HEATH SLOCUM: Played pretty solid today. Drove it well. Got off to kind of a slow start, but other than that, I played really solid. Made some birdies on the front nine just to get it back to even, which made me feel a little bitter. Drove it well. Birdied 17, 16, good save for par on 17, and birdied 18.
18 I didn't hit the best drive but it stayed in the fairway. Hit a really good pitch to three feet, made that.
First hole, I parred 1. 2, I hit a shot left into the trees and punched out, made bogey. 3, I drove it right off the tee, laid up and 3 putted from there. Hit a 5 iron into 4 and made birdie. 5, I made a good, solid par. I think 6 I parred. Birdieing 7 and 8 kind of got me back rolling again. I parred 9.
Just played on the back, just played really solid, just hit a lot of greens, a lot of fairways. Made a good putt on 16 from just probably 12, 15 feet behind the hole. I made a good save, like I said on 17, and then 18, a birdie.
I've been playing well coming in so I was kind of looking forward to this week. Yeah, I have not played in that many majors. I've actually had a few good rounds in the PGA, but it feels real good just to get off to a good start and hopefully play well all the way through the whole week.
The last couple of days in the practice rounds played extremely long for me. I don't hit it that far. With the warm weather, it dried out a little bit. It definitely was more accessible for me distance wise, and as long as I hit my driver well, I think I can score out here. You know, I mean, it's just a long hole but it's one of those holes where, you know, if no one can get to it, I'm in favor, because I can't get to it in two, so I just assume I've got a three shot hole. In that situation, I think it maybe kind of favors me. I'm used to laying up on a lot of par 5s and play three shot holes.
It still is a demanding driving hole. You know you have to hit the fairway. Today I actually hit the fairway, caught a decent lie and knocked it on the green and knocked it up and down. I'm sure there's somebody that can under the right conditions, but overall, the field as a whole is not going to get there in two. If you do miss the green going for it in two, it's pretty penalizing.
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