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WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP

August 18, 2017

Sam Saunders

Greensboro, North Carolina

Q. Sam, talk about today. You missed only two fairways and only two greens. Very pleased with that ball-striking, aren't you?
SAM SAUNDERS: Absolutely. After a hot 63 like that the first day you want to build up with a solid round of golf, you want to make sure it wasn't an accident.

So, clearly I feel like I'm in control of my game and played solidly today. Missed a couple opportunities but I'll take a 68 out there today.

The pins were a little bit tougher. Birdies, I think you'll see today, were a little bit harder to come by.

Q. You had chances, 34 putts today, little worse than yesterday but even still, these greens, you miss in the wrong spot it's tough to make.?
SAM SAUNDERS: They are. They're fast and they're tricky. They got a lot of slope to them. I started out on No. 10. I hit two good putts and still had the make a 3rd one. Not how you want to start.

But I made a couple of nice putts out there and, you know, you just can't get overly aggressive. You get to it about 15, 20 feet you don't have a straight uphill putt, you have to keep in mind your speed.

Q. You put yourself in position to make the Playoffs, setting yourself up for this weekend. That was the objective, let's play the weekend.
SAM SAUNDERS: Well, yes, but the objective is, again, to try to win a golf tournament. If you focus on the small goal I feel like if I came in here saying I only need to move up two spots if I played my best I would have moved up two spots.

But, instead, you focus on doing what you normally do, treat it like every week you want to get yourself in position to win. If you don't win, the byproduct, you take care of your job anyway.

Q. You've had a good year. I mean maybe one round here or there on a Sunday would have gotten you maybe to that goal.
SAM SAUNDERS: Yeah. No, I played really solid all year. Haven't had any big numbers. I missed a few cuts early but they're all by one or two shots, and missing cuts stinks but I still rather be missing them by one or two shots even though they're more painful, than missing them by 5 or 6 every week.

You look at that as a positive. I played consistent golf. My scoring average is pretty good and I just want to keep building on the things I've been doing well.

Q. Lastly, Sam, talk about the plaque, wall of Champions your grandfather's plaque. Never won here. 13 years, five Top-5s. Buddy Worsham, his best friend.
That had to be special and were you part of that.

SAM SAUNDERS: Absolutely. I think it would have meant a lot to him because of the fact that he loved this place, but then what they do in giving the Buddy Worsham Scholarship to Wake Forest, his best friend killed in a car accident in college, that was something that was always near and dear to him.

The fact that I was here and be able to be a part of that ceremony and now he'll forever be here on the grounds is very nice.

Q. Great stuff. Good luck this weekend.
SAM SAUNDERS: You got it.

Q. Sam, did the ceremony Tuesday change this week in anyway?
SAM SAUNDERS: No, not really. It made it more special. As far as my preparation and thinking about playing a golf tournament, no. Now, however, it did make it -- it just feels nice. I feel like you have a little bit more support.

I feel like, you know, people are thinking about my grandad and the positive mark that he left and that's the thing, we want to remember him and all the good things that did he and I think that the ceremony on Tuesday and the plaque help keep that going.

Q. How often do you think of him?
SAM SAUNDERS: You know, a good bit, especially when it comes to golf. I'm out there playing. I think about things that he would want me to do and the way I need to attack this week and I'd like to think that I'm -- I pretty much know what he would say most of the time and I like that.

I like that I got to spend as much time with him that I did so that, you know, when I find myself in these situations I don't have to guess, I know what he would tell me.

Q. How has the gallery responded to you, in particular this year in these -- the first couple of rounds about your grandad?
SAM SAUNDERS: They've been great, been great all year. People have always been very supportive of me and I really appreciate that. I'm humbled by it and hopefully I can give them a reason to cheer for me for good golf as well.

Q. You sense you're more recognizable last couple of days because of this week or --
SAM SAUNDERS: I mean, sure. I'm not trying to be. If people do, that's great. But, you know, I want to be recognized for good golf. I'm not trying to be recognized. I'm trying to do my job and have fun out here, treat people the right way and anything else that comes from that is just happenstance.

Q. Has the move to Colorado changed your life?
SAM SAUNDERS: I'm out of Colorado. I lived there for six years and then I've been in Florida, back in Florida for just over a year now.

Colorado was great. It was a nice play to start my family, my wife and kids. Both my children were born there and it will always be a special place to me and it was a place where I could kind of become my own person and now it's nice to be back in Florida where I can practice and work on my game and really give it the full attention that it deserves.

Q. Did you move out there to get away or did you move out there to --
SAM SAUNDERS: Not get away, just a nice change of scene.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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