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TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP BY COCA-COLA

September 25, 2015

Henrik Stenson

Atlanta, Georgia

So like to welcome Henrik Stenson back to the interview room. 2-under 68, another solid round. You were in this position in 2013, and you were able to get the job done, holding the 36 hole lead. How much do you think that experience two years ago is going to help you coming down the stretch over the next couple rounds.

HENRIK STENSON: Yeah, hopefully I'll keep on playing well, making putts.

I didn't feel like it was my best day out there today, but I still managed to keep it together and 2-under par around here is never a bad thing. So, pleased with that.

Conditions were tougher as well. So it was slightly different golf course playing a lot longer than we normally see it, and I didn't feel like I brought my best striking. But as I said, still managed to keep it together, made a couple of nice putts out there and kept the momentum going.

So a two-shot lead yesterday and a three-shot lead now after two rounds. So whenever you can maintain it or extend it is always a good thing.

So if we're talking score and yeah, I'm just going to try and keep my foot down and hopefully keep on making birdies, because the other guys, they're not going to ease off on me, I don't expect that. So still a very long way to go and a lot of things can happen in 36 holes.

So, yeah, it's going to be an interesting day with Jordan tomorrow and of course, what the boys who are in the last couple of groups are doing as well. So, yeah, just plenty more of the same for me, hopefully.

Q. What's the difference with a three-shot lead on a course like this compared with being at say, TPC Boston or Conway Farms or something where 20-under is winning?
HENRIK STENSON: I think it's more if I don't make massive amounts of mistakes, it's harder to make birdies out here and it's easy to drop shots on a few holes. So I think it's potentially -- it all depends on how I play and the other boys are playing. But potentially, it's easier to hang on to three shots in that sense, if you keep on making pars around here.

If you're making pars on some of the lower scoring courses there's going to be birdies around and they will catch you eventually.

So -- but still three shots over 36 holes, that's not even, I mean, you lose one every 10 holes, then it's gone with six left. So there's a long ways to go and I got to keep on playing well if I want to win this championship.

Q. How does this time feel similar or not so to 2013, as far as the way you're playing, as far as the way it feels to be in this situation?
HENRIK STENSON: I feel like I built up momentum throughout the summer in 2013, and I was close on a couple of occasions, and I wanted to get a win or two and before I knew it, I had the Deutsche Bank and the TOUR Championship, the FedExCup, and won in Dubai and Race to Dubai.

So it went from no trophies to five of them in a very short period of time. And it's been similar now. I've been close a couple of times, as you know I was disappointed not to win at the Deutsche Bank, but hopefully I can make it happen this week. And if I don't, then we'll come back and try again. You just got to stay patient and keep on doing the right things and sooner or later you will get your reward. So, yeah, I'm hungry for a win and I'm going to try my hardest.

Q. Following a bit on his question, there is rain in the forecast for tomorrow, would you like to see it rain, have another day like this or would you like to see it clear up?
HENRIK STENSON: No, I like it more like what we had yesterday, I think. It's getting soaking wet throughout my feet right now and it's pretty greasy out there in areas. So, you would rather get a little bit more normal conditions.

But mind reading is hard and controlling the weather is even harder. So, it doesn't really matter what we like or not like, it's just going to pull up the curtains and see what we got tomorrow. Hopefully it's not going to be too heavy and we can continue as planned.

Q. No drivers yesterday, did you hit any today?
HENRIK STENSON: I hit one on 9 today because it was playing longer and so on, so I thought if I could hit a good drive down 9 I might be able to reach and just get up short of the green. But didn't hit a good one, clipped it in the trees to the left and had to lay up short of the water and actually had a 4-wood up on to the green for my third shot and managed then to 2-putt it.

I found it difficult in the middle where we had a bit of rain and the greens had that moisture on top and all of a sudden you feel like you need to hit it a bit more, but they're still quick. And I was off pace on 8 and 9 with my first putts and left me tricky returns and luckily I managed to make the one on 9 coming back from about six or seven feet. So it was a good par in the end, but that was the sole driver I hit today.

Q. How what was the distance for your 4-wood?
HENRIK STENSON: 265. I think.

Q. Meters or yards right now?
HENRIK STENSON: That's yards. Yeah, we want to keep it consistent. It was a 4-wood yesterday. I said 3-wood on television, but it was a 4-wood.

Q. How many drivers do you think you hit in 2013 when you played here? All week?
HENRIK STENSON: I don't think I hit more than a handful. Probably hit a few on 9, I don't know if I hit some on -- I don't think I hit too many on 15 either because it just gets you up in the apex of the dogleg there. So it sets up either for 3-wood, 4-wood or 3-wood, 3-iron down that hole. So it was basically only on 9 that I hit driver, I think.

Q. Did you ever think about taking the driver out of the bag?
HENRIK STENSON: No, it's a nice club to lean on when you're standing there calculating your yardages. So it's nice for that.

No, I don't. You never know when, you know, conditions can change and sometimes you feel like it, so, no, I don't really, I haven't done that so far, no.

Q. You were four clear of Adam going into the weekend two years ago and Jordan was another shot back. Curious, do you look at -- do you recall how you perceived Jordan two years ago any differently today? Or are they all just players?
HENRIK STENSON: Well, I mean he's one of the best players in the world as we know and had a fantastic year behind him, so he's going to be a very tough contender throughout these last two days.

He was good already back then, but he's certainly not any less good now. We know that much.

Once again, I got to focus on my game and bring my game and keep my head down and foot down and press on if I want to leave the guys behind me. But we know what he can achieve.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.

HENRIK STENSON: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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