Rookie Q&A: For Rick Price, it's all about golf and family

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PGA TOUR rookie Rick Price made five cuts in his first 10 starts this season.

You must like golf to go through q-school 19 times before finally busting through to the other side. Make that love golf. Adore golf. Hug and kiss golf. OK, you get the point. TOUR rookie Rick Price loves three things more than his chosen profession and they (his wife and two kids) travel with him at most every TOUR stop. PGATOUR.COM caught up with Rick just days before the HP Byron Nelson Championship at TPC Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas.

PGATOUR.COM: From the sound effects in the background, I'm going out on a limb here and saying that you have some kids with you on this road trip.

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Price made it to the TOUR mainly due to his win in the inaugural Nationwide Tour Players Cup.

RICK PRICE

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RICK PRICE: Yes, I've got two little ones, a boy, 4, and a little girl, 10. They're with me at most every TOUR event.

PGATOUR.COM: Concentrating while that screaming is reverberating in the background probably gets you ready to putt on Sunday.

PRICE: I sure hope so. I'm actually not putting very well right now so maybe that will help. Overall, I've been playing relatively OK. In fact, I'm No. 16 in greens in regulation, which is very good for a guy who's not that long off the tee. I'm hitting a lot of long irons into greens, so I'm thrilled to be so highly ranked in that category.

But I'm not making enough putts. I've missed a couple of cuts by a shot or two and it all boils down to putting. Of course, everyone says that. I just have to be patient and hang in there.

PGATOUR.COM: With the family in tow from week to week, do the kids and your wife ever get bored?

PRICE: Not at all. The TOUR does a wonderful job coming up with creative stuff for us to do. Last week in San Antonio, they closed Six Flags for the night and we had the run of the park. My son and I must have rode one rollercoaster a dozen times. It was fantastic.

They got to experience the Alamo and Riverwalk. Every hotel is nice and every town extends a friendly hand to help. My wife played on the LPGA Tour for a bit, so I'm very lucky that she understands the deal out here. She's great.

PGATOUR.COM: Did your wealth of experience on the Nationwide Tour properly prepare you for this level?

PRICE: Absolutely. That's a great Tour and great competition. It really helped me to know several of the guys out here already. Guys like Chris DiMarco and Zach Johnson are longtime friends. I played with Chris when we both started on the Canadian Tour.

It's been a ton of help to have some friendly faces out here when I arrived. I can imagine that it would be twice as difficult to adjust to the TOUR when you know almost no one. These guys make it comfortable for me, which has helped a lot of different ways.

PGATOUR.COM: This week's stop is in Dallas for the Nelson. Are you guys staying at the posh host hotel overlooking the course or did you decide on another motel?

PRICE: Well, neither really. I didn't want to drop $600 a night in Las Colinas when we spend about five minutes in our hotel room in any given week. We're staying near the new Cowboys Stadium and it's not costing me an arm and a leg. We still get to enjoy the pool and dining at the TPC, which are awesome.

PGATOUR.COM: When you have two little people, it's all about the pool.

PRICE: You've got that right. I'm lucky my kids travel so well. They love playing in the hotels, but yes, the pool is essential.

PGATOUR.COM: Are there many kids out on TOUR for them to play with?

PRICE: It's about to get even better since we're getting into the summer months and a lot more kids will start showing up.

PGATOUR.COM: When you're not practicing or playing with the kids at your house in Jupiter, Fla., what's fun for Rick Price?

PRICE: I love watching sports, but honestly, there's not much time in my schedule for even that. And I don't really have any tangible hobbies. I love playing golf, which is good since I practice all the time.

My other time is spent at the beach or poolside at the house with the family. I love spending as much time with them, especially at this age, as possible. You can't replace these years. It's a great time in our lives.

PGATOUR.COM: Thus far, the results haven't come for you this season. What do you need to do to break out of the pack and start bringing in some serious dollar bills?

PRICE: Look at a guy like James Driscoll. That was like, what, his second cut made and he's in a playoff (in San Antonio). He's a great player but no one expected that to happen like that. Yet it did and it shows that you can get hot and play at that level in any given week.

I just have to keep my focus and work on the little stuff that makes the difference out here. On the TOUR, pars mean a lot more than they did on the Nationwide. The courses are set up harder and the players' mindsets are a bit different.

PGATOUR.COM: Other than winning the Nelson this week, what are you short-term goals for this stretch of the season?

PRICE: I really haven't played a lot golf so far. After the U.S. Open, I'll be playing in four or five tournaments in a row, which will be great. I want to get some consistency going and I think playing more often will help my game. The more opportunities you give yourself, the better results you'll see. It's golf, no matter what tour you're playing. You just have to get it done.