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MASTERS TOURNAMENTApril 7, 2018Rickie FowlerAugusta, Georgia MODERATOR: Good afternoon. It's a pleasure to introduce Rickie Fowler to the press center. Rickie carded a 7‑under par 65 today. After eagling No. 2, he had five birdies on Nos. 5, 6, 8, 15 and 17 in a bogey‑free round. Terrific playing, Rickie. How did the conditions out there today impact your strategy and results? RICKIE FOWLER: Thank you. The course, obviously, softened up a little bit, and more so just the greens, and I would say the green speed was just down a little bit because of the moisture. Obviously still rolling perfectly. It seemed like they were just a great speed to make putts. Obviously you still have to put yourself in the proper positions. I just did a good job of managing my way around the golf course and giving myself proper looks and making some key par saves on 11 and 13. It would have been nice to get the one at the last, but solid day. Obviously exactly what we needed to do today to at least give ourselves a chance come tomorrow. Q. What do you think it's going to take for you to win tomorrow? RICKIE FOWLER: I mean, I can't control anyone else, other than putting birdies up on the board. So I think the biggest thing is continuing to do what we've done well all week, is the mental process of making sure that I'm ready to hit each and every shot, and it's going to take my putter staying hot the way it is and the way it should be. So we're definitely in the golf tournament. I'm going to need to play the front nine well tomorrow and put myself really in the mix for when this golf tournament starts, which is the final nine holes. Q. I've followed you for the better part of the first two days, and really you didn't make any big putts except for that 60‑footer on 6 yesterday. What adjustments did you make, maybe last night or this morning, to get that putter corrected? RICKIE FOWLER: Nothing. Just same routine that I always do is I get on the mirror every morning or prior to the round and make sure that I'm in a good spot. I've been in a great spot the last few weeks and I've been hitting great putts. Ball has been on line. I feel like my speed's been on point this week. Yesterday I hit a lot of good putts that just didn't go in, and sometimes that happens. You get a lot of putts out here if you're on the wrong side of the hole, you can't really be too aggressive with, or you end up with a lot of putts that break quite a bit. Just did a great job today. Speed was pretty much perfect, or at least, you know, I put myself in‑‑ when I did put myself in the right spots, I took advantage of it. I actually thought I made the putt I had on 10; I thought it would carry its speed a little more on the side slope, and it hit the e‑brake on me. 18 is just a slow putt up the break. Nothing different. I've been putting well. Nice to see that it's warming back up. My putter is typically one of the best clubs in the bag. It went a little bit cold on me the last few months, but the last few weeks, it's definitely nice to have it back. It's a big, big help when it's ready to play. Q. You talked earlier in the week about feeling like it was about time that you had a chance here, and I'm wondering how much that confidence has played a part this week and what shifted in your mind‑set to put you in the position to feel that way? RICKIE FOWLER: A big part of it has just been the way my caddie and I, Joe, we've just been working well, and more so just going through the full process, not getting too quick, and making sure we're staying patient and making sure that I'm ready to commit and hit each shot, and if I make a bad swing, it's deal with the consequences and move on. When we've put ourselves in trouble, dealing with that, getting out of trouble, whether it's making the great up‑and‑downs I did today on 11 and 13 to not give up any shots, keep moving forward. So I think that's been the biggest thing this week and it's something that we've been working on and wanted to make sure that, you know, all the preparation was done and that we could just go out and take care of business and play golf. Q. From last year's experience, what do you think you'll be able to apply to tomorrow's final round? Anything in particular you may have learned last year? RICKIE FOWLER: Well, big thing, sticking to what we've been doing well all week and not necessarily getting any more defensive or aggressive, especially the front nine. Continue to stick with our game plan and go through the process like we've been doing all week. I think the big thing is I'll need to make some key putts, whether they are for birdie or pars, not to fall further behind, and to really put ourselves in a position to go win this tournament, and that's on the last nine holes. We're ready to do that. Last year, like I said, at times I may have gotten maybe too defensive or too aggressive, and, you know, you learn from that and move on. I mean, it wasn't the finish that I wanted last year; it would have been nice to, you know, take advantage of the position we were in, making the turn and only being a few back, but we didn't. So I'm definitely playing this golf course the best I have, ever, as far as how comfortable I am on each and every hole, playing all the holes well. Definitely I think I'm hitting a lot more greens than I've ever hit here, and probably driving it the best I have here. So looking forward to keeping that going. Fairways and greens will be big tomorrow. Just keep me on the putting surface and hopefully in the right spot, and we'll go make some putts. Q. Is it possible there's less pressure on you because you're chasing instead of being the one chased tomorrow? RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, I mean, I'm a ways back. Right now it looks like we're five back. It's definitely well within striking distance, especially at this place; anything can happen. Like I said, this tournament really gets going once you make the turn on Sunday. So I still have to just go out and take care of my business and go play a solid front nine of golf tomorrow. Like I said, we're ready to do that. It's been fun on this golf course this week. I know it's going to have a chance to dry out, and I'm looking forward to that come tomorrow afternoon. Q. Are you aware that this was your first bogey‑free round here? RICKIE FOWLER: I found out earlier. I was not aware. It wouldn't have surprised me if it was my first. This place is not easy to go around and not make a bogey. Definitely a special round of golf. Q. What are the biggest things you have learned from your first time here to tomorrow? RICKIE FOWLER: Well, like I talked about a little bit earlier, not playing too defensive but also not playing too aggressive; when the right times are to kind of try and make something happen. That's not necessarily going to be on the front nine tomorrow. Sticking to what Joe and I have been doing, is just trying to go out and one shot at a time, hit our spots, hit our lines, hit our yardages and really commit to the shot that we're currently hitting at that time. That's more of a tee‑to‑green thing. I take care of most everything on the greens. Every once in a while, I'll call him in for a read. But if we're able to take care of tee‑to‑green, fairways, greens; give me that putter, and we'll go have some fun. Q. What did you think was the most important hole for you today, and why? RICKIE FOWLER: Most important hole today, I would say probably No. 11. There was a shot I could have tried, which I would have in a practice round or if I needed to make something happen come tomorrow, but it was a time that we didn't need to do anything special. I hit a great pitch out, just chipped a 7‑iron. Stepped up, hit a good wedge underneath the hole, and it was probably one of the toughest putts I had all day. It was very straight overall. It was a double‑breaker. It went right and just tailed left to come back at the end. To just kind of stay disciplined and make a good par save there and move on, I think that was kind of the big hole for the round today. Q. What was the one you might have made or you would have made if it was a practice round or you would have tried? RICKIE FOWLER: Instead of pitching out, it would have been‑‑ I probably would try and flop‑slice a 4‑ or 5‑iron back into the wind, which, who knows, I could have made birdie, but probably not. Q. With apologies for a question I'm sure you've been asked a lot, but what would it mean to you to win a major, and do you think it would change you in any way or the way we see you? RICKIE FOWLER: I hope it wouldn't change how you guys see me, other than having a green jacket I'd be able to wear around every once in a while for a year and then wear it back here. Obviously it's been everyone's dream to win the Masters. You know, growing up, to be able to have that chance to walk up 18 with a chance to win or maybe you have it closed out and that's your walk to victory. We did a great job today of giving ourselves a chance for tomorrow. Still a lot of work to be done, a lot of golf to be played. But I'm looking forward to it. We're definitely in striking distance to go put together a good round of golf like we did today, and we'll see what happens. Q. On 13, was that on the edge of, the second shot, going or not going? What's it a close call? What's your thinking in doing that? RICKIE FOWLER: On the second there? It was actually a perfect 3‑wood number, and with that pin, it's not a fun one to try and hit a wedge to, especially with the greens being softer today. If they are a bit firmer, it's easier to skip a wedge back in there. So I thought it was definitely worth the risk of hitting 3‑wood. I just happened‑‑ I got a little underneath it, and so it started dead straight at the creek and went right there. We were trying to start it just right of the hole, and like I said, I just got a little underneath it. It wasn't a bad swing. Maybe if there isn't moisture, since I was underneath and it came a little off the toe, it might have drew back, and just happened to stay straight out of the first cut today. So it would be something I would go back and try and hit the same shot. It was nice that with 11, making the par save and getting that ball up‑and‑down, definitely big in keeping the round going. Q. As a team member from Hazeltine, what do you remember about Patrick and Rory's match? And not that anyone needs inspiration at Augusta, but do you think he'll relish going at him again? RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, and I know Rory is looking forward to the opportunity, as well. I'm hanging in there, too. I think we've got quite a few guys on that first page of the board that are Ryder Cup members, or have been, and hopefully we have all those guys back on the team. So they are going to have a good time going at it. Like I said, kind of both ways. They are fierce competitors, and we'll see, maybe we can put a few numbers up there and sneak up on them. Q. Would you rather be in the‑‑ not in the lead group? Do you think you would rather be the pursuer in that regard, maybe not necessarily under the radar, but do you like being in the‑‑ playing ahead of the lead group? RICKIE FOWLER: I'd rather have like a nine‑shot lead and go tee off tomorrow. I mean, it's fun either way. I mean, I'm a little ways back. It's going to be a tough task tomorrow. I'm going to have to play some pretty solid golf. The big thing is, I'm not going to be able to make many bogeys, if any. I need to continue to kind of cut down on the lead. You know, I came from quite a ways back and won Tiger's event at the end of last year. But it's also nice when you're playing up front and have a few shots to kind of play with, it allows you to make some mistakes‑‑ that's going to happen. It's tough to play a flawless round of golf, especially around this place. Yeah, I'd much rather be out front and give myself a little wiggle room and be able to go play some golf. But I'll take this. All you want is a shot come Sunday at the Masters, so we got that. Q. What helps you deal with the pressure of being in this situation going into tomorrow? RICKIE FOWLER: Well, I definitely felt it today. I mean, I knew that today was a big day and it was a big part of making this a tournament for myself and Joe, or taking ourselves out of it. If I didn't put together a good round of golf, then we weren't going to have a shot. Didn't necessarily think that the lead was going to go, you know, to 14‑, 15‑under. Obviously Patrick is playing some pretty solid golf. I think we took care of what we needed to take care of, and tomorrow's a chance for us go do something pretty cool. MODERATOR: Thanks very much for your time today, and we're wishing you the very best tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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