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CIMB CLASSIC

October 21, 2016

Justin Thomas

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Q. Another fine round today,66, you're making a habit of this at the CIMB, what was the difference between yesterday's round and today's round, because it looked like you had it going again.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Today I didn't play as well as I did yesterday. I drove it better which was good but I definitely had a couple iron shots and a couple wedges that I felt like I should have hit closer, but bogey-free is always good. I didn't hit it very good my first seven holes, so I just kind of managed it around at 1-under and started playing better from there on in.

Q. We always talk about form and a guy liking a golf course. In your case, is it form, or is it the golf course, that you just see the shots around here?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don't know. At this point I don't really care. If I keep playing well, I don't really care. But I don't know, there's definitely some holes that fit my eye, and there's a couple tee shots on the par 5s where I have a little bit of an advantage over some guys. But you still have to hit the shots. I feel like I'm playing pretty well.

Q. 14-under now, two more days. Do you have a number in mind?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I have no idea. You don't know what the conditions are like or what other people can do. The thing about this course, you can go and shoot 12-, 13-under in a day.

Hopefully I can get it going a little bit this weekend like I did Friday last year and post a couple good numbers. But you never know what's going to happen out there.

Q. Another great round for you today. Can you tell us what it was like?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It was a solid day. It was nothing special for sure. First seven holes, I didn't feel like I played very well. I just was kind of getting into the round and I felt like I missed a couple putts that I felt like I could have or should have made and then I started playing better from there on in.

I drove the ball well and had it in the fairways a lot and had a lot of birdie opportunities. There's definitely a couple shots I'd like to have back, but I mean, going bogey-free and 6-under is always good.

Q. Your first time defending a title. What does that do to you? Does it put extra pressure or does it help you?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don't think really either. I think everyone handles it differently but I just try to take it like another golf tournament. I still need to come out here and get a good game plan and play from tee-to-green like I want to play and give myself a lot of birdie opportunities because you have to do that out here.

I really try not to think a lot about the fact that I won last year. I'm really just trying to focus on each and every shot that I'm hitting.

Q. What is it about this golf course that suits your game so well?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I think a lot of wedges. I feel like I'm a pretty good wedge player, and you just kind of have to know how far your ball is going. There's not a lot of wind out here, so if you know how far it's going, you're going to be around pin-high all the time.

I feel like I've been hitting it solid enough or hitting it well enough to where I know my distances and I've definitely hit some good iron shots the last couple days and especially last year. But it's just, I don't know, I guess there's something about it that I like.

Q. Ryan Moore has managed to defend his title two years in a row. What would it mean to you to be able to do that successfully, as well?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It would be great. Really don't know how to describe it. Hopefully I'll be able to tell you in a couple days.

Q. You made the pledge for $250 per birdie. Did you know you would make this many birdies when you made that pledge? Starting to rethink that number at all?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Not at all, I planned on making a lot of birdies. I knew I made 30 and two eagles here last year, and I knew Safeway was a birdie-fest and I know it's kind of the same in China.

I intended to make a lot of birdies. It wasn't something like I was doing during the -- wasn't doing it during Augusta or the U.S. Open. I want to help out any way I can, and more birdies wins for everybody.

Q. Looks like you'll be probably paired with Anirban going into the weekend. Obviously he's going to have a lot of popularity here. Have you played with him before?
JUSTIN THOMAS: We've played a couple times. He's a great dude. We've had a lot of fun together. He's fun to be around, fun to play with. It should be a pretty good crowd for us out there.

I've just managed my game really well the last couple days and I drove it a little bit better today. I didn't play as well today as I did yesterday and didn't make quite as many putts, but it was a solid day overall and I felt like any time I got in trouble, I managed to salvage par.

Q. So far tomorrow --
JUSTIN THOMAS: I'm just going to try to do the same thing. Just going to try to hit fairways and from there, I'll be able to attack because I'll have short-scoring clubs. Out here, you have to make a lot of birdies to get closer to the lead or build a lead, so I'm just going to try to keep doing the same thing and make a lot of birdies.

Q. Satisfied with the achievement today?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I'm not crazy satisfied. I'm obviously happy with the round, and I probably would have taken it before the day started but I definitely level some shots out there. But it is what it is and I played well those last 11 holes to shoot 6-under.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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