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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

September 6, 2014

Ryan Palmer

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, COLORADO

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Like to welcome Ryan Palmer to the interview room. Here after the third round of the BMW Championship. 67 today, 10-under for the championship. Couple back of our leader. Get a few opening comments about three good days so far for you.

RYAN PALMER: Yeah, it's been great. It's been a lot of fun being here, because it kind of reminds me a lot of Colonial, where I play most of my golf at home, then the Fort Worth. So, I see a lot of those shots out here, which helps me. It's nice also, having a confident putting game out there, as well. I drove it well. I have played my irons well this week, as opposed to the last weeks. So, you know, it's great. I'm going in three back tomorrow, which I expected, but you can't -- you got to take your hats off to Billy for shooting 7-under today. That was awesome. And I'm just proud of the way I fought and hung in there today. Being in that atmosphere, I'm not used to I guess, playing with Rory and Sergio in the final group with that kind of crowd. So, really proud of myself the way I just stayed calm all day and patient and never got too up or too down, and I fought hard and salvaged a good round.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Take some questions.

Q. Were you watching the scoreboard and seeing what Billy was doing there trying to just keep up?
RYAN PALMER: Yeah, no, I saw what he was doing. I watched the boards a lot today. All the time, I guess. So, I knew what he was doing. I just had some chances to be right there with him, and I just didn't make them today. It was nice to make the one on 18 going into tomorrow. So, we'll take that in tonight and for sure, but, yeah, it was -- I was watching and yelling at him from the fairway to stop, but it didn't work. But no, it was a good day on my side. So I'm excited and proud and looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. You said you're not used to that kind of crowd with Rory and Sergio. Were you kind of flying under the radar today, are you comfortable with that?
RYAN PALMER: Yeah, no. I don't know. I guess I was. Obviously, you heard a lot of Rorys and Sergios, but I had my few Ryans out there and Palmers. So, I had my 10, 15 people yelling for me. As opposed to their hundreds, but I think that's what's kind of bittersweet to go out and play well like that. I know that Rory's, he's No. 1 in the world, and Sergio has been up there for years. So, for me to come out and hang in there and play well, I'm taking the next step in my career, I think, and hopefully tomorrow we can give myself a chance down the end.

Q. Obviously, you start three shots back, but having seen what Billy did today, Hoffman shoots 62, obviously, it's out there. Is that basically the mentality you're going to have, is that you got to go really low to catch them?
RYAN PALMER: I don't know if I have to go really low. I mean it will be -- he'll have a tough job as well, backing up a 63. It's never easy. All I can do is go out and just try to makes a many birdies as I can. I'm not going to worry about what he's doing and if I can keep myself around, I'll have plenty of chances and, hopefully, I can get a few more putts to fall in and put a little pressure on him as well. So it's going to be fun for both of us, a big day for both of us. It will be obviously the biggest win for both of us in our careers. So hopefully we can have a good battle tomorrow and give a good show.

Q. Minus the elevation difference, this isn't a long course, what's been your mode of attack this week? Is it more about positioning and getting the right angles to the greens?
RYAN PALMER: No, I have pretty much attacked more. I've hit driver on several holes where most guys have not, I'm pretty sure. So I've definitely tried to attack this golf course more. That was kind of our game plan starting the week, that I think we were, we -- with the greens now, as soft as they are, if it wouldn't have rained the last two days, it would be a different stories. I don't think we would be sitting at 13 and 10-under par. But the rain softened it up to where we can attack it from the rough as well. So it's been a golf course where I've been able to hit my driver, fortunately, I'm hitting my driver good. So that's been a big benefit for me to attack this golf course.

Q. How big was that last birdie to get to 10, double figures and feel like you're within range now?
RYAN PALMER: That was huge. Especially the chances I had coming down and couldn't get one in. But to finally make that, I mean it was a straight uphill putt, which is nice, but now I guess I got two shots over Martin and Bubba, so it just gave me another cushion on that side of it. And then again, within three of Billy. So, it was huge, not only for, obviously, to make my dinner tonight at Elway's taste better, but it was huge confidence booster for tomorrow going in knowing I birdied the last hole. I'm excited for my opportunity now.

Q. You were talking about playing with Sergio and Rory and they both had a little melt downs here and there. How hard or easy is it to just block that out when the other people are struggling like that?
RYAN PALMER: Yeah, it's -- you're watching it happen, obviously, but nothing you can do about it. You can't let it affect you or what you're doing. It's nice when guys are playing well together because you can feed off one another. But I knew what I was doing I knew what my swing was doing and it was there. So I wasn't really worried about how they were struggling. It was a matter of me just kept hitting my shots, quit worrying about how far Rory is hitting it. But I just stayed within myself and it was a great feeling and very calm day for me.

Q. As far as holding your own in a group like that and being proud of yourself for doing so I was curious if you've ever been in a situation like that where maybe it's gone the other way and if you did anything differently today.
RYAN PALMER: You know, I've played with Tiger, shot 67 one day and he beat me by six. So I guess that was my bad day in a group like that. (Laughter.) But there's been bad rounds, there's been good rounds you're going to have those bad rounds. But I can't say I've been in a situation like that. I don't look back and say, well, I remember this moment where I didn't play well. So I'll feed off what I did today for tomorrow for sure.

Q. There are a lot of players here with a lot of fire power. I stood out on 11 for a long time today, you were the only one I saw hit the green in two, you hit a 3-wood in there. Was that, does that give you a little confidence booster to be the only one who hit that green?
RYAN PALMER: Yeah, of course. I feel like I'm one of the longer hitters out here and I'm able to take advantage of that on this golf course. And I was able to there. Getting on top of that hill there, on 11 there, roasted a 3-wood perfect. I don't think I could have hit it any better. Unfortunately, I didn't make that putt. But, no, I'm able to take advantage of my length on some of these holes and it's paid off this week, for sure.

Q. In a year that you described as probably one of your most consistent, is this the best stretch of golf you've had this year?
RYAN PALMER: The best stretch I've had this year? As far as throughout this year? Probably could look at it that way. I think so. Contending at the PGA, playing solid at Barclays and then what I did at Deutsche Bank as far as shooting 63. So, I would say it's probably the -- there was appeared throughout there where I was where I had, where I was with Honda, Colonial, Houston, that was a good stretch in there. But this is probably the best and most confident I felt all year long, for sure, these past three weeks.

Q. You talked about how this was a little similar to Colonial. Are there one or two shots in particular out here that remind you of similar shots at Colonial?
RYAN PALMER: Yeah, I can stand on -- let's see. Good question. 3 is one. There's a bunker you got to carry on 3 at Colonial. That's how I look at 7 here. I hit my 5-wood or -- well, trying to think of another one. No. 2 has -- number 4. I hit a low 5-wood there. Which I do on number 10 at Colonial. So, similar ones like that. Then I hit driver at Colonial a lot, which a lot of guys don't do. So I think that helps visualizing a lot of tee shots there as well as here. But it has a lot of doglegs, where you got to work your ball a little more, I think. I think playing Colonial since I joined Colonial, it's helped me tremendously in my game for sure. So I'm able to bring that here.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Palmer and Cherry Hills has a nice ring to it. Best of luck tomorrow.

RYAN PALMER: That's right. Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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