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ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 29, 2017

Avondale, Louisiana

MARK WILLIAMS: We welcome Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith. You guys have played solidly over the first 54 holes. You're at 19-under par, and you have a four-stroke lead over a couple other teams here at the Zurich Classic.

It seems like you've conquered both formats. Just talk about what you're looking forward to tomorrow with the fourball and just a little bit about your performance today.

JONAS BLIXT: I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Just being out there with Cameron, it's just fun. It's like going back to playing as a kid. You just go out there and have fun and try to make birdies, and just I don't feel like there's any stress at all out there and there's no pressure. He's always got my back and I try to have his, and I mean, the shots he hit today into the wind that he was faced with was very impressive. He hit them like a seasoned veteran. Well done.

MARK WILLIAMS: Cameron, has this format exceeded your expectations?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I guess so. I was just looking forward to really having a good week with Jonas, and kind of feels like back in the amateur days for me when we used to play foursomes and singles in the Interstate Series at home.

Yeah, it's nice to just go out there and relax and have some fun.

Q. Is there something about your relationship maybe with each other that allows you to, it could be a lot of pressure to play with someone else for someone else. Is there something about your relationship that makes this work for you two?
CAMERON SMITH: Not really, no. I mean, my caddie, Sam, lives with Jonas. I moved to Jacksonville probably about eight months ago and we've become pretty good friends. We told each other at the start of the week, no thanks, sorry, just keeping it pretty chill.

JONAS BLIXT: I mean, I do think that Australians and Swedes kind of get along pretty well together and we have kind of the same mind-set. There's a lot of sarcasm out there and a lot of fun stuff going on. So it kind of like takes the pressure off. Just having a good time. He's a good dude and yeah, just enjoying it.

Q. 19-under, bogey-free, I believe, correct for the 54 holes. What was your game plan? You're obviously hitting it right on the spot.
JONAS BLIXT: I told him he's hitting it on No. 1.

CAMERON SMITH: (Laughs).

JONAS BLIXT: Yeah, I felt put some pressure on the rookie, right.

Q. Did you have a game plan?
CAMERON SMITH: No, we spoke briefly about what holes we were going to tee off. I think there was a period of holes there where Jonas doesn't hit an approach shot for six or seven holes, which is fine with me. I'm happy with Jonas hitting the tee shot. That was seriously about it. Other than that, it was just go out there and have a good time.

Q. You guys keep talking about having fun. What was the mind-set when you came out and saw the wind, felt the wind? Did you think it was going to be a tough day? What were your expectations?
JONAS BLIXT: I mean, I don't know. Didn't really have too many expectations. I mean, it was going to be a hard day for anyone out there. I feel like our game plan is be smart when we need to and be aggressive when we can. We've got kind of similar games, like as it comes to the length.

Cameron is a good ball-striker, so it's kind of nice to have him hit a lot of approach shots. I usually make a lot of putts, so I need to start doing that tomorrow, and we should be fine.

Q. In best-ball, how aggressively do you play? Do you go for everything? Or do you play fairly normal to how you would in an individual round? What do you do tomorrow?
JONAS BLIXT: Want to have a birdie bet? (Laughs).

CAMERON SMITH: I think we just Kate and see what happens to the hole really. If Jonas hits it to 15, 20 feet, you know he's going to make par, so I may as well go at the pin. Other than that, I think it's very similar to what we usually play, which is nice.

JONAS BLIXT: I think just giving yourself two looks to make birdie as we can, two on Friday was the perfect example. I hit it on the green and you tried to hit it really close and I hit it to up to like a foot and made birdie and you just went for it. The hamming-and-egging, or egging-and-hamming, we've been doing pretty good. Just keep doing that.

Q. How do you think the nerves on a Sunday will feel compared to if you had a four-shot lead in a solo tournament?
JONAS BLIXT: A lot better I think. You get a little backup, and I think we're playing both really well right now. So I'm not -- we're just going to go out and have fun and put ourselves in the position, and if we can pull one out, we pull one out, other wheeze we learn a lot. I think as a team we have a good chance, so it's going to be fun out there.

Q. You guys shot 62 yesterday and there were several 62s and a 60. How low do you think the scores are going to be tomorrow given the wind conditions? Do you think they will be as low?
CAMERON SMITH: Is it meant to be windy tomorrow? I've got no idea.

MARK WILLIAMS: Forecast for more than 35, storms.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think it will be pretty similar I guess. The course very much runs north and south, is that right, so we get a lot of holes into the wind and a lot of holes downwind.

The holes into the wind will obviously play a bit harder, and if we can scratch out a birdie there, it would be nice. The downwind holes, we've just got to take our chances.

Q. Do you think it's harder or easier to have a four-shot lead in this kind of format versus individual stroke play, especially with the fourball on Sunday.
CAMERON SMITH: I feel very comfortable going into tomorrow. Jonas is playing so well, and yeah, like Jonas said, it's just like having a backup. So if you kind of have a bit of a bad hole, then Jonas is going to get away with a birdie or a par. So it's nice and it just frees you up on the course.

Q. What do you guys think the crucial stretch or crucial shots you hit today were?
JONAS BLIXT: 9 and 17 I think.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, they were both playing pretty tough, 9 and 17.

Yeah, we just managed to get away with par today. Sometimes things, bounces, stuff like that weren't going our way, and we managed to get it up near the green and get it up-and-down, which kept the momentum going.

Q. And secondly, do you think it's easier tomorrow to have fourball instead of going in alternate-shot where kind of a blow-up hole can really hurt you?
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think fourball is obviously an easier format, playing your own ball. You get a bit more of a better rhythm going, as well. I think it's definitely easier going into tomorrow.

Q. Do you have anymore details about your friendship? Do you guys practice a lot together back in Jacksonville? Do you guys do anything else besides just play together here? Do you have any other parts of your friendship?
JONAS BLIXT: I mean, we're barely ever home. We have the same trainer, and my roommate is his caddie. We have dinner and practice and play sometimes, and then we might do something we're not allowed to tell you here (laughter). Apart from that --

CAMERON SMITH: It's not true. No, we have a few beers together, which is nice, every now and again.

MARK WILLIAMS: Thanks, guys. We appreciate you coming in and good luck tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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