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THE NORTHERN TRUST

August 8, 2019

Jordan Spieth

Jersey City, New Jersey

Q. Walking down the fairway, what were you saying to yourself? On 15, you were talking to yourself?
JORDAN SPIETH: Oh, yeah. I just thought that I hit it in the lip of that bunker, which is essentially a stroke hazard penalty, and I got up there and -- no, I wasn't really talking to myself. I was just hoping it wasn't in the lip.

I saw it in the middle of that bunker where I knew could I get a 6-iron up near the green and I was pretty pumped up at that because I got away with a bad drive and knew that I could kind of make ab easier par with it and it still wasn't easy. That was a really solid up-and-down. I got that one up-and-down. Then I felt like on the next hole, you know, I could just put a NICE, smooth swing on it and didn't have to try to get anything back or anything. I think 15 led into 16 for sure and allowed maybe a two-stroke swing for me there. Those were good drives. And then, you know, just like I said, today was really good tee balls for me. If I can continue to do that this week, then I foresee solid rounds like this.

Q. Did you take the mind-set coming into the Playoffs that you have three weeks to make a brand new statement?
JORDAN SPIETH: Not necessarily, no. I don't think I was thinking about it that way at all. In all honesty, if I were second in the FedExCup coming in, it's a little easier to think that way because you're guaranteed three events.

For me, I came in, honestly, off of Saturday last week, searching a bit, and really thinking about, you know, just playing some solid golf to make sure I get two chances at trying to work my way into contention; and therefore, hopefully make it to East Lake. I mean, that's the ultimate goal for me. If I were to make it to East Lake at this point, it means I play some really solid golf these next two weeks.

I just take it one week at time a time. I don't have the luxury of past years of being able to play with kind of as much freedom. I've got to protect a little bit, unfortunately, but if I can have another couple solid rounds by the time it gets to Sunday, that certainly changes, and it goes into trying to win this golf tournament to win this golf tournament.

Yeah, certainly, any season you have a win is a good season. So just trying to work my way into having a chance on this Sunday.

Q. Some parallels between you and Matt Wolff, hyped amateurs, getting out here and make a statement early. You seemed to be chatting it up today. Your impressions of him? What was playing with him like?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it was great. Matt's super nice, extremely talented as we all know. We had a great time today. That was the first time I've ever played with him. I got to know him a little bit just in passing here or there.

It's incredible what he's done. I told him, man, that's just amazing what you've been able to do, and certainly ride that momentum. I love how aggressively he plays. It's cool. It's kind of like I definitely knew I used to play a little bit more that way and I kind of need to get back into that. You get back out here -- here or there -- and he has none of that.

He's a really exciting player I think for people to go watch. He'll be somebody that if you're going watch a golf tournament, you may go watch him play. Certainly it's unique but it's also aggressive and it's good entertainment for sure.

Q. Where did you lose that, do you think?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, good question. Wish I knew the answer and I wouldn't have done it. I think certainly when you have the confidence and you're playing well, you tend to play more aggressively. You just have that confidence in your game and everyone goes through spurts out here where you're just not on, and sometimes that gets taken away from you a little bit, that freedom, that aggressive mentality, until you really start to feel on again.

It's also personality-based, too, and his is pretty firry.

Q. You don't have a lot of failure in college when you're good, do you? Cuts, things like that?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, no cuts. And then typically the talent level, even on a bad week, if you go in as a better player than other players, you typically find yourself at least in the Top-10, 15. Even the bad weeks, are still not so bad. You know, certainly out here on TOUR, it can be humbling a little bit with just the talent level that's out here and the fact that when you get off, you're playing so much that you don't have as much time that you did in amateur golf to kind of get it back.

I think that freedom coming out has just stayed with him and it's his personality.

Q. Might it have something to do with chasing versus being the chased? Is it easier to be more aggressive and play freely when you're chasing the prize, as opposed to maybe having to defend it or feeling like everyone is coming after you?
JORDAN SPIETH: In what way?

Q. Well, like when you alluded to Rory being at No. 2, which you have that position in the past where you were No. 1 and everyone was coming at you and now you're trying to get back there --
JORDAN SPIETH: In the FedExCup -- in the FedExCup it's definitely better, but when you're talking about World Rankings and stuff, yeah, it can certainly be easier to be the chaser. But in the FedExCup, it's nice to be the chas-ee. You're not going to drop much and you're going to have a chance come East Lake when you start that tournament.

I don't like starting where I did this Playoffs, and I don't plan on ever starting this far down again. Last year I said that, and then I did, but things are improving. Today was a good day.

Q. You said you were searching. Did you find anything new or you know what you're working on and just a matter of doing it?
JORDAN SPIETH: I just had a little doubt in what I was working on, and you know, I hit quite a few balls out of play. And then took a couple days, and then Saturday was just a fluke day that would have happened whether I was No. 1 in the world or not. Everybody has those random days once, twice a year where you wanted to forget them. I just owed it to that and put me in a better frame of mind.

Q. This starts the going back and forth with Boston. This is the first year and Boston next year. Jay Monahan yesterday gave you great credit for putting that idea in his head. Do you remember that?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, there's a number of players. I think everybody really liked going to Boston. Loves the fan base up there. The golf course has created some fantastic finishes. It's a really good TPC golf course and a players' golf course that should be in the rotation. Nothing against the courses here because they are obviously incredible and immaculate, as well. It's nice to bring that back in for sure.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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