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NORTHERN TRUST OPEN

February 19, 2016

Marc Leishman

Pacific Palisades, California

Q. Solid round today, birdie at No. 9 to get to 4-under for the day and minus seven, you had the eagle at 1. Always nice to get a three on a par 5. Your thoughts on how you played today.
MARC LEISHMAN: It was a nice way to finish there on 9, birdie that hole. It's not one of the easiest holes out here. Obviously eagles definitely help the score. I started off the day with a bogey on 10, which is disappointing. But you know, I played really well after that. Happy with the day and it's a good base for the next couple of days.

Q. Give us an idea of what it's like to putt on these poa annua greens in the morning, when they are nice and fresh, as opposed to what they are like in the afternoon?
MARC LEISHMAN: It's obviously almost like two different golf courses. In the morning, they are perfect. They are smooth and fast. In the afternoon, you obviously get a few footprints, especially with the rain we had Wednesday. They get -- when they are soft, they do get pretty bumpy. But you've got to try and take advantage of the early time and I was able to do that.

Q. Best part, you hit it close to a lot of holes?
MARC LEISHMAN: I did. Hit my irons really well. You know, had a lot of opportunities. Made a fair share of them but left quite a few out there but that happens. Happy to give myself chances. The past few years here, it feels like I've been fighting to make the cut every year. It was nice to not have to fight just to be around for the weekend.

Q. Just give us a quick recap of your round. Obviously good finish with a birdie on 9?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it was a good finish, birdieing two of the last three. Obviously the eagle on 1 helped. That always helps the scorecard. Disappointing start. Hit a really good drive on 10.

This is one of my favorite golf courses all year. When I first came here, this is actually one of the courses I thought I would be able to do really well around. But for some reason, the last few years, I've just struggled to make the cut. Feel like I've been fighting on Friday just to be around for the weekend. So yeah, it's a course that I feel like I can do well at.

What was the other part of the question? That was it? Yeah, it's a course that I feel like I can do well around, if I'm playing well. And I feel like I'm striking the ball pretty well at the moment. Just a matter of holing the putts around here. I think being out first group really helps, get some smooth greens, and try and get a good score, which I was able to do today.

Q. You won't be in the first group tomorrow, you'll be up near the top of that leaderboard. You spoke about patience yesterday. Is that going to be the key again through the weekend at this point?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, for sure. It's a lot easier to be patient when you're hitting good shots. You only have to manage your frustration a few times, as opposed to every second hole when you're hitting bad shots. Yeah, still patience. Obviously you have to hit the shots but I've played here enough, I know where not to hit it. Hopefully I can avoid those places and be here late Sunday afternoon.

Q. How big of confidence, what you did at the British Open was massive, and then to win at the end of the year, is it the progression, winning more here, is that the next thing?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I think so. I'd like to do that for sure. This is where I make a living, try and make a living, so definitely like to try and contend more, win more. But yeah, last year, like contending in the British, playing well under that sort of pressure and then at the Nedbank, coping with that lead and hitting good shots, that gives you confidence. But still got to play good and pull off the shots. It gives me confidence but I know it's not a given that I'm going to play good.

Q. You missed a couple cuts coming in. Coming to a course that you really like, does that help?
MARC LEISHMAN: I saw a coach on the Saturday of Torrey Pines, actually. We found something, I was aiming left. So I felt like I was only hitting pulls or a thin right shot but my pulls were actually a good shot so that's right where I was aiming. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise to miss that cut and do a bit of work on the range with Denis. He picked it up straightaway and I started hitting the ball great pretty much instantly. That was probably the key, gave me confidence, and you know, start off well here.

Q. What did you think seeing Camilo's 8-under yesterday?
MARC LEISHMAN: It's pretty good, especially in the afternoon. That was with a bogey, too. Yeah, very impressive. It's out there. It's not impossible. You've just got to hole the putts. That's I guess what he did, made some putts. It's a lot easier to shoot low scores when you're rolling in some good putts.

Q. When you see an early score like that, playing on a course like this, is that eye-opening? Does it make you feel like you have to be more aggressive?
MARC LEISHMAN: Not really. I've played here enough that I've been aggressive and I've made mistakes being aggressive. So I feel like I'm a little more conservative here. It's funny, you look at the winning score, even though he was 8-under yesterday, you look at the winning score, and it's not generally much past 15-under, even less most of the time. So even though he shot 8-under, it's still, you know, a lot of golf to be played.

Yeah, I wasn't too worried about that. Not that -- you can't worry about what other people are doing in the first round. You just have to worry about yourself and go from there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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