Blayne Barber
Q: Let’s talk about today. I followed you that first nine, you had it going. Things toughened up a little on the back nine, but all in all are you pleased?
BLAYNE BARBER: Yeah, absolutely. That stretch from like 9 to 13’s a little tricky and then some tougher pins coming in. So I played really well, stayed patient, which is good. To finish with a birdie is nice.
Q: I was impressed, your drives were really straight and accurate, your iron play was superb today.
BLAYNE BARBER: Yeah, I feel really in control of my game, and you kind of have to be when there’s no wind like this. So I think the next two days it’s just going to be an advantage moving forward being able to control my ball flight and stuff. Looking forward to a little bit of wind to spread things out a little bit on the leaderboard.
Q: Smaller galleries on the Plantation side, but the Blayne Barber fans were out. I was walking with them and they were making some noise. Relatives of yours, right?
BLAYNE BARBER: Yeah, we had my parents and sister here, my wife was out there and then just some good friends that care about me and wanted to come watch me from my hometown.
Q: That’s cool. They could be there if you have something special happen this weekend.
BLAYNE BARBER: Exactly, sounds like a plan.
Q: What do you think, do you feel good about it, are you excited for this weekend?
BLAYNE BARBER: Yeah, it’s what you play for. You want to be in position to do this. My game’s been good for a while, but I’m still young, still learning everything. You’ve just got to keep putting yourself in these positions and then get it done sometime.
Q: War Eagle.
BLAYNE BARBER: War Eagle.
Q: Do you have people from Lake City, Alabama?
BLAYNE BARBER: Lake City. I have five or six people from Lake City that came, one from Gainesville. It’s only two, two and a half hours, easy to get here.
Q: Is this a golf tournament or a golf course that going back to your SEC days, did you play well there and is this a place you’ve always expected to play well?
BLAYNE BARBER: Yeah, I think it fits my game well. I think I have a top‑5 and a top‑10 in SECs, I had a chance to win it one year and I really, yeah, I just like it. I think it fits my game well and I’ve enjoyed playing this golf course. It’s always in great shape.
Q: The SEC, you always played all three rounds at the Seaside?
BLAYNE BARBER: That’s correct.
Q: Did you want to come over there and play?
BLAYNE BARBER: I never really thought about it, but then once we came over here and saw it last year, I love the Plantation course. I think it’s really good. It’s more scoreable, but there’s some tricky holes as well. It’s in front of you but you still have to hit the shots well.
Q: What’s been going well the first two days?
BLAYNE BARBER: My putter, I’ve made a lot of putts. I’ve been hitting it well for a while, but converting opportunities just allows you to make more birdies. So I think the putter, my speed control’s really good. The greens are perfect, so if you can get a good read on them, your speed’s good, you’re going to make a lot of putts and I think I’ve done that so far.
Q: Blayne, do you feel like you’re out here to stay?
BLAYNE BARBER: Yeah.
Q: I know you want to, but do you feel like you are ‑‑
BLAYNE BARBER: I do, yeah. I don’t think I’ve played up to my potential at all the last two years and I’ve kept my card the whole time, so I think that’s a good building block. I feel like I’m learning. I’ve learned a lot in my second year so I think I’m ready to go forward and start contending often.
