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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

August 4, 2016

Jerry Kelly

Cromwell, Connecticut

Q. Jerry, opening 64. You played college golf down the road. What kind of an emotional lift do you get coming here?
JERRY KELLY: It's just great to see the a lot of the people come out and support me. I mean, it's really nice. I was only here for a short time, four years, but a lot of people call this my second home. It's kind of nice.

Q. You have a big birthday coming up in November. We see players like Vijay hanging around and Davis Love hanging around post age 50. What are you going to do in November and going into 2017?
(Laughter.) You're waving good-bye.

JERRY KELLY: Bye-bye. No, I'm going to play here and there. I can't say good-bye. I kept on saying there are four or five tournaments that have a pull on me, just an emotional pull, and probably a playability pull as well.

I'll definitely stick around and play those. I plan on a full schedule out there. I want to play.

Q. Keep it going this week, Jerry.
JERRY KELLY: Thanks.

Q. Jerry, you hit the magic number, 64. Took a club change there on the 9th hole. What were you wavering between?
JERRY KELLY: Between 9 and 8. I hit my 8 150 and my 9 140, and we couldn't figure out if it was going to help or if it was going to hurt just a little bit the way I hit my draw up into the wind.

In the end, it was hot enough. I told him, I just want to hit something hard, and it came out pretty nice.

Q. Yeah, the right club and had a great putt there to hit 64 there. Was it a matter of patience on what was your back side, the front nine today for you?
JERRY KELLY: Yeah, I hit a lot of good shots. I putted well also. I hit a couple good shots that would roll off the greens, and then I would have very tough up and downs.

I use the putter a lot from off the green, which I'm fairly good at. It's tough up and downs on some of these when you short side yourself. Being able to have the putter in my hand helped. I hit the ball very well.

Q. You deserved an eagle. You made a great eagle on 15. Tell us about that.
JERRY KELLY: Oh, it's fun. The old guy just trying to get it to the green and it stayed up on the right side. I've never been able to put the pin down there, so I was kind of thinking I was putting down a cliff.

I hit it harder than I wanted to and it just got there, so I'm glad I gave it that little extra.

Q. Feeling young again here with a 64?
JERRY KELLY: Absolutely. I get great feelings here. It's kind of like playing at home. People are behind me and I appreciate it. It helps an emotional guy like me.

Q. What was it about today? Nobody else in the afternoon group is making any kind of run.
JERRY KELLY: Well, I know I'm a dive putter, and it makes the hole a little bit bigger when I'm on with my speed. I was pretty on with my speed today on my putter. It got tough. They get bumpy. We all know what the poana can do.

I hit some very good short putts to save par. That was the key to the round. The eagle is one thing. That's a nice little carry to have.

But those five-footers, when it starts getting bumpy and you're aiming outside the hole, those are tough.

Q. Is it any more special doing well here?
JERRY KELLY: Absolutely it is when you've got people really rooting for you. You know I'm not that name that has people constantly yelling everywhere that I go - it would be nice - but the people are really behind me.

I'm an emotional player, and I think that as a positive emotion. A lot of guys will put more on themselves because of it. I kind of take on their good vibes and run with it. It's fun.

Q. Did you have a feeling or anything waking up or at the range loosening up that you might have your good stuff today?
JERRY KELLY: No, it's been the last -- Canada was the first week that I really played with this swing. I really feel comfortable with what I'm doing right now. Every once in a while you get a golfer who says, Oh, if I had a time machine. If I could go back.

I feel like I just learned how to swing the golf club. I've said that a whole bunch of times during my career. I would like this one to last a little bit longer. Being a feel player, all those feels tend to wear out with me.

I feel like I'm mechanically much better than I ever have been. I'm hitting much better shots than I ever have, and I don't feel like I am as much of a timing striker.

So, you know, it's tough these days of my age to throw four of them together. Gets tiring. But I'm in good enough shape. I can handle it.

Q. (No microphone.)
JERRY KELLY: I mean, you just wake up the next morning and do the same thing. I've been doing this long enough that you don't copy what you did today, you don't -- you just basically do your job. A feel player, it's tough going four days in a row.

I feel like I'm a little less of one with the move that I have right now, and I feel confident that I can. So whether it happens or not that's up to the golf gods, but I feel pretty confident right now.

Q. Said you want to go to the Senior Tour after this year.
JERRY KELLY: Yeah.

Q. Is this a tournament you'll keep playing? What are your plans for here and what does this year here mean to you?
JERRY KELLY: I already told Nathan. If I'm welcome, I'm here. This is definitely one the tournaments that has an emotional pull for me and something that if they want me here, I'm here to show up for them.

But they got plenty of good young players. You know, that's great for them. But this is definitely one of them that I mentioned, yes.

Q. What did you hit on 15? Talk about the putt. Was it like 45 feet?
JERRY KELLY: 15, I hit driver. Yeah, I'm not the get-it-on-the-green-3-wood type there unless it's rock hard.

I did an easy driver, which was nice to keep an easier one straight. But it just rolled up under the right-hand side plateau.

That's a putt I've never had before because they have never had the pin down there before. They just built that side of the green up. It was a question mark how fast it was going to be, and judged it correctly apparently.

Q. What do you think of the changes in the golf course?
JERRY KELLY: I think aesthetically, you know, they're beautiful changes. It almost makes it seem like an older golf course, but a very refined golf course.

I think it's beautiful. I think they took some of the difficulty out in some holes. I think taking some bunkers out might have made it easier for some players.

I think they put it hopefully longer out there, that it's tougher on the longer players. There are a few holes that are definitely a little bit easier for me, I think. It's just such a great track. It's fun to play.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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