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AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

February 11, 2017

Rob Oppenheim

Pebble Beach, California

Q. A third round, 68. Other than this weather, what was working for you today?
ROB OPPENHEIM: Just the energy of our group. Playing with Bill Perocchi, the CEO at Pebble, who is a good friend, Coach Belichick and Ricky Barnes, we had a great time. So to have nice weather, be here at Pebble Beach, it doesn't get much better than this. Especially after a Patriots Super Bowl win.

Q. With a sponsor's exemption, what was your mindset going into this week with this opportunity?
ROB OPPENHEIM: It was a great opportunity, just try to make the most of it. And fortunate enough to make some putts and so far, so good. One more day left, but, yeah, any time you get a chance it's great to take advantage of it.

Q. What does it mean to you to be in this position going into the final round at such a historic place?
ROB OPPENHEIM: Yeah, to be at Pebble Beach and, yeah, it doesn't get any better than this. A day like this, to play with Coach Belichick and Bill Perocchi, Ricky Barnes, we had so much fun out there. The momentum -- even though -- I'm not sure all the football fans mixed into the golf, but the momentum we could feel and everyone cheering for coach out there, we had a blast and to play well is definitely it helped.

Q. (No Microphone.)
ROB OPPENHEIM: The pin was back on 5, so you got to be careful to go long. But I had a good number, so I was comfortable and I landed about pin high, came back a little bit, gave myself about a six, seven foot downhill slider, but fortunate enough to capitalize with that so it was a good way to finish. Hopefully it was good enough for our team to make the cut with Bill Perocchi, that will be fun.

Q. Hopefully. Reading up on you, your favorite course to play is here at Pebble Beach. You got to be excited just to be in the event in the first place.
ROB OPPENHEIM: A hundred percent. I was fortunate enough to get a sponsor exemption and my first U.S. Amateur I played 1999 and then had some success here. That's where I met Bill Perocchi and we have been pretty good friends ever since. So to be here is very special.

Q. 158th last year in your rookie season on the PGA TOUR. Didn't quite retain your playing rights. Where does that leave you now? Playing a bit of WEB.COM and here when you can?
ROB OPPENHEIM: Exactly. Any opportunity I can get. Like it's great to have an opportunity and try to make something of it. But, yeah, for now, I'm full status on the WEB.COM, so they're actually in Columbia, so I was fortunate enough to be playing here instead of there. But if things don't go well, I'll be in Panama next week playing the WEB.COM.

Q. Bill Belichick, the coach to the Patriots, was out there playing in your four-ball. You're a Patriots fan, you went to the Super Bowl and saw that incredible comeback. What was it like, how cool to be out there with him?
ROB OPPENHEIM: It's a dream week. Once I found out that I was playing with him, I said, I have to go to the Super Bowl, and I made that happen and it was a special -- it was a special week. And to play well is just icing on the cake. But just to be out here with him and with Bill Perocchi and Ricky Barnes, we had a blast and it's a dream week for sure. Hopefully keep it going.

Q. You're obviously in great shape. How big a sense of opportunity is there tomorrow, because it could potentially be life changing if you go on to win it?
ROB OPPENHEIM: No question. Yeah, this is a great opportunity, it's nice to play well and take advantage of it. And that's all you can do in golf is get opportunities and hopefully manage to take advantage of it. It's nice to, especially here at Pebble Beach, my favorite course, and it's a great opportunity.

Q. Vaughn Taylor did it last year. Watch out. Good luck tomorrow.
ROB OPPENHEIM: Thank you very much.

Q. Great playing today. It was a little chilly out there, heavy breeze, especially coming in.
ROB OPPENHEIM: Well, we had the Boston group, so we're used to these kind of cold temperatures so it was nice out here. The sun came out, so at Pebble to have some sun, it was fun. We had a great day out there.

Q. I got to ask because I asked my producer, I go, now, who is Belichick playing for because you were helping him with that chip shot there at 18. That wasn't your partner.
ROB OPPENHEIM: No, but he, coach, anything coach needs, I'm there to help. But he was fun to play with and I get to be paired with Bill Perocchi the CEO here, who is a good friend from Boston. So we had a blast and it helps to -- when you have a good group it -- kind of feed off each other, we had fun and I think that's, that helped me play well this week so far.

Q. I think that's the most important thing, you're playing well, but man, to have fun here at Pebble Beach with friends, I mean, it takes away a lot of the outside stuff. There's been a lot this week.
ROB OPPENHEIM: No question. We had a blast out there. I went to the Super Bowl in Houston last week. So then to do that and then to come here and play with Coach Belichick, it's a dream week. So, excited to be here.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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