QUICKEN LOANS NATIONAL

June 27, 2014

Oliver Goss

Q. Missing the cut at the Travelers, what were your expectations coming into this tournament?
OLIVER GOSS: I didn't really have too many expectations. Obviously I wanted to make the cut. Missing the cut last week I was a little bit disappointed but coming into this week pretty appreciate and open-minded and just see what happened. That I'm atop the leaderboard, I couldn't be more pleased.

Q. You hit four of 14 fairways here?
OLIVER GOSS: I don't think I hit one until the 11th. I hit a lot of greens. I didn't hit it too far off the fairway and I hit about four in the first cut, which helped. But I think I scrambled my way pretty good today.

Q. But you hit 14 of 18 greens, and you had just 27 putts. That always helps.
OLIVER GOSS: That helps. I've been struggling with my putting a little bit. Got together with my coach back in Australia this week and tried to focus on my putting and it's proven to be helpful this week.

Q. Did you feel comfortable out there? Did you look at a leaderboard and see your nama top it?
OLIVER GOSS: No, it made me feel even better. Second week as a pro, see your name atop the board. Gave me some confidence so I finish out the round.

Q. Help me out with a bit of urban legend. You tried to get in player parking this week and they turned you away because you don't have proper credential?
OLIVER GOSS: Yeah, I tried to get in the clubhouse actually through the other side over here, and I don't have like a PGA TOUR credential because I'm not a member and they said, no, we can't let you in. So I had to walk all the way around and go back in. It's not a big deal and I have a credential now.

Q. Interesting stats, 14 of 18 greens in regulation, but you hit only four fairways today. How were you able to do that?
OLIVER GOSS: I didn't hit it too far off the fairway. I had about four in the first cut of rough and I got fortunate with some pretty good lies and the ones I didn't get good lies I managed to scramble and get up-and-down.

Q. This is just your second professional event, your first cut made and you're on the first page of the leaderboard. How will you control your emotions heading into the weekend?
OLIVER GOSS: I think I'm handling my emotions quite well, always have. Just gives you more confidence to play in the weekend.

Q. A 20-year-old Australian transplant living in Knoxville Tennessee because you went to the University of Tennessee. Are you a big orange football guy?
OLIVER GOSS: I am now. I went through my first football season last semester and I just instantly became in love with it. It was just so exciting and so passionate. The Tennessee spirit inside of me quite quickly.

Q. Do the guys and the girls like that accent you have?
OLIVER GOSS: They love it. I had a girlfriend since I first got to college and she's amazing. Couldn't be happier with her.

Q. Thoughts on playing well today out there?
OLIVER GOSS: Yeah, everyone's told me that I only hit four fairways today, but I wasn't counting. That was a really crazy stat, because I think they said I hit 14 greens, which was really great. Certainly helps a lot out here. The rough around the greens is so thick, and if you can get it anywhere near the green, you're kind of struggling to get up-and-down. So to hit 14 greens and have 27 putts, I feel really great about my game. A little bit -- from yesterday, a little bit of improvement on the putting green, and I drove it incredible yesterday, very straight, but hitting it not so good with my irons, and just to roll it better with the putter because I've been struggling a little bit helps a lot.

Q. How does it help playing with someone like Patrick that you know and sort of in the same boat you are, so to speak?
OLIVER GOSS: Yeah, just playing college golf same time as Patrick, I never really got to know him that well but playing with him today was good. We are roughly about the same age and situation, so it was good.

Q. I understand you had a bit of an unusual experience trying to get in earlier this week.
OLIVER GOSS: Yeah, you know, I think it was yesterday morning, I tried to get in the clubhouse and the security guy was like, hey, where's your credential. I said, "I don't have a credential, but I'm a player and I've got an exemption." He said, "Well, I can't let you in." I was like, "I'm a player, though." Still wasn't good enough for him, which shows just how good the security is around here. I just had to walk around the other side of the clubhouse. I got a credential now so I'm all set.

Q. Did you take in any sights in D.C.?
OLIVER GOSS: That was incredible, you see the monuments and memorials on TV and you're like, that's pretty cool. Once you go there, it's such a different experience, it's so surreal. They are just ginormous those things. It was great to get a piece of history of the country. It was a really great experience.

Q. Your first time in this area?
OLIVER GOSS: It is.

Q. Obviously you might be a bit under the radar these first two days, but the score you posted, you should have a pretty good pairing. Your thoughts how to approach that?
OLIVER GOSS: I think Leishman is tied with me at the moment, so it will be good, that would be really cool.

Q. What was your favorite sight in D.C.?
OLIVER GOSS: I couldn't get over how big the Washington Monument was, it's just huge. All the monuments are just great and seeing the Lincoln Memorial was cool, to get a piece of history and reading it on the wall, it was just really great.

Q. How did you get to Tennessee?
OLIVER GOSS: Brad James, who is the High Performance director at Golf Australia, kind of like the USGA back home, he was a college coach over here for Minnesota for about ten years, so he had all the contacts in the world. I said I wanted to go to college and he was more than helpful to that. He threw my name out to a bunch of colleges and Tennessee ended up being the college for me. It was a great fit.

Q. You've played on some pretty high-profile courses and obviously the U.S. Amateur; how have the past two weeks been different as a professional?
OLIVER GOSS: The main difference is you're playing against the best in the world. The depth is just crazy. Obviously you're playing for a purse, and honestly, I really don't feel that much different out there. You're still playing the game of golf, and that's all I'm really feeling at the moment.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports