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THE 145TH OPEN

July 15, 2016

Keegan Bradley

Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland

Q. Talk about the past two days.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, today's round was even better than yesterday even though it was a shot higher. But it's tough to know when you go out in the morning that it's going to be tough. We knew going into it that it's going to be rainy and windy, and it rained hard there for a while. So it was, man, it was a great round.

Q. Just talked to Sergio (inaudible).
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, yeah, we had a great time out there playing. We all played well, so it was fun. I love playing with those guys. We both wanted to see everyone do well, which is what you always get.

Q. How do you like your chances?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I feel really solid. I've had a few moments where I felt really nervous out there and hit really quality shots, which kind of hasn't been the case lately. So that's a really good sign. I always seem to be able to do that. I've done that (indiscernible).

Q. (Inaudible).
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I started working with Darren May, my coach at Bear's Club, and we've been putting a lot of time in. It takes time. I've actually been playing pretty well now for a couple of months. I played well at the Memorial and played really well at Congressional. Didn't have much to show for it. It's coming. I can feel it coming. Whether it happens this week, it's coming back, which is good.

Q. What do you feel is the element that's made the most progress?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, this week putting. I've putted really well. But all around my ball striking, like I said, when I got nervous or felt uncomfortable is when I hit -- I think technically isn't quite where I needed to be. And now I feel good to where I felt, like I said, really uncomfortable on a couple shots and hit really good ones.

Q. What do you do differently? Is it mental?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, you rely on your fundamentals, so when those might be a little off, things can go a little crooked. Today I was really nervous on that 10th tee shot, and I probably hit the best shot of the day there. So to me that's a good sign for me personally.

Q. Do you work with Sports Science?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I do, his name is Greg Parton, and we've been working a lot.

Q. When you say that, what do you mean?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, I try to embrace the moment. I try not to think about stuff. So if I feel nervous, I just feel it and try to accept it and move on. I don't try to block it out. Or if I feel like I'm going to hit a bad shot, I just think about it and accept it and not try to fight the thought.

Q. Is it almost distracting the blocking it out? Is that a distraction?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, if you try not to think about something, you think about it. So we've been working on accepting it's going to be there, so just try your hardest to be okay with it. Just because you feel that way doesn't mean it's going to happen.

Q. Isn't being nervous part and parcel in playing golf? Hasn't there always been a certain level of that?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, totally. I love it. When you feel those nerves, it's a good thing. It means you're doing something right. Especially in a major, when you can -- there's a different feel. It's so cool seeing your name up on the leaderboard. I actually snuck up on the leaderboard on Monday this week with a couple of guys and we put our names up. I'm probably going to get in trouble for that?

Q. Which one, on 18?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: On 18, yeah. We climbed up there. Probably shouldn't have said that. But it was fun to see my name up there next to Phil's. It's just awesome. It's just fun.

Q. Now you're a few years into your career. Does going to a major feel like an easier option? Do you get less nervous?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I like going. I feel as though when I go to a major I have a little edge on some of the guys, so I love it. I love a bigger field tournament. I just feel like there's guys that can handle it and guys that succeed. I feel more comfortable in the bigger atmosphere. I love playing with big groups. It's just more fun for me.

Q. Do you feel any kind of feeling like when you were winning, kind of creeping back in? That adrenaline or whatever?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Kind of what I was talking about earlier, feeling nervous and executing. I prided myself on being able to do that in the hardest situations. And I just feel it coming back, and putting is really getting better.

Q. When you were slumping a bit, had you been getting negative and down? Is that part of it? It's human nature obviously.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, totally. It's just more fun to play well. It's extra hard to play well and not see the scores, and that's kind of what's been happening to me over the last couple months. That's actually harder than playing. Because everyone's wondering, I always get the question, what's wrong with you or something? And there's nothing wrong. I'm just working.

Q. That probably drags you down, I would imagine?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Big time. Everybody comes up to me and says, "What's wrong with you?" And that's the toughest. Because I tell them, I'm fine. I'm enjoying the challenge of getting better.

Q. (Inaudible).
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, yeah. I try to -- it looks weird, but I try to do my thing. Especially out here. You can't hit a shot out here and not feel comfortable, or you can make a million. You hit it in one of these bunkers or bushes, forget it. It's like hitting it out of bounds.

Q. (Inaudible).
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it was really tough. I love Pepsi, and everything he did for me. He's an unbelievable caddie, so that was really difficult.

Q. What was it? You just felt like you needed an environment change around you?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I felt like we both needed it. But we were together for five years, which is a long time out here. Six really. I just felt like it was time for a change. And I know Pepsi will land on his feet. He's such a good caddie. He'll find some player and do great.

Q. (Inaudible).
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I mean, there's part of being emotional both ways, where you can go the other way and it can get ugly. It's difficult for me to sit back and watch everybody winning that I want to be, and that's been probably the most difficult, just not being in the conversation.

So it may not happen this week, but I know it's going to. It's feeling good.

Q. What is it, technique or confidence?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, I don't know. I've had a lot of veteran players reach out to me, Hall of Famer-type guys and they've all said, We all went through this at some point. It was just a little dip and people freak out. It's your job to enjoy the challenge of coming back.

It's amazing, golf is so great because these guys have all reached out to me without me asking. It makes me feel good.

Q. Can you tell us who?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Phil, obviously, Ernie did, Freddy Couples and just everybody has just been great.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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