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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 9, 2015

Billy Horschel

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA

Q. Open up with some comments about your round and where you stand.
BILLY HORSCHEL: Today was good. Like yesterday I got off to a fast start and went to the back side with a lot of momentum and, unfortunately, I killed that momentum quickly. I just didn't get anything going. It's unfortunate, because I feel like I'm playing well and I feel like the back side's playing a little bit easier, but I just haven't done anything special on the back side yet this week. So hopefully tomorrow is my day. Happy shooting 3-under, like I said, it was a good round, but I feel like it could have been a lot better, in my mind it should have been 6 or 7. But 3-under, course is playing firm, the lead is no more than 9 or 10, then I'm right there with a chance to win. 13-under has won this tournament the last four years, so if that's if that holds the case tomorrow then I got to shoot 6-under and hopefully I'm able to do it.

Q. Is there a level -- this is a ball-striker's golf course but is there a level of comfort here that maybe you feel that other guys don't because you're familiar with it?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, I think that I'm comfortable with the tee shots you got to hit off the shapes and everything, and I'm comfortable with the shots into the greens. So, I think that's what I can take most from it. The greens are nowhere near what they are like this the rest of the year, so the break, I can have an understanding on how much it's going to break, but it's different with these fast greens and firm and everything, but, yeah, there are just shots off the tees and iron shots into the greens and everything, you can feel comfortable with, because I've hit them hundreds of times.

Q. How much does that help versus guys like Kisner who hasn't really played here, hasn't played this tournament and some other guys who are up there that don't have the experience around this place that you do?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I'm not sure how much it helps. Obviously, when you're playing, when you're really confident I don't think it really matters that much. I think when you're struggling, then it helps more in that area, but when you're up near the leaderboard I don't think it really matters, you're confident with what you're doing and what the hole is asking you to do.

Q. You've been kind of aggravated with your putting the last few weeks, what's turned around?
BILLY HORSCHEL: It's coming back to what we similar to what we did at Deutsche Bank. Obviously we made a putting, a grip change at Deutsche Bank and we focused a lot on speed, making sure we didn't hit the putt too hard, because I feel like on a regular basis I start my putt on my line and I read the putt well, I just hit it too hard. So, somewhere around -- it was Hilton Head we started working, got back into focusing on the speed of the putt and not hitting them three or four feet by the hole. So that's been helping out a lot. I feel real confident on Bermuda greens, I always have. I feel like my putting has been turning around. It's not like I'm putting bad, I'm 40th in strokes gained putting. I think the last couple weeks my ball striking has been really good and I've been having a lot more opportunities from 10 to 20 feet I just haven't made what I think is my fair share of them.

Q. Was there ever a point where you contemplated another grip change?
BILLY HORSCHEL: No, there was nothing wrong with the mechanics of the stroke or anything, it was just me -- I guess, it's my aggressive personality, I don't like leaving putts short, so I want to make sure I always get it to the hole. So I have that mentality in the back of my head, well, let's not leave it short, so then you hit it a little too hard.

Q. Was there a point where you contemplated a different outfit?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Never. Actually, I asked my wife this morning, because I haven't worn this outfit ever I worn orange pants and different shirts, but when I got pulled it out, I ironed it and I said I wasn't sure how it looked. And I put it on and I knew it was very loud and very bright and I asked her what she thought and she hesitated for a second. And usually that means it's not good. But she said she loved it. I still wasn't sure, but I put a blue belt on and I said, well, this is what we're going to wear and hopefully we do something good in it.

Q. I think that would be more of a Sunday ensemble?
BILLY HORSCHEL: No, Sunday is pink. It's Mother's Day, so it's pink on Sunday and, no, I'm a Saturday orange and blue type of guy. Sunday's are more for crazy pants.

Q. How is the response to the Gator chomp on 17?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Everyone thinks I did the Gator chomp because there's a lot of Gators that are doing it towards me and everything. But what it really was is, I walked up to the green, I saw about 20, 30 Noles fans giving me the tomahawk, so I went ahead and gave them the Gator chomp. And then I walked off and I saw them again giving me the tomahawk. And I went ahead and gave the Gator chomp. It was all in good fun, we were all smiling, they loved it when I gave it back to them. So it was nothing malicious, it was all a little tongue in cheek a little bit.

Q. Did you get anymore grief from the Noles fans throughout the round?
BILLY HORSCHEL: It's amazing, this is only my third year of playing, I heard more, "Go Noles" this week than I have the last three years and I'm guessing it's because they won a national championship and they come out from the woodwork and they think they're all high and mighty, you know, it's all that bandwagon fans coming out now. When they're doing bad, they don't want to support their team. But the Gators, we're through and through, we stick together. Orange and blue is always there. We support our team. It doesn't matter how good or bad we are, we're always going to be there. I can't say the same about the FSU fans.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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