Bowditch Breaks Through

It wasn't pretty on Sunday for Steven Bowditch, but perhaps that was appropriate for the winner of the Valero Texas Open to have difficulties as everyone else in the tournament did, too.

The 30-year-old Australian opened with three straight rounds in the 60s that gave him a three-stroke lead entering the final round. It turned out Bowditch needed every one of those strokes on a wind-swept day in the Alamo City.

He closed with a 4-over 76. the highest final-round score by a Tour winner since Vijay Singh carded a 4-over 76 in the 2004 PGA Championship, and the highest in a non-major since Fred Couples had a 5-over 77 in the 1983 Kemper Open.

But the blustery conditions at TPC San Antonio in Texas affected the entire field, causing slow-play warnings as players couldn't decide what clubs to use or determine the direction of the wind. Ultimately, no one caught Bowditch, who was able to log his first PGA Tour title. In addition to earning $1.116 million and 500 FedEx Cup points, he's guaranteed a spot in next month's Masters, the first time he'll compete at Augusta National in the year's first major.

"I had to really pull myself in check every time, and it happened a lot today," Bowditch told reporters about efforts to maintain his cool down the stretch. "It was - I was lucky enough I guess that the wind was up and it was hard to shoot a good score out there today for everyone.

"Not very often you shoot 76 and win a golf event," added Bowditch, who three-putted from 50 feet on the 18th for a bogey but still finished a shot ahead of Will MacKenzie and Daniel Summerhays. "So I'm just thrilled that I had enough cushion, so to speak."

One of his Aussie Tour friends, John Senden, waited around to congratulate Bowditch and see his mate sew up the victory. Senden won the Valspar Championship two weeks ago; Bowditch joins him and Jason Day (WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship) as the third player from Down Under to win on Tour this year.

"He's been a battler," said Senden, who finished tied for 42nd and stood by for over an hour to shake Bowditch's hand. "That last putt wasn't his best, but to finish it off he was as cool as a cucumber really. I'm proud to be his mate."

After accepting the Texas-shaped trophy and winner's check, Bowditch sat with reporters and discussed his day and maiden triumph.

He also touched on the depression he suffers from that led him to attempt suicide in 2006. It's something he faces every day. "I don't think I'll ever overcome it," he said. "You just deal with it on a day to day basis and learn, learn about yourself and move on forward."

Here's what he had to tell the media during the following Q&A.

MODERATOR: I would like to welcome the winner of the 2014 Valero Texas Open, Steven Bowditch. Congratulations on your first PGA Tour victory. Just a second ago he asked me, "How many days have I been in here now?" We're not sure, but you've spent a lot of time in the interview room this week. Yesterday you were asked how you were going to handle the nerves last night and today, and you admitted you didn't know. You found out, and it was good enough for a one shot victory today so congratulations on the win.

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Thank you. It was a tough couple of days. Yesterday I sort of felt like I played the same. My putter has been not very good at all this week in general, so it's always tough to - you gotta chip it really close, you know, even - you saw on the last hole there, I had a 3 footer and it just touched the hole. It was, you know, I'm thrilled and over the moon to get through it that way. The putter is probably the worst one with the nerves to try and deal with, I guess. That's really the first time I've really been putting average or bad, especially when leading in a golf tournament, so that was something new to me, and I don't know whether "exciting" is the right word, but it was fun.

Q. You seemed pretty emotional walking up the 18th fairway. Can you talk about what was going through your mind as you were making that walk with a two shot lead?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: I don't know whether emotional was the right word. There were still a lot of things that could happen. I wasn't sure standing on 18 whether Danny Summerhays made birdie or not so I didn't know whether I had a 1 or 2 shot lead. Then I knew Andrew was still at 6 and he hilt a great drive down to there, I don't know what club, he must have fit a 4- or 5 iron in the bunker and there is still always that chance that that's going to go in. I wasn't looking ahead or looking back to the par, I guess, it was still - I didn't feel like in my mind I had a big enough cushion to take it all in at the last. It was more I still had a job to do and still had a couple of shots to finish out.

Q. How did you do it? I mean, you started off horribly and were wobbly -

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Thank you. You're right. (Chuckles.)

Q. But you persevered for a guy who has not been in this position before, and battling nerves, playing with Kuchar, who's tons more experienced. How were you able to do it?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Not real sure, you know. I just - I guess I look back on what I've done in the past with smaller tournaments and in Australia and Nationwide and Web.com events and I use those experiences to try and stay in the moment as best I could and every time I got out of check, you know, looking ahead to the Masters, and winning golf events and making my speeches before, you know, before it's finished. I had to really pull myself in check every time, and it happened a lot today. It was - I was lucky enough I guess that the wind was up and it was hard to shoot a good score out there today for everyone. Not very often you shoot 76 and win a golf event. So I'm just thrilled that I had enough cushion, so to speak, but it was gone in three, I really didn't have a cushion anyway. But I'm thrilled.

Q. Can you describe your emotions, once you knew you had won? And basically you didn't know until right at the end. Can you describe your emotions when it sunk in?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Not really, to be honest. I really haven't had time to reflect or think about what I just accomplished or what's up next, any of those things. To be honest, still feels like there is another day left; still feels like I haven't done it yet.

Q. Steven, your fight with depression is well documented. Can you put in perspective what this win means, overcoming that obstacle in your life?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: I don't think I'll ever overcome it. You just deal with it on a day to day basis and learn, learn about yourself and move on forward.

Q. Can you talk about Amanda and the role she's played, the support she's given you and the role that she has played in you overcoming that obstacle?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: You know, Amanda is the love of my life, she is my wife and I love her dearly, and I wouldn't be sitting up here talking to you guys without her. She's great. She is my biggest supporter, and she is always there through the ups and downs.

Q. I was going to ask you how special it was to see (Senden), (Aaron Baddeley) and (Adam Scott) there?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: To be honest it was a real surprise. I didn't unfortunately see them - I didn't make a left turn and have a look who was there, and it was really, really good, to be honest. I'm want sure what word to describe it, but it was great to see the Australians there and supporting me like that. I didn't really expect it and it was a wonderful surprise.

Q. Any reason why you wore green today?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: No.

Q. And -

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Only one left that wasn't dirty.

Q. I know you said that this win hasn't sunk in but you are going to Augusta. What do you think this win will do now?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: To my career, I'm not sure. I guess my life -hopefully it won't change. I got a great life right now and couldn't wish for a better family life, and I couldn't ask for better health or friends around me, so my life is not going to change. I might be playing a few different golf courses than what I have before.

Q. Is there any hole or shot that you can point to that kind of, you know, turned your game around today?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: As I said, I was struggling so much with my putter that I wasn't worried about my golf swing or where I was hitting it; it didn't matter to me. I just felt like I had to get it as close to the green as I could and then rely on my chipping. I felt that was my strength at this point in time. So I had a chip on the up and down on the par 5 what was it, 14? Is that the par 5? Yeah, 14. After I missed another putt on 13, that up and down and that was only - that was a 3 footer straight up the hill, but that was probably when I was deep inside my own head with bad thoughts, and to get through that was probably the turning point, I thought. I know it sounds strange but that's what I was battling out there the last two or three days, my short putter.

Q. Were you fighting yourself much during the day, the negative thoughts, or were you able to stay positive?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: No, I was actually able to stay pretty positive, to be honest. You know, when you're - I guess after a period of time, out there, the way I was playing, I kind of just accepted the fact that I'm going to be playing in cactus, moving rocks, missing putts and had to deal with it every time. So it was nothing really - it happened - it happened so frequently that it never really surprised me, and I could just keep doing what I was doing, and I was lucky enough that the wind was up today and nobody could sort of squeeze in there and shoot a good score.

Q. Did you change putters after Thursday's round?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: I did.

Q. Have you done that before?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, I do it probably every week.

Q. Oh, do you?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, I just -you know, I tried changing my routine, and I change a lot of things each week with my putter, and it still didn't feel very comfortable, but after I played well on Thursday, my ball striking, I thought, hang on a minute, I might be able to get in contention this week the way I was hitting the ball, so I wanted to go back to a putter that I was completely comfortable with, not knowing that the putter before that or any other putter is going to make a difference. At least that one I knew what its tendencies were and was comfortable with.

Q. Steven, it was on 15th where you actually laid down for a good stretch while Andrew finished. What specifically was going through your mind at that point because you had the three holes left and it was getting close?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, that was definitely - that was a well needed sit down, I guess, and take a few deep breaths and just I really tried to work out what was going on right then and there, what position I was in. What everyone else was doing, what I thought needed to be done to win. I played it out in my head a few times, played out a few different scenarios. The last three holes, it was in my head so I couldn't fix it; I couldn't change what I was thinking. I just sort of accepted it, and then moved past it and then was able to get right there in the present on the 16th tee.

Q. Can you talk about the shot you hit out of the leaves on 17 and what kind of momentum it gave you going into 18.

STEVEN BOWDITCH: It wasn't the best shot at all, it was a terrible shot, nothing like I was trying to do. Just at that point I was just trying to hit it on a spot, a spot on the green, hopefully have a decent birdie putt, but I didn't have it, and I was lucky enough to hit a 2 putt. It was a pretty easy shot to be honest.

Q. Steven, congratulations. Just your thoughts about how much playing in Texas has been a benefit to you, the wind, getting used to playing, now living up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, how much did that pay off for you?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, I do practice around Dallas a lot; that's where I live, and to see this kind of weather is not unusual at all, so it's been a big benefit. And where I grew up in Noosa is the same, back home in Australia, it's pretty windy; it's on the coast. So I was sort of accustomed to it, but it wasn't my best weekend ball striking in the wind. It was probably the best grinding I have ever done.

Q. Steven, was something uttered out on the 17th tee, where you had to step away from the golf ball?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: On my downswing someone in the crowd yelled out, "Don't hook it"! on my way down, so I didn't; I cut it. (Laughter.) Yeah, you know, it's all part of the game. You don't want it to happen but it is what is it so deal with it the best you can. That's sort of - I'm not going to say it upset me but it got my blood - my heart racing a little bit so I had to take a little bit of time there and try and get back to where I was. I still didn't think I did that very well. I felt I was ready before that happened, but, you know, it is what it is.

Q. (Away from mic.)

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, I guess. Yesterday I guess a lot more than today. I'm just trying to think.

Q. You had to hit through the trees?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yesterday was a the lot more luck, so to speak, involved. I was able to move a lot bigger rocks and if I wasn't doing that I was able to chip out backwards. You need luck out here to win; it's the PGA Tour, and everyone is pretty good. Unless you're playing unbelievable from tee to green and putting, well you need some luck.

Q. What kind of putter did you switch to and how long had you used it previously?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: It's a Rife right now that I'm using, and it's probably been in my bag now for probably two or three years.

Q. Any relationship back in Australia with Adam Scott?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: What's that?

Q. Adam Scott will be defending Australia's first Masters. Any relationship from childhood or anything, Junior golf?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: I think Adam is four or five years older than me. We went to the same golfing school, Hill Corral Man, but he was obviously gone. He was always unbelievable as a kid, as an amateur and then now, you know, as he is right now. It's no surprise. He's a great guy and it's be been an inspiration what him and guys like Jason Day have done, and what they have done for Australian golf in the last year or so is unbelievable. I went back and played the Australian Open this year, around Christmastime, and there were thousands and thousands of people, and it's like back in the Greg Norman days. It's great to see what they have done for Australian golf.

Q. What affect did the wind have today? Someone was saying it was blowing the opposite direction from yesterday?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: It was, yeah, straight out of a different direction. But it was gusty today, today was probably the hardest - you don't mind 20 mile an hour wind or whatever as long as it's consistent. It was laying up and coming down and the gusts are hard, you sorta gotta time it. I took a 3 wood on the tee shot on No. 4 - I took 3 wood there and got a gust, and I mean, I don't know how far I went, 220 yards and I still had, you know, another 220 yards, probably. Then the opposite thing happened, you know, it lays down sometimes when you're putting, and lays down when you're hitting; you gotta change your clubs. That's probably the hardest out there, but it's - no one said it was going to be easy.

Q. Steven, you were talking about the wind and taking a little time here and there. Give us your thoughts, was there ever any concern out there about time in general? I know there was some chatter on Twitter about whether or not some of the golfers were taking too long.

STEVEN BOWDITCH: Yeah, I'm not sure. I was told that at some point that we were being timed. I mean, to be honest it really doesn't bother me. I tend to play at a reasonable pace anyway so, you know - and we're not going to go out there especially on a Sunday, it's windy, it's going to be tough, tough golf course, shot to shot and have a lay down occasionally, I guess.

Q. Steve, congratulations on your first one. What's your preparation now for the Masters? Are you going to play next week or going to think about Georgia and how well you can do for a green jacket?

STEVEN BOWDITCH: I'm going to try and prepare for next week and Houston. I haven't thought about Augusta; the only time I played it has been on the Play Station. (Laughter.) So I think I know a few of the breaks. I'm excited. I haven't thought about it. No idea, preparation I don't even know how to get there. I mean, I don't know. I'm just going to enjoy this for the next couple of days and get my mind back on track and get ready for Houston next week.

MODERATOR: Steven, congratulations.

The transcript for the above interview is courtesy of ASAP Sports.

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