	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2017

Patrick Cantlay

Palm Harbor, Florida

Q. Since November of 2014, this is your second start on the PGA TOUR and here you are 10-under par and looking to be in the final group on Sunday. What were your expectations going into this week?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Try not to have too many expectations. Trying to stick to my program and hit a lot of fairways and greens. But just trying to do my deal and not worry about anything else, because I can't control everything.

Q. You had a lot of highlights. The par 3, No. 8, what did you see from your tee shot?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Normal 7, and I got a nice little kick off the fringe. I pulled it a touch.

11, another 7-iron. Drive and hit the back edge of the bunker and kicked way down there. It was a good one. Pulled it again just a little bit but right to the fat of the green, another lucky bounce it looks like.

The last, I liked it, especially after missing an easy one on 17. It was nice to see that one go in. A little bonus.

Q. Gary was talking about the situation you're in, trying to earn as many points as possible. When you see yourself playing well and you have 18 holes to go tomorrow, what goes through your mind?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Same deal. I'm on my program, my deal. Not going to worry about anything else. Fairways and greens, and make as many putts as I can.

Q. What a beautiful round of golf, five birdies, no bogeys, 66. What was working so well for you today?
PATRICK CANTLAY: The course is tough, so everything was working today. Everything was good. Hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. Tried to play smart and play to the middle of greens. You know, take my chances when I got them on some of the fives. Rolled it well, too. Rolled a long one in on the last, so that was nice.

Q. You're a sponsor's exemption this week. I have to think that Valspar is happy with the way you've been playing and you've certainly validated their selection.
PATRICK CANTLAY: I hope so. They are doing a great job. Golf course is fantastic and they are putting on a great event. Hopefully I can play well tomorrow, too.

Q. It's only your second start since the end of 2014 season. You've had your shares of trials and tribulations. What were your expectations coming into this week here?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Try not to have much expectation. Just trying to stick to my game plan, and I know my game is good, and I've been able to prep how I want for the tournament. Just trying to do my own deal and see where it ends up.

Q. Surprised at all?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Not really. It's just numbers. It's just shooting numbers. It doesn't really matter. It's just a numbers game. So I'm just -- my game has been good. I've been playing good, so doesn't really surprise me. I've played some good rounds in practice, and my prep's been good. So I'm very happy but not too surprised.

Q. How do you compare yourself now to the guy we saw tearing it up as an amateur player?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Same guy. A few more lows, highs and lows. Gave me a little different perspective. At the time things were rolling so good all the time. I guess I didn't think they could go any other way. But life hit me in the face pretty quick.

So it's really nice to be here playing, feeling good, and playing well.

Q. Did you do any exercises on the back before you go out to play?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Oh, yeah, all the time. Every day.

Q. How does it feel?
PATRICK CANTLAY: It feels good, yeah. Very happy with it. I've got a good team behind me and putting in the work every day, being diligent and sticking to all the things that make me feel good and play good. It's doing well, yeah.

Q. What's the pre-round regimen look like?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, starts earlier than definitely before when I played, last I played on the TOUR. But it's good. It gives me a good frame of mind and starts maybe three hours before. Got plenty of stuff. Plenty of stuff to do. It's good. It gets me into a good routine and I stick to it.

Q. Do you have to hit less balls or how does your preparation work?
PATRICK CANTLAY: No, it feels good. I hit the appropriate amount of balls to feel like I'm ready for the event. But I like playing, anyway. I never stood on the range for too long. That's good I guess.

Q. What's the regimen after the round?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Regimen after the round, you know, just lots of rest and making sure I do all the things that helps me. I've got some mobility stuff and I've got a trainer here that helps me with some body work.

So you know, just trying to feel like I try and get up as good as I can, primed and ready to go, and then after, I just try and cool off as best as I possibly can and wait to get revved up the next day.

Q. How did you spend the past month trying to get ready for this?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I played Pebble. It was nice to play a TOUR event again. Been a long time, almost three years.

I was at home in California and working with Jamie Mulligan, my coach, and playing golf with some buddies. Just trying to get sharp.

Q. How worried were you that you would never get to play out here again?
PATRICK CANTLAY: It was a concern for sure. You know, being out for so long and not feeling the best for a long time. But I knew I was always going to be able to, I'm very fortunate and very happy. I put in a lot of hard work to feeling good and I'm happy to be back playing.

Q. When you've had early success, away that long, how long does it take for confidence to get back, and was that a concern at all?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I did a lot of really good things at Pebble. I didn't ever feel like I put my foot on the gas and kept it there. I felt like I was a little shaky and maybe not being able to keep momentum, from being out so long, was to be expected.

I took Pebble as a big positive because I did so many good things, and just tried to build on that in my prep for this event. I definitely have had a ton of momentum, and played really well the last two rounds.

Q. Taking the foot off the gas, was that a positive?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I just mean I had some stretches at Pebble where I played really, really well, and then something would kind of throw me off. I would hit a weird shot or something, and the last -- not on purpose, but more so, sometimes I would maybe be a little bit upset if I was in full swing, but I wasn't able to capitalize on playing well. But instead because I've been out for so long, I just took it as a big positive that I had a bunch of really nice things going on in my game and I was looking forward to getting back if the groove and feeling more comfortable.

Q. It was a happy week?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, for sure.

Q. Talking about positivity, do you have any mind coach?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I do not have a mind coach. But my swing coach, he helps me, too, Jamie. He helps me with that a little bit. It's kind of, I don't want to say global, but it's all-encompassing.

Q. What do you work on inside?
PATRICK CANTLAY: You know, not getting too attached to any particular outcome, and just keep trying to go through the process and make smart decisions and stay committed to every shot and realizing that you can't control everything. You can only control what you do and how you react.

Q. With all the perks you would get for winning tomorrow, all the perks, how would you feel about getting into the Masters?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I'm not thinking about it. I'm just trying to play well. I'm just trying to hit fairways and greens, stay in a good rhythm and keep my foot on the gas and just keep going.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297