What they said: Brian Davis

text size

MORE INTERVIEWS: Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial transcript archive

JOHN BUSH: Brian Davis, joins us in the interview room at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial after a 5 under par 65.

Brian, no bogeys on the card, another sensational day, if we could just get comments on your round.

BRIAN DAVIS: Yes, I golfed not the best. Obviously 1 and 2 were playing really easy. They put the tee up on two, so can you drive it. I had to get up and down for two pars. So it wasn't the best start. I managed to hang in there, and made a couple of putts, got my momentum going, and I had a big par putt save on 11. That's what kept my momentum going and just played solid coming in and very happy to be around the lead going into tomorrow.

JOHN BUSH: Let's go through the card quick, birdie on No. 6.

BRIAN DAVIS: I hit driver in the fairway bunker, wedge to about 12 foot, made it.

9, I hit driver, sand iron to about 20 feet and made it.

10, I hit 2 iron, 6 iron to about three feet.

14, hit driver, 9 iron to about two and a half, three feet.

17, I hit 2 iron, 9 iron to about 15 feet.

JOHN BUSH: Questions?

Q. Brian, there seems to be a confidence in your game that's really fun to watch the growth. Can you feel the difference in your game or is this just something that maybe I'm seeing different in the way you are playing and the whole attitude you have about your golf game?

BRIAN DAVIS: Obviously attitude has a big thing to do with it. I've been on a roller coaster after Hilton Head, obviously it was my real good chance to win over here. I finished second a few times.

And obviously what happened during that playoff, and the media I had to deal with afterwards, it just sort of threw me off balance a little bit, I lost my focus.

I was playing week after week and got a bit tired. And obviously I missed the cut last weekend, obviously I finished second there last year. Maybe it was a good thing, I had the weekend off. I had to recharge the batteries and obviously come into this week feeling pretty good and so far I'm in the hunt, so very happy

Q. Follow up: Sitting at home this morning watching the Madrid Open, I'm wondering how many guys on that Tour are so set up on just wanting to play over here? Do all of the guys want to be over here or not?

BRIAN DAVIS: Some do, some don't. Obviously, a lot is made of the world events in the Majors, if you're in those you play both tours and you're traveling around the world.

It's slightly different for me, once I fell outside the Top 50 in the world, I came over here and got my card when I went to Q school. I always wanted to play and live over here.

I would like to still be a member in Europe because of the world events and Majors and still be able to go back and play some and play the big events.

My family was my priority, a few years back when we had a few problems. I just made the decision to stay put for now. My family lives over here. My kids were born here. They don't know anything else anyway. We will be staying here but, obviously, I would like to play a little bit more globally if I can if the chance arises which would be great.

Q. Brian, this morning before play you spent a generous amount of time with the high school students from Arlington. What's one of the things you took away from meeting then and them sharing their journals with you?

BRIAN DAVIS: Yes, being from England you don't know exactly how things work with schools and how people do stuff and the course work and all of that. But when we received the email from the teacher, that was the one I commented on to a few reporters about. What impact that's had on not necessarily the golf community. She didn't watch golf, just heard the story and used it for the pupils as a class thing. That sort of hit home.

And when The TOUR contacted me that they were coming here and would love to meet me it was perfect. I saw them before I went out to play today. They handed me their journals and handed me a gift as well. I was quite embarrassed about that. I wasn't expecting that. That threw me off. A nice bunch of kids.

Anything that you can have a positive thing come out to children is a good thing. So, you know, I was very happy the kids were here today and hopefully had a good time.

Q. After everything at Hilton Head, this being back in the hunt and getting a chance to finish it off, does it make you a little bit hungrier, more anxious going into tomorrow? How do you feel about being given another chance so quickly?

BRIAN DAVIS: I don't know really. It's weird. I'm more at peace. I just feel happy. It's one of them things where you go through things in life, and some things affect you she. Some things don't affect you.

As I said before, all of the positives that came out of Hilton Head, maybe changed my outlook slightly. As I said, I missed 3 cuts in a row. I wasn't exactly happy coming in here. We are not here to finish last. It's one of them things I had to adjust myself, thinking and everything else.

As they say not everybody can play well every week. Phil missed the cut this week and will probably turn out at Memorial next week and win. You just got to take the rough with the smooth sometimes and when you are playing well, you got to enjoy it.

Q. Clarky (phonetic) got his, Brian. Do you feel like you are getting closer to getting yours now?

BRIAN DAVIS: I played with Clarky at the PLAYERS the first two rounds. I think he was 4 under after two rounds, he was playing okay, nothing special and caught fire and picked up one of the biggest trophies there is. So you know it's there.

Q. Did you talk at all with him at all about what's that last step of getting over the hunt?

BRIAN DAVIS: Yes, I asked him if he got any different tricks on equipment for me. If he does I want to borrow it.

Q. With so many players bunched up, and everybody going low, does that change or affect your strategy tomorrow? What's it like going into a day when you have to go low again?

BRIAN DAVIS: I have no illusions about tomorrow. We did notice the last three holes today, the greens firmed up a bit. If they continue to do that tomorrow with some tight pins it could be a little bit tricky. Obviously, if you are not in the fairway, like I was the first six holes, I don't think I hit a fairway, you are going to struggle. I managed to hang around and then start to hit some fairways. That enabled me to go at the pins. If you miss the fairways, you are going to struggle around here. I just look at tomorrow as a chance. It's as simple as that. Take your chance and go grab it.

JOHN BUSH: Anything else?

Q. Can you talk about your consistency these past couple days being bogey free?

BRIAN DAVIS: As I said yesterday, the same thing today, I had two holes where I made par saves. It just kept my momentum going. You don't win tournaments by missing putts all day. You got to keep making putts and keep yourself in the hunt. That's what I managed to do the last couple of days.

JOHN BUSH: All right. Brian, should be fun. Play well.