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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 24, 2017

Jordan Spieth

Cromwell, Connecticut

Q. Jordan, let's start at 15. You hit that drive in the bunker, and you were talking to yourself. You kind of kicked yourself in the butt, didn't you?
JORDAN SPIETH: Well, not exactly. It was more saying Jordan, why don't we play some golf on the last few holes. But I got in there, had a really good lie, and I hit that shot to that pin multiple times in the practice round. That was one where it was probably the toughest pin on the hole, and an easy bail out as that bunker off the tee. Sure enough, when you can't miss left in the water and you're not exactly on at the moment, I missed it in the bunker.

So I knew to be aggressive on that shot, and I knew if it didn't quite get there, I was going to be able to get the next one up and down. So it left a little bit of freedom.

It was a beautiful shot. I said I hit it a few times in the practice round, but that wasn't even close to stopping it right there. So certainly a bonus.

Q. That was a great shot. No. 6, the hole out from behind the green. The short game was on today?
JORDAN SPIETH: The short game was on. I felt really good about the ball striking except a couple holes. My chipping around the greens was nice. Tomorrow, certainly seven birdies, three bogeys, I'd take that again tomorrow. But the way that I felt out there, I felt tee to green like I was really rolling and almost like the first round.

So if we can be a little more stress-free, that would be nice. Up-and-downs are a little harder than two-putt pars. Boo's going to be out there ball striking his way to another good round. You've got to imagine Berger has ice in his veins and somebody who has won recently. So it will be a very difficult day tomorrow. But come out and try to be really light, try and smile a bit. Got a little stressed today. But it should be a really good time.

Q. Trying to go wire to wire, tough to do on the PGA TOUR. Tough to do at the Travelers. What is the one key tomorrow before you head out? What is one thing you have to accomplish?
JORDAN SPIETH: I think I've got to stay really positive. I've got to stay focused on my goal. Just any other noise that's out here, throw it out the window, stay focused on the goal that we set for the round tomorrow.

Q. Jordan, what is it like to roll in a 20-foot putt to end a round with solo lead?
JORDAN SPIETH: Really fun here. This is a rowdy crowd on a Saturday afternoon. It was a long day, five and a half hour round. To come up the last, it's in the shadow. I'm looking to hit the putt at the right speed. If it goes in, great, if it doesn't, so be it, tap it in. With a few feet to go it was going to have a chance and it curled right in the middle. That was a loud roar, and those are really fun to experience.

Normally you get a couple chances a week to experience good weather on an afternoon on the last couple holes and in that kind of setting. It was awesome to take advantage of that.

Q. You bogeyed 13, 14, you gave yourself a little pep talk saying please play golf. On 15, the shot out of the bunker, you almost eagled that hole. How did that all play out?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, just, you know, everything was fine. I had a little kind of just quick swing on 13 tee box. But 14 I was playing fine. I just hit the wrong club into the green. I was swinging at it okay, and then I bailed out there on 15 and thought, man, I'm at 1-under right now in a tough spot. I feel like I'm striking the ball when I should be five or six under.

Fortunately we were able to close out with three out of four birdies. That shot was a big-time propeller for the last few holes and the shots that I hit. Stepped up to 16 a lot more confidently than I may have if I had made par or even bogey on 15.

It's amazing what one shot can do out of trouble. But tomorrow looking for a little more stress-free.

Q. Remarkably yesterday you talked about getting two aside. You did exactly that in your own kind of way. What is the plan for tomorrow?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, same. I thought that was the good goal trying to make two birdies a side with the last four nines with no bogeys. There are going to be mistakes within 36 holes, limiting them and trying to maybe grab an extra one or two is the goal. Tomorrow it doesn't change. I think somewhere around 16 is a number that I was looking at after yesterday's round, what we were looking at really at the beginning of the week.

So it's going to be really good conditions tomorrow. Expect some guys to make some birdies and make a run. Boo and Berger are two guys who are not afraid to go low on Sundays. They both historically have done that. So we've got a tough gig ahead.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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