The Tarheel Tour Interview with Paul Butler

Tarheel Tour: We are here with TPGG Classic Champion, Paul Butler. This was Paul’s second Tarheel tour event and his second event as a professional. He missed the cut in his first event at the Rivertowne Open. He is a 2007 graduate of Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina. Paul, how are you today?

Paul Butler: I’m great, how are you doing?

Tarheel Tour: Well, we’re doing well but probably not as good as you after cashing a check for $40,000 last week.

Paul Butler: No, I was quite fortunate last week. I picked a good tournament to win.

Tarheel Tour: Paul, in your first event you played at Rivertowne, you missed the cut by ten shots and then the very next event, at the TPGG Classic, you beat one of the best fields in Tarheel Tour history to cash the aforementioned $40,000 check. Tell us what happened in between those two events that allowed you to improve your play so dramatically.

Paul Butler: The first event I didn’t hit the ball that bad, but the wind was just blowing so strong it kind of over-exaggerates a bad shot. It got into my confidence and I started to doubt my game. Throughout the week I had a few people tell me different things, but Mike Byce, the pro at the Creek Golf Club in Spartanburg, gave me a few mental tips and then I went to a swing coach and we figured out what was wrong and I got some confidence coming in to this week. I felt like I could win but I really wasn’t expecting to win this early on the Tarheel Tour.

Tarheel Tour: Paul, on the last hole of the first day, you holed a twenty-five footer for birdie to shoot 75. This putt put you eight shots behind the leader with only 36 holes to play. Knowing the quality of players separating you from the lead, it would be natural to assume that your goal at this point would be just to make the cut. At what point did you start to think you might have a chance of winning the golf tournament and the $40,000 that comes with it?

Paul Butler: I thought I always had a chance to win the tournament. I knew that after shooting 75 I was in jeopardy of missing the cut. I played really well the second day and I expected the leaders that were five under to keep going and get around eight or nine under but nobody did. They stayed at five under and once I saw that I realized that I’m only three shots back and I still have a chance to win this if I shoot another good score

Tarheel Tour: Paul, we talked after the round of golf about some mental tips that a local pro gave you that helped you win. What advice did he actually give you?

Paul Butler: He wanted me to get real consistent in what I was thinking before the shot, and he wanted me to have a better pre-shot routine. I always did that when I was on the range. That way I could almost trick my mind into hitting a good shot on the course by just going through the same routine over and over and also to really commit to every shot. As long as I commit to a shot, I’ve got a better chance of pulling it off.

Tarheel Tour: Paul, how exactly are you working on that? Is that something that you’re working on consistently in practice? Is there a drill that you use?

Paul Butler: I don’t know really how to explain that. I just pick a target from standing behind my ball; I do it mostly putting. When I read a putt from behind, I go ahead and pick something and when I get over the ball to putt, I stick with it. I try not to doubt myself and try to be as confident as I can with it.

Tarheel Tour: Now that you’ve played in two Tarheel Tour events against very high quality fields, what have you learned about your game this year playing against such great players? Also what do you plan to work on the rest of the way?

Paul Butler: I’ve learned that you don’t have to play your best all three days to win. I’ve learned now that I do have a good enough game to compete with everybody on the tour and I’m assuming other tours as well. But right now, I just learned that my game is just as good as anybody’s game out there. I feel like I need to work a little more on ball striking. I think I have an excellent short game but as far as ball striking with my irons, I need to really work on that. That’s something that’s always been hard for me to do.

Tarheel Tour: Paul, now that you’ve won in your second professional start out here, you join a very small and elite list of players. Kyle Reifers won in his first start out here. Roberto Castro won in his second start out here. Brendan Todd won in his first start out here, and that is it. You are only the fourth person to win this early in your career. What advice would you give to other rookies making their debut in professional golf on the Tarheel Tour or elsewhere, to get off to such a fast start?

Paul Butler: You can’t come into a tournament intimidated by other big names at the tournament. If you’re confident in your game, you don’t need to worry about what other people are doing, You just have to chill out and play your game and be confident with what you do.

Tarheel Tour: I’m sure that was one of your goals for the 2008 season was to win. Now that you have accomplished that, what are your goals now?

Paul Butler: I actually sat down and thought about this. I’ve won once and that was my main goal this year was to win once. I’m going to say I’d like to win another one but I think one of my goals would be to have a few more top fives, and a handful of top tens.

Tarheel Tour: Yeah, it certainly suited David Robinson who obviously had more top fives and top tens than virtually any other player. It appears to be a good goal to want to achieve for your future. When you left the 18th hole, having holed a ten footer for birdie, did you think that your second consecutive 67 would be good enough for you to either to get in a playoff or win the tournament outright?

Paul Butler: I talked to Banks who was carrying around the leaderboard when I was on the 18th fairway and I knew there was a four way tie for the lead and I was part of it at six under. I knew when I birdied I was in the lead by one but I knew they had four holes left. I figured that somebody could make two birdies and beat me so I was hoping for a playoff, honestly. I didn’t think that I was going to win outright, but I was really hoping for a playoff. .

Tarheel Tour: What has been the most noticeable change for you from amateur golf going to the professional game?

Paul Butler: I think there are more real good players out here in professional golf. Everybody out here is competing for money as well as trying to win a tournament. I think there’s more incentives for everybody. It’s a lot stronger field; a lot tougher competition than professional golf.

Tarheel Tour: Thank you so much for joining us today, and we will see you at the Manor Classic next week.

Paul Butler: Alright, thank you. Y’all have a good one.

Tarheel Tour: You got it, Paul. Congratulations.