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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

October 26, 2018

Patrick Reed

Shanghai, China

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: We want to thank Patrick Reed for coming down to the media centre.

A tough day, coming in with a 72, three back of the lead right now. Give us your assessment of the day.

PATRICK REED: Really it was a grind today. It was one of those days that you easily could have shot 76 or 77 with playing out of the rough all day and hitting three balls in the water, and you know, being able to salvage even par and only being three back starting the weekend, I'm happy with where I'm at. All I need to do is tighten it up a little bit and we should be right there and ready to go.

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: You started off quite strongly with a couple early birdies and a few bogeys towards the middle of the round. How difficult was it in terms of club selection and controlling the distance.

PATRICK REED: It was tough. You know, I think the biggest difference between today and yesterday was yesterday I felt like I was in complete control of the golf ball. I felt like my timing was right where it needed to be, and today it felt like it was a hair off. Therefore, the ball wasn't coming out of the window I was looking at, so it was tough to judge how far it was going to go.

Today it seemed like the wind wasn't staying in just one direction like it was yesterday. Today it just seemed to kind of bounce between west, northwest, all the way up to west. With it kind of bouncing around, you just had to hope you caught the right gust or hit the right shot, but you know, it was a grind out there.

Any time you have two-, two-and-a-half-club wind, no matter what, it's going to be tough. I was able to master it yesterday, and today was just kind of one of those days you had to grind out. You're going to have those days in a four-round tournament, so you just need to be able to salvage them and you know, put the foot on the gas and get ready to go.

Q. Your first start since The Ryder Cup and looking at how The Ryder Cup turned out and sort of the fallout after that, do you come here with any sort of thought of making a point, especially the way you played yesterday?
PATRICK REED: No, not really. Ryder Cup was three, almost four weeks ago. Right now I'm just trying to play great golf and finish off the year right, because even though the PGA TOUR season has now started, for The European Tour, it's still going on. I'm a little bit behind Francesco in that and I'm hoping to close that gap and have a chance to hopefully win The Race to Dubai.

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: You spoke a little bit about this event being part of The Race to Dubai and trying to close down Francesco. This being the early season event for the PGA TOUR, as well, for the 2018-2019 season, how do you see the importance of this event fitting on the PGA TOUR schedule, as well.

PATRICK REED: It's very important. I mean, it's a World Golf Championship. It's important no matter what. To get off to a really good start for the PGA TOUR season and play well here, and then on top of it to play well to give you momentum going into Dubai; it's one of those events, it's kind of if you're playing well, it's a win-win situation if you're playing on both tours.

It's one of these events that I enjoy coming over and playing. I love coming over to China and I love the golf course. I just need to go out and have a fun weekend and you know, have a chance come Sunday afternoon.

Q. Talk about the last stroke that you had, you were playing very aggressively and actually you made a very good shot towards the green. What clubs were you using and can you talk about it? Just bring us through the final hole.
PATRICK REED: The wind was a little in off the left off the tee. I'm just trying to hit a driver kind of cutting it off that left bunker, and you know, it started the left bunker but the problem was it slides. It just kept on going right and ended up going in the water and from that point when I took my drop, I only had 217 to the front, 241 hole, and I was trying to convince my caddie to allow me to hit just kind of a cut hybrid out there.

You know, he asked me, "Okay, well, what's the risk/reward?"

I told him: I can hit a shot 140 yards, have 100 yards into the green and try to get up-and-down par for. Or if I hit hybrid and knock it on the green, I have a chance for birdie. If not, I'm in the left bunker and get up-and-down for par.

He's like, "What about worst-case scenario?"

I was like, "Well, hybrid can go in the water and you can walk off with a big number."

He gave me the go-ahead to be aggressive, and any time someone gives me the go-ahead to be aggressive, I'm going to take the opportunity. The only thing I thought of, was make the same swing you made off the tee, and if you need to slice it off 50 yards, just do the same thing. I mean, you just did it 20 minutes ago, and I was able to get it started on the right line and ended up hopping on the green and getting up there pretty close.

I had a pretty makeable right-to-left putt for birdie. I hit the putt exactly where I looked and had the speed I wanted on it. It was just a fraction too low and it lipped-out.

After hitting the tee shot in the water, you're always happy to be able to walk off with par.

Q. We just talked about going through The Ryder Cup, your experience through The Ryder Cup. How about the Presidents Cup? What would be your most perfect partner that you would choose?
PATRICK REED: I don't know. I don't even know where I stand on the whole points list or anything like that. Right now I'm just kind of focusing on this week and trying to get through the season.

So you know, I have this week, Dubai, Hong Kong and Tiger's event left for the season. You know, for how long of a year it's been, I'm just wanting to finish the year off right and finish the year off strong so I can have a fun little off-season.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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