đď¸ââď¸ EXCLUSIVE: Branden Grace sits solo third at 2-under after an impressive Round 2 performance at LIV Golf Andalucia, fighting back from a relegation battle to put himself in serious contention at Valderrama!
In this raw, unfiltered interview captured moments after his round, Grace opens up about:
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Bouncing back from potential relegation for the second consecutive season.
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His strategy on the demanding Valderrama layout.
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Being tied for the lead after the historic wind-delayed Round 1.
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Mental approach during the pressure-packed leaderboard battle.
Brandon Grace. Thank you so much and welcomeÂ
to the show. Thanks for having me. Glad to see you here. Glad to see you. Good to see youÂ
playing in good form. Uh this course hasn’t been too friendly to people and we had some uhÂ
condition records as well that uh you know took some of us by surprise. But that has not seemedÂ
to slow you down a bit, my friend. Yeah. Um no, this is tough. This this place is brutal.Â
Um Gonza, you’ve played here a few times. Bet’s been here. Um, you know, this placeÂ
can make you look silly at times, but um, your good shots can turn out badly and your badÂ
ones can turn out good. But, um, just have to try, try, stay patient, grind it out, and take asÂ
take it as it comes, but, you know, um, I had Pat on the golf course there with me today, andÂ
he was like, man, you built for this place. So, um, you know, I like this place. I likeÂ
being creative. I like flighting it, shaping, and that sort of stuff. So, um, it was just takingÂ
those opportunities when I came away today. Well, uh, you know, we’ve been planning on talking aboutÂ
you today, but fans would much rather hear from your mouth directly. So, we’re glad to have you.Â
Can you tell us what’s what’s working for you out there? Yeah. Um, I felt I was really good from TerÂ
Green today as again. Um, couple of errand shots, maybe one bad shot on the on the fourth hole, theÂ
par five. Um, I hit away where it left and then I actually hit a good shot on the next. Just theÂ
wind didn’t carry it as as far as I thought and um then I played really solid from there on in.Â
Um, didn’t make any mistakes coming in which is good. You know, that the last five holes are toughÂ
and um, you know, managed to make a few, which was nice. So, what’s the different you know, where theÂ
hell have you been all year by the way? I mean, miss seeing you at the top. I mean, I mean, youÂ
won in Portland, but you know, I know you’re not where you want to be, obviously, but what isÂ
different obviously this week? Yeah, listen, I felt that um you know, as as most people are,Â
I’ve been struggling with my hand. It’s um been pulling me back. I’ve probably um probably notÂ
practicing as hard as I can or what I would have liked to. And um you know, just have some thingsÂ
where sometimes, you know, mind play some games with you, you know. So, um trying to hit goodÂ
shots. I feel that the positivity and things like that. you know me, I’m always positive and upbeat,Â
but um you know, sometimes when you when you can’t do what you know you should be doing, it it’sÂ
tough and um but I feel like I’ve got everything under control. Um take it on the chin and justÂ
keep going on with it. So um and like I said, you know, coming here this week, a lot of peopleÂ
hate it. Um so, you know, you get that mindset, you only have to beat half the guys out here. So,Â
um so I I’m pretty good with things like that. So, um but it was but it’s been fun. It’s beenÂ
brutal and um I’ve enjoying it so far. Brandon, the guys we’ve we’ve been lucky to play togetherÂ
many times. I mean, and with you, it’s it’s you can shape the ball both ways and you control theÂ
trajectory of the the ball phenomenally. I mean, try to explain to our viewers, I mean, howÂ
important around this course is to control the trajectory and to be able I mean, especially onÂ
these windy and firm conditions. It is um I think if you look at a lot of the bombers out here,Â
you know, there’s a there’s so many dog legs. I think every hole is a dog leg out here. There’sÂ
not one straight hole out here. So, a lot of guys think they can go over the trees and that’s whenÂ
the h the wind starts um hitting it. So, for me, um I take try to take a lot of speed off ofÂ
the golf shots. Try to get the flight down, let it run, try to keep it as, you know, closerÂ
to the ground as possible. And um just um try to get comfortable. I think that’s the one thing inÂ
the wind. Just, you know, you you have to hit what you see. You don’t a caddy can’t tell you how toÂ
hit it out here in in especially in this wind. Um, you know, I have Muel that works for this thingÂ
is out there on the team this week and on my bag and um, you know, it was just a lot of times youÂ
hit whatever you see. So, um, so it’s been working so far. So, it’s been good. Now, what would youÂ
say? Um, actually, we want to do something with you called the form check. So, we have fans submitÂ
their swing and then we have you check their form. It’s not as fun when you’re nice. Okay. I’m justÂ
being honest. He’s too nice. Be brutally honest if you can and the fans will enjoy it. But, uh,Â
are you down to do that with us? Let’s go for it. All right, here is form check on the ClubÂ
54 post round show. Brandon Grace edition. And here’s the first one from Connor. He’s 7 yearsÂ
old. Let’s see how this goes. All right. That was good. Okay. Yeah, that was good. We’re off toÂ
a good start there. Great job. Smoked. All right. Listen, that was good. But you know, that guyÂ
spends way too much time on the golf course. You know, when you have your own little hitting mat onÂ
the beach, you know things are going your way. So, uh, but that was good. That was reallyÂ
popular. That was pretty good, by the way. Brighton. That is the BrysonÂ
there. Jeez. About to say, listen, it’s good to see the young kids inÂ
the game. Very old. Doesn’t matter how they do it. Pretty impressive. A lot of kids. Yeah,Â
pretty good so far. That’s been good. Listen, when is the bad ones coming? You know, you toldÂ
me. You told me to be brutally honest. How’s this going? We just take the submissions. These guysÂ
are good. All right, here’s another one. Okay, good enough. It looked a little bit like you. Oh,Â
good. A little bit of stuff on there. That’s the response we were looking for. Exactly. ThanksÂ
for that. All right, so we obviously know where you’re at. You know where you’re at. What’s theÂ
mindset tomorrow? We know you got to get a lot of points. Are you thinking win or are you thinking,Â
you know, where to finish? I mean, you got to get in the open zone. I know you want to get in theÂ
24. Yeah. I mean, listen, I know you work hard, but what is the mindset tomorrow to get asÂ
far up that board as you can or are you just not going to think about it? Play the course.Â
The guys in the media center just asked me, you know, for me, I thought my season was over inÂ
Korea when I when I had to pull out. So, for me, everything that’s coming now is a bonus. YouÂ
know, it’s um I’m just enjoying playing golf, you know. I’m I’m I’m really having good time.Â
The guys have been great. They’ve been they’ve got my back, you know. They always have my back.Â
And um you know today I thought I would have been a little bit more nervous especially the way thatÂ
the last couple years have been going but I felt good. You know I felt like um that’s where I wasÂ
that’s where I belong. Do you think this kind of golf is helping you this week where you don’t haveÂ
to worry about like this big long course and all that kind of stuff. You know like Gonzo said and IÂ
told you earlier the way you shape it and the way we you know we played so many times to see youÂ
hit these little you know low slices and hooks and whatever you can hit it in all directions. IÂ
mean I think it’s probably helped you a little bit this way. 100%. I think as well knowing that, youÂ
know, a round like DJs is phenomenal. You know, you’re never going to see that. If you see thatÂ
once 8 200 minutes, it’s it is what it is. But, you know, for me, it’s just going out thereÂ
hitting my targets and and trying to make a few putts and keeping those numbers off theÂ
scorecard. Um, whatever happens happens. Listen, I’m I’m here for the team. I’m trying to do myÂ
best. They know I’m I’m giving it my best. So, you know, I’m going to go out there. I’m tryingÂ
to win a golf tournament. I know if I can get out there and I can shoot two, three under, um,Â
I’m going to be in with a chance. you know, unless Taylor goes and he plays phenomenal golfÂ
and he um he makes four or five birdies and so be it. But um I can just control what I’m going toÂ
do and I’m going to give it a give it a go. Well, I’ll be with you tomorrow. I’m looking forwardÂ
to watch again. Again? Oh, yeah. He’s told me he told me, “Listen, we’re not going to seeÂ
you and I’ve got him to man.” Well, you two have fun. Good luck tomorrow, man. Thanks forÂ
joining us. All right. We’ll see with you guys.