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SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 29, 2017

Jonathan Randolph

Jackson, Mississippi

Q. 67 to end your day. When you came up the green on 18 and were greeted by all the fans, of course growing up only 11 mile away, how special was it?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: It was really special. If there was one tournament I could pick to do this on, this would definitely be it.

I've been saying that I had a good run coming in the fall, and just to prove it to myself and do it in front of all the friends and family and everybody out here that's been believing in me for so long, it felt great.

Q. The kids are going absolutely nuts besides us. They're just dying for an autograph. I know that putting is something you've worked on in the last couple of weeks. Talk about what you ave been able to do to get out of that mundane routine?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: You know, it can be a mundane routine out here, but I worked on some stuff with my coach. I've always rolled it really good. Get on SAM PuttLab and my stroke looks great.

That doesn't mean the ball is going to go in. We just went old school. Putting stuff a little green in practice rounds, seeing the ball roll over, seeing if I'm reading it high or low.

It's been paying off. I've been seeing the putts better, and I guess even the hybrids from off the greens better and stuff.

Yeah, it's fun when you make putts.

Q. You're first in the field in strokes gained putting. Finally, being a member of this course, the familiarity with it, at what point does that help you out the most?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: Yeah, it helped me out a lot. It more or less sometimes can be bad because you hit it places and your heart sinks because you know how bad it is to hit it over there.

But this is the eighth year I've played this event, so more than anything seeing this in tournament conditions and having played it so many times, you can't put a price on it.

Q. That 29 on the front nine was pretty special. Was that the best nine you've ever played, certainly out here on the PGA TOUR?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: Yeah, it was. It wasn't the prettiest. I hit some really good shots from some places that were -- I knew you could hit it like in the pine straw on No. 6 and stuff like that.

But just to go execute the putts like I know I've been executing, and to do it on Sunday, it felt really special.

Q. You birdie 9; Ryan bogeys. It's a three-shot lead. Did you know that at the time?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: No, I didn't care. I knew Ryan was going to play really good. I figured -- we started the day saying four a side would at least make him think about it, keep him honest. But as soon as I made the turn I just wanted to make four more on the back and just keep it going.

Yeah, this course is tough. When you don't hit it where you're supposed to, it's easy to make bogey. I just wanted to make four more and put the hammer down. Didn't happen today, but we still got three tournaments left.

Q. Talk about your emotions playing in front of family and friends. Mom and dad were out there. Everybody says that must be special. Got to be a little pressure.
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: Yeah, when you play with the same guys that you know heckle you when you play with them and you just can't hear it, you know they're saying it.

But, no, it's good. I actually stayed in a hotel this year for the first time just to kind of treat it like a business trip. I needed to play good so my mom wouldn't get mad at me I guess for not staying at home.

No, it felt good and it's rewarding to play in front of them. This tournament means so much to me because I was a standard bearer, and I've just seen so many guys have good runs and play good.

To finally close one out and have a good finish when I knew I was playing good in front of everybody felt good.

Q. Walk us through that front nine, 29. Probably one of the best starts you've had on TOUR.
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: Yeah, I think it was. I've had a couple 29s on the Web Tour. We used to call then Randolph Runs, and we got on a few today early.

Yeah, I mean, it's one of those things where my college coach told me, You better keep making birdies while you can, because eventually it's going to stop. I just kept going.

I wanted to shoot 4-under on the back nine. That was the goal at the start, shoot four on each side. So to get a chance at that and to put some pressure on the leader felt good.

Q. What was the most frustrating part about the back nine?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: Yeah, hit it places I knew I shouldn't really after shooting 29 on the front. Really, it was nice that I never got ahead of myself, never got nervous.

I wasn't shocked about that, but it was really relieving to know that I felt like I belonged here. This is my third go out here as a member, so to come out here and execute and to not execute on the back nine, it stings a little bit.

But there will be more years. Just got to keep improving and go play these last three well.

Q. Top 5 on a PGA TOUR event. How does that sound?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: That sounds good. I've carried the sign for Pete Jordan when he got a Top 5, I think, so it's good to be on the other side of it.

Q. Talk about your tee shot on 10 there. You had a long ways, really long ways.
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: Yeah, you remember when I talked about not hitting it high? I tried to hit one high, and that was really dumb. That's all I could think about after I hit that. I've played that hole a million times and I know where to hit it, and I tried to get cute with it. I get what I get for that.

I rolled every one of those par putts good, hit my spots, and some of them didn't go in the on the back. It is what it is. It was fun to be in that position and to give it a run.

Q. Did you ever glance at the leaderboard once you shot 29 to see where you stood?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: I knew Ryan -- until I got to like 16- or 17-under I wasn't going to look, because I knew Ryan was going to play well. That's just kind of the mentality I've been fortunate to learn on the Web.com Tour and out here, is I know better than to look up and see.

So I never looked up or changed my game plan or got nervous. There is a reason not too many guys are 18-under. It's tough. It plays tough.

It was just one of those deals where I never got to 17-under so I didn't really look up until I accidently did on like 17.

Q. Armour just is consistently a fairway machine. How impressive was that?
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: Yeah, you know, it is. It was frustrating to see Nick Taylor putt as good as he did the first year he was here because I knew this place and had played here so many times.

But that just shows you how good -- every week somebody is going to be rock solid. This is the PGA TOUR. So to get out here and see him doing that, it doesn't shock you, but it pushes you to shoot 29 and keep going and try to catch him.

Q. Your familiarity with this course had to be a real advantage.
JONATHAN RANDOLPH: Yeah, for sure. The familiarity of knowing where you can and can't miss definitely helps. Just the comfort of knowing where everything is around here and just the whole week, it's good to be home.

But, yeah, like I said, it's an advantage, but sometimes if you don't know ignorance is bliss. So there are some times I see guys taking lines that they have no idea how bad it is if they miss it like ten yards left of that probably.

Yeah, it's an advantage, and I definitely took advantage of the greens this week. Hope to carry it over next week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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