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BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2018

Billy Horschel

Nicholasville, Kentucky

Q. Billy, nice playing. This golf course, it's a really, really cool course but you really got to learn it. You've figured out a little bit, haven't you?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, it makes it easier to learn the course when it's soft. You can get away with shots.

But I really like this course. I think it's a really good golf course. A lot of really cool holes. The par-3s really challenging, really good par-3s out here.

But, yeah, I've learned it quickly, which is a nice thing.

Q. How hard is it to figure these greens out? They look flat from a distance, and they're far from it?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, they've got a little bit of movement on it. I think me reading greens is one of my strong points. I feel like I'm a really good green reader.

All it comes down to then is just starting the line with the right speed.

Q. This morning you got about a tenth of an inch of rain. Did it really affect anything different from what you played late yesterday?
BILLY HORSCHEL: You know, the fairways were a lot softer. The ball was running out a lot yesterday, and today it wasn't running out as much. The greens are still pretty receptive, so really didn't affect it too much.

Yeah, it allows you to still be aggressive going into the greens. Still allows you to play -- you got to be in attack mode because you got to make a lot of birdies here to have a chance to win.

Q. Another good day. Get some comments on your round if we can, please.
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, really good day. Hit the ball a little bit better today. Putted really good. Missed probably one putt that I probably should have made. It was on No. 4 from about six feet.

Overall a really good day to back up a 7-under par round. Come out here and know I need to continue to have the pedal down and make birdies, and I did a really good job of that. It was a clean card, which is always a good day.

Q. Are you a scoreboard watcher?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I pay attention a little bit, but it's so early in the tournament. You're trying to get yourself in position to win. I knew where Troy was. I knew he got off if a really good start this morning.

I wanted to make sure I was in -- I didn't want to feel like I was too far back. If he took off, kept playing, great. I feel like then I had to really try to be even more aggressive because I didn't want him to get out of reach.

Q. What are your impressions of this course?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I think it's a really good golf course. It's not overly long, but I think it's got a really unique set of par-3s that are really challenging.

The par 4s are really great in the way they bend and the way you've got to sort of -- you got more room out there and you've got to shape your shots in the fairway.

I think it's a really nice golf course. I wish we were playing it firm, because I think it would be even more exciting to play it firm.

Unfortunately, in mid-July, you know, it's going to be tough to find any course in the southeast that's not soaking wet.

Q. What do you think is the toughest around here?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I'll tell you what, this morning the wind sort of switched on us. We played 12 and 13 dead into the wind. Yesterday on 12 I hit pitching wedge in; today I hit 5-iron. Yesterday I hit 9-iron into No.13; today I hit 5-iron again.

So, yeah, the wind switched a lot. Those were two challenging holes. I think 4 is a really good hole. It's a great hole.

But I think if you're going to say what are the challenging holes, I think 7 is a really good little par-3. It's not a big green; it rolls off. You miss the green and it's bouncing away from the green, so it makes it a challenging little hole.

There are several holes you got to hit really good shots on.

Q. You have to feel fortunate that you got everything in without having to worry about the rain?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, it was nice. Just really wanted to get it done today. Didn't want to start and stop and have to come out tomorrow and finish and maybe have to go back out tomorrow and start the third round.

So it's nice. I get the rest of the day off. We'll see what the weather does. Looks like a storm's moving in. I knew when I saw my tee time early in the week I knew I was probably going to get the -- not the good side, but the more fortunate side that you get more rest.

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