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SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN

October 31, 2018

Patrick Cantlay

Las Vegas, Nevada

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started here with our defending champion at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Patrick Cantlay. Patrick earned his first career PGA TOUR victory here last season and makes his first title defense.

Get an opening comment from you. Good to be back I assume.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, nice to be back to a place I've had some success at. I like the golf course. Looking forward to another good week. Just getting really.

THE MODERATOR: Overall last season you advanced to your second consecutive TOUR Championship. How would you assess the season and as we move into this one have your goals changed at all?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, still feels like the last season, you know, because still feeling like on the calendar year schedule. This will be like my last tournament of the year.

So felt like the year was good. I played really solid. Played well. Didn't necessarily win as much as I would've liked, but I feel like my game is in a good spot. Felt like it was another solid year. Nice to see the golf courses again for the second time. I think that makes a big difference.

So got some good experience, and I'll take it with me going forward.

THE MODERATOR: Take some questions out here.

Q. Now that it's here, I know we talked about defending a championship, but now that the week is here, what will it take for you to win again?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well, I think it depends how much the wind blows depending on how the golf course is going to play. It's a much different golf course when wind blows 15, 20 miles an hour. Supposed to get nicer weather as the week goes so I'm sure scores will be lower than last year. Probably take a little more aggressive mindset.

But, you know, the golf course is good. Really suits my game, so I think hitting a bunch of fairways and taking advantage of the hole locations when they're accessible is key around this place.

Q. How do you feel? Any different, if you do feel any different, walking in to this place right now as a champion for the first time?
PATRICK CANTLAY: The biggest thing really is just going back to the golf courses that you've seen before. I saw this golf course for the first time last year and on a short week because I was in the China the week before. Just nice feeling like I know where the all the hole locations are going to be, or most of them at least, and know how certain holes play in certain winds.

Like I said, very underrated for having success out here. I'm really looking forward to being able to play having the experience I had last year.

Q. It was quite the finish last year on Sunday. What are the one or two things you specifically remember about the back nine coming down the stretch?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well, it was an easier day than it had been because the wind had been blowing for the most part all week. I don't think the wind blew very much until maybe like the 14th or 15th hole. On the 14th or 15th hole someone turned the fan on and it started blowing 25 pretty steady. It was 25 or 30 all the way to the end.

I remember feeling like I wasn't expecting the wind to kick up. I felt like maybe it was done for the week because earlier in the day it was down. The fact that it kicked up and made the finish so much more difficult I remember feeling like -- because I bogeyed the last couple holes -- feeling like I had lost the tournament by making those bogeys.

It was playing so difficult that I still got into a playoff. I remember feeling like that and not -- because I wasn't really expecting the wind to kick up like that I didn't -- my mindset hadn't adjusted maybe quick enough.

Q. One shot or one moment in the playoff?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I mean, the shot I hit from behind the tree was really, really good. I wouldn't want to hit it again. It was a tough one. But it was ultimately the shot that helped me win the golf tournament. I would say that shot.

Q. What's more important to you and why? Seven Top 10s or 21 or 23 cuts made?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I actually didn't know those stats. You know, I feel like I gave myself a few opportunities to win, and so every experience that you have like that I think you can take something from it and take a positive from it.

You know, I'm going to use that going forward. I think the biggest thing is being able to play some tournament s and be in contention to win. That's what I'm out here trying to do. The other stuff, Top 10s, made cuts, that is a by-product of just trying to win the golf tournament that week.

Q. All around last year stats were really strong in most areas except putting. Something you're trying to improve?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, of course. I think every year at the end of the year you look at stats and definitely try and tailor your practice around trying to improve a certain stat. For me it was putting last year. I felt like my putter got a little bent throughout the year and I didn't realize it had, so I think I compensated a little bit maybe with my setup.

Once I got it fixed it started coming around. I think it's going to continue to improve. You know, it was unfortunate that it happened like that, but I'm going to learn from it and I'm going to definitely maybe practice a little -- just put a little more emphasis on it and I'm sure it'll clean up.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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