The Tarheel Tour Interview with Will McGirt

William McGirt has been competing on the Tarheel Tour since 2005. He has had a breakout season thus far in 2007 and is currently on top of the Tarheel Tour money list with over $52,000 in earnings. He won the Cabarrus Classic back in May and has eight top-10 finishes in just 12 events this season. We got the chance to chat with Will before the Southern Open in July.

You have been a regular on the Tarheel Tour since 2005 but until this season have never finished in the top-10 on the money list. Now you’re number one on the money list, having made over $50,000 in 12-events. What changes have you made to your game that has allowed you to improve so dramatically?

Will McGirt: Well my teacher and I have worked on tightening up my golf swing a lot. Just working on that, doing a lot of short game work. I feel like I’m a much better putter than I was two years ago. Last year I putted really well but I feel like now, my lows aren’t as low with the putter; and the main thing really is an attitude change. Not worrying about bad shots or anything like that. It’s just kind of taking everything as it comes. I think that’s been the biggest help for me just letting everything roll off.

Can you explain to our readers why the mental part of the game, while often overlooked by the recreational golfer, is so important to the success of a professional golfer?

Will McGirt: When you’re playing amateur golf getting mad at a bogey or two isn’t that big of a thing, but playing professionally it’s going to cost you a lot of money. I realized it wasn’t the first bogey that I made that was costing me money; it was the second or third bogey in a row that was really costing me. Learning to let stuff roll off, that’s been the biggest thing. I keep a lot of stats, and my bounce back stats this year are really good. You know, making a birdie after a bogey or worse. That’s been the biggest thing. Just letting stuff kind of roll off and not worrying about it.

You have eight top-10 finishes in 12-events this season. Is there anything about the golf courses on the Tarheel Tour schedule that you feel suits your game particularly well?

Will McGirt: Well I think more than anything, I’m just kind of getting accustomed to the golf courses now. Two years ago, it was my first rodeo on all of them. I don’t think I had played a single course that we played an event on. Now I’m a little more familiar with them. You know a lot of them are really set up well for me. Cabarrus sets up pretty well for me. Spring Creek was just awesome. It was my first trip around it but I played the practice round and I just loved it. The greens were perfect; everything about that golf course was perfect. We had some rough, which put a premium on driving the ball in the fairway. Unfortunately, I could not find one the last round. I think for the most part I don’t know what it is that suits my game, but you know all of these golf courses kind of fit my eye.

You have missed getting through the first stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School by a shot each of the last two years. What changes are you making to help better prepare yourself to get through Q-school this year?

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Will McGirt: The last two years I’ve played a bunch going into Q-school. This year I plan to take at least a week off, maybe two weeks off. The last few years I was spent by the time Q-School rolled around both mentally and physically. I’ve kind of made that mistake two years in a row and I can assure you there will be no third time for me.

Let’s go back to the 64 that you shot at Spring Creek. The difficulty of the golf course plus the heat index being about 110 made that round one of the best in Tarheel Tour history. Did you know that you had the opportunity to do something special? At any point did you get nervous because you were playing so well?

Will McGirt: It was funny. That day Ryan Gioffre and I both shot five under on the back; and we were just kind of chitchatting the whole way around. I don’t think either one of us knew what we were really doing. I think Shaun (Norris, the third player in the group) said, “Did you shoot five on that side?” I said, “You know I’m not sure” and I kind of thought about it real quick and I thought, well yeah I did; and actually I missed a six footer and had a 15 footer come back at me where I could have birdied the last seven on that side. I just never really got anything going on the first five holes on the back and hit it close on fifteen and sixteen and made birdie, and had a good two putt birdie at the last hole. You know I just kind of got done and I was like, I think I did something pretty good, but you know I never really knew. When I got in and signed the scorecard I realized what it was.

You know I never really got nervous. I think Ryan and I were just kind of playing along trying to make as many birdies as we could. You know, we just kind of fed off each other. He actually made a bogey and shot 31. I think I play my best golf when I don’t think about how I’m playing. I don’t add up the score and I don’t really think about it. I’m just playing the hole that I’m on trying to play it the best I can. That’s one thing that’s helped me a lot, is once you’ve finished a hole it’s over and I don’t think about another hole unless it’s the one I’m playing.

You have had numerous chances to win this year and are in the mix almost every week. How do you deal with your nerves on the back nine of the final round knowing you have a chance to win, and what do you do when you’re out of your comfort zone to try to get back into your comfort zone?

Will McGirt: You know there are a couple of things I really rely on. I think pre-shot routines are most important. Because when you start to feel some nerves you just fall back on it and everything becomes routine. Another thing is controlling your breathing so that you control your heart rate. You know if you’re just sitting there kind of sucking wind your heart starts racing, but if you can take a lot of deep breathes and kind of slow your heart rate down, I think it gets rid of the nerves. That’s what’s helped me the most is pre-shot routine and controlling my breathing.

You had multiple opportunities to win before you finally sealed the deal at Cabarrus earlier this year. I know you were happy to finally get the monkey off your back. How much confidence did you gain from winning that event and how much has that changed your focus when you’re in the final group the last day?

Will McGirt: The biggest thing, confidence wise, was it let me know that I could do it. You know I’d been close a couple of times over the last two years and just couldn’t quite get over the hump. More than anything, it just let me know, hey you can do this, and now instead of okay, I’ve got a chance to win, let’s don’t screw it up, it’s let’s go out and win it. Don’t even worry about what happens, just go out and hit the best shots you can possibly hit, let it take care of itself. You know when I tee it up I expect to be in the hunt. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that this year.

Who are your main influences in the game of golf? Are there any players on the PGA Tour who you model your game after?

Will McGirt: Whenever I’m practicing and I catch myself getting fast, I always try to visualize David Toms and his tempo. I don’t think you’ll find a better golf swing on tour than his, especially with the tempo. Putting is just so individual. I’ve tried to round my stroke out like Brad Faxon. If I could just make as many as he makes, I’d be okay.

You are currently number one on the money list and already have a win to your credit in 2007. What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

Will McGirt: After I won I kind of changed my goals a little bit. I want to win again. I want to win at least one more time, maybe two or three more. I just want to win, and keep winning. I love that feeling. I’d like to lead the money list, but obviously at the end of the year the ultimate goal is to get through Q School and get some kind of status. I’d love to get PGA Tour status but, you know Nationwide status that’d be a good start.

So that’s the ultimate goal, but as far as the short term goals, winning more golf tournaments.

Thanks for your time Will.

Will McGirt: I appreciate it. See you soon.