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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 16, 2018

Talor Gooch

Orlando, Florida

Q. 70 today, two good days work. Your thoughts.
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, obviously whenever you're 9-under par almost anywhere you're going to be happy. So good strong course like this, you can't fake it out there, so it was good to get off to a good start.

Q. I'm keen to know your emotions playing in the King's event.
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, it's one of the tournaments that you always grew up watching. To be here and to be playing well, it's a dream come true type situation. So I'm very much looking forward to the weekend.

Q. In the locker room earlier this week I saw some Instagram or something about you getting a little haircut there in the locker room, right?
TALOR GOOCH: Oh, yeah, I, all my buddies back home and my girlfriend and stuff, they understand why I cut my hair, it means I'm getting rid of the bogeys. So I made a lot of bogeys lately, so it was time to cut the hair and get some good scores.

Q. Your thoughts on day two here at Bay Hill not quite as good as day one but right in the mix heading into the weekend.
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah obviously one of the Rules of Golf is after a good round like 65, it's always hard to back it up, so I was happy just to get under par today, it's a tough course and I missed some putts, but I'm in a good spot.

Q. What did you figure out this week as you came into Bay Hill missing three of your last four cuts?
TALOR GOOCH: The old saying, it was close, I've been close lately, I kind of struggled with the driver, I had gone with Callaway and some of the guys and we kind of got a new shaft in the bag and that's obviously been crucial out here getting the ball in the fairway. The irons have obviously been pretty good as well.

Q. As a rookie out here, how do you approach the next two days as you're in the mix to try to win for the first time on the PGA TOUR?
TALOR GOOCH: It sounds cliche but the whole one shot at a time. But, I mean, when you're in a position like this, of course you want to win, so I just hope I can get out there and play some good golf. And I know if I can keep driving it like I'm driving it and hitting some iron shots, I'm a few putts away from really making a run.

Q. NCAA's at Karsten Creek, you played at Oklahoma State. What was it like playing for a program like that on a golf course that difficult?
TALOR GOOCH: It made a lot of other courses seem easy. The nationals was there my freshman year and the rough was about like it is here and it's a brutal golf course. It's definitely a home course advantage for the folks out here.

Q. When you look at that home course advantage how much pressure is there? You played there in 2011 and they're all wearing orange to see you guys win?
TALOR GOOCH: Being at Oklahoma State it doesn't matter where the national championship is, there's always pressure, that's what you go there for, you're there to win titles. They're looking pretty good this year. So it would be pretty sweet if they could get one.

Q. What's the most important thing you have to do on that golf course to be successful?
TALOR GOOCH: Keep it in the short stuff. The fairways are fairly wide, but if you're not in the fairways it's tough. So you got to drive it really well. It gets windy there, being an Oklahoma kid I enjoyed that. So you got to know how to flight your ball and stay below the hole. I could go on and on. The course is tough, you just got to play well.

Q. How did the course play for you today? Your thoughts?
TALOR GOOCH: It was a little cool this morning, so that was an adjustment early. Ball was going a little short and I made a couple bogeys because of it, but adjusted and then it warmed up and I played just like yesterday. There's hardly any wind, the course is in perfect shape, if you're playing good golf, you can make some birdies out there.

Q. You got very close to getting into a tie for first. How do you feel about that?
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, I don't think I've ever led a PGA tournament after 36 holes, so of course I'm sitting there with a couple holes left thinking it would be kind of cool to make a couple birdies coming in. But regardless I'm happy with the play so far and looking forward to the weekend.

Q. Setting up for the weekend what are you going to do, what are your thoughts?
TALOR GOOCH: Try to do the same things. I've hit it very well, I missed a few putts but I've been putting well, they just haven't dropped some short ones so hopefully I can keep doing what I'm doing from tee to green and if a couple putts drop, I think I'll have a good chance this weekend.

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