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DIAMOND RESORTS INVITATIONAL BENEFITING FLORIDA HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN

January 14, 2016

Bret Saberhagen

WINDERMERE, FLORIDA

Q. Have you ever led one of these events?
BRET SABERHAGEN: No, and this might be the last time that you see‑‑ I've been on the leaderboard before, but never as the leader. So this is new territory for me, and it feels pretty good.
I played well today. I played very well. Coming in and playing on Bermuda greens, which I'm not accustomed to playing very much, the tough part is the putting. I putted very well today, and that's what really got that number down.

Q. Where have you been playing before this?
BRET SABERHAGEN: I was in San Diego in the rain. So if it rains tomorrow, I'll be prepared for that. Came in and played a round on Tuesday here and then went to Isleworth yesterday and played.
Yesterday finally got the putting feeling pretty good. So if I can continue to do that, it should be all right.

Q. What is the strength of your game, and what will have to come through for you?
BRET SABERHAGEN: It seems like usually the driver puts me in pretty good play, and the irons have been pretty good. Then if you add the putting to it. So the three aspects really were working pretty well for me. Honestly, I made a lot of longer putts that I started scratching my own head, going, okay, this was a lot of fun.

Q. Is that the strength of your game normally, the putting?
BRET SABERHAGEN: It's weird. It's like a box of chocolates. One day it's great, and the next day, where did it go? Hopefully, I can continue to roll it like I had today, and it will be fun.

Q. From a pressure standpoint, tomorrow is not the final round, but if you are in this position after tomorrow's round, will it be a little bit different going to bed on Friday night with the lead? How do you think that will feel?
BRET SABERHAGEN: I've never been there. So I'll have to cross that bridge when it comes. Hopefully, it does.
This tournament is great. Diamond Resorts has done a great job putting this together. Very fortunate to be here and included with all these great celebrities and entertainers. It's a great, great cause, the Florida Children's Hospital. It's a great week. I think every one of these guys was looking forward to coming out here and partaking in this.
I feel very fortunate to be out here and playing. I played with an amateur today, Bucky Houser, and I think he was pretty calm out there for the most part too. So it was fun to play with an amateur and to see what the amateur actually kind of feels because I know I can throw a ball in front of 50,000 people and not be nervous, but get out on the golf course with a few people around you, and you get the jitters.
But I was pretty calm today. It was fun playing with an amateur and seeing him go out and compete with the same kind of what we have to do.

Q. Does it get any easier, as you play in these events, from the pressure standpoint?
BRET SABERHAGEN: It has. This is the 11th year. The Tahoe event, I've played in that the last ten. It's still nerve‑racking, that first tee, they're introducing you, and you've got the fans around. Usually, it takes a couple of holes to relax and get your nerves calmed down, but for whatever reason today, I didn't have any nerves going out.
I kind of scuffed it around a little bit‑‑ I started on 10. I kind of scuffed it around a little bit the first four or five holes. And then I had one birdie on 17, which was our eighth hole. And then starting off the back, an eagle definitely helps on No. 2, and going three birdies in a row right after the eagle really got some momentum going.

Q. Take us through the eagle. What did you hit?
BRET SABERHAGEN: I hit driver on No.2, kept it down the left side, and I hit a 3 wood into right about 15 feet. It's a good thing it hit the back of the hole because it probably would have been by three feet.

Q. And you followed with three birdies?
BRET SABERHAGEN: I did.

Q. The simple momentum got it going?
BRET SABERHAGEN: I guess, when you make a birdie or an eagle, you've got to verify it. So I guess I did all right doing that.

Q. What's your best score?
BRET SABERHAGEN: 68. I don't know what exactly I shot today, but, yeah, it was a good round.
The big thing with these events is staying away from double bogeys, which I stayed away from the double bogeys today. I made a few saves for bogeys on some putts and almost‑‑ the feeling that you get making that bogey save is almost like a birdie feeling because, if you miss it, you're going minus 2. So when you save those 2 points, it's a pretty good feeling.

Q. What would it mean to win this?
BRET SABERHAGEN: Well, I don't know. You've got some unbelievable golfers here, and I don't put myself up in that elite category, but it's fun to kind of experience one day of it.
I'm not looking that far away. Hopefully, I can go out, and if it's raining tomorrow, I just had my rain play last week. Hopefully, I can go out and just compete. This is a great event, and I have a lot of fun in it, as well as the other events in Tahoe. It's a lot of fun.
I just look forward to coming out here and seeing the guys and playing and just trying not to go out and embarrass myself.

Q. I think you managed today.
BRET SABERHAGEN: Thanks.
THE MODERATOR: One question that came up early on was how much luck were those pants today?
BRET SABERHAGEN: Want to see the pants? Yeah, uh‑huh. I had to pick out the fun pair today because I'm thinking that it's probably going to be rain pants tomorrow.
But I always like to kind of step the fashion up. It's when I leave the golf course and I stop off at a store or something like that, that's when the people kind of look at me and go, did you get dressed in your closet, or was it really dark today?
THE MODERATOR: What color are they tomorrow and the next day? I heard you talking about it.
BRET SABERHAGEN: I've got a pair of black ones with orange stripes with an orange shirt, which I'm not sure if I'm going to throw those on tomorrow. Or I have lime green with a white shirt.
THE MODERATOR: Those ought to help your game.
BRET SABERHAGEN: You'll see me coming for sure.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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