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HNA OPEN DE FRANCE

July 1, 2017

Tommy Fleetwood

Paris, France

Q. Three birdies and three bogeys, reflect on that one for us?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It was a lot tougher today. I mean, the course was playing tougher but me, myself, I just couldn't -- yeah, I didn't hit it well. But at the same time, it's nice to use other parts of your game, really. It's nice to show people I can score when I don't play well. It's not as enjoyable a day but at the same time, when you've got to stick in, you've got to stick in.

To get through today was level par, really. If you gave me level par for the last four holes, I would have gone straight to the clubhouse. But to birdie 16 and par the other three was great.

Q. Leading at the start of the day and still leading now; is it a demonstration of just how difficult this golf course is?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it showed its teeth a bit today. A bit colder, the pins were a lot tougher. So all in all it was a harder day to score. I've seen some good scores up on the board, 67s or 68s, which is brilliant scoring, really.

Just put more emphasis on you had to hit it well today, and if you didn't, you were going to struggle to score. If you did, it was still hard to get close to the pin. It was just one of those days where you had to stick in it. It could have an easy day to be out of the tournament, so yeah, I'm pleased with 7-under.

Q. Give us your thoughts on tomorrow. You have a chance to win for the second time this year and continue this amazing run of form you have.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Nice, isn't it. Yeah, it's been a great year so far. But you have to keep it going, don't you. It's another day. If I play well, I play well, and if I don't, I'll either have to chip-and-putt really well or go on to next week and do something different.

I've said it all the time this year, but when you've had a year of struggling, you really do appreciate being in contention on a Sunday. So it doesn't get any better than this, these events, great players, great course, Sunday, trying to win it. Doesn't get any better than that.

Q. Just how tough was it for you today?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it was tough today. You know, my game was nowhere near what I would have liked it to have been, but I did just say -- in a way, it's nice to use other parts of my game. It's nice to show that I can -- not show other people; show yourself that you don't play well, you can still put a score together. Level par around there today is a really good score. Didn't put it in play off the tee very much and didn't hit a lot of greens for most of the round.

To get off today was great, really. It's nice to be off the course with 7-under for the tournament.

Q. Is that a sign of how well things have gone this year for you, even though you don't feel you're playing well, you're still turning in a score that keeps you in contention?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think so. I think it was a good showing of the work I've done on my short game. It's very different. It's a different mentality when you can't score, when you know up for pars and you can't get anything moving forward. It's obviously a very different mentality than when you're hitting it great and you feel like you can make birdie every hole.

So on those two points, mentally, I stuck in, kept my head down and kept going. Very easy to be out of the tournament tonight, hitting it the way I did for a lot of it. Although I hit some great shots coming in. Can't take that away.

15, 16 and 18, played them all superb, really. I was very, very happy with that. But yeah, it was just nice to sort of show a different side of my game.

Q. And again, going into Sunday, you're still in contention for another win hopefully, which is a nice position to be in?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's great, isn't it. To be in contention on a Sunday is an absolute privilege and a pleasure. I say that all the time. Play good or bad; it does matter on the day, but at the same time, it's very enjoyable to be up there. If I play well, then I've got a chance -- if I don't, there's another week next week. But I can't wait to play tomorrow.

I love playing with a chance to win, and hopefully this will be another one.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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