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DEAN & DELUCA INVITATIONAL

May 28, 2017

Steve Stricker

Fort Worth, Texas

Q. 63, low round of the week. You've done it before. In '09 you did it a couple times. How did it feel today?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, felt great. I finally started making some putts. I've been striking the ball okay and been around the hole a lot putting it; just haven't been going in.

Today they all went in seemed like. Even the ones that didn't go in were right on line and looked good going up to the hole. It was a good putting round, one that I've been waiting for.

I like this place. Brings back a lot of memories. It was a lot of fun.

Q. Top 10 here. Now in the top 125 in the FedExCup points. With a limited schedule that's pretty good. Go to the Memorial, U.S. Open qualifying. Your game appears to be in a good spot right now.
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I'm excited about playing. My kids and my wife have been traveling with me and we've been renting homes. Takes the sting out of staying in a hotel room. The family is with me, so it feels good about playing, or I feel good about playing.

I'm trying to get in that U.S. Open. That's what's motivating me right now.

Q. Good have to Jimmy Johnson back on the bag. Pretty cool. You guys hugged at the end.
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, it's pretty cool. We had a great run there for a while. Brought back a lot of good memories. I won with him on the bag here. It's just an easy relationship and friendship, player/caddie relationship out on the golf course.

We had a lot of fun this week. I got him one week at least. He's going back to work with Justin. He's in a good spot.

Q. Great round out there for you today.
STEVE STRICKER: You know, finally made some putts. I've been running the ball over the edge here quite a bit the last month or so. I've been working on any putting quite a bit. A lot of them went in today; ones that didn't go in looked like they had opportunities to go in.

I hit the ball fairly well, gave myself some opportunities, but made some nice putts really.

Q. In terms of change in conditions, talk about the difference from yesterday to today.
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, flipped 180 degrees literally. The wind flipped out of the north. We had some softer conditions because of the rain or the misty conditions that started today. Softened the greens up, slowed them up a little bit where you could be a little bit more aggressive putting it.

And throwing it in on the greens, you know, I think the ball is stopping a bit quicker. And it's not really blowing all that much. Just enough to make you think about it. But compared to the first three days, the wind is down.

Q. When you have so many birdies after nine, twelve holes, do you scoreboard watch and adjust your approach that way?
STEVE STRICKER: You know, I was watching. I knew the guys had a bunch of holes. I didn't think I had an opportunity to win the tournament really unless I would've birdied like the last four and shot like a 58 or 59.

You know, I was just trying to play the way I always play and hit it in the fairway and give myself an opportunity. Drove it just to the right on 15 and led to a bogey. That kind of dashed any hopes of doing anything really special.

But good, solid day, and excited about the way I played.

Q. Get a little nostalgic after a round like this and what you've been able to accomplish here?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, it's a great place to come to. I enjoy coming here. It brings back a lot of great memories from back in 2009. Shot that score couple times back in 2009. Had my old caddie on the bag for a week. Had a lot of fun. Sure did bring a lot of memories back.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVE STRICKER: No, I had committed to Senior PGA, and then as the season got going and the USGA declined the exemption part of things, I knew if I wanted to play in the Open that I needed more starts out here to try to work on my world ranking.

Like I said, I'm in the 90s somewhere world ranking-wise, and I know they take top 60 after -- there are a couple cutoffs, I think. Then I'll try to qualify down in Memphis as well.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah. Yeah, when I birdied the par-3, 13, and got it to 7-under for the day, and then go 14 and hit a 9-iron in there to about five feet and made birdie there and I am 8-under with four to play.

You know, I wasn't thinking 59 or anything like that. I was just trying to do the things that I normally do. That was to hit the next tee shot in the fairway and get an opportunity with an iron in my hand, try to make another birdie.

Just a little wind off the left and it just didn't turn it enough and the wind got it and hung it out in the right rough and didn't have a play. Tried to get it up and down.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEVE STRICKER: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I played with Kisner and Ryan Moore the first two days. Played with Kisner a couple times this year already, practice rounds. I like what I see out of him. He's a little bit of a bulldog. Kind of reminds me of Corey Pavin a little bit. A little bit of a chip on his shoulder seems like.

He makes putts. Great short game. I didn't see any weaknesses in his game the first couple days. Looks like he just birdied three in a row to take the lead, so I like what he see. I enjoy being around him. He has a good attitude. Would be great in the team room.

We all know what Ryan Moore does. We saw that in Ryder Cup last year. Yeah, looking at these guys ever time I play with them. I think about what they can do and add as a team member for the Presidents Cup later this year.

Q. How do you compare this 63? (Indiscernible.)
STEVE STRICKER: It's a good round. I mean, I'm excited about it. In 2009 I went on to win the tournament. That's totally different than the 63 here. I needed the 63 though to -- again, it'll help my world rankings a little bit. It won't be enough, so I got to play well again next week.

So I needed this round. Let's put it that way. I needed it this one. Back in 2009, I played two good rounds and led to a win. I needed this one for what I'm trying to do now.

Q. Looking ahead, if you were to qualify for the team...
STEVE STRICKER: If I were to qualify for the team? I'm not even thinking about it. I'm so far out of it. I haven't played enough and I'm not -- don't get me wrong. If I won two or three tournament the rest of this year I would be interested in playing.

I know where my position is now, and I'm excited to be doing what I'm doing. You know, I've got great team shaping up, and I'm excited to be a part of it again.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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