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THE HONDA CLASSIC

February 23, 2017

Cody Gribble

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Q. Did you see this coming?
CODY GRIBBLE: It's been good. I've honestly been swinging pretty poorly the last couple weeks, but it was a lot better -- had a great session and regardless of really what happened today, I mean, obviously I played great, but the process and what I want to with the swing was definitely -- it's getting there. We've got a long ways to go but it's a great start.

Q. Tell me about the three birdies.
CODY GRIBBLE: It was great. Honestly the way I'm swinging right now, my distance control is so much better. I'm trying to straighten out the ball flight and when you're hooking the ball too much, it's really hard to get your distance down. So hitting some really good shots today, not even on the par 3s, a couple par 4s I think I hit better shots on.

So really quality shots and hopefully I can keep making putts.

Q. 18, you weren't exactly happy with how it came off but it worked out for you.
CODY GRIBBLE: Yeah, you know, what I deserved that. But no, it was good. I pulled it a little bit. I was swinging so well today, so I didn't really think it was going to be in the water. I just wanted it to be close for an eagle putt. It stayed up and unfortunately it did go in the bunker and 2-putt.

Q. Hitting all 18 greens in regulation, how did you pull this one off?
CODY GRIBBLE: It was good. Had a good session with my teacher. Hit a lot of good-quality iron shots. Had a rough couple weeks and was really struggling. Got a few things to work on but played well. When you have a lot of 20-footers, you're going to make a couple.

Q. What are the peaks and valleys like as you try to get back to form you had before?
CODY GRIBBLE: For sure, still learning. You can easily lose confidence -- but yeah, I'm swinging a lot better than I was a couple weeks ago. Just kind of knowing my swing.

Q. 9-under won here last year, in that respect, that's pretty impressive today.
CODY GRIBBLE: Well, I didn't realize 9-under won it last year. Last year it might have been windier or whatnot. I think it changes year-to-year. But it's a hell of a start. I played great, putted well. Like to hit more fairways tomorrow with driver but my irons were great. Been a while since I've seen iron shots come off the clubface the way they did today. Great step in the right direction.

Q. You said you worked with your coach on Tuesday and you've been struggling.
CODY GRIBBLE: I saw him at Pebble. We're working on the same thing. We both know exactly how we want the ball to come out. We want less curve. I tend to draw too much. I know we wanted more of a cut swing but kind of finally -- it's hard to explain. Hard to explain. It clicked today but it could be lost again tomorrow; you never know. It was a great start like I said, and hopefully I can build on it.

Q. What's changed for you since the win in October?
CODY GRIBBLE: Honestly I think you've got to limit your expectations. It's something that I went into the fall season hoping I'd get into the event and hoping just make the cut, and end up winning, so I think that changes your expectations and what you should do in the event.

So I think I've got to really try to keep that lower and just kind of work on more how I should -- I need to be worried about my line and my next hole is going to be 10 tomorrow, making sure I have the right line tomorrow for the first shot, stuff like that.

Q. Were you planning to play this already?
CODY GRIBBLE: I didn't know if I would be in it. The win obviously got me in for sure. This is one of the tournaments I like to play. I played it well in Q-School a couple years ago. Yeah, I've got some good memories.

Q. How does compare to Sanderson?
CODY GRIBBLE: It's bermudagreens, high rough. It's similar.

Q. The field?
CODY GRIBBLE: About the same. Probably the field's a little better. But everything kind of the same feeling, just the way I'm swinging it and the way I'm stroking the ball. If I didn't continue putting, honestly if I can make a few more putts, I'll be in really good shape. Again, we've still got 54 holes.

Q. Birdies on three par 3s, that's not supposed to happen here.
CODY GRIBBLE: It was great. It's funny how that works out. I felt like last week, I didn't know how I'm going to hit irons on the greens. I don't know how I can hit an iron shot on a green, no matter if it was a 4-iron or a 9-iron.

Q. What about the birdies? Can you tell us about them, on the par 3s?
CODY GRIBBLE: So my first par 3 was No. 5. It was 212, 4-iron into the wind. Made a nice 25-footer to kind of get it going. Next hole I hit a great iron shot. Covered the bunker on No. 7. Made about a 7-, 8-footer.

Then, what other hole did I birdie on -- No. 15, I still left it -- hit it to seven feet and left it short.

17, hit a great iron shot. It was a good number. Just hit a full, hard 8-iron and came back right. It was easy to hit a nice left-to-right shot in there. It's good. Just want to keep building on things I need to work on, like I said, but it's a great start.

Q. You said you played Q-School here?
CODY GRIBBLE: I finished eighth here. That was my first year to make it to the final stage. So it was great. Played well here. Played well again. Maybe my driver was a little better that day. I'm a great driver of the ball.

Q. Do you feel like you know this course?
CODY GRIBBLE: I do. I do think this course also sets up good for me. I hit the ball great today. Just got to keep hitting fairways.

My driver has been average for me. I think I can drive the ball great. It was better today but I love narrow fairways, for sure. It doesn't scare me at all.

Q. How tough was the rough out there?
CODY GRIBBLE: It's pretty high. Certain spots out there that you have to avoid. Like No. 11 is brutal, the left side of 12. But you'll find some good lies. No. 9, I hit it to the right rough and it was definitely tolerable. There are some places you can manage to get out of, but best to stay out of it.

Q. Did lift, clean and place help, too?
CODY GRIBBLE: Yeah, it did. Being wet out there, you're going to find some mud balls, so it was nice being able to clean your ball. You have to do that. You have one mud ball out there and someone -- we're all going to be upset about it.

You know, hopefully it dries up. I think it will, to where we don't have to play it up. I think that helps a lot, too. We'll see if we can't control it.

Q. You and Spieth are buddies; will you get a text or something from him on a day like this?
CODY GRIBBLE: Probably, I don't know -- probably not. He's busy. He's busy. But if I have a good week, yeah, he'll shoot me a text. But I don't know where he is this week. He's probably back in Dallas. He's getting ready to come back but he's great. Very supportive.

Q. Something about this place that works better for a lefty?
CODY GRIBBLE: Like I said earlier, a left-to-right ball flight I think helps, but on some of those holes, the last three, four holes -- but you've still got to step up and hit the shot. 14 today, hit a great drive and we still have 200 in. Left-to-right ball flight helps a little bit. But there's also holes out there that with the pin placements, it's going to be right-to-left.

Q. Brian Harman a lefty, I'm trying to remember --
CODY GRIBBLE: Brian Harman is a lefty.

Q. He set the course record.
CODY GRIBBLE: I don't know what the stats are on it but I think there's some courses on TOUR that look good in your eye and some don't. This one I think fits good. I could go out and shoot 75 tomorrow and I won't be talking to you all for awhile.

Q. Do you try not to act like a rookie -- because these guys are already showing the way.
CODY GRIBBLE: Seeing Jordan how he came out and how successful he was and some of the rookies, for sure, I think definitely that gives you a bit of confidence knowing that it's definitely doable and you belong here but no, I think as a rookie, I think for me, I'm still learning a lot.

There's guys like Keegan Bradley today, I like to stay back and observe and make sure I'm doing the right thing and carrying myself the right way. There's a lot of work I can always do on that. There's guys that have been out here for a long time and I want to make sure I do it right.

Definitely on the course, I think my talent will prove itself and obviously it did this fall. I had a couple of really good years on the Web.com and it was just kind of my time.

Q. You kind of started this season with the wave of 20-somethings winning, Justin Thomas -- is that also motivation?
CODY GRIBBLE: Of course, it definitely is. I hate losing. I hate losing. I hate losing more than I love winning I think. Yeah, watching him do that, there's obviously goals of mine, Rookie of the Year. Definitely want to play well and reach our goals.

Q. Did you watch Keegan before your putt on 18?
CODY GRIBBLE: Yeah, his went left and mine didn't go left. I really was trying to put better speed on it. I 3-putted 16, so main concern was putting speed on it and I did. Halfway there, I thought it was going to turn over and start leaking towards that hole but good speed.

Q. How long was the lipout on 16?
CODY GRIBBLE: It was like six feet. Unbelievable. I mean, that made me want to puke. I haven't seen one of those, like that bad, in a while.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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