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CAREERBUILDER CHALLENGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CLINTON FOUNDATION

January 23, 2016

Jamie Lovemark

La Quinta, California

Q. Jamie, you and Pete Dye got along very well on your birthday. Your thoughts on how you played 7-under, seven birdies, no bogeys?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, solid day. Any time you go out there and shoot 7-under it's a good day, no matter what. I was pleased with the way I played the entire round and am in good position to compete for a win tomorrow.

Q. As good as all the birdies were, I thought that on the par-3 13th, that up-and-down. You hate to make a bogey on this golf course, but that was a great up-and-down.
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, it was. I left myself in a decent spot, obviously keeping it right of the pin and water. I had plenty of green, hit a decent chip and a nice putt and kept the card clean.

Q. Three, 7-under 65s. Rank them for me. Was this the best?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Hard to say. I think that there's a couple up tees out there on the Stadium Course. Nicklaus played pretty tough, too. It's hard to say. They're all pretty comparable.

Q. Does it help you at all tomorrow having played the Stadium Course today?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Find out tomorrow.

(Laughter.)

Q. Anything else about your game right now as you go into Sunday that you would like to maybe be a little bit better?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Maybe got to hit some par-5 fairways off the tee. I missed 16, I think, 7 or 8 or whatever, did well it make birdie on one of them. Just want to take advantage of hitting it long and straight. So, just work on that.

Q. Any celebrations tonight?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Dinner with Bill Clinton. President Clinton. That's pretty cool. Other than that, probably get some sleep. I'm tired.

Q. 7-under par 65, what is the mindset when you see all these low scores around you and you're at 7-under par 65 and still two shots back with 18 holes to play?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, you expect it a little bit. Obviously shooting 7-under and remaining in second place is tough. Figured Jason would go low and other guys would, too. So pedal to the metal and keep going.

Q. You're going to be in that final group most likely as you try to win for the first time on the PGA TOUR, what types of experiences will you lean on as you go out there on Sunday?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, I'm not sure. I know winning is winning. I won some decent events throughout my life. I feel comfortable right now, I've felt comfortable for awhile, so just one shot at a time, as stupid as it sounds, but that's it.

Q. Go back through your score cards over the past three days. You shoot 65 on day one, with no bogeys on the card. 65 on day two with one bogey and lots of birdies and an eagle there. Today on your birthday at the Stadium Course, your third 65. Tell us what you're feeling.
JAMIE LOVEMARK: That's nice, three 65s is awesome. Hopefully get one more and finish it off.

Q. One or two high lights from the round. Start with 12. Obviously you don't shoot those scores without holing putts. Did you get any tips to be putting so well this week?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: I got great tip from Brad Faxon over the winter, putted well in Hawaii last week, and putting well this week, so keep doing what I'm doing I think I can roll it pretty well.

Q. What was the tip?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Just a small setup thing, hard to explain. Nothing much. But just a little right arm tweak and that was about it.

Q. Second shot to 14, slightly awkward spot here on the down slope, ball below. Talk about the technique involved in playing this one.
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, left myself an awkward shot off the tee, but tried to get a little more handsy with it and keep the face open and just tried to tumble it up to the front of the green and let it roll back. Pretty basic.

Q. Talk about the aggression, you're someone who said you would rather hit a wedge out of the rough than 160 yards from the fairway. You like to be aggressive using the driver. How were you able to do that on this Stadium Course, which is so intimidating off the tee?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: It's hard. There's a lot of water out there. So I'll do it as much as possible. That hole in particular, I hit driver on 18, probably not the best play in the world, but I had a wedge in my hand. So just be aggressive. I know that, if I miss, it's a soft fade to the right, so I can manage that.

Q. You're in contention to win for the first time. Talk about that.
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, it's exciting. A great time. It will be fun to be in the last group on Sunday.

Q. Third straight 65, considering the golf course that you were playing, is this one maybe a little better in your mind?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: In hindsight, yeah. I know a lot can go wrong out there. I managed to keep it clean, bogey-free. 7-under on any course is pretty good. Obviously, had to shoot it to keep pace, which is important. So I'm in good position.

Q. What do you do now that you're in that position? Your mentality?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Keep making birdies. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe 30-under wins. So it will be interesting to see if they move the tees back. The pins will be tougher. It might be a shot or two harder. But conditions will be perfect tomorrow and the greens are amazing. So it will be a birdiefest.

Q. What are you most anxious to learn yourself tomorrow?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, I've been on TOUR for awhile now, I lost in a playoff awhile ago, so I'm interested to see how I'll handle it. I wasn't nervous at all today. Even if I am nervous, whatever, you're going to be nervous, but you can still hit good shots. So keep being aggressive and try to make a bunch of birdies.

Q. What's the confidence level heading into tomorrow? Playing the Stadium Course tomorrow, is that something that you think about after playing it today?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Same kind of mindset. Just got to keep going, not going to win the tournament making pars. So four par-5s, some short par-4s you got to take advantage of, and try to do that tomorrow.

Q. What's the last time you were in contention like this deep into a tournament?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Hard to say. I was playing well at the U.S. Open, I was in ninth, in contention. Tournaments are tournaments. The WEB.COM last year, WEB playoffs last year, felt a little bit of it last week after a long off season. It's hard to say. It's all the same.

Q. Do you feel kind of more than ready to win at this point?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, definitely. It's been a long time coming. Hopefully, it will happen eventually, so.

Q. Does that make it easier at all, because you've been expecting for awhile to be in this position?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Hard to say. I don't know. Just find out how we do tomorrow. No matter what happens, I'm having a good year and playing well, so I'll keep doing the same things and hopefully I'll win a bunch.

Q. Is it fun out there?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, we had a great time today. I had an awesome group. Robert made a 2 for 1 on 17. That was electric and it was very emotional. So it was really cool, we had a great time.

Q. What's the situation with Clinton tonight? How many people are going to be at dinner?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: 10 couples. My fiance' will go and I think Brendan Steele and his wife. I'm not sure who else is going, but it should be a good time. I remember playing behind him at Coronado Golf Club back in the day. All the Secret Service was out there.

Q. Did he shoot a 94 or something?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: It was like a 10-hour round. I don't know. I'll let you know.

Q. I played that same day.
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Oh, that's funny.

Q. We're playing and the motorcycles show up and we're thinking, what's happening. And then he shows up. You were a group behind him?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: I played behind him in some capacity. I don't know.

Q. How did you get included in this dinner tonight?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: I don't know. Ross Berlin asked me to do it and I said I'll do it.

Q. Have you met him before?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: President Clinton? No. No. Never officially. Shook hands, but -- I think I shook hands, but never talked to him.

Q. Kind of a cool thing.
JAMIE LOVEMARK: Yeah, it's awesome. It will be a great time. Pretty short deal tonight, but.

Q. What's it like to be playing well again after what you've been through the last five years?
JAMIE LOVEMARK: It feels good. Nothing, nothing totally unexpected.

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