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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 15, 2019

Luke List

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Q. Obviously you came in off a good performance last week. How much did that help you coming in this week?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, I knew I was playing pretty well last week, so any time you do that, it's nice to get a little confidence going. You hate to get confidence from results, but sometimes that's how we are. Good solid top 10 last week, and to make the weekend here is a big deal for me just because I've never done it. I'm excited to see what the weekend brings.

Q. How is your elbow holding up?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, you know, I've got a great trainer and he's doing an amazing job giving it the proper treatment. I'm just trying not to think about it. Once I put that tape on, I try not to think about it or mess with it. Doing a really good job with that. It's not exactly 100 percent where I want it to be, and it causes a few loose swings, but that's part of it. We're all banged up out here to a certain degree.

Q. Talk about the hot start you had today.
LUKE LIST: Yeah, for me, if I drive it in the fairway on 1 and 2 I've got some birdie opportunities, and I was able to capitalize on that with a close shot on 1 and then two-putt birdie on 2 and then hit a beautiful swing on 3 to -- any time you birdie the first three holes, you're smiling. So I was eager to keep going.

Q. Talk about what happened at 15 and 16.
LUKE LIST: Yeah, 15, I was in the pine straw, and I've had some come out hot, like a jumper out of the pine straw, and that one came out soft. Wasn't a bad shot and kind of came down to the low collection area that I didn't get relief from a drain that was kind of a little wet area, and I just chunked a chip. It happens to the best of us.

From there, I actually hit a really good bogey putt, and it happens out here very quickly, those doubles. I was a little ticked off for a second, but to rebound, I knew I had a par-5 that if I hit the fairway I'd have a birdie opportunity, and to make the eagle putt was just a bonus from off the green.

Q. Obviously might be a little premature, but you're trending in the right direction, got a couple of big events coming up, if you can get into the Match Play or --
LUKE LIST: Yeah, you talk to most guys who are on the bubble -- and I've been on the bubble of a lot of big tournaments over the years, and it doesn't do me any good to think about that. I've got enough to focus on this golf course for the weekend. I'm really happy the way I played, and if I can just keep on doing what I'm doing, I'll be in good shape on Sunday.

Q. Luke, three top 10s this year. You played some good golf coming into this week. What do you put on yourself for this weekend or how do you not think about what's really at stake for you?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, I mean, you're only human to think about the consequences, good or bad, so for me, I'm kind of allowing myself to think about it but also not beating myself up if I do get too far ahead of myself. When you get on the golf course, that's the time to keep it right in front of you, so for me, I've been in this position a few times, and I haven't closed the deal, but there's a lot of golf left. I mean, it's still 36 holes, and anything can happen on this golf course. You can make some birdies and some big numbers, so I'm just going to try to keep it in front of me and keep going.

Q. You can look at that two ways; I didn't get it done or, you know what, I'm a darned good player. How do you look at that and what is your mindset?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, great question. It's really hard to win out here, and I think it's only gotten harder with the talent that's out here now with a lot of young guys, and I'm no spring chicken anymore, so for me I know my opportunities. I want to take advantage of them. So for me it's -- any time you get in contention on the weekend you're happy, and I think one of these days I'll put it all together.

Q. Do you allow yourself to think of the magnitude of this weekend, THE PLAYERS?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, it's our fifth major. It's one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and obviously the competition, and that's why we practice and that's why we work, to be able to play against the best players in the world. Yeah, there will be nerves, and I'll be excited to get out there and that's just part of it. The more you embrace that, the more you free yourself up to get success.

Q. It's amazing what an eagle does to give you that boost at the end. Talk about 15 and that bounce back at 16.
LUKE LIST: Yeah, you know 15 I was in the pine straw, not too bad of shape and I kind of had one come out of the pine straw real like a jumper earlier and that one came out soft and it was kind of by a drain and unfortunately I couldn't get relief and so it was kind of a wet area and just made a bad chip and actually hit a really good bogey putt, so unfortunately doubles are never fun. But it was great to, I had a good attitude after that, knew if I hit a good drive I could have a good look at eagle or birdie on 16 and just tried to roll that in was pure luck, but I'll take it. So jokingly told my caddie, nice par on 15 and 16, just kind of equaled out. I was happy, I feel like the conditions will kind of get a little tougher as the day goes on so hopefully nobody runs away with it and I'm right there.

Q. You look at what you've done over the first 36 holes, 11 birdies and that eagle, so we know you can hit the red numbers, what's it going to take on this weekend for you, because you put yourself right in contention.
LUKE LIST: Yeah, I was saying earlier that I feel like the golf course, they have complete control over what they want to do. If they want to really have it dry out, bake out, they can do it, it's just in fantastic shape. So it's kind of dictating with the weather, if the wind picks up we have got a challenge on our hands, so I'll be curious to see myself what it turns out like, but there are birdies to be had out there, but there's, when you get out of position it's very difficult to make pars, so that's the beauty of this golf course.

Q. What do you think the players are going to face this afternoon, the wind are supposed to pick up a little bit, what do you think the guys teeing off later in the afternoon are going to face?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, yesterday when we had those windy conditions and it's challenging, I mean it swirls a little bit where you're kind of in the trees and then you got to trust that it's up above, up there and it's going to do what it's supposed to be doing, so it's a lot of trust in your caddie and your numbers. And then the greens will get a little firmer and a little quicker and a little crustier on the hole, so that's always challenging also.

Q. 68, 69. You started off really hot with three straight birdies, but then you had that double bogey with that eagle bounce back so how did you manage to bounce back like that?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, that's just good attitude, I feel like. This golf course there's trouble out there, so it was nice to bounce back like that and to make it off the green for eagle was really nice. Obviously hoping just to get birdie there. But that was nice.

Q. You were so far third in strokes gained approach around the green, was that your strength out there today did you feel or how were you playing?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, obviously to get off to a good start, birdieing the first three kind of gets your round off to a good start, you're feeling good about that. So, no, I was really happy that way and then from there I just kind of held on. There's some tough holes in the middle of the round there and I was kind of just making some good pars and obviously the little hiccup there on 15, but I'll take 4-under all day.

Q. This is your first weekend in three tries, how does that feel?
LUKE LIST: Yeah, I've had some success in individual rounds out there, but obviously had some big rounds also that got away from me. So I'm happy to put two good rounds together, hopefully I can put four good rounds together after the weekend.

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