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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

August 4, 2016

Marc Leishman

Cromwell, Connecticut

MARC LEISHMAN

Q. Great opening round there. 6 birdies, one bogey, 65. Got to be happy with that.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, really happy. Got off to a nice start. Played the tougher holes well apart from 5. The easier holes or so-called easier holes, par-5s, I didn't play great.

You know, something to improve on for tomorrow.

Q. Looked like the back nine there were some holes for the taking today, weren't there?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, there were. I mean, 13, the par-5, 15, and then 17, and 18 are both 9-iron or wedges.

You can definitely make some birdies out there. It's the type of course where if your game is not quite on you can make bogeys as well. That's the great thing about this place.

Q. Certainly as a past champion you know you need to foul that up tomorrow.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, you can't back off here. Generally got to be a fair few under to have a chance to win. You know, 5-under is a good start. Hopefully I can keep this going tomorrow and put myself in a good spot.

Q. Six birdies, one bogey. What was working so well out there for you?
MARC LEISHMAN: Drove the ball pretty well; irons were really good; gave myself a lot of reasonably short birdie chances.

Probably didn't play the par-5s like I would've liked. Didn't birdie either of those and a couple of the easier par 4s, didn't birdie those either.

Something to improve on tomorrow, but a pretty good start and something to build on.

Q. Do the changes, in what way do they affect you?
MARC LEISHMAN: I think they've done a great job. Hasn't changed the course a whole lot. Changed the look of it a bit. Cleaned it up without having to do too much.

10 was always a pretty awkward second shot. It]s still an awkward second shot, so that's a good thing. It's a little bit tougher around greens. On the holes where it runs off into bellies you have more options.

Especially if you get a good lie you've got a lot of options. Course is great.

Q. Having won here and the memories you have, does it make it a little bit easier going around here sometimes?
MARC LEISHMAN: No, I don't think so. You know, I think any time you feel like a golf course is easy it can jump up and bite you really quickly. I've thought that in the past on certain courses and it's jumped up and bit me.

So, yeah, it's a course you have to play well on. There is a lot of birdies out there if you're hitting it well and a lot of others if you're not.

Q. Nice one on 17. Got you going. What was it about today's round that just went well?
MARC LEISHMAN: I mean, I drove the ball well and then my irons were really on. Felt confident enough to take it at most pins, and that left me a lot of reasonably short birdie chances, which they're good ones to have on a Thursday morning.

Q. How is this place different from the old course?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it's a little different just around the greens. Few more run-offs in the short grass, which just gives you more options around the greens. Rather than just grabbing your lob wedge and blasting out of the long rough, there are options.

I think they have done a really good job with it. I was saying before that 1o before the changes was an awkward second shot. They're changed the green, but it's still awkward.

Yeah, they've made it a little more difficult I think, but it's still got the same feel as the TPC River Highlands has always had. Haven't done too much to it. That's a good thing.

Q. Have you done anything different with the renovations?
MARC LEISHMAN: No, I think -- didn't really need much changing, to be honest, so I wouldn't have done anything different.

I like what they've done around the greens, shaving them down. I think once the grass matures there will be a lot more options. At the moment it's a little bit thin because it's new.

It's tough around the greens. There will be some fat chips hit and it'll make some people -- could make you look silly very easily.

No, I think they've done a good job. Like I said, it's still got the feel of TPC River Highlands, but they've made it more difficult and more playable.

Q. So still feel like the home course for you?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah. Hasn't really changed its feel much. They've just cleaned it up a bit. The bunkers look great. They've taken a few reeds out of the water.

Still the same clubs off the tees and same shots into the greens. It's got a very similar -- hasn't changed a whole lot. I like it. Same fans. Hopefully same result as 2012.

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