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WGC BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

August 8, 2015

Jim Furyk

AKRON, OHIO

CHRIS REIMER: Jim Furyk tied for the third round lead heading into the final round. Just overall thoughts on today and what you're looking forward to tomorrow.

JIM FURYK: I felt pretty good about the round all in all. It was kind of two different nines, to be honest with you. I felt like I struck the ball pretty good on the front. I drove the ball beautifully. Hit a lot of fairways. Had opportunities, didn't knock in some putts that I probably could have or should have. And felt like the front nine could have been better. But then the back nine, I missed a bunch of fairways. I think, when I finally did hit one on 18, I was in a divot and an awful lie. So it was just kind of like for good measure there. Finally hit a fairway and still couldn't make a good swing at it. I really just kind of gutted it out and ground it out and made the best I could of the back nine. I really think I scored well to shoot even par and kind of held myself in the golf tournament. Where it felt like maybe I could have got a little more out of the front, I got a lot out of the back, and it probably all evened out in the long run.

CHRIS REIMER: How important was that putt on 18?

JIM FURYK: It was nice. I bogeyed the last hole the first two days. I bogeyed 18 on -- I'm trying to think of which nines I've played. I bogeyed 18 the first day, 9 the second day, finishing up my round, both from very good positions on the fairway. That always leaves a little bit of a sour taste, and I didn't want to do that three days in a row. Knocking the putt in was nice. In the whole scheme of things, it's nice to have the shot. It's just a good way to finish off the day. I ground it out hard and really hit a good drive on 18. So I was disappointed to get down there and see the lie. I should have made more out of it and was pleased to be able to knock the putt in.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about playing with Justin tomorrow. You seem to be very similar players, very business-like.
JIM FURYK: Yeah, I think our games are -- he's definitely more powerful than I am and hits the ball harder. I would say -- yeah, our personalities may have some similarities like that. He's not overly flashy, but obviously he's one of the best players in the world. He's a very friendly guy. I think it will be a good pairing for both of us. We get along well. I obviously have a lot of respect for his game and the way he's played the last five years. There really aren't too many people in the world who have had a better record. He's definitely a top three, top five player in the world the last five years.

Q. Did you talk about 18 yet? Just what you thought when you saw where your tee shot landed.
JIM FURYK: Twice. I already talked about it twice (laughter). It obviously happens. I don't think I hit a fairway on the back nine until 18. I hit some short cuts of rough, but I think I missed every fairway on the back nine. Hit some decent drives, and then I finally hit a good drive on 18, and I'm licking my chops to get down there, knowing I'm going to have a short iron in my hand. Not only was I in a divot, it was a pretty bad lie. I felt like there was a little raised sand behind the ball. I felt like if it I tried to hit a full shot, I was going to hit it fat for sure. So I took an 8-iron out, and I was trying to run it 100 yards and run it up onto the green and obviously tucked it a little bit. Pitch shot came out quicker than I thought, and it was really nice. I guess Johnny, our scorer, Johnny Andrews, told me everyone had been missing that putt left. And actually Fluff helped me a lot on that read. We thought it was about a ball out, and halfway there I thought it was center cut. So I'm glad we made a good read.

Q. I'm just curious. Being the veteran that you are, older person, however you want to look at it, and knowing that it's 72 holes and that's what we count, the kind of emotion, big fist pump, excited that you made the putt on 18 is because, A, you hate finishing with a bogey, B, every shot counts, or, C, you're tied for the lead? And you can also add a D, none of the above, if you choose.
JIM FURYK: I don't think the C was important to me, whether I was tied or one back. The A and B, bogeying the last hole the first two days, and I forget what B was already now, since I'm getting older. I think it was the first two. Good momentum, happy to knock the putt in. I had hit some putts in the middle of the round that I wasn't overly pleased with and thought I found something kind of the middle of that back nine and really felt like I stroked the ball well. I really didn't have that many good birdie putts through the end, but it was nice. That was my first real makable 10, 15-footer, and I just put a beautiful stroke on that. I think it was a little of all that wrapped in there. I just didn't want to bogey the last hole again, especially after driving it right down the tube. Actually, I hit good drives all three days on the last hole. But didn't want to do it again.

Q. Were you conscious that Justin was making a run? Or did you figure somebody would?
JIM FURYK: I saw he was 5-under early. There was a board out on about 13 that had like hot rounds of the day, and I want to say Bowditch shot 63 as well.

CHRIS REIMER: He did, yeah.

JIM FURYK: Justin was somewhere else with 5-under, and I saw Shane, and I think he was 4 at the time. I just kind of looked up. I had no idea where he started, didn't know anything about it. Honestly, I didn't know he shot 63 until I got to 18. Kind of looked up at the board and saw a 9 up there. Then I tried flash, and I said, wow, 63. Nice round on this golf course.

Q. Have you played much with Shane? I'm just curious what you thought of his game. He looks like someone who could be on the verge of being a guy you pay attention to, but I don't think we know a lot about him.
JIM FURYK: I hadn't played with him. I know him to say hello, but I had not played with him. What I had been told a couple years ago was that he had a beautiful short game. Kind of a scrappy player. I don't think that did it justice. I thought he hit the ball pretty well. I liked his game. I liked his game. He actually, even shooting 67 today, he hit some putts coming down the stretch, 17, 18. He had a few putts that looked like they were melting right in the middle of the hole and somehow found a way to miss. Made a couple of mistakes. He played a beautiful round of golf, so that's always impressive. Could have been better.

Q. Do it feel like watered the greens?
JIM FURYK: No, I wouldn't say that. Although they're not brick hard. There's a couple that firm up a little quicker than others, but they're relatively receptive. I haven't been nervous that the ball is going to take off on me, but they're not overly soft either. They're not as firm as the fairways, I'll say that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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