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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 18, 2016

Henrik Stenson

Orlando, Florida

Q. You made a nice run at it especially late in the day here on a Friday. How would you compare the 67 with today's 66?
HENRIK STENSON: I guess it was similar. Yesterday I started on the back-9, not too much happening early on. I finished off with some nice birdies coming in and today it was similar, I didn't do much early on and then kind of birdied 6 and 8, got it going and played a really good back-9, five birdies coming in.

Q. We talked about this on Wednesday on the 18th fairway that this golf course and you seem to marry up very well. You have been the lowest under par in the last four years of anybody who has played in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
What is it about this golf course that you like so much?

HENRIK STENSON: It suits my game, position off the tee. Got to hit it in the fairway and play some good iron shots and when I'm playing well I seem to do that. So, that kind sets up a lot of birdie chances and my putter has been working really nicely these couple of days and some of the previous years as well apparently. So, it's a good golf course for me and it's a home week as well. It's nice to sleeping at home and staying at home.

Q. You didn't quite have it yesterday. You had it today.
HENRIK STENSON: I hit some good shots. The back-9 was pretty sweet. I hit it better on Wednesday. That's what I'm looking for, I want to get into that groove that I was in there. I'm playing golf nicely. I'm scoring well, I'm taking my chances, staying patient so I'm doing all the right things. Could get my confidence up a little bit and still pretty good.

Q. (Inaudible).
HENRIK STENSON: It's always pleasing when you're in this position and you can play even better. Doesn't necessarily mean you're going to score better but I feel a bit more in the tank and I'm pleased with the day's work again.

Q. This is 10?
HENRIK STENSON: Hit good tee balls, 85, 90 yards to the pin. Nice little lob wedge to 7 feet. It was a tricky putt. The other two guys missed theirs. I put mine in. Nice birdie there and --

Q. (Inaudible).
HENRIK STENSON: Yeah, yeah, really solid 5-iron. One of the better long irons I hit today and set-up about I don't know, 12 feet, 12, 13 feet up the hill. Rolled that one in nicely. Then I guess we're going to the last.

Q. At this point you really got it going on the back-9, again the par 5.
HENRIK STENSON: Two-putted 16 and 18.

Q. Intimidating shot?
HENRIK STENSON: It is. I wanted to have a little bit of wind and I got it, hit a solid 9, managed to get past the pin. Solid shot and nice way to finish. Rolled that one in.

Q. (Inaudible.)
HENRIK STENSON: I felt like I had one and let it go and yeah, I mean I try my best again. Up against a very strong field as always and Jason seems to be playing and others are lurking. It's going to be an interesting weekend.

Q. Henrik, just another great day of ball-striking I thought. Seven birdies on the card, just one bogey. 31 on the backside. How did you think you played?
HENRIK STENSON: Yeah, it was nice coming in. I felt like I played the game of golf pretty good at the moment even though I feel like I can be even a little bit more on with my ball-striking in terms of confidence and still hit a couple of loose shots. All in all, a good day.

I think I'm staying patient and my putter is working fine. I'm taking my chances and not dropping too many, which is good.

Q. Did you see what Jason had done earlier in the day, did you look at the leaderboard and think oh, geez?
HENRIK STENSON: Which is kind of nice when you're in the position I was, you really feel like you need to go out and play a solid round of golf to try and keep in contact.

It didn't happen early on for me but kind of middle of the front-9 I got it going a little bit and five birdies on the back-9 was excellent to be able to close that gap a little bit. Still a long ways to go.

Q. Two shots I want to ask you about, the second at 12, the par 5. You drove it left by the fairway bunker. I'm thinking he's going to be laying up. You knocked it on the green.
HENRIK STENSON: I was on kind of the rope line so I was lucky enough with a good lie in the rough, Brandt hit it left, he was 25 yards further back. I could get a 4-wood and hit a nice shot and two-putted for birdie. I made that 4, come a little bit easier.

Q. The fairway bunker at 15, that was another great shot because that was a blind shot, isn't it?
HENRIK STENSON: Little bit of a hanging fly between clubs. I went with the 5-iron into the wind and yeah, absolutely. Those other ones kind of especially keep you in the match and make you not drop shots.

So, I got out of there with the tee ball and managed to make a good recovery and really easy 4 in the end. That's the good thing. If you miss, you can recover and you do good and hopefully make birdies.

Q. The last part of a back-9, 31 and a Friday 66. You said after Thursday's 67 solid but not quite where you were in the Pro-Am.
How would you characterize your play in the 2nd Round?

A Pretty much the same. I was hitting the ball better on Wednesday but I'm playing good golf at the moment in terms of keeping my patience, trying to be as decisive as I can on my shots and just scoring well. I'm taking my chances when I get them, make some good up and downs to save pars and I keep on rolling along.

Q. What is your confidence like on a golf course that you play so well and already have two more rounds this year under your belt?
HENRIK STENSON: Yeah. I feel comfortable playing here. There's a lot of intimidating shots. You got to be clear on what you want to do and try and execute them well and I managed to do that for many rounds here but you still got to come up with the goods and 18 is one in particular, you know, it's an intimidating second shot and you got to be on your numbers and hit solid shots. So, got to find it tomorrow the same and hopefully I can fall into the Wednesday striking.

Q. Henrik, good playing. We'll see you Saturday.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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