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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 13, 2019

Dylan Frittelli

Silvis, Illinois

Q. Fantastic Saturday, got off to a perfect start and kept it going, bogey-free.
DYLAN FRITTELLI: Yeah, exactly. It was another clean card today. I've felt really good this week over the tee shots, and approaches to the greens I haven't been in too much trouble, but I made a few putts today. Yesterday I made a few, today I made a few, and if I can keep that rolling and the ball-striking remains, it should be a good Sunday.

Q. When you get off to a flier like that, birdies in four of your first five holes, how difficult is it to keep it going?
DYLAN FRITTELLI: It is tough. I mean, I looked up at the leaderboard on I think it was 5 green, I made a birdie there, and I was likes, oh, I'm tied for the lead but JB hasn't even teed off yet. I figure I'm nine holes behind him, he's going to make birdies. Anyway, I just had to keep the foot on the gas and try as make as many as I could. Pretty slow back nine. I didn't really have too many good looks at birdie, but I held it together and luckily bookended the back nine with birdies.

Q. And I thought the key to the day was the par at 8. Walk me through the wildest scenario I've ever seen up on top of that bunker, two drops. That was creative but correct. I admired it.
DYLAN FRITTELLI: Yeah, it's a way of using the rules to your benefit. I wouldn't have called the referee if I didn't truly think I could have played the shot that way, so I was stuck against the bunker without a stance, so I had to play it pretty much left-handed, and I was standing right on a sprinkler head. The ref agreed with me. He said, sure, it's definitely a plausible shot. It's not conventional obviously but it's plausible, so he gave me relief. My drop was then a club length away, rolled back towards the sprinklers, now playing right-handed I was standing on the sprinklers again, so needed to take relief for the right-handed shot from the same sprinkler and then go one more club length and ended up in the sort of first cut area where I could have a much easier chip shot than where I was.

Q. Selfishly I was hoping I would get to call a backwards shot, but you appreciate you making sure you got the par because it kept a good round going.
DYLAN FRITTELLI: Yeah, exactly. I said to the referee, I've actually played this shot two or three times before in tournament play, so it's not like it's a wild shot that I've ever had, so he believed me and gave me a drop thankfully.

But yeah, it was a good day. Hopefully I can keep my calm tomorrow, hit a lot of good tee shots and hit a bunch of greens and make some putts.

Q. Six birdies, including one on that final hole. How do you carry that momentum into tomorrow?
DYLAN FRITTELLI: Just go and have some lunch now and relax and practice a bit and try and keep the same mojo running tomorrow, I guess.

Q. What did you find out there tomorrow? Everything seemed to be going well.
DYLAN FRITTELLI: Yeah, it was like that the first two rounds, as well. The first round I didn't putt very well, shot easy 5-under, and then yesterday I made a few crucial putts that held me round together to shoot 3-under, and today it was a few more putts and some good ball-striking, so just nice, consistent play, felt comfortable on the greens again today, which is huge. My putting has kind of lagged behind my ball-striking so far this season, so if I can keep that up tomorrow, I'll definitely have a chance.

Q. You're one back right now; what's the thought process going into tomorrow?
DYLAN FRITTELLI: Yeah, it would be cool to be within three shots of the lead. I figure three or four shots back will be the likely scenario when they're done, but as long as I'm on the back nine with two, three shots between me and the leader, I'll definitely have an opportunity.

Q. You do things a little differently than some of the others. You're the only one wearing sleeves out here. You also leave the flagstick in on pretty much every putt, right?
DYLAN FRITTELLI: Yeah, I leave the pin in pretty much inside 30, 40 feet every time. Sometimes the close ones I'll take it out, but the sleeves help me stay cool and keep the sun out of my arms. I do whatever is necessary pretty much.

Q. Are there shots or putts that you made that you maybe wouldn't have made without the pin in?
DYLAN FRITTELLI: So far this season, maybe one. Maybe one. It's more a visual thing. It helps me focus on the hole, especially from close range, see that small target and focus on that, and it helps me roll it in there.

Q. Your first time playing here. Did you get a scouting report from Jordan Spieth or anything?
DYLAN FRITTELLI: No, I didn't get from him. Obviously he's won twice here. He's got a lot of good mojo, but I just showed up Monday, played a couple practice rounds, and figured this stuff out myself.

Q. Do you stay in touch with him at all?
DYLAN FRITTELLI: Yeah, we're still good buddies. We don't see each other too often. He's in Dallas, I'm in Austin, but we'll play practice rounds together and have lunch pretty often.

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