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NORTHERN TRUST OPEN

February 20, 2016

Chez Reavie

Pacific Palisades, California

ALEX URBAN: We'd like to welcome Chez Reavie to the interview room. You're 11-under par through three rounds, just one back of the lead. Talk about your play through three rounds and we'll open up for some questions.

CHEZ REAVIE: Yeah, it was solid. I putted well early especially. Missed a few coming in but hit good putts. Yeah, really satisfied with the way I played.

Q. How big of a deal was that par at 9 to get yourself in position to do what you did?
CHEZ REAVIE: Yeah, it was big. It just kind of kept the momentum going. I had a mud ball there, and you know, it squirted on me a little bit and hit the camera and clicked all the way on the other side of the hill. But fortunately, I had a lot of green to work with. So the pitch wasn't too terribly difficult and hit a good one put, got it to go in.

Q. Was the putt more difficult than the pitch?
CHEZ REAVIE: Yes, the putt was tricky because it looked like it wanted to break left when in reality it goes just a little to the right. Fortunately I hit a good one put and it hung in there and went in.

Q. Can you talk about your strategy on 10 and your eagle?
CHEZ REAVIE: Yeah, so 10 for me today was kind of perfect. I don't hit it as far as those guys, they were kind of between clubs, but since it was into the wind a little bit, I could hit a hard driver, and I knew I really wasn't going to hit it too far.

Obviously it ended up in the absolute perfect position, and that's kind of the luck of bounce there but I knew I could hit a hard driver and it wouldn't go too far.

ALEX URBAN: Talk about your strategy heading into the final day here.

CHEZ REAVIE: Yeah, so tomorrow, it's going to be key to be below the hole. That was part of the problem on some of the putts I missed on the back nine was I got it above the hole and you have to hit it so soft, you're just kind of at the mercy of the greens, really. So if I can get it below the hole and have some uphill putts, I can be more aggressive.

ALEX URBAN: As the course continues to dry out, do you see it as a day where you need to attack with a bunch of people around the leaderboard?

CHEZ REAVIE: It will play a little more difficult for sure. This golf course, whether it's soft or firm, I think can really get you.

So I think, yeah, just trying to plot my way around and keep it below the hole and just not try and hit it too hard because I'm going to be playing with guys that hit it a lot further than I do. Just going to be trying to may play game and see if I can make some putts.

Q. Obviously you're in good position, but if you look where you were after 10, does it take a little bit of air out of your balloon to finish the way you did?
CHEZ REAVIE: Not really. The two tough holes were playing straight into the wind. I mis-cued on the par 3. I was aiming left of the hole and I just blocked it to the right.

15, is just a tough hole any way you look at it. I made bogeys, but I didn't play terrible. I gave myself some chances coming in. So I like it the way I'm playing.

Q. Sorry if you've already been asked this, but on a golf course like this, for you to compete against a guy like Dustin or Bubba, do you have to have your best stuff?
CHEZ REAVIE: Yeah, I mean, it's a ball-striker's golf course, so even though you have shorter irons in, you still have to hit them in the right spot. So that's my advantage is that I can hit more fairways and plot my way around. They have a lot more firepower, so obviously I'm hitting 3-iron into 15 and Dustin probably hit like an 8-iron or something like that, 9-iron.

So I have to play good golf, absolutely. But I've got to play good golf anywhere I'm at, too.

Q. When you see a bunched leaderboard like this going into the final round, does it change your strategy, change your mentality at all?
CHEZ REAVIE: Not really. For me, I have to plot my way around and give myself good looks on the holes that I can get to, and then on the longer holes, just hit it in the middle of the green and make my pars.

For me, I've got to play the same way no matter what. You've got guys like Bubba and Dustin, they are going to get to more par 5s than I am and have some wedges, so they are going to be able to play a little more aggressive. But then that can also hurt them, as well; if they don't hit good shots, you'll pay a price out here if you get the ball above the hole.

Q. Are you a leaderboard watcher?
CHEZ REAVIE: Yeah, I'm always looking at the leaderboard. Doesn't really affect the way I play. Maybe coming in, if I have to do something, I might play a little more aggressive, but for the most part, I'm going to play it the same way I've played it the last three days.

ALEX URBAN: Good luck tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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