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DEAN & DELUCA INVITATIONAL

May 27, 2016

Webb Simpson

Fort Worth, Texas

Q. You've had a change in your home life with a new daughter a couple weeks ago, Mercy. But it's the change in putter that's really made the effect here. What has felt so good here?
WEBB SIMPSON: You know, I grew up on greens similar to this in Raleigh. I grew up on bent greens, grainy kind of like this, and so I just feel comfortable. Obviously I switched putters and have been putting great the last couple days. You know, I just -- the good thing about me and the bad thing about me is once I get confidence, I seem to be really confident. Once I get a little down, I seem to get really down. But you know, through two days it's been solid, so I'm excited.

Q. A lot of good play on the West Coast earlier in the season, and we talked a little bit about your motivation. Are you more motivated now with the new changes at home and then with the ability to obviously putt and score the way you have this week?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I mean, I got to a point a few weeks ago when I was looking at my FedEx number, and I've never really been in a position like this. I love the end of the year golf. I love the Playoffs. I love all those courses we get to play. There's definitely been some motivation sitting at home and watching these guys play good every week. It's my ninth year on TOUR, but I've been more excited to play golf the last couple weeks, I think, than I have in a long time.

Q. You've got to like your position after two rounds.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah. You know, today was -- I think for me it was tougher than yesterday. I didn't quite hit as many fairways and I did yesterday, and around these holes, the rough is brutal, and when you add in a little bit of wind, it becomes a guessing game. We managed it pretty good. I made some good par savers that kind of kept the round going, and it was great to birdie a couple coming in.

Q. How is the course different today than it was all the rain last night?
WEBB SIMPSON: Honestly, not that different. We're still seeing the ball run off the tee. The greens are about the same, maybe a little softer, but the crew did a great job and got it back to about what we saw yesterday.

Q. You said yesterday that it had been your first low round in quite a while, so having said that, how important was it for you to come out today, kind of validate it and have another sub-par round?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think it was important. I felt like almost like today was a Saturday as I teed off. But it's great. You know, after yesterday, it felt great to shoot 5-under, but I knew we had three rounds to go, was a long way to go. Again, just one more round under my belt, but it feels nice to shoot a few under again.

Q. Do you recall the last time you felt as comfortable on the greens as you did through the first two rounds here?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it's been a while. I mean, Sony, through the first couple, two to three rounds I was playing nice and making some putts, and even at the CareerBuilder Challenge I seemed to make some putts, but for a consistent two days, it's been a long time. I'm really thankful and I'm keeping it simple, and I think that's been big for me.

Q. There was quite a bit of difference in the stroke average between morning and afternoon play, and now those guys have a chance to play tomorrow morning. Do you feel like you got the right end of the --
WEBB SIMPSON: You know, my caddie and I were talking about it, the golf side of it, they might have the better end of the draw, but they had to wake up early two of the three mornings. We only had to once. I'll be more rested. So it'll probably even out at the end. We'll see.

Q. Have you changed your putting grip or putter lately?
WEBB SIMPSON: No, it's the same grip as I use with conventional, just obviously a little longer putter like Matt Kuchar.

Q. Did you tinker with it to get converted to it?
WEBB SIMPSON: No, I mean, I tried it in the fall in the off-season, and it didn't feel that good, and I kind of shelved it and picked it back up a few weeks ago, and it felt pretty good. I don't know what's different. Same putter, and a few months later it feels better. Maybe I've grown or shrunk, but I don't know, it feels different.

Q. Overall great round, you post 8-under par, just some thoughts on today?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah. It was kind of a grind. Yesterday was a little easier, but I had to get up-and-down a few more times today and guess out of the rough what the ball was going to do into the green. But it felt great. Just almost more satisfying today than yesterday because I managed my game and I think I only made one bogey and made a couple birdies coming in, so that was nice.

Q. I want to take you back to that bogey on 7. Were you ever concerned or worried about injury? You were very close to that tree trunk. You took a look at it. I was surprised you tried to get it that close to the putting surface on your second.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I knew my hands wouldn't hit the tree. I knew it was just going to be the club, and honestly, I didn't have to hit it that hard. I think it would have been different if I had to hit it full or even add some to it, but it was just kind of a pitch-out, so it wasn't too bad.

Q. And then a bounce-back birdie on 8; how big was that after the one dropped shot?
WEBB SIMPSON: It was big. You know, 8 is not really a birdie hole, but today the pin was front and I hit 7-iron and had a 15-footer, and it broke a lot but I had a good read on it, and it went right in the middle.

Q. How much pressure on that last hole on that last putt? 8-under, we don't know where that's going to settle, but who knows? Were you ever thinking this might put me in the last group on the third round?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, at this point with the guys not even teeing off yet, I didn't think much about it, but certainly nice to see Jordan playing well. I haven't played with him in a while, so it would be nice to get paired with him. Again, it's only halfway done, and I've got a lot of work to do.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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