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RBC CANADIAN OPEN

July 27, 2017

Smylie Kaufman

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Q. Smylie, statistically, you did everything well?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Yeah, the game's been trending that way. I felt good right from the get-go today. Lucky to get off to such a great start. A couple bad breaks here and there but I kept fighting back after those bad breaks and was able to piece together a pretty good round.

Q. How big was the bounceback on 8 to keep the momentum going?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Yeah, holed out a bunker shot, short-sided. Did all I could and it just happened to hit the pin and go in. Probably had ten or 15 feet. One of those days kind of got some good breaks and I also got some bad breaks, too. I was able to kind of stay as level-headed as possible and just try to bounce back and do as well as I can the next hole.

Q. More of the same for tomorrow?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Yeah, just clean it up a little. I kind of like the firepower I've kind of got this week, so it's nice to make a bunch of birdies. I think I made nine or ten birdies today, just to know that I got that gauge in there and stay aggressive.

Q. The eagle at the par 5 second, what did you see on that hole?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Yeah, I hit a good drive down there and had a pretty good number and striped it right at it, 10-footer. Had a bunch of right-to-lefters today and that was another one of them. Had a good feel for the line and hit it right in there.

Q. What's your impression of the course and how it played today?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Well, it did play very soft due to the rain, but also we had to play in a bunch of rain at the same time. So it's never easy playing when it's coming down like it was for probably about an hour to an hour and a half. It's tough mentally. Just kind of staying in every shot because you kind of get a little out of routine with your caddie holding the umbrella over the ball.

To be able to shoot a number that I shot today and bounce back after mistakes, I was very happy with that.

Q. A lot different from what you saw last week with the towel on your head trying to stay cool. What is it like to come up here and play in the Canadian Open?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Yeah, when I got to my hotel from Auburn, I was like, what the heck. It was like I was in a different continent. It was definitely different having to put on a jacket.

I love being at home near Auburn. Birmingham is only an hour and a half away, so I'm used to it, but you never get used to that kind of heat.

Q. Could you have dream of a start like that?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: I've had starts like that in my career, so it's kind of tough to keep it going as low as it felt like I was going. Definitely was on point with everything to start the round. We got to 7, and it a typical kind of Jack Nicklaus-designed par 3 where it tests you visually. I actually hit a very good shot and that just happened to be when the rain was coming down. I just thought -- John and I both thought the rain was going to affect it at least five yards, flies over the green and bounces over the bunker and plugs. It's a bad break there but also got some good breaks out there and was able to capitalize after my mistakes.

Q. How many homes did it rain on you for?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: It started on our sixth hole and was on and off, definitely consistent from 6 to 9 and probably on and off until 11, so at least a stretch of five holes. So about an hour, an hour and 20 minutes.

Q. Does that impact your approach?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: It just impacts your routine, the normal stuff you do like you take for granted. Having a wet ball, wet putter face, having your caddie hold the umbrella over the ball, just a lot going on. Did the best we could. We've had a couple Pro-Ams the last couple weeks where we've played in pouring rain, so I've had a little experience playing in some rain. So that was nice.

Q. Played the Barbasol last week where it was very, very hot and here it is not all that hot. How have you found the adjustment so far?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Easy. It's very easy to adjust to this weather. But I grew up down there in Alabama, so I should be used to that weather. But it was a hot week, so it's nice being in some cooler weather and looks like the rain should be gone for the rest of the week. Hopefully the wind picks up a little bit and starts drying out the golf course, because I know the course can play fiery. It played very soft today and definitely took advantage of having some wedges into holes and getting it close to the hole and making some birdies.

Q. When you start off the way you did, minus five through five holes, do you start thinking you could get the magical number?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: I think it was kind of derailed after my shot on 7. I hit it right where I was looking and lands over the green and goes and plugs in the bunker and I made double. At that point I was playing a very difficult eighth hole the next hole and short-sided myself there and have to hole a bunker shot right after. Kind of righted the ship.

Those thoughts do creep in but really there's nothing you can do on the seventh hole. You've just got to keep plugging.

Q. No secret your friends with Jordan Spieth. Your thoughts on his win?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: I was playing and I didn't get to watch it but I found out he won during the round. I FaceTimed him right after the round, of course, and he's got the Claret -- it doesn't seem like the Claret Jug has left him since he's left The Open. He's definitely enjoying it. Looks like he's staying hydrated out of the Claret Jug, as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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