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THE HONDA CLASSIC

February 23, 2018

Tommy Fleetwood

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Q. Under par this afternoon, how did you shoot 2-under here on Friday?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It just makes you play good golf. Hit it well tee-to-green generally. I think with how windy it is, I found the greens, just once you miss fairways, it's really hard to control your ball. Just some of the yardages you're playing out there, downwind, you can be 15 or 20 off.

I holed out well today. So towards the end of the day, I holed out well. Would have taken that.

Q. Just one bogey on the card. We won't show it to you because you don't want to see it -- how proud are you of that -- how good is it?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, last week I struggled around the greens and I gifted loads of shots away. So I was disappointed with that side of the game, been working on it this week.

Wasn't out of position much today but made a couple really good up-and-downs on 6 and 17 was a beauty. Just them last four holes, it kind of doesn't matter what score you're on.

Q. Doesn't go in this time either. How scary, in all honesty, are those tee shots? Because you're one of the best ball-strikers out there. How much more difficult is it?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I've watched it on TV for years, and you just think -- I was hitting a great shot -- they make you stand up and hit a shot. No matter where you are on the course or whatever score you're on, you have 15, 16, 17 that you know you've kind of got to get past it.

Playing into the wind, actually the drop zones aren't close. They are not a 60-yard pitch either. I don't want to sound too scared but it, but you know that those holes are always there. Standing on the tee, end of the day, put a good swing on it.

Q. We're going to have a look at this one, as well. We know your prowess off the tee is a hallmark of your game, you're an all-around player, but how much does this golf course really play --
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, it does, it does, really. Tee-to-green, there's massive emphasis on hitting the fairways with how firm the greens are and how hard it is to control your ball anyway. That's a big part of it.

Today I was really happy with how I sort of holed out. End of the day, the greens are never -- it's difficult, you don't want to leave yourself too many, but generally holed out really well today and just kept the score going.

Q. What's the strategy going into the weekend?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: More of the same. It's one of them golf courses where you can't attack at all.

It's more of the same. Courses that are this difficult, you can only take one shot and one hole at a time and it just makes you stay in the present. It kind of, in a good way.

Q. How proud are you of that 68? I thought you were rock solid.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I was (laughing) very tough day. It's a tough golf course and you know before you go out how hard it's going to be. You just have to keep in mind that good shots are going to get the job done because it can be so intimidating or scary when you know there are so many difficult holes and you think about hitting it out of position, you're going to be in trouble; you can't do that. You just have to stand up and try to hit a shot.

I didn't really do much wrong today. I got up-and-down when I needed to. Holed out really well, and when the greens aren't that great, hit the ball well. So all in all, 68 is better than a 68, really.

Q. Just a couple opening comments on the round?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Just really good day. When you set off, you know anything around par is going to be a great score because you know the conditions are very hard.

For me, it was like one hole at a time, one shot at a time and it just happened -- it helps when you get off to a nice start. I was never sort of behind the game and tried to fight back. Overall, I didn't really make any mistakes and I didn't give shots away. So three birdies and one bogey, that's really good.

Q. The wind, was that bothering you --
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It's really difficult, it's so strong. It doesn't help. I'd like it to be a bit calmer, but it's just part of -- I'm not going to be able to stop the wind from blowing so you've just got to get on with it. Everybody is in the same boat.

I think that's been good, really. For two days, the wind was blowing constantly, so it's not like it's flat calm and then you have to deal with the wind. It's been pretty constant and it just makes it that much more difficult. That's fine. You still have to realize that good swings and good shots will get it done.

Q. What are your impressions about the greens today?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, well, they are firm. In the afternoon, Friday afternoon, they are never going to be perfect. And yeah, it was -- they are tricky greens, tricky greens to read and when they are that sort of short and bare and firm, it's very, very difficult to read putts.

But overall, they were fine. I mean, you never really have an easy putt, so you can't really -- it's not like you have a 5-footer uphill and you think it's fine, you just knock it in. It's quite tricky putting but it's fine.

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