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THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDEJune 4, 2015Jordan SpiethDUBLIN, OHIO JORDAN SPIETH: It was a really solid round of golf. The first four holes I missed the first four fairways and greens. I had really, really good up‑and‑downs to kind of save that round and get it going. I knew I'd start to get my chances. I struck the ball really well Tuesday and yesterday. It just wasn't quite finding the fairways, was just off. Whatever it was, it was two yards from carrying the bunker, I knew they'd come, and just stayed patient. We did a good job of that. Through 15 holes, to be at 5‑under, and I hit a great drive on 7 and the wind flipped and I didn't back off. I hit the wrong club. It was a perfect high 3‑wood right in the middle of the green. And I backed off on 5, the par 5, and let the green‑‑ let the wind kind of settle and figure out what shot I wanted to play. And for whatever reason, on 7‑‑ Michael pulled me off on 5. And for whatever reason, he didn't pull me off on 7, and it's on both of us. Because if it's downwind off the left the entire hole when Bill hit, and I stood over it and we started feeling it come in off the left, which is where it was supposed to be, so it just confused us. Q. What did you hit there? JORDAN SPIETH: I hit a hybrid, and that wasn't enough to reach the front of the green. And I ended up short‑siding myself, and it ended up this far off the first cut and it buried down. And I hit it in the bunker, and it was sitting on kind of clay in the bunker, wherever it had been raked. And then I just hit a bad bunker shot. So just kind of compounding bad breaks, which led to six shots on that hole, where really it should be four, and it's four from that shot on the fairway more than half the time. So kind of a tough finish to swallow after such a great round of golf. But still in a good position after day one. This course, you just need to stay patient throughout the days. If I were to shoot 4‑under the next three rounds, I guarantee you I'd win the tournament. I'm pleased with the way I played, just looking to try to continue it. Q. You talked yesterday like it was playing long, did it feel like that? JORDAN SPIETH: No, not really. The fairways firmed up a little bit. They're still soft compared to what they can be. If it stays like this, they'll certainly firm up. The greens are soft but not extremely soft. They're just medium, I guess. And they're really quick. I mean, it's great. I love putting on greens like this. We don't see it but a couple times a year. You've got to use imagination. The course is in unbelievable shape. It's as good a shape as any this year. Q. Playing with Justin. You guys obviously‑‑ JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, great pairing. I played a lot of golf with Justin. Able to feed off him. We play well together. And the same with Bill. Bill plays really fast. Sometimes you've got to watch if you're talking to your caddie or whatever, because you turn around and the ball is in the air. But that's good. He's easy to play with. And nice to play with a couple top players in the world. Q. This golf course can cause you to make mistakes, not many by you today, five birdies and just one bogey. Are you satisfied with that number? JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I am. Obviously took 15 holes with a couple of the easier holes coming in on that front side being 5‑under and playing the last three 1‑over is tough. But at the beginning of the day if you told me 4‑under, I would have taken that. Q. They don't really cut the greens here, they more or less shave them, because Mr. Nicklaus wants them really, really fast, and they are. You seem to like to play on fast greens, why is that? JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, the only greens that we play faster than these is Augusta, the Masters. I enjoy trying to see more lines, kind of use more of an imagination on the greens and around the greens. I fell like it's an advantage of mine. I just feel comfortable, I don't really know why. I feel comfortable playing more break on shorter putts when you have to instead of trying to just hit them straight and hammer them. Q. Historically the winners here at Memorial have had a lot of starts here. This is your 4th start if you don't count The Presidents Cup. Do you feel like you've got a grasp of this golf course now? JORDAN SPIETH: Now, yeah, a little bit. I'm starting to realize where to stay patient and where to really try and take advantage. The first couple of times I played it, I was maybe a little too cautious and I had some opportunities to fire at some pins and maybe backed off of those. And today I took advantage of that when I had the chances. And you know sometimes when you do that, you make a mistake or two, and you've just got to get up and down. If you stay below the hole, I think you're going to do okay. Q. Well played out there. A little slow start, but then you got things going? JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it wasn't an ideal start. It's not easy to start on No. 10. It's a brutal hole. Great up‑and‑downs the first four holes until I finally hit a wedge in there tight on 14. And a good up‑and‑own out of the bunker on 15 for birdie. I was pleased with the closing of that. For Ryan to shoot 2‑under on the back nine is a great score. There's not a lot of chances. Most of the chances are on the front. Yeah, very pleased with the round. Q. What's the key to play well on this golf course? JORDAN SPIETH: You've got to stay very patient. Driving the ball is key. The fairways aren't the narrowest and they're soft right now, so they're playing pretty wide. But you really need to be in the fairway to get to any of these hole locations with the speed of the greens. Driving the ball is key and obviously leaving the ball below the hole. These are the fastest greens, other than‑‑ they're probably about the same as Augusta National. With that being said, with this thick rough, you just can't put yourself above the hole or you don't have much of a chance. Q. How much do you look back on the success and fun you had during The Presidents Cup here? JORDAN SPIETH: A little bit. It was so different, you know, it rained so much. The course was playing completely different, longer and softer. So I more look at years past in this event. I've seen these greens firm and fast. And we understand with good weather that's what Jack is going to do with them and you really have to watch them. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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