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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

August 5, 2016

Paul Casey

Cromwell, Connecticut

Q. Clean card today in round two; one bogey in round one.
PAUL CASEY: Thank you. Yeah. I mean, it's soft. It's there for the taking, but nobody is really tearing it apart.

I saw Jerry Kelly popped up there about 8-under at one point. Thought he was going to keep kicking on and go to double digits.

The fact that I'm only a couple behind right now shows it's tough, even with the soft fairways we've got.

Q. What do you think of the changes to the golf course this year being familiar and playing well last year?
PAUL CASEY: Whenever you hear changes it's like, Oh. Nine out of ten times you're not too fond of it. This is the one out ten that they got it very right. I heard they removed as many as 60 bunkers.

I think the key is it's tough to see where the changes were made. I think that's a great example of they've done a wonderful job. I think they have enhanced the golf course. They have put a couple bunkers in places where you do notice it. Holes like 15, which is the risk/reward drivable par-4 which guys will be challenging this week. They've mixed those around a little bit and thrown some bunkers down the middle of the fairway that you need to carry now.

I love it. It's a little bit soft in places because obviously haven't had time for the changes to mature, but that adds in the challenge as well.

Job well done.

Q. 68 yesterday; 67 today. Going in the right direction.
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I am. You know, it's a logjam right there as well. I've played some really solid golf the last two days. I think I may have only missed one green today; only one bogey yesterday.

So, yeah, really clean stuff. But it's not that easy to really tear it to pieces. When Jerry popped up on the leaderboard I thought he was going to carry on and get to double digits. We haven't seen that.

It's not that far behind and you're struggling to make the cut. You know, I'm in a wonderful position, but this is going to be a logjam, shootout, come the weekend.

Q. You've played very well here. They've made changes to the golf course. How is it suiting you?
PAUL CASEY: I really like it. I think the key point was it's difficult to notice where the changes have been made. That's wonderful. I didn't know anything about the changes until I sat and had breakfast last week with Bubba at the PGA.

You know, both of us were kind of like, Eh, our reaction, because we've seen changes before to other great golf courses. It's like, Maybe you should have used to the money and just given to charity and not touched it. But they've done a wonderful job.

Golf courses do need freshening up. They need maintenance. They need looking after. This is great. I think it adds to the playability of the golf course, adds to the challenge, and they should be applauded for what they've done.

Q. Interesting tournament. Nobody is really running away. Everybody is close to the cut, close to the lead.
PAUL CASEY: Yes. Yeah, if you're close to the lead you're close to missing the cut. Yeah, can't explain that. It's just a really good, tough golf course. But there are no surprises. Nothing is tricked out on it.

Maybe you could argue that the pace of the greens is -- and they're po, you got to remember that, which get a little bumpy in the afternoon -- which can prevent guys from holing lots of putts from maybe some different surfaces you see used on TOUR.

It adds to the beauty because I love playing on po greens. They've got a little bent in there as well.

So trying to figure out what type of grass you've got, it gets very confusing. It's very difficult to make putts. If the fairways weren't soft the way they are, I think scores would be a lot higher. You've got big, wide fairways.

But it's a great golf course. It's playing simple. No tricks. If you play well, you get rewarded.

Q. You feel good about where you are? You're right in there with everybody else.
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I feel really good. Yeah. It's been a very nice, clean couple days. One bogey. Only one missed green today.

I would like to make a few more putts. Then you could argue maybe I should hit it a bit closer. No complaints. I've even sent Johnny McLaren home for the day. We're not even going to work. We're going to save the energy.

Q. Do you think with the wind picking up a little bit this afternoon things will pretty much stay where they are? You think anyone gets to double digits before Saturday?
PAUL CASEY: I don't know. Got as much clue as you do. You tell me. The conditions we had yesterday, if they turn out the same, like you say, the wind picked up a little bit, but the greens got a little crusty.

Be interesting to see if they threw water on them last night and this morning to avoid that crust developing. When they got crusty they were really difficult to putt on. That would prevent guys from going really low.

If they don't get crusty, yeah, maybe we'll see double digits. Either way, I don't care. I'm in a good position and I'm really looking forward to it.

Q. Is there a number you think about over the next two days that you got to get to to win it?
PAUL CASEY: No. I think tomorrow we got some weather coming in. Not sure what that means. Maybe some possible thunderstorms. It'll be a case of keeping my nose clean again and throwing in another -- we'll see the conditions.

If it's soft, I would like to throw in like a 4-, 5-under. If it's firmer, a little more difficult, then 3- or 4-under may be a really good score.

Other than that, we react to what the leaders are doing, especially on Sunday. Then you look at the leaderboard on Sunday.

Q. Is this a tournament you were looking forward to playing because you were so close last year?
PAUL CASEY: Yes. Very much so. Very much so. Yeah, so a little bit of unfinished business. Like to go one better than last year. I've had a really good feeling ever since I met Andy Burset (ph) and the guys at Travelers. Just really like the people.

Never had the opportunity to play before because the scheduling and playing in Europe. Really, really like it. I would like to put it on the schedule as often as I can.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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