Media Center Interviews
April 20, 2018
Second Round Interview with Ben Crane
Q. Ben Crane, kind of a ho hum round yesterday afternoon when conditions were calmer. You get this morning when it's windy and cold. How difficult was it out there, how tough to stay patient?
BEN CRANE: It is tough to stay patient. There's a lot of mistakes out here. This is a golf course that really separates the field and my caddie, Joel Stock, just kept reminding me to be patient in the transition of my swing. It's such a key for me because when I remain patient, the club stays on plane and I was able to hit some quality shots. Yesterday I drove it great and putted amazing but my irons cost me, and today we were able to keep the rhythm in the irons as well so I was able to give myself some opportunities, hit a couple close and then made some nice putts. Just putted great all day.
Q. A lot of players said that the key to playing well here is that greens-in-regulation statistic. Ten greens for you yesterday, 15 today. What was the difference in the iron play?
BEN CRANE: Yeah, just when I get the club a little more shallowed out, a little more on plane, it just seems to make my ball come out of the window. And this course produces great ball-striker champions. You look at Kevin Chappell, Kevin Tway played great here last year, he's a great ball-striker, Charley Hoffman. These guys are great ball-strikers because it's very penal outside the fairway and the greens tend to shed the ball away. So this is a great golf course, it's in great condition and it really separates the field. So I was able to hit those greens in regulation, give myself some opportunity. When you knock a couple close and you get a few under par, it just seems to open things up in your round for you.
Q. Just lastly, how about the patience in the putting especially on days like today?
BEN CRANE: Yeah, because putting is so difficult. Some of the greens are really elevated so you get some of the windy spots, so I just try to remind myself right before I go in, okay, the wind's off the right. If it does gust, it would steer my read a little this way or that way. In windy conditions when you're practicing, you're kind of like, okay, this putt might be affected two balls by the wind or something. So you've really got to be patient because you're going to hit some great putts that just don't go in and you've just got to take it in stride and just know that there's opportunities coming up.
