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AT&T BYRON NELSON

May 20, 2017

James Hahn

Irving, Texas

EMILY TILLO: James, obviously a great day-out there today. 6-under, 64. A lot of things were clicking. Only missed three fairways and three greens.

Talk about overall thoughts on the day. Obviously nice to have two 64s wedged between or with a 70 wedged between.

JAMES HAHN: Yeah, it was a great day. You know, I think starting off the round I hit a lot of good shots, even Hole 1 missed the fairway to the right. I just felt like I hit a good shot, just misjudged the wind a little bit.

To chip-in on hole 3, make a couple par saves on the front-9 kept the round going. Birdied 9 and 10 and just off and running from there I feel like I hit a lot of good shots.

Anytime you're under par after 9 holes you're kind of freed up a little bit and I feel like I did that today. Made some good decisions. Wasn't too aggressive with my approach shots. Felt like I could have made a couple extra putts coming down the stretch. Definitely happy with how I finished off the round today.

EMILY TILLO: You're making your fourth start here at Byron Nelson. Actually your best finish came in your first start, T-5, I believe T-5 in 2014.

What about this place you've posted quite a few 60s, what is it about this course that produces low scores for you?

JAMES HAHN: You don't really have to overpower this golf course. You definitely have to keep it in play. Today I feel like I only hit four, five drivers out there and even then like Hole 18 we were talking about whether or not we wanted to hit driver or 3-wood.

Lot of the holes are really positioning for the second shot and I feel like anytime I'm in the fairway with any club, really, that it's a good chance for me to hit it in there 10, 15 feet and try to make a putt for birdie.

I feel like for the guys, the longer hitters out there, they can't really take advantage and use their strength on this golf course. They're definitely laying back to kind of where we play from.

So, with that said, I feel like it kind of brings the rest of the field in.

EMILY TILLO: Questions.

Q. I was going to ask you about this course.
How do you kind of prepare yourself knowing that you either had a 65, 64 or it seems like you're 70 or above. You couldn't really have any middle ground.

How do you prep yourself for Sunday with the lead and knowing that you'll probably need another good round to do it?

JAMES HAHN: I don't. I just go out and tell me what my tee time is tomorrow and I'll just show up. You know, prepping for tomorrow I feel like is so hard. Sleeping on the lead, you can overthink it and I just like to go home with my wife, our two year old daughter, watch some cartoons. Just kind of keep everything low key, casual. For us, it's just another day in the office.

There's a lot on the line but I feel like when I'm on the golf course there's a different animal that comes out and I get very competitive. When I'm off the golf course I want to be a good husband and a good father.

Definitely try to keep my priorities straight and I think I'll -- hopefully I'll do a good job of that this week.

Q. How much did you watch the leaderboard or how much do you even watch the leaderboard knowing where you are?
JAMES HAHN: That's a good question. I love leaderboard watching. I always want to know where I'm at. I feel like in a baseball game, in a basketball, in a football game you want to know if your team is leading or not leading.

So, for me being so close to the lead starting the day and then seeing that Jason was having a tough day out there and by 9 holes I think I had already caught up, the birdie on 9, I'm not sure if I tied him at that point or -- birdie on 10, I wasn't sure if I tied him at that point. I knew I was close.

There aren't too many leaderboards on like 10, 11, 12, kind of a stint where you don't know, you had to go out there and try to make more birdies and hope the other guys are not making as many birdies as you are.

So, coming down the stretch definitely there's a big leaderboard on 16, that's kind of when I realized and saw that, you know, I was back in the lead and it feels good to be in that position.

That's golf.

Q. You've won in each of the last two seasons against some pretty solid fields. How do you think those experiences will help you tomorrow, maybe less nervous or preparation for tomorrow with the lead?
JAMES HAHN: I think having the lead in the golf tournament in itself creates a lot of anxiety and nerves. If you weren't nervous leading a golf tournament there's probably something wrong with you.

So, I welcome that opportunity and, for me, it's just another test. Whether or not I'm successful next week, I feel like it will be a good experience for me to use that for future golf tournaments.

Hopefully I am successful and can use my past successes in my preparation and what I do on the golf course tomorrow but I feel like my game is there. I'm not as nervous as I was my rookie year on Tour and from there it's just making the right decisions.

I feel like, you know, the nerves I can control, it's making the right decisions with the shot clock pretty much because when it's your turn to hit, it's your turn to hit.

Just trying to judge the wind correctly and when to hit the ball, where to aim and just the little things that kind of make up the difference between shooting 64 or 70.

Q. And have you ever played with Billy before? I think you guys are in the final group.
JAMES HAHN: Played with who now?

Q. Billy Horschel.
JAMES HAHN: I didn't know he was up there. Go PXG. Buy some clubs, they work. I thought I would play with Jason Kokrak. He was moving up there.

Now that you say I'm playing with Billy, we'll have a good time. No matter who we play with, we'll have a good time.

There are some big names that are behind us so I wouldn't be surprised if anyone jumps out going, 4, 5-under in the first 7 holes or so and for us to play catch up.

But, you know, anytime you're with good company we'll have good couple laughs out there tomorrow and it's very relaxing. I don't think with DJ and Jason Day being behind us, I don't think there's going to be tomorrow people watching the final group.

Hopefully they do come out and support us, the real PXG troops will come out and support us. It is what it is. Hopefully since we with will be playing the golf course in the last group we'll have the last opportunity to win or not.

EMILY TILLO: Any other questions?

JAMES HAHN: The clubs really work.

EMILY TILLO: James, thank you. Good luck tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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