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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

August 29, 2014

Ryan Palmer

NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

DOUG MILNE: Ryan Palmer, 8-under 63 the first round here at the Deutsche Bank Championship, capped off by a nice birdie on No. 9, your last hole of the day. With that said, just a couple of comments on the round.

RYAN PALMER: Yeah, it was a -- I don't know what to say about it, it was one of my best ones of the year for sure. To have 21 putts. The way I drove it. The way -- my iron play, the short game when I needed it. I mean I don't think I've ever had 21 putts in one round, and 15 1-putts. But it was good. I hit it close when I needed to. I made a few longer ones, too. Just a very calm, calm day out there. Even though I didn't have my regular guy, James Edmondson, it was nice having Brett out there, who is a friend, he kept me relaxed, it was a great day, for sure.

Q. If you go back to the PGA, there's been kind of flashes of brilliance from you every now and then. Is it building for something or are you still concerned over spiking?
RYAN PALMER: No, it's been building all year, I keep telling myself something is going to happen. I don't know where or when. I felt it for a long time this year, since Hawaii. I came up short in the Honda, Humana, had chances at the Colonial and of course the PGA. But I've always felt there's something there, my game has been in good shape. It was a matter of getting it all together. It was nice to get an early round like this in. Tomorrow is going to be a good day to back it up. But I felt for a while something is on the horizon, and maybe this week, maybe next week, who knows.

Q. Is there any indication that you get that a putting round like this is coming? Or what did you see or feel early on let you know that it was going to be rolling well?
RYAN PALMER: I just was confident the way I've been putting. I knew if I hit a lot of good shots close I was going to make a few. I'm notorious, I guess, to make a lot of birdies. Of course I ended up making a lot of bogeys that day, too. Today was a good day on the other side of that. I've been putting good for a while. My short putting has been good. My lag putting has been better than it has been in the past. It's been a matter of hitting the iron shots close, giving myself more chances and I was able to do that today. And I could see the lines. I kind of opened up my stance a little bit more and I'm able to see the line a lot more. And it's been one of those -- the last six months I've really felt my putting has been there, it's a matter of ball-striking backing it up, as well.

Q. The guys in the morning said the course is getting firmer, how were the conditions this afternoon for you?
RYAN PALMER: The fairways were running, for sure. The winds were pretty calm. It picked up here and there, but overall aside from a few holes you could attack the course. I think they say this golf course is a long hitters course, and I think I took advantage of that because I took a lot of wedges today. I was able to hit my driver on line and long. So I hit a lot of 50 degree wedges, pitching wedges. I think that's the key out here is if you can keep it in the fairway and hit it out there, you can have a lot more shorter irons than most guys are. And I was able to hit a lot more wedges, and bring them in softer and have a lot easier chances.

Q. When you're playing that well, do you get a chance to think about how well you're playing or is it just next shot, next shot?
RYAN PALMER: You know, you find yourself thinking about it, I guess, but then I always bring myself back, hey, it's the next shot. So I found myself thinking ahead but then always bring myself back for the next shot. I'm ready to get to 6-under, ready to go 7-under, ready to go 8-under. I parred 7 and almost I was kind of a little frustrated with that. I had 250 from the front to the rough. I just blew a chance there. But nice to birdie 9. But you're always trying to get the next birdie each and every time. So you want -- I want to beat everybody by 20. But you find yourself thinking ahead, thinking of Monday. Thinking of things like that. But I've been pretty good about bringing myself back and just worrying about what's ahead of me on the next shot.

Q. What club did you hit on No. 9?
RYAN PALMER: Pitching wedge.

Q. Good drive. Secondly, how did it come about where James went back to Dallas, did he talk to you?
RYAN PALMER: He was in Dallas because his daughter started school. So he went to Dallas from New York. He was always coming here Wednesday, regardless. And then we found out, Tuesday morning, I found out, he texted me and called me, then -- he had a heck of a week. His brother-in-law's mother passed on Monday. His step-dad, Randy, had surgery to remove his kidney two days ago. And then on top of that with Lance. It was easy for him to say, you know, when he said I may need to stay home. I said done. Don't worry about it. We're just playing golf. You stay home. I can handle it myself. And it was an easy call to Brett to bring him out here. He is back with his step-dad and mom and be there for Lance, as well, so it was an easy decision.

Q. 21 putts? How many from the fringe, a couple or none?
RYAN PALMER: Surely they don't count those.

Q. How many putts did you have from the fringe?
RYAN PALMER: I had one on 4. I had two. Two total.

Q. Pretty good, don't you think?
RYAN PALMER: I left a few out there (laughter).
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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