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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 19, 2015

Austin Ernst

Naples, Florida

THE MODERATOR: Happy to be joined in the media certainty by Austin Ernst, after a solid 6‑under, 66 in the first round of the CME Group Tour Championship. Austin, let's start with that shot on 18, what did you hit into the hole and what were your thoughts on it?
AUSTIN ERNST: I had 192. We were playing it about 200yards. I hit 5‑wood in. I think it almost went in. The crowd got pretty loud. It rolled right over the edge. That was nice from 192 to have a tap‑in birdie.

Q. Closing birdie, birdie, as well, has to give you confidence going into the rest of the week?
AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, definitely. 17, you want to get that one, because we can all hit it in two pretty much. It was nice to have a 3‑footer there that I made.
Then 18, I hit a bad drive, kind of fanned it right. To be able to hit it up that close and have an easy tap‑in made it better.
THE MODERATOR: No wins so far this season, but four top‑10s. How would you assess yourself in the 2015 campaign?
AUSTIN ERNST: I've had my ups and downs. It's been a little streaky at times. I didn't play that well in Asia, but going into Asia I was playing well. Obviously Yokohama, I finishing second there, losing by a shot, I was right in the hunt that entire week. I got a lot of confidence from that.
Really, I've just been a little upanddown with the putter. I hit the ball well today. Gave myself a lot of good looks and made a lot of then. I think I had eight birdies today. Obviously get a round like that, where I get confidence with my putter, that's normally when I have my good weeks.
THE MODERATOR: Your dad is here this week. What does he do for your game and for you in general?
AUSTIN ERNST: He's been my coach since I started playing. Obviously having him here ‑‑ I was kind of mis‑hitting it a little bit yesterday, just catching it off the bottom with the iron. We did a little bit of work yesterday afternoon and we were working on the right things because I had it going today with the irons.
It's just nice if I've got a question about anything. If I need to work on something small that we can get it done. And once we start playing, we don't tinker around too much. Basically I'll probably hit a few putts and won't worry about it too much. It's nice to havethat ‑‑ if I have a question on something, he's right there. He knows my game better than anybody. So being able to call on him.

Q. This place hasn't been particularly kind to you the last couple of years, was it just a matter of today being really a good day or did you figure something out?
AUSTIN ERNST: I honestly hit it terrible the last two years that I have come here. I looked yesterday during the Pro‑Am at some of the places I've hit it and I was shocked that I could hit it that bad. Really haven't driven it well when I played here.
I drove it pretty well today. I've been hitting it well this year. It's really just a matter of I needed to get myself in better positions. I didn't really put too much stock in how I've played here the last two years. I haven't it hit it well enough to be able to compete really at all.
It was nice being able to get it around today and I think I hit 17 greens. Just being able to make it that much easier on myself and then making a lot of puts to get a lot of those birdies.

Q. What was the green you missed?
AUSTIN ERNST: 3.

Q. I know it's early, but what would winning this event mean? How much weight does this event carry than a normal Tour event? How meaningful?
AUSTIN ERNST: I mean, you have to put it right behind the majors. Just being the TOUR Championship, we've got the top 72 from the year playing this week. So you are seeing the best of the best. Obviously that was getting ahead of myself, but it would be a really good victory. Obviously winning in Portland, that's so far been the highlight of my career. This week would definitely top that. Yeah, we've got a long way to go to get there.

Q. Coming so close to making the Solheim Cup team and being in the consideration for a captain's pick, how did that affect you? Were you encouraged that you came so close or disappointed that you didn't make it?
AUSTIN ERNST: I would say both. Obviously that was my goal coming into the year to be able to be on that Solheim Cup. I was disappointed, but at the same time it motivated me to want to play better. This next time around, I don't want to have to worry about being a captain's pick. So I used it as motivation.
Actually the week after the pick, that's when I played‑‑ I probably had my best week of the year down in Prattville at the Yokohama Tire. I've used it as motivation just to get better. But I was definitely disappointed at the time. I would say motivation than disappointment.

Q. The drive by fan, I think the wrap on you would be great ball striker, streaky putter. Those of us who have been out here, have seen you work very hard on that this year. Is that a fair assessment and what have you done this year?
AUSTIN ERNST: I would say yes, based on statistics, based on how I've played because I've hit the ball well all year. I think I'm right around‑‑ I'm at least top 15 in greens in regulation. So putting, I've been saying all year if I could have one less putt around I would have won once at least and maybe another time.
What was the other part of that question?

Q. What have you done this year to work on improving?
AUSTIN ERNST: I changed in Prattville to the claw. I wasn't getting balls started online that much.
This week especially I've just been trying to stay down on putts. I've been popping up. That's made it inconsistent with speed and with getting balls started online. Today especially was the first day that I tried to stay down. I'm trying to listen for the ball to go in. Today I putted well. There was still two or three putts I feel like I should have made. To be able to say that and shoot 66 is definitely a step in the right direction, as opposed to in the past few years I shot 70, I should have shot 65.
THE MODERATOR: Great playing. Best of luck the rest of the week.

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