What they said: John Merrick

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SONY OPEN AT HAWAII: Transcript archive

MARK WILLIAMS: John Merrick, thanks for joining us, 2 under par 68 today. Statistically it looks like a pretty similar round to yesterday. You hit a lot of greens both rounds, just tell us about your round today.

JOHN MERRICK: Yes, I felt pretty good out there. I think I hit it a little more solid yesterday. I'm trying to remember, birdies on 2 and 8.

I think I made a couple of more putts yesterday than today. But it's tough out there. You never know where the wind is coming from. It's tough.

MARK WILLIAMS: Do you like that kind of golf?

JOHN MERRICK: I do. I love coming here just for the first tournament because it kind of just jolts you back in your game, because you have to be so precise off the tee, you have to flight it the right way. You can't fake it around this golf course, you need to play well and hit the ball well to score out here.

Q. Was the wind different from yesterday or basically the same?

JOHN MERRICK: Blowing in the same direction, north. A little bit more out of the east, but it's kind of Northeast, yes.

Q. Gusty?

JOHN MERRICK: Yes, I would say it was blowing a little harder yesterday. But it's blowing pretty good today, too.

Q. Does this not feel like more vacation this week compared with Honda or Colonial or something like that?

JOHN MERRICK: Yes, it's the first time that we've stayed here. I've stayed in town more towards Waikiki the last three years, we're finally staying here at the golf course. Upgraded, I guess. It's fun to walk over and go to the beach. That's what I will probably do today, maybe semi vacation. I'm not drinking every day, hanging out by the pool, practicing. Don't write that.

(Laughter).

Q. Do you expect some separation on the weekend?

JOHN MERRICK: Yes, the leaderboard is pretty bunched up. I think some guys will break out this afternoon depending on the wind. Like I said, looking at this course on paper you think you're going to tear it up and get out there. It's a tricky course, just with all of the crosswinds and the greens being so firm and fast, it's tough to put up a good number.

Q. What figure do you need on the weekend to win this?

JOHN MERRICK: I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it to tell you the truth. You can't lay around and wait out here to win a tournament. You got to go out and grab it. I don't know, what won last year, 14 or 15?

Q. 15?

JOHN MERRICK: I will say somewhere around there.

Q. Did you have to learn that, John, when you were in your first year, or so, if you had a decent start that you just had to keep going?

JOHN MERRICK: Yes, definitely.

Q. You finished 15th or so?

JOHN MERRICK: I guess it's human nature, once you tend to get toward the front or whatever, you want to kind of play a little bit more conservative. You got to keep your foot down and keep playing well and make your birdies because if you're not, somebody else is.

Q. Have you had any groove issues the first two rounds?

JOHN MERRICK: Not really, no. The last hole I had like 75 yards downwind and, you know, it was kind of in the back of my mind it might release a little bit. It checked up pretty good. I don't feel like I've seen that much difference right now.

Q. From the fairway?

JOHN MERRICK: Yes, it was from the fairway.

Q. You played for it to checkup?

JOHN MERRICK: I played for it just to release a little bit because it was downwind. It wasn't a full shot. I thought I wouldn't be putting a lot of spin on it, but it still checked out pretty good.

Q. What did you hear about the Ping wedges allowed this week, allowed to play, did you know about that?

JOHN MERRICK: No. What is it?

Q. If you have one of those old Ping I wedges built in 1990 or earlier, you can still use them?

JOHN MERRICK: Wasn't Dean Wilson doing that?

Q. Yes.

JOHN MERRICK: Okay, I guess I did hear that.

Q. You probably weren't born when they made them?

JOHN MERRICK: I know. I had some Ping wedges when I was a junior golfer though. I think I did. That's pretty crazy. So those grooves are conforming, obviously?

Q. Well, they are grandfathered in.

JOHN MERRICK: Okay. That's pretty funky, I don't know.

Q. You wouldn't go on eBay and buy any, would you?

JOHN MERRICK: No, Titleist makes a great wedge. I'm pretty happy with the way the grooves have been performing right now.

MARK WILLIAMS: Just go over your birdies and bogeys.

JOHN MERRICK: 2 was playing tough, I hit straight in that the wind playing a 3 wood off the tee and still had 6 iron in, hit it pretty close, hit it 8 feet right at the pin.

And then bogey on 6, I hit a bad second shot. I missed it to the green side trap on the right. I was right in the middle of the fairway. Probably one of the worst swings of the day. I hit a sand shot out to ten feet and just missed my putt.

8, hit it left off the tee, kind of got a good break, it kicked back, it was still in the rough but it could have been in the trees. It gave me an opening. I had about 120. I hit it just right of the flag, had about 8 feet made it down the hill.

10, I hit it left off the tee, and then hit it pin high right off the green, pretty easy up and down. I hit a bad chip short. I had about 4 feet. It was cross grain, and the wind was blowing hard. It was a tough putt to read, I missed it.

I made a long putt on 11 from the left side of the green, probably 40 to 50 feet.

18, laid up, wedged it in there to about 15 feet to the flag and made it.

Q. In wind like this, would you prefer to go off 10 or one to start your round?

JOHN MERRICK: It doesn't matter. In this wind, you are either going to get it kind of into the wind, in out of the left off the tenth hole, or down off the right for the first hole.

It's nice when the first hole is downwind. Gosh, I hit driver, 3 wood on the first hole during one of the practice rounds, it's crazy when that west wind comes.

Q. What year is this?

JOHN MERRICK: Fourth.

Q. You never come close to losing your card?

JOHN MERRICK: I lost my card the first year. I finished 135 maybe. And then finished 80 something my second year. And then 50 something last year.

Q. Three solid years. That shows what kind of player you are. My point is, you are coming into this year having not won.

JOHN MERRICK: Yep.

Q. You probably haven't been to the TOUR Championship yet?

JOHN MERRICK: Nope.

Q. Do you still allow yourself to set Ryder Cup as a goal?

JOHN MERRICK: Yes, I think it would be a result of, you know, obviously winning a tournament and that. My goals aren't really focused towards it. It would be a great outcome if I played well enough. I think the first and foremost this year was to be a little more consistent, make some more cuts and win a tournament. That's a big goal for me.

Q. This is a question we asked before. If you had your choice, would you rather win once and not have any other Top 20's the rest of the year? Or have 12 Top 10's with a lot of those Top 5's are better which speaks to your consistency.

JOHN MERRICK: That's a tough question.

Q. Where did you go to school?

JOHN MERRICK: UCLA?

Q. You can handle it.

JOHN MERRICK: That win would be great. Yes, that would be rough missing a lot of cuts. I probably would like to play more consistent.

MARK WILLIAMS: The win would bring a lot more benefits.

JOHN MERRICK: Definitely.

Q. What?

MARK WILLIAMS: Status, getting into other tournaments.

JOHN MERRICK: I would like to say both.