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SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 4, 2018

Marc Leishman

Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

ALEX URBAN: Like to welcome Marc Leishman to the interview room here at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. 6-under par today. Currently holding the lead. Take us through feelings following the first round here.

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, happy obviously with the start. Eight birdies, I think. So, yeah, it was nice to see some putts go in, just gets the year off to a good start, really. So hoping I can keep it going and see where we end up Sunday night.

ALEX URBAN: Great. We'll take some questions.

Q. We've talked about this about three thousand times, but just for the benefit of this time in explaining to others, you grew up in the wind, talk us through what sort of things you had to deal with to get to this point of talent in this sort of breeze.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I grew up in it. I enjoy playing in it, which is helpful. When you enjoy playing on certain golf courses or certain conditions it's easy to play well. So I played well in the wind before and I think growing up in it certainly helps. It just takes a little imagination, I think, that you're reading the -- well, that you're, you got to trust what the wind's going to do to your ball and deal with it if it doesn't do that or hopefully you get a birdie chance if it works out.

Q. Can you remember a time when were you a junior or whatever, that you became comfortable when it was blowing down home Warrnambool or wherever else, like, where you just, instead of being annoyed by it, you embraced it?
MARC LEISHMAN: Every day it was windy down there. But it would be a calm day down there and I wouldn't know what to do and would play terrible. Just basically every round of golf I played until I was 15 was in a really strong wind. So, yeah, I just didn't know any different and it actually took me some time when I got over here to find my feet when it wasn't windy. So I've been over here a long time now, but you never forget sort of how you learn to play golf and what you're up against. So I think that's a big thing for me in the wind, is growing up in it and being comfortable in it.

Q. The time you were here was when the tournament didn't start until Monday, speaking of wind. I wonder if you recall any memories of that and just how much pleasant this week has been even before the round started.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I remember I got food poisoning on the Wednesday night, so the Thursday I threw up three times in the first five holes and they cancelled the whole day so I was really happy. I remember spending a lot of time in a hotel room. Our son was almost one and we had the Wiggles on repeat the whole week. So I had Wiggles songs in my head the whole week, so that's pretty much all I remember. The wiggles, they're a kids band, they're a kids entertainment. Kind of like, I don't know what's the equivalent of it over here.

Q. Sesame Street.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, one of them. They're just really catchy songs, that if you get them stuck in your head they're in there for weeks on end.

Q. Give us an example?
MARC LEISHMAN: I'm not going to sing a song. They got a hot potato song, they have a fruit salad song.

Q. Perfect for a guy with food poisoning.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah. Yeah.

Q. Tossing your salad and listening to it.
MARC LEISHMAN: Exactly. Yeah, so that was my main memory from the week. We didn't get to spend any time at the pool. It was too dangerous really. It was blowing the palm leaves off the trees. It was pretty brutal. So we're trying to make up for it this week, spending a lot of time at the pool and beach.

Q. Can you tell us about your save from someone's yard, I think it was on 14. Can you walk us there through that?
MARC LEISHMAN: It was definitely the best break I've had all year. That being inbounds there. It was a terrible tee shot, I thought it was out of bounds for sure. And then we called a rules official just to be sure and he said I could play it. I left a big hole in their backyard, so when they get home they will be surprised. But, yeah, it was very lucky. Actually played a pretty good shot over there to get it on the green. I was just happy to be able to play it really. It was going to be probably a double bogey if it wasn't inbounds, so, yeah, good break.

Q. For most of last year you and I talked about you wanted to make faster starts and it wasn't really until the BMW where you shot the 63, I think it was. Do you feel like that's a nice weapon you've added to your arsenal now, that you can start fast and keep going like that, the way you did at BMW?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I've certainly been starting better. I don't know if it's a mindset thing or what it is that I've put my foot down, or put my finger on, to work out, but I think just being more focused early on. I'm a pretty relaxed person and I think maybe I was too relaxed early in tournaments. So just getting into it a bit earlier rather than if I'm around the lead on Saturday or Sunday, that's when I start to knuckle down. Now I'm knuckling down on the first tee Thursday, which you should. So it's just experience, I guess, having enough of bad rounds early in tournaments and putting me out of it, it's a lot more fun when you're around the lead early on.

Q. Just back on the wind it's expected to be similar throughout the week. Do you hope it blows similar or harder or would you prefer it to get less?
MARC LEISHMAN: Oh, I mean, I guess you just get what you're given. I sort of enjoy playing in this wind, strong wind, yeah, it would be good if it stays like this, but if it was to drop, everyone will be a lot happier around the pool without so much wind. So I'm not going to try and ruin their holidays or anything, but, yeah, if it could stay like this it would be nice.

Q. What did you hit in on 17?
MARC LEISHMAN: 17? I hit an 8-iron. I think I had 176 yards to the front edge. No, might have been further. That might have been with the downhill. It might have been 190 to the front edge.

Q. Adjusted?
MARC LEISHMAN: And then adjusted 176. I was trying to hit it 160 meters, so 176 yards.

ALEX URBAN: All right, good luck the rest of the week.

MARC LEISHMAN: No worries, thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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