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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2019

Gary Woodland

Medinah, Illinois

Q. Quite a round, early morning start. A great ball-striking round for you.
GARY WOODLAND: I needed that. It's been awhile. I haven't hit it very good lately. Last week playing four rounds was huge, kind of worked some things out as we go.

Something clicked last night on the range, did a little range session late last night. It's as good as I've hit it in a long time.

Q. You've already secured going to Atlanta and the Tour Championship. But you're pretty much the bubble boy on the Presidents Cup is concerned.
You're 9th. The top 8 qualify. You have a lot of motivate on Sunday?

GARY WOODLAND: I do. I have a lot of emotion for awhile. It was nice to see it today. This was as good as I've played obviously since the U.S. Open but I just saw the things I wanted to see. Nice to play rounds. Haven't played a ton since then. Got some rounds under my belt last week.

Q. Tell me about some hole location that's we should be weary of or something else.
GARY WOODLAND: There's a lot of good ones today. Lot of tucked pins. Obviously it's still soft. If the wind is down like it is right now you'll see some low scores.

Q. Did you know that you were putting for to tie the record?
GARY WOODLAND: I knew Hideki shot it yesterday. Yeah. I knew -- I knew it was 63. I hit a great second shot in there. Would have been nice knock that in but wasn't a bad putt. Not going to complain about 64.

Q. I was curious if the rain actually helped that lie in the bunker at all?
GARY WOODLAND: The lie, I was on an up-slope. The lie was all right. It was nice to go hit the shot for 20 minutes on the range out of the fairway bunker. I had Butchie get the hole, 138 yards. I hit balls at it for 20 minutes.

Q. Is that what you did?
GARY WOODLAND: I knew I had the shot. It came off perfectly.

Q. Gary, can you talk about your Presidents Cup standings? 9th, obviously. Trying to get in the top 8.
GARY WOODLAND: You know, I'm just trying to show form. It was nice to play four rounds last week. I haven't had a lot of good things going on the golf course the last six weeks I'd say since the U.S. Open.

To shoot 4-under on the back-9 on Friday to make the cut on the number and then just trying to work some things out. Something clicked last night on the range.

I came out today and it's as good as I've hit it in a long I'm. I'm excited about where it's at. Looking forward to the next couple of weeks.

Q. Even if you don't get in the top 8 can you imagine Tiger not picking the U.S. Open champ?
GARY WOODLAND: It can obviously happen. The goal is not to be in that predicament. The way I played today, if I continue to do that, everything should be all right.

Q. When you look back at the U.S. Open, do you feel as if it was just meant to be, that whole week you sort of carried yourself as if it was your time?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah. It was nice, just the emotions I had at Peeble. Obviously my dad had a heart attack in 2009. Ten years later I'm back.

My first U.S. Open was at Pebble. Lot of things came kind of full circle. It's not that I was playing really well heading in. It was nice to see a lot of putts go in. I controlled the golf ball beautifully. I wish I would have played well since then but that was a big week for me, both emotionally and on the golf course.

Q. You said post-U.S. Open it was a lot with the twins' arrival, waiting for that. How were you able to compartmentalize during the U.S. Open?
GARY WOODLAND: I don't know. Maybe my wife had been -- had been in and out of hospital after the U.S. Open, she had been in and out three, four times. Leading up to everything that had been pretty smooth.

It was tough, you know, just emotionally off the golf course. I didn't get enough work in the last six weeks I'd say. Playing four rounds last week was huge for me. I'm getting some things worked out on the golf course. It's a little hard to do it on the range.

Q. (Inaudible)
GARY WOODLAND: There's too much. You would like to be in the Top-5 so you're a little bit closer to whoever is leading, Brooks. Whoever.

I'm trying to get the game in a better spot. Next week, no matter how far you're behind you're going to have to play more aggressive than you would normally. Going in there I'm trying to get the game in a good spot and go out and play aggressive. I'll definitely be 5, 6 shots back, however it is going into Thursday. You'll play more aggressive than normal.

Q. You will play more aggressive even today thinking about it?
GARY WOODLAND: I'm trying to get the game in a good spot. So much can move and so much movement with guys making birdies. That's why they simplified it next week with the strokes. With the points out here it's so difficult sometimes to keep track of what's going on with everybody else.

Q. You like it?
GARY WOODLAND: I think it will be good. It's definitely easier for the fans. It's definitely easier for everyone else. I don't like starting 6 shots back on Sunday. It will be interesting.

Obviously you got to go out and play aggressive and hopefully make a lot of birdies. Either this format or the last format, you'll be helping the guys on the top.

Q. Do you look at it like today, that's what you have to do if you go into Thursday?
GARY WOODLAND: No doubt.

Q. So is it possible?
GARY WOODLAND: I hit a lot of drivers today. I played definitely played more aggressive than I did yesterday. It's easy to do when you're hitting it well. Last night on the range it clicked. Needed it this morning. I had a great warmup and carried over to today.

Q. Is there such a thing as a U.S. Open hangover?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, I definitely had a little bit of one. I didn't really get to enjoy the U.S. Open because everything was going on at home. I'm excited after East Lake I'm off five weeks. Get to enjoy my girls at home and enjoy the U.S. Open.

Q. If you weren't top 8, would you add an event to your schedule?
GARY WOODLAND: I'm going to play three tournaments I think before the picks happen. That should be plenty of time to prove it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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