?

CHRIS TIDLAND: 3-wood.

Q. It hit the cart path?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Yeah, I hit three cart paths today, so that's usually not a good sign. So I've got a little bit of work to do.

Q. And just kind of -- fairly safe on the next shot?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Yeah, I just wanted to get it past the hole. I've been putting so well, so I figured if I got it on the green, there was a good chance I was going to hit a good putt and at least have a chance to make birdie.

Q. You think of golf areas, Florida, Arizona and California where golfers live. How did you end up in Wichita?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Actually I'm in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Q. Because you went to school there?

CHRIS TIDLAND: I went to school there, and I love it. I love college sports, I love being around the golf team. I practice and play with them. Rickie Fowler, he's one of my best friends, and I play with him every day.

Q. When it gets cold there, do you miss a day like this?

CHRIS TIDLAND: Oh, sure, my wife and kids are snowed in right now. So it's not all great. But I love it there. The people are terrific, and I love being around the University.

Q. How many times through Q-school, and how many times did you get to finals?

CHRIS TIDLAND: I think I had a streak, I think it was ten years in a row going into this year. So my wife was very happy not to have to fill that entry form out. Yeah, I missed it one year because my son was being born. So that was the one year. But I think I've been to the finals 12 times and 10 in a row or something.

Q. How many times did you get your card?

CHRIS TIDLAND: This is -- well, two times through Tour school.

Q. In other words, you made the last stage 10 --

CHRIS TIDLAND: Lots of times, yeah.

Q. You only got the card --

CHRIS TIDLAND: Twice.

Q. This time you made it through the --

CHRIS TIDLAND: Nationwide.

Q. That must have been a great off-season.

CHRIS TIDLAND: It was very nice, very nice.