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ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT SCOTTISH OPEN

July 10, 2016

Patrick Reed

Inverness, Scotland

Q. A late decision by you to come to play in The Scottish Open. How would you assess your play now that you've been here and finished with a 9-under par total?
PATRICK REED: It's trending in the right direction. Coming over here and getting used to playing links golf is something you have to kind of adapt to, and getting over Tuesday mid-day, I felt like I adapted pretty quickly and I feel like my game was going where it needs to go. But I had to see some putts go in, and finally today I started to make some of those putts.

It's just a lot different. At home, since the greens are faster, I'm looking a lot on the high side. Seems like here, all I'm doing is missing it high. I need to get comfortable playing it lower and hitting it a little firmer.

Q. What do you know about Royal Troon?
PATRICK REED: All I know is it's a great track and I'm going to enjoy it. I've talked to everybody about it and that's really all they have said about it. I'm going in as an open minded and hoping to play some good golf.

Q. You've been making news this week, Dustin Johnson pulling out of the Olympics and you were asked yesterday about taking up his place and you were a little uncertain; can you clarify?
PATRICK REED: Yeah, I got the e-mail and phone call from Team USA last night and I went through a lot of things with them and we're all in. We can't wait to go and play for USA and have some fun.

Q. What are your thoughts on the way you've polished off a decent week here at Castle Stuart?
PATRICK REED: I feel like my game is going in the right direction. I feel like I'm hitting the ball better. I feel like I'm putting really well. Finally got to see some putts go in today. Might want to consider kind of toying with the equipment when I come over for links golf.

Back home, it's all carry, so I've gone with a 5-wood at home because I need something that goes kind of higher, flies a certain number and kind of stops. The problem is, that 5-wood this week, any time I was into the wind, it goes nowhere; my 3-iron goes farther.

I need to get a 3-wood because I feel like it cost me a couple times out there especially today on 2, I had a number that a 3-wood easily would have covered to the fat part of the fairway. And yet, I had to lay up and play it back because 3-iron is not covering it.

And then on 18, I had another perfect number for another 3-wood that would fly me to the front of the green that I know for sure would have covered to the fat part of the bunkers on the right, and I had to lay up there, as well.

Just a couple things I need to learn, especially coming over seas and playing links golf; that it's okay to have 15 great golf clubs and then when you get there decide which one you want to play. But all in all, I feel like the game is getting better and it's definitely going in the right direction for next week.

Q. Sounds like there will be a few more deliberations for those first three days at Royal Troon?
PATRICK REED: Any time you go over and play a new golf course and new terrain and everything, you're always kind of tinkering and toying, especially me, I'm always a tinkerer. So it's nothing I'm not used to.

Q. Feel the game is in good shape?
PATRICK REED: Yeah, yesterday I felt like I hit the ball horrendously. Yet my coach goes through the stats with me and tells me from hole 8 through 14, I had a putt inside 20 feet on every hole, and I had one of those for par, which was on 9 which I missed. But I didn't make a single putt from inside 20 feet on every one of those holes, so it could have been a really special day. It just shows I was actually hitting the ball really solid. When I came out today, I felt like I was in complete control of my golf game and I was hitting it great. That's all I can ask for.

Q. You'll have had the opportunity overnight to speak to home and Team USA, so what's the verdict now on the Rio Olympics?
PATRICK REED: We're playing. I look forward to going over and representing my country. Any time I can wear red, white and blue, it's going to be a great opportunity.

Q. Any doubts were assuaged; you had all the right positive vibes?
PATRICK REED: I don't think there's doubts as just kind of clarifications. I wasn't in any of the meetings because I was always on the outside. Now that we're on the inside, I was able to talk to the right people and figure out everything that's going on and what the plans are for our team.

So we feel comfortable, so we're going to go over and have a good time.

Q. How long was the conversation to make up your mind?
PATRICK REED: Probably an hour, hour and a half total. I mean, because I had to call a bunch of different people. I had to call Team USA. Had to call my wife. Had to call a bunch of people.

It was a lot longer of a process while I was over here because I had to call everywhere. At home, you know, Justine is right there. So she's there listening to all the conversations, so I'm not having to say different things to other people, that kind of stuff, and have to relay messages.

It was longer than normal but that was just because of the time change and where I'm at.

Q. What sort of information did you receive, looking for clarification?
PATRICK REED: Just basically how everyone is, how is Zika virus doing and security. Besides that, those were my only concerns. Yes, it's a risk, but I feel like it's a risk that we are all willing to take.

Q. Basic things like hotels, flights, or have you not got that far yet?
PATRICK REED: I haven't gotten that far yet. I just got to the point where I figured out if we're going or not.

Q. Now that you're going, can you articulate what it means to win a Gold Medal for a country that you'd obviously love to play for?
PATRICK REED: That would be huge. Just thinking about having a Gold Medal means a lot. I think the biggest thing is I get to represent my country again. Get to wear red, white and blue. Any time I get to wear those colours, it's a huge day.

Asked my mother-in-law what I should wear all week because what I picked on Thursday obviously didn't work. So I texted her, like what should I wear tomorrow, on Friday, and it seemed to work. I asked her for Saturday's round, seemed to work. I asked her today, and she goes, well, wear a red shirt, white belt and blue pants. Only problem is I don't have blue pants with me this week, so I had to kind of compromise.

We're really excited. We can't wait and it's going to be a lot of fun.

Q. Will you watch other sports while you're there?
PATRICK REED: Oh, yeah. It's not very often you get an opportunity to get to play for your country, especially an Olympics. Pretty sure we're going to go around and see all the different events and enjoy it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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