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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 9, 2015

Robert Garrigus

SILVIS, ILLINOIS

Q. What a nice start for you, really consistent and really good putting, too.
ROBERT GARRIGUS: Yeah, it was a good day. I'm actually starting to play a lot better, and it's nice to see. I usually play well at the beginning of the year and then don't play as well towards the end, so it's nice to get off to a good start this week and continue the iron play and the good strokes, and it's just nice to see.

Q. You know the numbers, 178th in FedExCup points, 192 in strokes gained. Why the reason for the slow start?
ROBERT GARRIGUS: Yeah, I wish I could say it was all me, but we did some research with my irons, and they were all between 2 and 3 swing weights off on every club, and my iron play was horrific the first 20 events, and I finally switched to a new set of irons and a new set of shafts and started striping it, and that just changes your whole attitude because you're not thinking about anything, you're thinking about hitting it at the flag instead of what do I need to do to not miss the green. I've never been like that in my career ever, so it was really nice to get this new set of irons and shafts and finally start to play some golf.

Q. Tell me about the golf course. The greens seem receptive.
ROBERT GARRIGUS: Yeah, they were actually perfect this morning. Everything is plugging around the hole. There's going to be a lot of low scores this week. This is just one round. I think 20-plus-under is going to win this week, so I need to keep going and stay confident and go have some fun.

Q. 3-under through 6 and were able to keep it going. What was working for you Day 1?
ROBERT GARRIGUS: You know, I hit a couple shots really close. On 2 I hit it to a foot. On 4 I hit it to a foot. 11 I hit it to a foot. I was stuffing it. I made a couple good putts coming down the stretch, too. On 16 there I made a good putt. Just ironing it well and I'm thinking well. I'm not thinking about anything but hitting it at the flag and hitting the fairway. That usually bodes well on the golf course.

Q. I know it's been a tough season for you. You played well the first 36 at the Greenbrier. What did you find there that seems to be transitioning this week?
ROBERT GARRIGUS: It really started at Travelers. My first round below 69 all year was at Travelers. In the first round I shot 5-under, 65. I've just been building off of that. This game can drive you nuts. I've been playing so bad all year, and this is a breath of fresh air, honestly, just to see the shots land next to the hole and the distances are right and putts are going in. It can turn on a dime, too. I keep telling myself that. Attitude is a big part of that. I'm just not getting discouraged and trying to keep doing because any week you can win, and I've been thinking about that every day, just keep going and keep having fun.

Q. Talk about the round. Obviously started really well and front nine was good and only the one hiccup all around today.
ROBERT GARRIGUS: Yeah, and it's funny, it's the widest hole on the golf course. I kind of got up there, both Jason Gore and I got up there and just kind of flailed one out there. You didn't really concentrate on the tee shot. That's probably the hardest thing for us to do when there's a wide hole out there. You just kind of get up there and hit it. Yeah, it was one bogey. Hit a lot of really good iron shots this round, and it was a lot of fun out there. The greens were perfect. Probably not going to get as perfect greens tomorrow afternoon, so it was nice to get off to a good start.

Q. Talk about the conditions. Did they play a factor in how well you were playing this morning?
ROBERT GARRIGUS: Yeah, you know, and that's the thing. When you go out in the morning and you have perfect greens and they're soft and it's not as warm, ball is not going as far, you need to capitalize. We had a lot of fun out there, I hit a lot of shots really close so I didn't really have to worry about the putts. I had three or four birdies inside of a couple feet. I'm going to try and continue that ball-striking, and hopefully the putts will go in for the rest of the week. You know, it's one day, so I'm going to go out and have some fun for the rest of the week and see what happens.

Q. Two back as of right now. Do you like where you're at?
ROBERT GARRIGUS: Yeah, absolutely. Any time you go out and shoot 6-under on the first day, it's great, but I need to shoot it all four days. Out here you can't let up and you can't let them come and catch you if you're on top. Justin Thomas is at 8-under. He's a great player. He hits it far, so I'm not surprised.

Q. What were you most pleased about with your performance today?
ROBERT GARRIGUS: You know, just the ball-striking. I really hit it well. I hit all my targets, with the exception of one hole where I hit a bad drive, but other than that everything was down the middle, right where I was looking. The shot shape I was looking at, and I had good numbers with my irons, too. I hit a lot of shots close, and I didn't mis-hit many, so I was very pleased with that.

Q. How about your shot on 16? I was watching your reaction and not your ball. I'm guessing you hit the pin or --
ROBERT GARRIGUS: Well, yeah, I thought it was up past the flag and was spinning back to go in. That was the number, 156 yards with my 9-iron. That's a hole-in-one shot for me, just to bring it in off the right and spin it down the hit. I thought it was going to go in, but it was a bit short, but I ended up making the putt anyway. I was pleased with the swing.
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