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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 16, 2017

Steve Stricker

Silvis, Illinois

Q. Disappointing finish, what is about your love affair with this tournament?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, good question. Feels a lot like home, I guess. I'm three hours from my home in Madison, Wisconsin; couple hours from the University of Illinois where I went to school. So I got a lot of family, a lot of support here.

It's the same kind of grass I play on when I'm at home. So it's just a comfort level I have here. I always get excited to come here and I enjoy playing here.

Q. (Regarding stats. ) Shows that you love this place. Let's look at a couple of your highlights. Talk through this one. Looked for a second like it might be going in on 12.
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah. It was hard to tell from where we were. It was just a little chip 5-iron for me a couple hundred yards. Wind was helping off the left a little bit. Just kind of fed it down there.

It looked good from where we were at. It's always nice thought when you go up and just tap it in for birdie and move on.

But I had a good stretch there. A little disappointing on the finish. I was trying to make a couple more birdies on the way in and try to scare the leader a little bit, and just couldn't do it.

Q. When we see the final birdie that you made on 14, are you now well at this point of your position in the tournament and thinking to get to a certain score, and if so, what were you trying to get to?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, after I made birdie here, you know, I told myself, Let's get four more chances and give myself a look at four more birdies.

You know, realistically if I could have made a couple more birdies there and could have got it to 18-under, who knows? Just couldn't get it in there. Didn't hit a very good chip on 17. Hit a good putt, but that's one that I'm kind of kicking myself.

And obviously making bogey at 18.

Q. Not going to be hanging around to find out?
STEVE STRICKER: I'll be hanging around because heading over on the charter to go over to the Open Championship. Yeah, I don't think it's going to be enough. There are a lot of guys there.

Conditions aren't extremely difficult. A little different wind again today, but this course yields a lot of birdies and (indiscernible) guys that makes birdies coming in.

Q. Talking about the Open, saw you use a little chip 5-iron. You might need that next week.
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah.

Q. You've played such a limited schedule; this is just your tenth event on the PGA TOUR this season. How much are you looking forward to going there next week? How do you feel about your game going into that major championship? Because it looks like you're right where you want to be.
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, this weekend was really good for me. It was important for me to make the cut here. I made the cut right on the number. It was important for me, especially coming off two off weeks two weeks prior to this week.

So I was able to get two more rounds under my belt and work on a few things. I did a lot of really nice things today which I'm excited about heading over for next week.

Q. Great thrill to follow you today. You started the week the first nine holes at +3, and then since then 18-under par. What turned it around for you?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, this course is that way. You can get on some rolls here and get some momentum. First day I had no momentum at all and the course played a little bit different. We had kind of a northwest wind, a wind we typically don't see around here. Just felt a little bit out of sorts.

I was coming off two weeks off and just really had nothing going. Didn't putt it very well. Didn't really hit very many good iron shots.

Finally just got some momentum going. Wish I could have had that first day back over again. Even if I would've shot a couple under would've been hopefully a different story.

I'm happy what I did this weekend. Did a lot of nice things.

Q. Since 2000 you're 162-under par here. That's amazing. You trail Zach, by the way, who is like 164-under par. Why do you play this so well? You have this course mastered.
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, you know, I don't know. There are a lot of short irons, and that's my strength, is hitting some short irons. You know, I don't know. It's similar grass to what I practice and play on at home. I can drive here in my own car. It's just a nice week. It's an enjoyable week.

It's a great community. They really get behind this event. It's one I look forward to playing every year.

Q. Talk about the rest of the year now. Open Championship, Playoffs, Presidents Cup. Going to be a very busy guy.
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I have been busy, too, leading up. It was a nice couple weeks off. My whole goal was to keep my card. I want to keep my card and not use any of my career money exemptions and get in the PLAYERS Championship again next year, stuff like that.

So this was a good step in doing that. My game trended in the right direction over the weekend, so looking forward to next week over at Birkdale.

Q. Maybe you'll pick yourself for the Presidents Cup.
STEVE STRICKER: No, no, I know where my seat is on that bus. I'm excited to be a part of that. I think it's important for them to see me still playing. I really do. I think deep down they see me playing and competing and still getting in there at times, and I think that's important for them to see that as well.

That's another reason why I'm doing it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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