DEAN & DELUCA Invitational
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Ryan Palmer
Quick Quotes
Q. Can you put into words what went on out there?
RYAN PALMER: Oh, man. A lot of putts. Watching that, you see where he's at and what he's done. It was fun to be in that atmosphere, in that arena, watching the chips he made, the putts he made. You know, I was proud of the way I handled myself inside there. I was calm all day, relaxed, and a little tentative putting. If I could have made half my putts up there today, I could have been up there with him close. It's something to build off for sure, but man, that was fun to watch him.
Q. How good did it feel to birdie the last hole? That had to feel great.
RYAN PALMER: Yeah, I knew -- it did. That could have done a lot of things for me from a U.S. Open standpoint and World Rankings. We'll wait and see how it turns out. But obviously making birdie is going to at least give me a top three, and that's a big week for me. It's hard times with everybody that's here, and I know what they want and they know what I want, and I'm proud of myself the way I hung in there.
Q. Talk about the day.
RYAN PALMER: I just didn't have it putting-wise. The ball-striking was there, I drove it great, just didn't have the putts. It's something to build on, and I'm sure that -- I've seen it on TV, I've watched it on replays, but I've never been inside that, on the same green, so it was pretty spectacular to watch.
Q. What was it like to be in that atmosphere, pretty amazing?
RYAN PALMER: It was awesome. Even Webb was struggling for a while and he came back hard and fought, and we ended up tying. But still, he never gave up, I never gave up, it's just Jordan kept pouring them in. That's why he's where he's at. What a winner to have on that wall at Colonial as a member. I'm proud of that, and proud of him, as well. So maybe one day I'll have another chance.
Q. How would you describe the atmosphere?
RYAN PALMER: Unbelievable. The energy out there was spectacular. You couldn't write a better script for sure. I was proud of the way I hung in there. I could have let it slip and shot a couple over, but I stayed strong all day, and nice to birdie the last hole and get a top three.
Q. You said it was different being inside the ropes for a finish like that but specifically the chip-in on 17, what's going through your mind when you see that ball come off the club?
RYAN PALMER: Expected. You can almost laugh at it. I mean, as soon as it landed on the green, I was like, that's in the hole, no doubt, the way he reacted. That's the way it goes sometimes, and it's fun to watch someone doing that.
Q. Did you think that was going in on 18?
RYAN PALMER: I couldn't see it. I just watched the crowd. I just looked up when it happened, but I just watched the crowd's reaction because I knew it was close.
Q. What an opportunity for you; what was this like being in front of the home folks and contending for a victory?
RYAN PALMER: Oh, man, it was energetic. Unbelievable. The atmosphere was nothing I've been a part of, even the events that I've won. Watching what Jordan did, it shows you why he's where he's at, and what he's done the last several years in his short career. But for me, it was a good day, a good test for me. I couldn't get the putter going and get as comfortable as I was hoping, but I struck the ball really well. I hung in there, just unfortunately the putts didn't fall for me. But I'm proud to represent Colonial, the city of Fort Worth, and I'm excited for Jordan to be the champion, and I know I'm going to have another chance to win one day.
Q. What were your emotions and how emotional a day was this for you?
RYAN PALMER: It was calm. I was really calm with it all day. I sort of started fighting back on the last hole thinking about Dad and everything, but I was really proud of the way I just kind of stayed calm all day. My family was out there, friends were out there, Coach Sean Payton showed up, he was out there, so that was pretty cool. But I stayed really relaxed, and I knew I was going to have some more chances, just couldn't get what I wanted out on the greens.
Q. What does it say about Jordan that he was able to close the way he did?
RYAN PALMER: Just, I mean, he's young, he's fearless, but that confidence he's got is high. You can tell with his putter, it just takes one putt to go in, and that hole has got to feel like a bucket to him. You can tell how they're pouring in. It's fun to watch. It tells me what I need to work on for sure and where I can get better, and hopefully we'll have another chance and we can do it again.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #166 at 2016-05-29 22:35:00 GMT