Media Center Interviews

April 21, 2016

Interview With Steve Flesch

Q. First off, just tell us your story how you got here to get that kind of round today.

STEVE FLESCH: It was a scramble. I didn't really even know until Tuesday I was even close to getting in because I looked last week and I was still like 5th, 6th alternate. Didn't hear anything really Monday so the Tour called on Tuesday and said you're the first alternate, boom, boom, boom, to the course in a couple hours. Made scramble to get down here.

I had other plans for the Sunday and Monday and playing the Web.com next week in Evansville. San Antonio is the last place I thought I would be standing right now.

Q. Obviously been working on the game and then you come into a situation like today where you get off to a good start and have to wait for a three hours. How difficult was that to get back on the golf course?

STEVE FLESCH: Yeah. When we started today it was darn near dark still. That's why I was joking I made birdies on the first two holes because I couldn't really see what I was doing.

I've been out of it for a couple years. I'm not that sharp. The delay actually kind of helped because I wasn't hitting it that great even though I got off to a good start. I went back out, hit a lot of solid shots this afternoon and made a couple more birdies. Been a long day.

Q. How comfortable are you out here? Seems like you're able to come out here and swing pretty freely and play your game.

STEVE FLESCH: When you've been out here you kind of know what you're doing. You may not execute as well as you used to. I was still a little nervous today. I was certainly nervous in Puerto Rico when I played a month ago because I hadn't played since November.

I'm playing golf, just not in any events and you know, still got game. I'm not playing that much.

Q. As we look ahead to tomorrow, what are you expecting depending on what time you go off, might be a long day again?

STEVE FLESCH: Actually I think with the weather we're going to start tomorrow and actually since we're the first group I look for us to be finishing. By tomorrow night I don't know if they'll get the cut in. Might have an hour or two delay. My tee time even starting at 2:00 instead of noon I'm going to finish. I think with good weather here on out we'll be fine.

Q. Thanks so much for your time. Best of luck.

STEVE FLESCH: Thank you.

Q. Well, Steve, kind of an unusual course of events, get in as an alternate. Made five birdies and a bogey on the first day. How does this all come together for you?

STEVE FLESCH: Very quickly. Actually starting Tuesday I didn't know I was close to getting in the tournament. I was making provisional plans for the Media Day up at Oakmont for the U.S. Open here come Monday to get ready for my television duties later on in the year but low and behold the Tour called and said you're the second alternate and now you're in. All in an hour and a half. I was scrambling for flights.

Luckily, I played the tournament before so I knew the golf course. Early flight yesterday morning, got in midday. Practiced a little bit and good night's sleep and I was ready to go this morning.

Q. How about the day overall, you start in a glimmer of darkness and sunlight, make two birdies right out of gate.

STEVE FLESCH: Yeah. It was very dark mainly because of the cloud cover. Couldn't see very well on the first three, four holes. When they blew the horn and we had a three hour delay it was fine after that. It was pretty gloomy this morning but certainly starting out with two birdies made my quest here more enjoyable.

Q. You exceed the expectations for today based on everything that happened or did you go, "Hey, I feel good about the round today" before you even teed it up?

STEVE FLESCH: I played better than I probably thought I would. When you're not playing a lot of tournament golf like I haven't been in the last couple of years, it doesn't matter how you're playing at home, it's no indication. Conditions aren't as difficult, the pressure is not the same.

Friends ask, "How are you playing?" I'm playing okay, but until I actually test it in the tough waters here of the PGA TOUR, you never really know.

Q. Great response to that test today. Thank you.

STEVE FLESCH: Thank you.