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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 16, 2019

Tommy Fleetwood

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome Tommy Fleetwood into the interview room. Great playing, especially on the back nine, great comeback. Just comments on your third round and what you're looking forward to most tomorrow.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it was a tougher day today, not necessarily conditions-wise, although the greens were a lot firmer. But didn't have my swing today like I've had for the first two days, and really struggled with that early on. You know, it was a poor start basically, but I think -- yeah, I think the good thing about it was how good I was mentally, the character I showed. I was stuck in there on one of the toughest golf courses we play and managed to get an under par round out of it when I didn't really feel comfortable all day. Just be happy that I've sort of managed to get through that day whilst not feeling all that great.

Q. Tommy, is there any significance for you in playing in the final pairing as opposed to the second to last?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Not massively, really. This course is the same and the atmosphere between the second to the last group or the last group won't really change. It'll be good to be in the final group again, so that will be all weekend that I've played in the final group, so that's something to be very happy about.

No, but -- not massively significant, but it's something to enjoy whilst it's happening.

Q. Along those same lines, do you know how that works, why you're in the last group and not Rory?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think I'm the better looking one, so they put me in the last group. But no, I don't know.

THE MODERATOR: First to tee off, I believe.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Okay, so it wasn't the looks. Rory would be in the last group if that was the case.

Q. Rory for the last few weeks has been talking about giving himself chances and not get down on himself when those chances don't work out. Do you have a similar mindset given that you're kind of on a similar track right now?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Absolutely, yeah, and I think at the end of the day, winning is very difficult. Four days of golf is a long time, like I've said before. But you have to take the positives all the time about how consistent your golf is, how -- I am happy with how consistent I feel like I can be and shoot a lot of good scores and put myself in contention a lot. Of course, like everybody, I would like to win more.

But just keep doing the right things, keep doing the same things, and yeah, hopefully it just happens naturally. I don't think you can force things really, so focusing on it too much and trying too hard is something that I really don't want to do. I don't want to get into that kind of mode. Just keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully it'll come.

Q. Just curious if you've had a chance to look at what the conditions might be tomorrow, especially with the weather.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: No, I think -- is it supposed to rain tomorrow or is it supposed to be not great tomorrow? Just another challenge, a new challenge. Today the wind was different and it was kind of strong, but then mild. We didn't have it really bad, and definitely today if you put it on the fairway, you can shoot a score around this golf course like people have done. You know, I don't really know much about the conditions yet. We had it okay today. But we'll see. We'll see what tomorrow brings. It is what it is, really. I don't worry too much about it.

Q. Do your fans praise you at all for your fine play in last year's Ryder Cup?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: There wasn't that much to praise today at times, but yeah, they do. I enjoy playing out here. I really, really love it. I've been very lucky that since I've come out, the American fans have been really great with me and they've always been on my side. I do, I think it's great for golf out here, and I love the atmosphere that surrounds the tournaments, and I've always been very lucky to have that support.

Q. Do they bring up the Ryder Cup and how well you played there at all?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Not really.

Q. When you are trying to turn a round around, do you have a go-to shot? Do you have something that you say to yourself? Do you try and pretend you're starting on the first tee all over again? How do you do that?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I mean, you have to keep going. I would have loved a go-to shot today. I didn't really have one. I had a right miss a lot today, and I struggled with my rhythm. But you have to dig deep, and you have to try and get it round. I'll always revert to trying to draw the ball, I guess, because that's mostly all I've got. Sometimes you have to rely on your short game or your putting. No, I made the turn, of course you have that long walk from 9 to 10 and you feel like you can start again, but still, the golf course just comes at you straightaway. I think 11 and 12 were big because they're holes that you want to pick up shots on. I played them really well. I know I hit a poor putt on 12, but still, I had things going in the right direction, and I think 10, 11, 12 -- I holed a really good par putt on 10, but I think those holes were key. Although you keep going shot to shot, I think those holes were really key just to get something going at least and try and move in the right direction.

Q. What was it like out there playing with Rory? What are the dynamics when you're getting into the situation that you're getting into, each of you?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: We're good friends. We're close, and I think we have that respect, and I think we're comfortable enough with each other that we let each other just get on with our game. I enjoy being out with him. He plays at a really good pace. The crowds are really good. The atmosphere that follows him is really good. But no, we just -- we're really focused on our games.

It wasn't an easy day for either of us, so it's not like you hit a shot and you feel great and you just wander down the fairway chatting to each other because everything is rosy. It was a battle for both of us, we had to grind it out. But no, I really enjoy playing with him. You get certain people that you feel really comfortable with and that you enjoy playing with. Rory is one of them for me.

Q. Were you able to draw anything from the fact that you could see him battling it and doing it quite well, too?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, no, I'd have preferred me not to have been battling, if I had a choice. You know, like I say, again, golf is a very difficult game, and for us today, Rory got going a bit quicker than I did. But still found it hard to pick some shots up. Sometimes it just works like that, but we both -- when we come in, we both said -- actually decent scores in the end, both did well, both did it in completely different ways. But it's tough, and Rory started not hitting it great, and I wasn't hitting it great, but we both managed to get it back, and it was a tough day, but one that you'll remember.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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