Q&A with Tour Rookie and Q-school medalist Troy Merritt

By: Jeff Palopoli on 03/30/10 01:51 PM

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Troy Merritt has come a long way from his walk-on days at both Winona State (Div. II) and Boise State. While at Boise State Merritt collected nine wins over two years, including a record setting five straight in his senior year, where he led all of Div. I with a 69.53 scoring average. He took that momentum with him to the Nationwide Tour where he only had conditional status for 2009. Merritt made 10 of his last 11 cuts which included a win in Mexico. This past December he lit up Q-school taking medalist honors with a six day total of -22 and a one stroke victory over veteran Jeff Maggert. Merritt started off his rookie year hot making three straight cuts, two of them being top 20 finishes.

This being your rookie season, and before the Sony you hadn’t played in a PGA Tour event, what are some of the things you’ve been surprised by most on Tour? Are there aspects that you’ve found to be difficult to adjust to?

Troy Merritt: I thought I'd be a lot more nervous before each round, but I've been able to cope with the nerves and stress. The Nationwide Tour really helped prepare me for the rigors of travel, otherwise, that would have been something that I would have had to adjust to in a hurry. I take things as they come and try not to over-analyze things. I think this has helped me stay level-headed and focused on trying to play good golf.

Coming in to this season, what has been your one main goal? What do you hope to take away from your experience this year?

Troy Merritt: Coming in to the year I had one main goal: to keep my Tour card. I've heard that getting your card is the easy part and keeping it is the hard part. I hope to be able to contend in a few events, and feel that adrenaline rush that being in contention with a few holes to play can bring. I hope to become a better player throughout the year, but I also want to become a better person as well. I want to always make time for those who may want my autograph or a picture with me - even if I played poorly that day.

What has been your favorite course you’ve played so far this year and why?

Troy Merritt: Pebble Beach is my favorite course. I've only had the opportunity to play it a handful of times, but it's the only course I've ever played that I wouldn't mind playing when the weather is terrible. I rate courses on the number of holes that I can remember days after I've played the course. I can remember everything about every hole at Pebble Beach. Playing the course on a video game is one thing, but playing it in a tournament is an absolute dream!

If you had to describe yourself as a player, how would you do it? What are your strengths and conversely, your weaknesses?

Troy Merritt: When I'm playing well, I'm a very consistent player and don't miss many shots. However, when I'm playing poorly, I'm able to stay level-headed and not get too frustrated or angry. I'm able to push through and try to do better on the next shot or the next hole. My mental game would be the strongest aspect of my game. Ball striking has been my weakness since I turned professional. I was used to my senior year of college when I'd hit 12 fairways and 15 greens a round. Now, I'm hitting 7 fairways and 11 greens a round. Ball striking is an absolute must out on Tour, and I'm doing my best to get back in the groove.

You came out of the gate this year with a couple good finishes, but have seemed to struggle over the past few weeks. After seeing the guys out there you are competing with week after week, what is the one part of your game you can point to that needs work?

Troy Merritt: There are a few parts of my game that have been inconsistent as of late. I'm a streaky putter. When I'm making putts, I feel I can make any putt at any time. When I'm not making putts, I tend to be a lot more tentative and miss a lot more close range putts. Decision making has been a little lax over the past few events as well. I haven't been committing to shots like I should, and consequently have been hitting poorer shots.

I know you were doing a bit of house hunting. Did you find something and settle in yet?

Troy Merritt: My wife and I have found a home in Cave Creek (which is the North Phoenix area), and will be moving in at the end of June. We are both very excited and our house is very close to many great golf courses in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area!

You’ve certainly come a long way since your walk-on days at both Winona State (DII) and Boise State. Do you think your confidence level has played a major role in that? What changed in your game from you being a walk-on to then record setting wins in college?

Troy Merritt: I've always had a lot of confidence when I play. Sometimes I'm too confident and try to hit the homerun shot instead of playing conservative. I've been winning golf tournaments since I was 8, and I was able to carry that through college. Winning is all about confidence. If I didn't think I could win, I wouldn't be out here chasing my dream. My coach at Boise State, Kevin Burton, tweaked my posture and alignment just a little when I got to Boise State. He also worked on my mental game just a bit. I used to grind constantly for an entire tournament round, and would be absolutely drained by the end of the day. Coach Burton got my to just focus for a minute or two before and during a shot, then put everything out of mind in between shots. So, instead of focusing on golf in between shots, I would look at the clouds or have a song playing over and over in my head. Once I started winning I didn't want anyone else to win.

Troy is teeing it up this week at The Shell Houston Open. You can follow Troy on Twitter where he is one of the more active Tour players there, and always engages with fans. Find Troy on Twitter @TroyMerritt_PGA

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