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AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 12, 2019

Derek Lowe

Stateline, Nevada

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Derek Lowe.

Q. Nice opening round, 23 points. In the lead. Your best finish here, what is it, your seventh or eighth time, I believe?
DEREK LOWE: Yes.

Q. Finished tied for second two years ago in '17 when Mulder was on his run. It's nice to have you back here in the interview room. Take us through your round a little bit today and tell us the highlights, low lights and everything in between.
DEREK LOWE: I had a great pairing. It was fun to play with Mark. Haven't played with him in two years. And Trevor Hoffman, we've never played with. So he was a joy to play with. But for me it was putting, it was the best putting round I've had in a long time. I don't think I had a 3-putt. My nemesis is always No. 14.

That was probably my best hole. I hooked it in the water and you have to drop underneath the tree and skirt one up there and was able to make a putt for a 5. So to me that kind of kept everything going.

Just a fun day. I think anytime you just want to be in it. You want to compete, and the first round is the place to get you in contention.

Q. I think you went off at 18-to-1, if I'm not mistaken.
DEREK LOWE: I think we're up to 30-to-1, if I'm not mistaken. (Laughter).

Q. Did you put some wagers down on yourself, if you're not mistaken?
DEREK LOWE: We did not. We talked about it. But I've never done that. But I'm trending down, if I was a stock.

Q. Tell us where your game has been in the last couple of years, how much are you working on it, and are you playing much?
DEREK LOWE: I live in Florida half the year and Michigan half the year. I'm blessed to be able to play a lot of golf. I think for me it's always from the shots from 100 yards in, which you have a lot of out here because a lot of these guys are able to hit drives on spots 70 or 80 yards.

So that's always my Achilles' heel. If you get it right, like I was able to do today, you can shoot good scores.

Q. I'm curious about you being kind of a dark horse. Finishing second two years ago doesn't make you a dark horse, but the three or four favorites, as they say, nobody mentions your name when they're up here during the week. Do you like being in that position?
DEREK LOWE: Yeah, I think -- but rightfully so. I came in second and I came in 22nd twice. And the I think so, yeah, I understand. If you're sitting up here and you're talking to people that have won before, have been the Mardys and the Romos and the Mulders and Modano, we can go down the list. I think that's the beauty of playing here year after year, you get a little less nervous.

My first couple of years it would take me until day two before your hands weren't shaking. So I think again it's just knowing the golf course, being comfortable playing in front of people and so you just kind of learn throughout the years.

Q. Your best year, two years ago, you had a 25 the first round. Last year you had a 14, it looks like. You're nine points better than last year. You went over a few things as to why that might have happened. Any more elaboration on that, why you're nine points better?
DEREK LOWE: Is this a PG rated show? Get a little more sleep and drink a little bit more water. I think that's my answer. A little more sleep a lot more water. It's fun. You can come out here -- I think that's the beauty of this tournament. I've gone through both sides. You can come out here, bring your family, party for six days and have a great time; or you can come out here and say I'm going to try to do the best I can.

So that's kind of where I've been. I've been on both sides. And I don't regret coming out here saying you have maybe a little too much fun but you're in Tahoe; don't know if you're ever going to come back. So you try to enjoy it. So this year's the water and the sleep mode.

Q. Coming into this competition several other competitors said that you need to make putts in order to be at least in contention for this tournament. Is that what you think you did really well today?
DEREK LOWE: 100 percent. For me not to have 3-putts, I think I made probably five putts of five feet or less for pars, was able to make a long putt on 17 for a birdie.

So, yeah, anytime you can just continue to just not 3-putt. And these are extremely tough greens, I feel. If your speed is not proper, you can have a lot of tough second putts coming back, but anytime you can make five-footers it gives you confidence you're going to keep making them.

Q. There's so much going around every single hole, a lot of chatter, is it hard to zone in from the tee box all the way to the green?
DEREK LOWE: No. I mean you try to enjoy it. I think that's the beauty of, at least me, you come out here and, yes, golf is part of this event. But there's so much more. Tonight you're going to Blake Shelton and onward and upward.

So you just try to take in the beauty. It's a beautiful place. The fans are awesome. And again the more you get used to playing in front of a bigger crowd, it definitely helps you. So I just kind of look forward to tomorrow and Sunday and see where it goes.

Q. How do you keep that momentum heading into day two?
DEREK LOWE: Again, just hope to keep putting good and hit your wedges respectably close.

Q. You mentioned nerves when you're first playing here, how are you feeling now going into tomorrow; you're going to be near the top?
DEREK LOWE: Yeah, you're still going to be probably a little bit more nervous but nothing like you were again three, four years ago. I think especially if you're playing well, kind of gives you a little bit more confidence. But again you don't really know where you're going to be out there. Definitely going to be nervy shots tomorrow and Sunday that are going to test you. You hope you can go out there, have success.

Q. You've had a couple of World Series experiences so you've been in that fire.
DEREK LOWE: Nothing like this. (Laughter). There's nothing like it. I remember asking the caddie on 17 where did the ball went. Just keep the head down. Totally different nerves. I think every athlete up here will sit up here, tell you the same thing, you put somebody in the arena at the highest level, yes, there's going to be nerves, but nothing like this. You go out there and compete and see what happens.

Q. Baseball's on pace to obliterate the home run record. Are you glad you're playing golf now and not pitching anymore?
DEREK LOWE: Yeah, and I'm fortunate to spend a little bit of time with a couple of organizations. And there's definitely been chatter of balls being juiced. Or just balls going a lot farther from maybe not the biggest guys. I don't really necessarily watch baseball all that much. Obviously it was the All-Star Game with Verlander saying the balls are juiced and what have you and Manfred said no. But there's something going on, unless we're in the greatest home run era we've ever seen. You can pick one or the other. But they're getting ready to shatter the all-time. But it's good for the game. Home runs and strike outs that's the name of this game, this era.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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