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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 16, 2019

Abraham Ancer

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Q. Aside from Australia, you've had quite a run here. I mean, in addition to Australia. What do you put that down to?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Just learning. My first year here on TOUR was a rough one, but I learned a lot, took a lot of notes on that year that I missed a lot of cuts, but like I said, I learned a lot implemented on the WEB.COM, played some solid golf there that year and that got me feeling very comfortable being up there on the leaderboard for not only once but multiple times, and I kept doing the same thing on the PGA TOUR last year and I feel a lot more comfortable just even on bigger events like this, so I think it's just being in that position multiple times is what helped me the most.

Q. This is unlike a leaderboard that you've ever been on, with a lot of accomplished people. What do you think you need to do tomorrow to vault your way a little closer into contention?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Just keep doing what I'm doing. I've hit the ball really good off the tee and some good iron play, as well. Today the putts didn't want to fall in for the most part, but I'm playing some really solid golf, plotting along this golf course really well. I just got to keep doing the same thing and just make some putts.

Q. Why do you think the putts didn't fall?
ABRAHAM ANCER: It's golf, man. You're not going to make -- you can putt, you can roll one perfectly and it might not go in. But on the front nine there was some putts that had very subtle breaks and the grain was going against the break, so it kind of got you thinking, should I trust the grain or the break, and ended up just missing a couple putts barely.

Q. You felt pretty good with the putter?
ABRAHAM ANCER: No, I felt great. Even the putts I missed on the front nine for birdie I felt like I rolled them exactly where I was looking, they ended up just not going in. But, yeah I'm happy with my stroke, I'm happy how I'm rolling it, maybe just learning a little bit more about these greens, maybe putting into account the grain a little bit more.

Q. You mentioned learning a lot the first year out here. What did you learn about yourself or your game?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I just tried to change a lot of things. I didn't really stick to what got me to the PGA TOUR in the first place. I wanted to hit it farther, I wanted to hit it higher, and it just didn't really pan out very well. I changed equipment all the time, which was terrible.

But it was good that it happened, it was good that it happened and I learned what to do, and like I said, I've been really good at just trusting my game and just playing what really, what got me here in the first place.

Q. When you left Oklahoma, did you have any goals in mind at the time and where are you in that process now?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, when I left OU I just wanted to have a tour to play on and I went to Q-School, got all the way through all the stages and I always had somewhere to play, which was huge. But, yeah, I think I'm doing -- I'm on pace of the goals I've put into perspective, or planned after OU, and I don't think -- I don't like to think too much in advance, I just like to stay week by week and just do my thing every week. But I think I'm doing a good job of that.

Q. No Latin player has ever been this close to the top after 54 holes until you. What do you think about that, and what does that mean to you?
ABRAHAM ANCER: That's kind of surprising. There's a lot of Latin players that are extremely good. A bunch of friends that I know they got the game to win every week out here. But it's just, I mean, it's a funny game. Like I said, golf is a little bit crazy how it works, but, yeah, I mean happy to be up there and hopefully kind of show that we can win an event like this or stay at the very top.

Q. If someone would have told you on Tuesday when were you having your practice round that you would have had 3-under par rounds in your first PLAYERS, what would you have said -- and are the top 5 heading into Sunday, what would you have told them?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Well, maybe not the under-par rounds. You always want to -- obviously you always think you're going to shoot under par everywhere you go, unless it's like The Open Championship and it's blowing like crazy or U.S. Open. But, yeah, I mean I would have taken saying if you were going to be top 5 going into Sunday, yeah, I definitely would take that.

Q. Do you have any family or friends coming in tomorrow or have you got any words of encouragement?
ABRAHAM ANCER: If they're coming, I have no idea. I haven't looked at my phone, but I'm actually -- one of my sponsors is here this week with his son, and a really good friend of mine with his son is here as well, rented a house like 12 minutes away from here, having a good time, grilling out every night. It's been a really fun week.

Q. What's on the grill?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Everything from ribeyes, New York strip, filet. We also did some scallops. We've done a lot of Mexican food, as well. It's been great.

Q. So not a vegetarian.
ABRAHAM ANCER: No. Well, very little spinach.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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