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CONSTELLATION SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 14, 2018

Scott McCarron

Highland Park, Illinois

Q. Scott, you had a lot of positives going on the last few months. What do you take away from a round like today?
SCOTT McCARRON: Well, I hit it pretty solid. I've been hitting the ball pretty solid all week. Finally getting the putter going again, which is good. My coach, E.A. Tischler, was here this week the first couple days with myself and Mike Small, and we're both playing pretty well. But I feel pretty good going into the last day.

Q. You have a chance to successfully defend your Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. At this point in your career, how important is that to you?
SCOTT McCARRON: Well, it's important to win any golf tournament, and especially a major out here. I've set my sights to win as many as I can. I have a short period of time that I'm trying to get it done, and last year to win this tournament, the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS was a big thrill for me. I got to play in THE PLAYERS Championship. I didn't play that well, but I want to get back there again, and the only way for me to get back there is to win this tournament. You know, I put myself in good position after three days, so we'll see what happens tomorrow.

Q. A repeat is not out of the question at all, is it?
SCOTT McCARRON: Well, the only way to repeat is you've got to put yourself in position going into the final round, which I've done. Tomorrow will be very exciting. We've got a stacked leaderboard, and someone is going to have to go pretty low tomorrow to win this tournament.

Q. You've been there before; how low do you have to go?
SCOTT McCARRON: You know, again, it depends on weather, depends on how much more rain we get, if we get any wind. But you're going to have to go pretty low. I shot 7-under today and was able to make up a few shots. So I would say something 7- or 8-under, even 9-under, with that many guys stacked up there. It'll be tough tomorrow.

Q. What changed from yesterday? When we talked to you, you said you're playing well --
SCOTT McCARRON: Well, I made too many mistakes yesterday, and I especially just made a big mistake on the last hole making bogey with a sand wedge, so I'm not real happy when I do that. Today I eliminated a lot of mistakes. I made one little mistake on the fourth hole with a 7-iron and just missed it a little short right in the bunker and had a very difficult up-and-down, but other than that, I hit the ball very well. I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens. I went after the hole locations that were on the right side for me where I can hit my cut, and the hole locations on the left side I played a little safe. I did a very good job of managing my game today.

Q. Was there one point today that turned it on? Was there a shot or a hole --
SCOTT McCARRON: Not really. I birdied the first hole, then birdied another one, and then made that bogey. Was just kind of hanging in there. I hit some good shots, just wasn't making any putts there, and then -- when I birdied 10, 11, 12, that was a good jump because I went from kind of being in the middle of the pack to kind of up there near the lead. That was big. And then I played the par-5 really well and then made a nice birdie on 17.

Q. This is more of a Chicago question, but Mike Small is not exactly with the leaders but he's close. How surprising would it be for a non-member to be contending --
SCOTT McCARRON: Not surprising at all for Mike Small. So Mike Small and I have the same teacher, E.A. Tischler, and E.A. Tischler was up here with us for two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, worked with Mike and I. We played a practice round on Tuesday and he hit the ball really well. I'm not surprised at all that Mike Small is up there. He's a great player, but he's got one of the best jobs around, being a college golf coach, and even if he won, he can't give that up, and he's not going to. But I'm not surprised he's playing well.

Q. What do you think this is doing for his recruiting?
SCOTT McCARRON: I'll tell you what, he's always got good recruits. It's amazing up at Illinois, which is not a great place in the winter, he recruits very well, and he's got a great program up there, so I'm sure this will help quite a bit.

Q. Ever want to be a college coach?
SCOTT McCARRON: You know, you never know. Never say never. I loved the college experience. I think I could add a lot to a college program. Maybe in my later years when I'm done playing golf or announcing or whatever I decide to do after, you never know. It might be a college golf coach. Certainly it would be a great way to give back.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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