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AT&T BYRON NELSON

May 20, 2016

Jordan Spieth

Irving, Texas

Q. Jordan Spieth, did not miss a green until the final hole here. You've only missed three so far in two rounds. The stats say you're hitting the ball well.
Does that mesh with the way you're feeling about hitting it?

JORDAN SPIETH: Honestly, no. I'm putting nice in good positions off the tee which the size of the greens, my misses are still holding the greens. I've had so many 40 footers out her I've managed to get in in two putts.

I started to feel a bit better about it in the last few holes. Started to find a little rhythm on No. 6, my 15th hole and felt like I put better swings at the end of the round, but it had been loose before that but my misses were still finding the putting surface. A bit fortunate with that and hopefully I can tie those in a little closer to the hole.

Q. With that said, you're still going to go into the weekend in the best position that you've ever been in the tournament that you love. What is the feeling and the excitement about being in that position?
JORDAN SPIETH: It will be fantastic. Yeah, I'm excited thinking about it right now. But all this week has felt different than Byron Nelsons in the past. It feels more like a normal week. I don't know why.

Feels just like another tournament, one that, you know, I need to come back from how I played last week and kind of get back into a rhythm leading into another Major championship. So, off to a good start here, making some putts, which is really nice to see.

Q. Good luck this week.
JORDAN SPIETH: Thanks.

Q. Nice round today. Can you talk about it, please?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah. Again, just took advantage of the easier holes. Had a couple longer putts go in today and, you know, found both the par-5s in 2 to two-putt and tap-in on those two birdies.

So, very limited mistakes. I three-putted 13 twice and that's really the only mistakes that I've made this week.

So even not quite feeling like I have my best iron play right now, at least missing on the putting surface, I'm able to escape with 4 and go on to the next hole.

Q. Jordan, is it a good sign or bad sign you're not playing your best and still in the mid-60s?
JORDAN SPIETH: Great sign. You certainly feel like you have full control over the ball every time you step over it but that's just not reality in golf. I'd like to have a bit more.

I don't feel like I'm tied for the lead right now, not the feeling I have when I stand over an iron shot. But, when I stand over my putter right now it's back to where we like to have it.

Q. Not that you're uncomfortable with the crowds, are you feeding off some energy with the crowds?
JORDAN SPIETH: They're hardly any people out there the first few holes which was bizarre at a Byron Nelson, but 7:50 off the 10th tee, it will take a few holes.

But, boy, by the time we made the turn here, it was -- there's a sea of people it felt like. If you hit one kind of running through the fairway it wouldn't go far through the fairway and had a little wall to stop it.

This weekend will be a lot of fun. It will be -- this first hole I always have each -- the two years I was in contention as a high schooler kind of mental picture of what the sea of people look like as the hole turns to the right. I'm pretty sure we're going to see that. It will be a unique feeling and one I hope to feed off of.

Q. What are you going to do to keep --
JORDAN SPIETH: To keep the lead? I don't know if I can do anything now. I think I'll probably be one or two back by the end of the day but to stay in contention this weekend, just do what we're doing, trying to hit greens in regulation.

I've hit I think 33 out of 36 greens in regulation, which you're not going to get in a whole lot of trouble doing that. If we can continue to do that even on missed fairways we'll be in good shape.

Q. Jordan, the other day you said you were looking for that key to get back into contention here.
Have you found that key?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah. I couldn't tell you how I got it or what it is. Just this week feels like I don't have to do too much. It just kind of felt like I had to do too much in the past and just feels like a normal event.

Obviously I have lot of close friends and family here and moreso than anywhere else, and I have fond memories from watching as a kid. I'm out there and when I'm on the course it's just how do I attack this hole and I played it -- this is my 6th Byron Nelson so that's a lot and you start to get course knowledge and that's probably led to those 33 greens out of 36. I've known when to kind of back off a little.

Q. How much is this weekend an effort for you and your team?
JORDAN SPIETH: This weekend?

Q. Yeah.
JORDAN SPIETH: About the same as normal.

Q. Being close to home I mean.
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah. It's always the same, we're always just as connected and no matter where we are. It won't be any more or any less, you know -- this will be -- as I've said before, this is an event that would be extremely, extremely special if we were to come out on top at any point in my life to hold the Byron Nelson trophy, just given the memories here.

So, throw that out though when we're on the golf course and just try and win this tournament.

Q. Back when you were 16, Jordan, did you ever have the outright lead?
JORDAN SPIETH: I don't think so.

Q. Was it special the first time when you looked at the leaderboard, when you looked at it for the first time?
JORDAN SPIETH: There wasn't, no. Honestly it was nice to be back to see your name on top of a leaderboard no matter where it was. It was two tournaments ago the last time it was. So, at one point. So it hasn't been long.

But it is nice and, you know, Brooks is already tied and Sergio going out this afternoon and very getable golf course. You've seen some potential -- there is potential rounds of 10-under out there. D.A. three-putted No. 9 from short range or else he would have had a putt for 59. So, there's a golf course out there to get. So, I don't expect to be in the lead at the end of the day.

Q. What did you see working on your putting?
JORDAN SPIETH: At The Players I had overdone what we had been working on in the four week stretch. I had practiced it so much leading up to The Players that by the time Thursday came I'd overdone what we were working on in my stroke and the path and I didn't realize it, and so I was using a path that was not going to produce a consistent start line and once we got that Cameron saw it right away, knew it was something going to be small but a lot of times I just need him to say this is what it is and then we put in our work and our repetitions after that.

Q. Jordan, you mentioned the Masters being the last time you were on top of the leaderboard two events ago. Does it feel like only two events ago?
JORDAN SPIETH: No. Feels like a long time ago. The Masters felt like it was quite awhile ago and that's why it almost feels like -- that's why I'm getting the questions, "Was it nice to have your name back on top?" Well, I mean two tournaments ago. It does feel like awhile ago.

Q. You talked about TPC, wanted to enjoy yourself. Was that about today, are you enjoying yourself today, the putting?
JORDAN SPIETH: A bit. I still got pretty frustrated at times because I would have a really good wedge number to a bowl pin where it can feed from anywhere around the hole. That should be within ten feet all day. I've got 40 feet on the other side of the green. It's extremely frustrating without having control at impact.

Then to be able to have those putts on -- or those shots not cost me and move on, that's been the difference from that extra frustration and really last week was -- my misses last week really cost me. I dropped shots. I haven't dropped shots doing so this week but I do need to continue to tighten the proximity to the hole on approach shots or else you can't keep getting away with it. It will test this weekend, it will certainly test what I've been saying.

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