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THE HONDA CLASSIC

February 24, 2018

Tommy Fleetwood

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Q. You had as many eagles today as you did birdies. How proud are you of this performance?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I don't think I've ever -- well, I might have done that before, but great finish. After 13, made a mess of the hole and you don't have easy holes coming in, so you have to regroup and get what you can.

As good as a couple of -- two make eagles, great, and some great up-and-downs, as well. Just that finish, toughest part of the course, finished strong, so really happy.

Q. You have four wins on The European Tour. Are you able to take anything from those victories and apply it to tomorrow?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, yeah, four victories and three of them have come in the last year, so I've been playing very good golf. At the end of the day, you have to know how to win to win, and the more experience you have, the more that you have on Sundays -- this is different, PGA TOUR event, and I would love to get my first win on the PGA TOUR this week. That would be something that I want to do until I get it.

But it's just great to be out here. It's great to be playing on courses like this that are such a test of every part of your game. I said it yesterday, whether you play really good or you play really bad, it's such a good judgment of where you are, and I just enjoy the challenge of these courses.

Q. Two eagles on a day where it felt like the wind laid down and the course was gettable at times but hard to pick your spots. How did you find your way to pick your spots today?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: They sort of ebbed and flowed. I hit a really poor shot into 3. Hit it in the water, pin is on the left and you can hit it right; really poor. Rest of it, kind of got it going.

I had chances that mid stretch. Had that bad hole on 13, and yeah, the course was kind of giving some shots away, but still, the wind was just that little more down and in a slightly different direction so playing slightly easier. But if you start getting out of position, you're going to struggle. I made some really good up-and-downs out of the bunkers, especially towards the end, and the last is a bonus.

Q. To get that bonus at the last, what does that do as a springboard to get you back up the top of the board, little bit of a later tee time and gets in you in connection with the leaders tomorrow?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, of course it is. It's big. You want to gain any shots you can, and with this finish, you never know what that leading score is going to be. So as far back as you feel walking on to that 16th tee, or 15th tee, you have to keep going because you don't know what's going to happen on those last few holes and you don't know what the lead is going to be tonight.

But that finish was a bonus, 4-3-4 finish, very happy with that, and just keep going. Like I say, you never know, and I'm just enjoying the challenge of this golf course and trying to do my best.

Q. What are you figuring out here at The Honda Classic in your very first time?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Today wasn't quite as steady as the last couple days. A bit up-and-down, a couple high numbers, a couple low numbers. It was enjoyable. Today the course, the wind was slightly different and not quite as strong. So it played slightly easier.

There was a few more chances but still, walking on to that 14th tee, 15th tee, after just making a double-bogey and level par, I'd have taken the finish and run a long time ago.

Q. Playing predominately in Europe, what are the adjustments playing in the U.S. on a golf course like this that you typically wouldn't see in Europe?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it's a slightly different test to what we generally get. There's more emphasis, I'd say, on hitting the fairways and around the greens. The greens are just a bit firmer and slopier than we play sometimes, and bermudagrass we don't get a lot. They are slight changes but you kind of have to put the work in and get used to it.

I played a bit last year and I'm getting used to it, and I'm always working, when I came out here, the first thing I noticed wasn't I that great in the grass around the greens. I just had to get sharper and even last week I struggled and gave a few shots away. That's always something that I'm working on.

I'm enjoying being out here. I love coming to work every day at these tournaments, and crowds are great. Crowds are getting behind me, which is really nice. We're having a good time.

Q. What past success will you lean on as you try to break through on the PGA TOUR?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, yeah, I've won a few times sort of recently in the last year or so. The more experience you get, the more experience you can have playing late on Sundays. This is different, it's the PGA TOUR, so it's a new sort of surrounding, but you have to just remember that good golf -- you have to go out there, try and play good golf, and good golf, wherever it is, you can only do your best and see what that is. If it's my turn to win, it's my turn to win. I'll be doing my best and doing everything I can, but it will be great playing in the mix. Starting Sunday in the mix will be really good.

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