|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANSApril 28, 2017Patrick ReedPatrick CantlayAvondale, Louisiana Q. 10-under par under some tough conditions. PATRICK REED: Yeah, it's always nice to get out there and start playing some solid golf, especially when you have a partner like Patrick over here who really never gets out of trouble, so it always kind of frees me up and allows me to be aggressive. Q. Patrick, yesterday obviously playing alternate-shot and today best ball; how much easier was it for you today? PATRICK CANTLAY: It was a lot more freedom today. I went first off the tees and hit most of the fairways, and I think that helped set the tone and free everybody up, and we both made a bunch of putts, so great day today. Q. How did you guys decide to play together? PATRICK REED: Really Cantlay asked me whenever I was at Riv this year, and I thought it was going to be a great idea. Whenever I got asked, I went back and I talked to Justine, and I just started thinking about how Cantlay is not just as a player but how he is as a person. He's just a great guy to be around, and I really thought if we're going to come out and play here, it would be one of these events that not only could we go out and play some good golf and have a chance to win a golf tournament but also we can enjoy the four days because it's such a good time to hang around with him and come out and play some golf. Q. Patrick, how was the golf course playing out there with this added wind? PATRICK CANTLAY: It's a little tougher, but I think it's set up for the wind. The wind is really its only defense, and you can take advantage of the 5s still and some of the short 4s. But obviously more challenging, but it was good. Course is in good shape. Q. 10 birdies out there for the Patricks. How aggressive was your approach today? PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, pretty aggressive. We both wanted to have two good looks on every hole, and for the most part we did. It was a good day. Q. Patrick, a new format out there with best ball. What was your favorite part about this new format? PATRICK REED: Yeah. Man, probably the best thing about it, especially on a day like today, is Cantlay going first off most of the tees. He was able to hit the ball in the fairway which kind of allowed me to free up and be really aggressive if I wanted to. If it's just a normal stroke-play event, there's two or three holes there I definitely wouldn't even think about hitting driver, and whenever I see his ball going down the fairway, I'm sitting there going, all right, worst case scenario is you're going to have 15 feet for birdie, so I can just go ahead and send it. Q. How did the course play with the added challenge of the elements? PATRICK REED: It played a little tougher today I felt like than yesterday, but the biggest difference and the reason you're seeing a lot of low scores today is because it's best ball, so you have two guys that have an opportunity to make birdie on each hole. I feel like this is a little bit more favorable wind for the golf course. Even though some of the long holes play into the wind, a lot of the easier holes are really gettable because they're downwind. It's almost like one of those you can just go ahead and attack. Q. How did you guys decide to come together? PATRICK CANTLAY: I asked him in LA if he wanted to play, and he thought about it, consulted with his team, and decided it would be a good idea. We figured out we are both pretty intense and like team competitions, best ball and alternate-shot, so we decided to give it a go. Q. Is it just a friendship from back in college days? Is it because you saw -- was it more personality and playing with a friend or more the way you saw your games match up that you guys could have a good week? PATRICK CANTLAY: Both. I think I met Patrick when I was a sophomore or junior in high school, played a practice round with him, and we've been friends ever since, and obviously saw each other in college. We just thought we'd pair well together, and so for so good. Q. You don't have 50,000 screaming fans like Gleneagles, but does the team stuff still pull something out of you? PATRICK REED: Oh, for sure. Any time you can play with a teammate and kind of get that team atmosphere, it's always awesome. It's one of those events that I love the most. Any time you can play with somebody and get that camaraderie going and go out and just have fun, it's kind of a great change of pace. Normally it's just you and your caddie out there grinding away, and to have another guy to pick you up if you're struggling, but at the same time if you're playing well, you kind of both get on hot streaks. It's always nice to have someone out there you're pulling for because you just don't get that very often. Q. What's gone well with you guys for two days? PATRICK CANTLAY: We've played well. Q. What's really got you going? PATRICK CANTLAY: I think I feed off his intensity. He's intense out there, and it's easy to do when he's making a bunch of putts. He's played great so far. I've played really well, taken advantage of the par-5s and the short holes. Just more of the same this weekend. Q. Can you guys almost benefit from each other, you can take his serenity it seems like on the course and perhaps you can take his passion? Seems like the best of both worlds. PATRICK REED: Yeah, it is. I think the best part about it was like today on 12, he hits his drive, and it's out of character for him, he kind of hit it left, and I'm sitting there thinking to myself, not one-handed and didn't put his head down, nothing, acted like as if he hit it 320 down the middle. If that was me, who knows where that driver would have been. It calms me down and just kind of walking the golf course and talking with a guy like Cantlay, not only are you getting to know the guy a little better, but at the same time, you're learning a lot because you never have to worry about the highs and lows. You know, whether he rallies off five or six birdies or whether it's going the other way, you can't tell. With me being as fiery of a player as I am, it allows me to -- when I'm getting going, I'm not getting too high, but then at the same time, if I don't hit shots how I want to or something like that, I'm just like, all right, it's all right, we'll figure it out. Q. Do you think this week will give Captain Stricker something to chew over? PATRICK REED: I'd hope so. Yeah, he's a great player, and -- PATRICK CANTLAY: How nice is he? Jesus. That's way too nice. PATRICK REED: No, he is a great player. Every time we set up there, and if I'm kind of sitting there thinking, all right, well, do I want to be really aggressive on this one or not, yeah, I can play as aggressive and I want because really it doesn't seem like there's a shot he can't pull off, and he doesn't get rattled if a shot doesn't go his way or anything like that. I think that's huge, especially for a team atmosphere like that and an event like this. It's definitely helping us out mentally and also once you start seeing putts fall, sky's the limit for us. Q. Patrick, you're going to start throwing your hands up to your ear and doing all sorts of celebrations now, too, aren't you? PATRICK CANTLAY: We'll see. I might feed off it, you never know. I think we both bring each other more to the middle. I think we're both kind of on the extreme sides, and we bring each other to the middle, and I think that's good. Q. Missing the past two years, it would be pretty hard to qualify in points for the FedExCup -- PATRICK CANTLAY: A couple wins would do it probably. Q. If you would need a captain's pick, do you feel like playing with a guy who might be on the team, as well, would help your case at all? PATRICK CANTLAY: I think playing well any time would help. It's obviously a goal of mine, and I know it's an uphill battle, but I've been playing great, and I love team golf. I'd love to be able to get a chance to put my name in the mix there. But I'd like to qualify. I'd like to just go win a couple times and take care of business. You know, it is one of my goals, and I love team golf. It would be an honor for me if I were able to get up there. Q. Who's in charge of the scripting? PATRICK CANTLAY: I kind of forgot who picked yesterday. Yeah, we've kind of been alternating. Q. Is it dealer's choice? PATRICK CANTLAY: I don't know. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|