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BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIP

July 21, 2018

Tom Lovelady

Nicholasville, Kentucky

Q. Tom, 7-under, 65 today. Excellent round. If we can get some comments on your play.
TOM LOVELADY: Yeah, I think my length is a huge advantage out here, especially the par-5s. I had a 9-iron and a pitching wedge into two of the par-5s, and not many guys are having that.

Putter left me a little bit through the middle of the round. I mean, I just drove the ball so good that I'm always in position.

Tomorrow just need to keep executing the driver and giving myself as many birdie putts as possible.

Q. And speaking of birdies, you had four in a row there near the end of the round, 14 through 17. Talk a little bit about that stretch.
TOM LOVELADY: Yeah, I was a little frustrated. I had some really good opportunities on 10 and 12 that were right up the hill. I don't know if the greens were a little slower when I turned or I just didn't hit them, but didn't really get them to the hole.

So kind of had some inner motivation to not let that affect me and just keep doing what I'm doing knowing that it's going to pay off. Just had some good looks and made some good putts. Just gave myself a bunch of opportunities.

Q. It's a jumbled leaderboard. What's your mindset going into tomorrow?
TOM LOVELADY: I have an idea where I am but haven't really looked at detail of numbers. Just going to be the same: drive the ball in the fairway and give myself as many putts as I can.

Hopefully the weather holds off so we'll be able to play. Just keep driving the ball well and put it on the green.

Q. Man, you like the closing holes, that's for sure. May be a good sign for tomorrow.
TOM LOVELADY: Yeah, we'll see. Just gave myself a lot of opportunities. Even early in the back nine I missed a couple easier putts that I could've made, but just kept sticking to what I do best and just kept giving myself birdie opportunities.

Q. We had this flurry. All of a sudden. There was a jog jam at 17-under, and then all of a sudden four of you guys broke through at 18.
TOM LOVELADY: That's what I heard. You know, I had an idea where I was. It's not that I didn't look because I didn't want to know. It's just I didn't look because I was just kind of into what I was doing. I was really getting into my round.

You know, it's crazy to think you're getting into your round on your 13th hole, but I had a really clutch save on 13 that really kept the momentum and -- I wouldn't say it propelled me to four birdies, but it gave me confidence moving forward.

Q. Being at the top of the leaderboard knowing there are so many people within striking distance, does that make you just play golf and not...
TOM LOVELADY: Yeah.

Q. ...worry about pressure?
TOM LOVELADY: Well, with the weather the way it is you don't know if you're going to play tomorrow, so you can't treat this that it's the last day, but can't treat it that's it's the third day. It's just another day.

Just treat each shot for what it's worth, and if you hit a bad shot just go get up and down. I think that that's the mindset that I've had this week. It's just been really good for me.

Past few weeks I've struggled. Just been tired and I've kind of let that get me. I just got fed up with it. Mentally this is one of the better weeks that I've had and it's shown, and looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. How did you come to that kind of mindset? Is it something that you worked with a sports psychologist?
TOM LOVELADY: No. It was really just kind of inner. I would just hit some shots and get frustrated and know that I'm better than the shots I'm hitting. I just wasn't really having much fun. That's just not the way that I want to go about life. That's just not right.

I finally said, I'm sick of it. I don't care what bad breaks I'm going to get, I'm going to live with it because everybody else gets the same.

Really just came from inner belief and motivation.

Q. So nobody told you you're no fun to be around?
TOM LOVELADY: No, no, no. For some reason people are still rooming with me this week. Must not be too miserable.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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