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AT&T BYRON NELSON

May 19, 2016

Sergio Garcia

Irving, Texas

MARK WILLIAMS: Okay. Sergio, thanks for coming in. Great playing today, 7-under, 63. It is your low round at TPC Four Seasons, Las Colinas.

You did shoot 62 the first time you ever played here on the golf course. So just obviously really a pedestrian front-9 and then your back-9 you really lit it up.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah. Well, I played -- obviously started on 10 but played well on the front-9, too. I hit -- I had good chances for birdie on 10, 11, 13, 16. Unfortunately, didn't make them.

But nice par putt on 17 to stay 1-under and then kind of caught fire on the other 9 and, you know, hit a couple really nice iron shots on 2 and 4 and then made a couple really big putts on 6 and 7, 7 more than anything, and then hit another nice shot on 8, converted that for birdie and a really nice up and down on the last to have a bogey-free round, which is always nice to do.

MARK WILLIAMS: Take some questions for Sergio.

Q. Sergio, what is different? You mentioned some birdie opportunities that you didn't convert on your first 9 and then you make bombs on 6 and 7. What changed in the course of the round that makes that happen?
SERGIO GARCIA: Nothing. The hole got in the way. Simple as that (laughter). No, I hit some really good putts and sometimes, you know, it's obviously a little bit of luck and sometimes you read them a little bit better than others.

Couple of the putts I hit on the front-9 were good putts but, unfortunately, overread them a little bit or just under-read them a little bit and instead of going in they kind of lipped out or burned the edge.

On the back-9 when you get on a run like that, you know, every putt that was around the edge of the hole it seemed to drop in instead of staying out.

So, it's just -- that's the way golf is, I guess.

Q. Sergio, first time you ever came here you shot 62 in the 1st Round and you obviously played well here ever since. What is it about this course, this location that seems to bring out the best from you?
SERGIO GARCIA: I don't know. I guess like you said, Texas has always been good to me. I've done fairly well pretty much every time I played here with some victories and stuff.

So, you know, I enjoy it. I've always enjoyed these kind of golf courses that usually are a little bit firmer than today. Unfortunately we got a lot of rain. But, it's always a little bit breezy and, you know, you have to place the ball in the right spots and I've always enjoyed that kind of golf.

So, you know, it just kind of brings me to my comfort level, I guess.

Q. Sergio, 3rd place I think in Spain a couple weeks ago. Did you feel like your game was trending in this direction and then the second question would be, it is a Ryder Cup year.
Do you feel any extra motivation when it gets to this point in the season?

SERGIO GARCIA: Always, for sure. Every year is special but Ryder Cup years are extra special and I don't even need to tell you guys how special the Ryder Cup is for me.

So, it is important for me to make that team. I always excited about that. Yeah, I played nicely there at Valderrama. I felt like I played well at Augusta other than the 3rd round, obviously.

And last week, obviously had a little bit of an accident on Saturday with the greens but other than that, I felt fairly good. So, I guess I have been playing decent and obviously I can still -- still feel like I can play better but, hopefully, I can keep this momentum going and have a good solid week before the U.S. Open.

Q. Sergio, you mentioned about the rain earlier in the round. How did the conditions change throughout your round today when the rain stopped and seems the ground was get a little bit firmer.
How did it change your round?

SERGIO GARCIA: Never really got that firm. Obviously less wet I would call it. We're still playing lift, clean and place and the fairways were wet. They were in great shape but were wet. The greens were soft.

So, I guess the weather is supposed to be good from now on so it would -- I will expect it to dry up a little bit. I don't think it's going to get extremely fast or firm but it will definitely dry up a little bit and it will probably play a little bit tougher than it did today.

Q. Sergio, just wanted to get your thoughts on the R & A's decision to remove Muirfield from the Open rotation.
SERGIO GARCIA: I just heard about it. I didn't -- obviously I was playing, I didn't know about it, but yeah. It is sad because I love that golf course.

As you guys know, it's where I won the British Amateur and I think it's one of the best links courses we play but, you know, it is their decision. Obviously I can understand it and, you know, it's unfortunate but it is what it is.

Q. I wonder what your most vivid memory is of coming here when you were 19 and finishing 3rd and then also your most vivid memory of winning here.
SERGIO GARCIA: '99, it was my first personal tournament here in the U.S. as a professional, so I remember shooting -- I remember I had a chance to shoot 61 on the 18th at Cottonwood and, unfortunately, missed that, but shooting that round and finishing 3rd to kind of get my career started here was -- it was unbelievable for me.

Then we know, obviously, what happened throughout the year but to start that well, it gave me a lot of confidence, it relaxed me a lot. It made my year a lot easier.

And 2004 was great. I remember how well I played all week but I remember the last round I think I hit -- I missed one fairway and hit every green or something like that, something little bit stupid, I guess, but obviously I remember Byron taking a picture with him and some great memories.

I actually saw the picture this week in my room when I was there made out of chocolate, which I'm trying not to eat. But it is a great picture and I have my trophies, my Byron Nelson trophies at home. Every time I see them it reminds me of this place and Byron and the kind of legend he was.

Q. I was just going to ask, of all the courses on Tour, where would this rank in terms of comfort level for you?
SERGIO GARCIA: I don't know. It depends. I guess it all depends on how you're feeling that week at the end of the day. It is definitely a course that I enjoy playing. I think the one that I feel most comfortable and I enjoy the most is obviously last week. But, this one is definitely, is definitely in the Top-5 or 6.

MARK WILLIAMS: Okay. Sergio, we appreciate you coming in. Good luck the rest of the week.

SERGIO GARCIA: Thank you.

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