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QUICKEN LOANS NATIONAL

July 30, 2015

Rickie Fowler

GAINESVILLE, VIRGINIA

Q. Your first hole, the 10th for the day. You came back with an ace on your final hole. That, of course, is the highlight of your round. Walk us through the shot. What did you use there off the tee?
RICKIE FOWLER: Just choked down 7-iron. Made a great swing. Swinging well all day. I really didn't get a whole lot out of it. Bogey at the 1st. Went back out after the start, made a poor chip and 3-putt for bogey. So, good little rebound making a 1. We had 176 was the adjusted number. Spun to the right. I was trying to cut it. Rolled in with perfect speed.

Q. How many competitive aces is this for you?
RICKIE FOWLER: My second. Last one was my first PGA TOUR start as a pro at the Frys. It's been a little while. They're worth waiting for.

Q. Is this the kind of shot, since it was your final shot of the day, that you can build momentum for a second round tomorrow?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, I've been swinging really well; the win at the Scottish, I swung really well at The Open, especially the first three days. Couldn't get anything out of it. Continuing to swing well here and as you see there I hit a great shot. Get a little bit of a good kick. Hey, we'll take it. Looking forward to getting back out tomorrow and see if we can get some putts to go.

Q. Talking about what you did on the final, how would you access the other 17?
RICKIE FOWLER: Other than the two bogies, those were ones that shouldn't have happened. Other than that I played okay and got it around, kept it good and had a lot of good looks at birdie. Pretty stress-free day.

Q. Not quite had the run that you had last year but you still have a Major left. How much are you focusing now on the PGA championship?
RICKIE FOWLER: It would be nice to get a win to make it three wins this year, obviously The Players being a huge win there and backing it up at the Scottish which was another great field before The Open. To be able to have a chance to win a Major this year would be really special. Those are definitely the events I want to gear up for and make sure I have a chance to go and be in contention like I was last year. Haven't been on point those weeks yet. As I said, at The Open I was really swinging well and didn't get anything out of it. If I would have made some putts there I could have given myself an opportunity. But cool to see Zach win there and see if I give myself a chance at the PGA.

Q. Lots of Thursday folks in the clubhouse. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.
RICKIE FOWLER: I will.

Q. Nice way to finish the round with an as I at No. 9.
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah. It was like a little walk off. I didn't have to go to the green. I could have walked to the vans and got in. It was nice to see two good shots before me. Ben and James both hit quality shots. Had to one up them.

Q. As you look at that, obviously knowing that you now helped someone pay their mortgage for the year, how does that make you feel?
RICKIE FOWLER: It's awesome to be able to pay someone's mortgage but also to have the partnership that I do with Quicken Loans, having to be one of my partners and sponsors and actually film the commercials that are airing to promote the Hole-In-One and actually go do it on my own, pretty special. So, like you said, to pay for someone's mortgage through one of your sponsors, Quicken Loans National. It's a great partnership.

Q. How does it make you feel going into the 2nd Round. Little bit of time left in the season before The Playoffs. Got to help you a little bit for the remainder of the season.
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah. I've been swinging really well and I want to get some more putts to go in. Really, the Scottish Open made some putts there and to be able to win. The next week I actually swung better and couldn't get the putter going.

Q. How is the golf course out there today?
RICKIE FOWLER: Golf course is great. It's in really good shape. A bummer it's soft from the rain but the greens are fast, smooth, in the morning at least and they are soft so they may bet a little bumpy in the afternoon. Still got to drive it in the fairway. It's not easy to play out of the rough to control the distances but it is playable with the greens being soft.

Q. We'll played 4-under par 67. Congratulations on your second competitive ace. A good day. Who better to have a post-round interview, gosh, the 67 today. Rickie, first let's talk about that. First your impression of the 67?
RICKIE FOWLER: A good start. Little up and down in areas, two bogies but nice end with a 1. Other than that I felt like I made some good swings. Look forward to getting out there tomorrow.

Q. Talk to us about the golf course. It's played soft, low scoring today?
RICKIE FOWLER: The golf course, I love the layout. Fun course to play. The greens are sectioned off a bit. You can kind of attack some pins with good numbers. Greens are fast, smooth this morning but it is soft so you can't get away with playing out of the rough but you got to be able to control the numbers. The ball with jump a little bit. Fortunately they're soft but you got to go out there and score. You got to make some birdies.

Q. And the finish. It was something pretty special there at 9?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah. Had a good number, got to see two great shots in front of me james and Ben hit good shots in there. Got a nice little kick off the fringe there. I was trying to hit a little cut and the spin was helping, spun right and went right in the middle.

Q. Yesterday you didn't know the course that well. What did you think of it today?
RICKIE FOWLER: I got to play a practice round Tuesday, play the Pro-Am. Typically two rounds around a course you get a good idea. Never played here before this week and I was looking forward to being here. I really like the layout. It's fun to play. Unfortunately, it is a bit soft because of the rain and the weather. It's still fun. Visually to me, I like the way it looks. I like a lot of approach shots and I made quite a few birdies the last couple days between the Pro-Am and we had a match on Tuesday so gave me some confidence going into today and looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow and see if we can get some more going.

Q. How many aces do you have now? What was your last one?
RICKIE FOWLER: That's five total. Two tournament. Last one, can't remember date but we were playing a wolf game at The Medalist. I was the wolf.

Q. You won a lot of money.
RICKIE FOWLER: I don't think we were playing for that much.

Q. When did you know this was close or tight?
RICKIE FOWLER: Not until the end. It was a little left of the hole. I hit a great shot, hit where I wanted to. Ben was talking to it for me. I think he pushed it in the hole for me. Got a nice little kick off the fringe and heading towards the hole. Took awhile for it to go in.

Q. Good or bad paying someone's mortgage represented by Quicken Loans?
RICKIE FOWLER: That's a good thing to be with Quicken Loans. Shot a 30 second spot or one of them was promoting the Hole-In-One promotion and people with mortgages being paid for with Hole-In-Ones. So, actually shoot that and then get to be one of the guys that does it, pretty cool. Hopefully not the last one. Keep on paying them.

Q. I guess what were your expectations for what you would shoot in the 1st Round since there's no baseline for stroke play tournament here?
RICKIE FOWLER: After the last two days I knew that scoring was possible with how the course is playing, it was soft and you could make a lot of birdies. So I figured a good round today would be around 6, 7-under and 4 is a good, solid round. I'm happy with the start and looking forward to, like I say, getting back out tomorrow and continuing to try to move up the leaderboard
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