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THE BARCLAYS

August 28, 2016

Bubba Watson

Farmingdale, New York

Q. Nice to finish off the week in that fashion?
BUBBA WATSON: It's very good going forward, two more weeks in a row, so hopefully just keep improving.

Q. How do you feel the golf course played?
BUBBA WATSON: It's always tough. You're getting firmer conditions, so the greens are getting a little bit more crusty I guess you'd say. So the ball can bounce or bounce off-line when you're putting. It was getting tough out there and obviously with the pressure, people trying to move up the leaderboard, people trying to move up the FedExCup. Coming down the back nine, with the wind that it is, it's going to be tough.

Q. A couple of your highlights, a run of three on the bounce, this was at 5. Just coming out of the first cut.
BUBBA WATSON: We had 162 with the adjustments so I tried to chip-holed a 9-iron in there. Came out perfect. Just one of those things you're waiting to see or hear a roar, because you can't see the bottom of the cup, so you have to wait for the roar.

Q. And then this one at 9. Heading out in 32, out of the rough?
BUBBA WATSON: I hit a drive, just tried to hit it over that bunker. Caught a little bit of the rough but had a good lie. It's only 120 to the hole but it's just a sand wedge up there and somehow I made the putt again.

Q. Overall your game, what's giving you the most satisfaction?
BUBBA WATSON: It comes down to confidence. You know, you miss some putts, you miss some shots, you get down so it carries over. I'm hitting the ball where I need to be hitting it but just not scoring. Hit a beautiful shot over 18, went over the flagstick, made a quick bogey. Wasn't a bad execution. Just went farther than we expected.

Q. Got to ask you, as well, as you mentioned, an awful lot on people's minds, FedExCup, and a little matter of The Ryder Cup; how much is that at the forefront of your mind?
BUBBA WATSON: I can't control it. Obviously I didn't make enough to jump up in front of anybody. Patrick Reed is going to jump up. So right now, Zach's the one that's on the bubble.

I've got to keep playing. I'm six in the world. I don't think there's anyway I can fall out of the Top-10 by the time they make the picks. If he doesn't pick me, he doesn't pick me.

Q. A solid round today, 5-under, what was working for you?
BUBBA WATSON: Today I hit some fairways, made some putts. The only green I missed was 18 and it was one of my better shots of the day, too. Just went farther than we expected, so I think that was the only green I missed all day and cost me a bogey.

It was a good day, solid week going forward. Generally keep improving, and keep moving up the FedExCup.

Q. Happy with the state of your game?
BUBBA WATSON: No, we always want to win, but if you look at records, we don't win that much. It's getting better. I think playing each week, this grind that we've had the last couple months, getting better, because I'm getting the reps in. I'm getting the energy level up, getting focused on the FedExCup.

It's about making the scores. I'm hitting the shots but I've got to get the scores to get lower somehow.

Q. Do you look at the next two events as sort of an audition for Mr. Love?
BUBBA WATSON: Yes, I think that's what it is, but I don't think it's the next two events. He's got to have ideas, right. We were looking at it today, we were at breakfast today, me and some guys, and right now if you look at it, if it just ended right now, how this tournament ends, Rickie wins and Patrick comes in second, I'm guessing he's still first and second, I don't know if they teed off yet. But if that happens, I think Zach bumps out, right.

So then you've got to pick Zach, right. He's played so well over the last couple years. As of right now, I'm sixth in the world. I don't think -- it's going to be hard for me to fall all the way outside the Top-10 but I could do it. I'm still pretty highly ranked. But that doesn't pick me because the eight spots are the ones that are guaranteed.

Q. You've made five times and never got a captain's pick. What is the feeling, a little uncomfortable?
BUBBA WATSON: No, not uncomfortable at all. You know, it's one of those things where if you don't play good enough, you can't get mad at it. I can't get mad at anything. I tried to make the team just like everybody else and I didn't make it.

If I don't get picked, then I've got a week off. Getting ready for the new season since the new season starts two weeks later (laughs).

Q. Would you pick yourself?
BUBBA WATSON: Well, if I was captain, yeah, I'd be a playing captain, for sure. Be the first one to do it if nobody does it between now and if I'm ever captain.

Q. Do you need any extra edge; does a big course like Hazeltine give you a little extra push?
BUBBA WATSON: Well, I missed the cut by one last time I played Hazeltine. So obviously it wasn't high on my list at that time.

Q. How long did it take you to recover from the Olympics? Because you were nonstop for 15 days.
BUBBA WATSON: I've still not recovered from it. And I'm not saying energy level. I just miss it. Cable TV is boring. The Olympics is over; these are people I hung out with, had dinner with, hung out in the team room with watching with, and now it's over. I kept in touch with some of the people and been interacting with them through text messages and stuff.

No, you miss it. We're used to a 12-man team plus some captains but this was 554 people plus some helpers. It was a big family.

Q. Did you bring back any mementos or souvenirs?
BUBBA WATSON: Oh, man, no, just our clothes that we were given. I don't ever ask anybody for anything.

Q. From your experience in Ryder Cups, when it works best in pairings, is it more games that are similar or opposite or is it more temperaments, friendship?
BUBBA WATSON: I have no idea, because I've never won a Ryder Cup. So obviously whatever I say is not going to be good enough. I don't know that. I mean, if you're making putts; but every Ryder Cup that I've been on, it looks like The European Team has made every putt they looked at. And so I don't care who I'm paired with, as long as they are making putts, we're good.

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