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AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 22, 2016

Mardy Fish

Stateline, Nevada

THE MODERATOR: Nice round today. 22 points. Right in the hunt. 27 is leading. Number of guys at 24, 23, 22. So you are where you need to be. Go through your round a little bit and tell us what was working and what might not have been.

MARDY FISH: Yeah, I hit the ball okay. I just didn't score well. The greens are tricky. There's a lot of run-out after you think the ball's going to stop, and I had a few 3-putts. Actually hit the first ten greens in regulation, just only shot, I think, maybe even par through that or something. So didn't make much.

But like I said, didn't shoot myself out of it. And you can certainly make some doubles out there. And I didn't do that. So that's good.

Q. So fairly solid. You started off the tournament as one of the co-favorites at 3-to-1. You're right in the hunt. How are you feeling going into the weekend?
MARDY FISH: It's fine. I think in Orlando, when I won there, hit 23 in the first day, something like that. So nothing to write home about. But, again, still right there. With the point structure the way it is, you're a hole or two away from being back in it.

Q. You mentioned double bogeys here is what kills everybody out here if they do it. But you were pretty solid all day today. No doubles and, what, five birdies, I think?
MARDY FISH: Four or five birdies, bunch of bogeys. You just make sure you stay away from those doubles. You can make as many bogeys as you want. You can go birdie/bogey, birdie/bogey all day. Just gotta make a lot of birdies. The greens are really tough.

They're rolling incredibly true but incredibly fast. And so I think the scores will be quite lower than last year's just because of that.

Q. Last year I think --
MARDY FISH: 82.

Q. -- Mark Mulder with 82.
MARDY FISH: I don't think we'll see that this year.

Q. What do you think might win it?
MARDY FISH: We always thought 25 a day would put you in a really good spot. So mid-70s. Good players. Jack can play really well. There's no reason why he can't shoot 25 every day now. So you never know. But that sort of felt like -- although I did that last year and that put me in fourth. I think I had like 74 or something like that. But I think it will be different this year.

Q. Are you thinking maybe more aggressive tomorrow or is this the kind of course right now where the greens are that you have to stay patient?
MARDY FISH: I wasn't as -- I mean, my strategy won't change tomorrow. I'll just need to make more putts, execute a few more shots and a few chips and things like that. So it's all there. It's all good.

Q. When did you make the transition from golf to tennis? And Roenick and Modano were in here saying that they're playing in pain from hockey injuries. Any tennis injuries?
MARDY FISH: I have a lot of tennis injuries. We're the only sport where we play on concrete the whole time. So we've got a lot of hip and ankle and knee stuff going on. But they're a ton older than me so I don't have to -- (laughter).

No, I've been playing golf my whole life, just tennis, so nothing new.

Q. Is there anybody you want to play with in the round tomorrow? I mean are there guys you played better with that you're more comfortable with?
MARDY FISH: I'd love to play with Charles; never played with Barkley. I think he would really step my game up. I think he'd really step my game up. Larry the Cable Guy would be really fun to play with.

No, these guys are all so friendly. It's such a fun camaraderie with all the guys. And so you either play practice rounds or are paired with them once or twice here or there.

I think it will be, if they go by just the finish, it will be Sterling, who I've never played with, which will be great. And J.R., which I played with once here, I believe, and we have a blast.

So it's fun. It's impossible not to have fun, regardless.

Q. Any nerves for tomorrow, being in the hunt?
MARDY FISH: I'm sure first tee shot, first hole kind of thing. It was definitely today. You can book me for a bogey on the first hole pretty much every year. Stepping out. And I actually hit two good shots. I 3-putted the green pretty easily, pretty simple 3-putt. So I'm sure -- you want to win.

Q. The experience that you had in Florida, in Orlando, obviously ought to help steel you for this this weekend, you think?
MARDY FISH: It helps. It helps to just sort of feel like not only can you do it but you can sort of come through, you can sit on a lead. And this is very new for us, so I've never sat on an overnight lead in a golf tournament before.

So all that stuff helps to go through it. And I won that one by 14 points. This is going to be a much more difficult, it's a much more difficult course so it will be different.

Q. How were the fans out there today? Was it boisterous for you guys throughout, or was it --
MARDY FISH: They were tempered. We were the last group, I think the last group off No. 1. So most of the guys -- 17, 18 is the same as always, which is awesome.

You're just hoping for a 3 on 17 and getting out of there as quick as you can. Make as many basketball shots as you can and soak it all in.

I remember watching this tournament on TV when I was young and I had a total different vision before I got here to actually see it in person off 17. It's really fun to be a part of it.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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