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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 14, 2016

Francesco Molinari

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Q. Just some comments about your round today and your position heading into tomorrow's final round.
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, well, obviously it was very tough. I think it was the same for everyone. Just a grind from the first really until the last. Happy with level par. You know, it's one of those rounds that could have been easily 3-over or maybe 1- or 2-under, but level par is a good round. We'll see. It depends how the course is going to play tomorrow. If it's going to be like today, obviously anything can happen. It's a pretty good position to be in.

Q. How were you able to avoid big numbers today?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: I don't know, just go shot by shot, try to stay out of trouble. But on the greens you were trying to two-putt from eight feet, six feet. You weren't even thinking about holing putts, you were just worried about running it 10 feet past. I started at the second hole, I was putting for birdie from maybe 20 feet, and I ran it by 10 feet. At the third I was 25 feet, and I ran it past 15 feet. So you know, after that, you just tried to hit greens, make two-putts, and if something drops, it's just a bonus.

Q. When the course is like that, how do you manage your frustration?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: You just try your best, you know, try to forget as soon as possible the last hole, the last shot, and try to be 100 percent on the shot you're hitting. But it's tough, obviously. You can see the scores, great players shooting 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-over par. It's something that you don't see every day.

Q. Are you encouraged by your position overall going into tomorrow?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, I thought it was a good day, all in all, considering the conditions. I thought I putted really well today, probably the best putting round of the week. You know, I don't really know what to expect for tomorrow because we've played a totally different course today from the first two days. I don't know if they'll try to soften it up and slow it down just a little bit or if it'll be the same, so we'll just have to be ready for anything tomorrow.

Q. You've played all across the world. Just how fast were these greens?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: I think really -- I think the issue is they were really fast, and at this point there's not much grass on the greens. If you don't strike it pure, it just goes off line straight away. There's nothing to stop it. Yeah, I mean, we hit some shots in our group, some downhill chip shots or putts that looked perfect, looked great, looked great, still looking great, and then you end up 15 feet from the hole. You just try to hole the one back and get on with it.

Q. Three missed cuts, two top 10s here. Is that just the nature of the golf course? And do you like this golf course?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, I do. I do. I didn't know it was three missed cuts and two top 10s. But obviously I remember the top 10s, and probably the years that I missed the cut, I didn't show up in top form. It's a golf course that you need to be on top of your long game, chipping, putting, everything. Otherwise you get punished. I think when I'm in form, it suits me, and it's a good course because you need to hit fairways and hit greens. You know, on days like today, I think par is a good score on any hole.

Q. How much is the Ryder Cup on your mind?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Not much at the moment because I'm a long way away from qualifying. We'll see. There's other things coming first. Obviously I'm trying to keep my card here and in Europe, which is not as straightforward as it seems, so it's just about playing good golf. I'm happy with the stuff I'm doing. It's paying off this week, so I just need to focus on that and see where that gets me.

Q. Did you go to any of the team dinners this week?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: I went on Tuesday.

Q. Does that give you any encouragement at all about having been in one and knowing that atmosphere?
FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Yeah, I think if you've played in it already, you've got enough motivation to try and make it. It's nice obviously to be part of the dinners, and if the captain makes you feel like you're a part of it, it's a nice feeling. But in the end, obviously you want to be there for the real thing, but we'll see. It's a long way away, and there's no point really focusing on it too much at the moment.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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