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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 7, 2019

Patrick Rodgers

Orlando, Florida

Q. 68 today, really solid round out there. I know you're not happy with that bogey at the last, that's such a tough hole. Your thoughts on how you played today?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, it was a really clean round. Even despite the two bogeys I felt like I was in really good control today. I got off to a great start and really was in control of my golf ball the whole day. It's nice to see, I've been really working hard and busting my butt and I haven't had rounds quite that clean. So it's nice. I step away from today feeling like that's one of the highest scores I could have shot, but that's goods for the next few days.

Q. Last year you finished 68, 69, so now you post another 68. Obviously you're getting the feel for this place. What's changed the last few rounds to put these low numbers up?
PATRICK RODGERS: It's a golf course that's easy to love. Even before that weekend last year I played well here in the past and to put myself up there around this place and it's a golf course I always grew up watching the tournament every year and it's kind of one of those where I knew every hole before I even got here. So it's just an absolute pleasure to play and I think it fits my game well and it just inspires me to play well around here.

Q. We talk about Arnie this week especially, what do you remember about Arnold? I think you played here the last year he was still with us?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, it was amazing to play here when he was here, just he always had that air about him that you were speaking with somebody who was influential, not just in the game of golf but in the world. And that's pretty surreal for me to have been a part of. He was at one of my Palmer Cups that I played, which was incredibly special experience and there's not too many people where you kind of get chills just shaking their hand and that's how I felt with him. So it's, his legacy definitely lives on and it carries on through this event and I think every player in the field is incredibly grateful just to be here.

Q. What was the key to your quick start there?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, it was nice to get off to the good start. I think if you asked the people that teed off this morning it was the fact that it was warm. When I started it was warm. It was a little difficult playing those first few holes for them at 7 o'clock this morning. But I've been working hard, I felt like I was really close to a solid week last week and just didn't quite put it together and today was a really clean round of golf and I'm excited for the next three.

Q. What do you like about playing here?
PATRICK RODGERS: There's not much that you can't like. It's an amazing golf course, I've grown up watching the tournament year after year. Obviously being a fan of Tiger I've seen him have his fair share of success around here. But I knew every hole before I ever competed. And when you come here and you have the feel of this event and you see the golf course just being in mint condition, it's just a really special week and so I'm inspired to play really well.

Q. What do you think specifically fits your game here?
PATRICK RODGERS: I love the greens, I love how fast and slopey the greens are. The strength of my game the last couple years has been putting and I tend to putt my best the faster the greens get. So I love that you have to think your way around the golf course and you have to manage it and put it in the right spots, it's not just one of those bomb and gouge golf courses, it tests you every step of the way. I like those golf courses that are a challenge and really make you use your mind.

Q. Guys always say, I'm working harder on my game. Sometimes that means a lot, sometimes it maybe doesn't work out quite the way they hope. But what's been effective about how you've worked on your game?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, I have great direction in my game right now and I have for the last 15 months. I'm working with a ma sink instructor, Jeff Smith, who is a really bright guy and seems to match up with the way that I think about the game. So we're a great fit together and we have really been pushing ourselves to try to see how good we can be and I don't feel like I've showed much of my best stuff the last six months, but I know it's coming, so the difficult thing is just to be patient.

Q. You shot 61, 62 at RSM. That was okay.
PATRICK RODGERS: That's good, yeah, I've been decent in flashes, but the best players in the world are consistently great every week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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