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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 25, 2015

Keegan Bradley

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

Q. Talk about your round today and of course being here this week?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it's always fun coming to Hartford and the Travelers. The people at Travelers treat us so well. Very proud to come back to New England and play in this tournament. But played really well today. Put a lot of pressure on myself to play well in this tournament, so it's always good to go out there and shoot a low one in the opening round.

Q. What is it about this tournament and why do you put so much pressure on yourself?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I put a lot of pressure on myself in every tournament, but this one especially just because I've got a lot of people here. I know a lot of the fans are rooting for me. I can feel them out there. So winning here, there are a handful of events that I would love to win, and this is one of them.

Q. What went well in your mind today?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Today I putted really well. Made pretty much everything inside 10, 15 feet, which you have to do out here at Travelers because the scores are so low. I putted very well and that kept me going.

Q. Does your mindset change at all going from a tournament like last week at Chambers Bay to a course like this where there are a lot of birdies out there?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it's a relief, to be honest with you. I think you'll see a lot of guys up on top of the leaderboard that played last week. Just to come out here, the greens are perfect, and you're ready to come out and make birdies. After last week, you're just begging for par, so it's a nice change of pace.

Q. You've had very deep rounds here throughout the course of your career. How do you put it together to make sure it's four great ones?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, that's the thing I'm trying to figure out. It's very important here to keep the pedal down all the time. So doesn't matter if you shoot 75 or 60, the next day you've got to shoot low, low, low. So I'm going to try to do that tomorrow.

Q. What is your routine tonight? What do you do the rest of the afternoon and evening?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I don't know. My buddy Jon Curran's right behind me, about an hour behind me. I'll probably wait for him. We'll hang out, go to dinner. It's really just a waiting game. I'll get to the course early tomorrow. Warm-up a little earlier and get kind of in the mindset.

Q. Is there ever a time where maybe you won't put that pressure on yourself in your career?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I think I'm finally getting to a place where I'm learning what to do at these home events. Plus my family and friends do such a great job of letting me do my thing. So it's becoming easier and easier every year. Hopefully this year will be the year.

Q. The first time you played in Boston, you're throwing out the first pitch at Fenway. Do you completely eliminate those things?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, those were kind of bucket list stuff that I always wanted to do since I was a little kid. So when they ask you to come throw out the first pitch at Fenway, you go. When they ask you to flip the coin at the Patriots game, that's an automatic. Now I come here and it's like a regular event, which is a nice change of pace from years past.

Q. How well do you think you've putted this season?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Ever since I've switched to this recent putter that I have, it's a little lighter, it's shorter, I feel as though I've putted as well or better than I did before. I had a putter early in the year that was longer and heavier that I wasn't quite as consistent with. So it's really nice to get on the greens and feel like I can make every putt I look at.

Q. Luke Donald said you had kind of helped get him to come up here. I wonder what you might have said to convince him?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Luke is one of my good friends down in Florida. So just the people at Travelers are the best and this tournament is so great. For guys like Luke who played the European Tour, this may not ever be on their schedule. So I said to Luke, you really should consider playing Hartford for a lot of reasons. One, it's such a great event. Greens are perfect and it's a really good course. I'm so happy that he came. I love seeing this field in Hartford and New England strong.

Q. Is there anybody else you've reached out to?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, I try to get everybody to come. I definitely if I know a person doesn't play, I say, listen, you should consider it.

Q. You wake up all season long and finally made some putts for you today?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, ever since I switched to the shorter putter at Memorial, it's been working very well. It's so nice to get on the greens and feel like I can make every putt that I look at hopefully.

Q. You made some big putts coming in. Tell me about the birdie you had at the par-3, 8, 17th hole.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, that was a big one. I hit 7-iron on 8 from 206 and hit it to about 20 feet. I had a really good read. It was one of those putts I was kind of anxious to hit because I felt like I was going to make it the whole time. I had a good feeling. I just told myself to get it online and it rolled in perfect.

Q. I don't know if I consider Connecticut part of New England, but there are an awful lot of your fans walking around out here.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it's great. It's fun coming back here because my family and friends are able to travel to this event, and I can really feel it out there.

Q. What is it about the shorter putt? Does it free up your arms and keep the pendulum stroke?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, the lighter putter, this is lighter than what I was using. I'm able to get the ball in line more. It would be like rolling a really heavy bowling ball or a lighter one that you can maybe have more finesse with, and that's kind of how I feel.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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