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SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN

October 4, 2019

Patrick Cantlay

Las Vegas, Nevada

Q. Patrick, what a great ball striking day. You've missed one green over the course of 36 holes.
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, hit it really well. Hit a lot of tee balls in play and far down there, which leaves you a lot of wedges into this golf course, or around this golf course, a lot of wedges.

That's what it takes to play well here. If I keep driving it well, should have a lot of opportunities.

Q. Yeah, that's the key to making birdies out here, keep giving yourself opportunities. Starts by putting it in the fairway. You were able to marry line and speed out of those opportunities. Made 125 feet in putts in the second round?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, a couple long ones were the bulk of it. I made a long one on the drivable 15th, and that kind of kick started me, got me going.

Nice to make a few putts. Didn't putt all that well. I thought I had a couple more that I could have made as well.

Q. Take me through the 15th hole. You drive the green. Was that 3-wood to within about 45 feet?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, 3-wood to the middle of the green. Any time you hit it on the green is a good shot there, and putt went in perfect. Left the flag stick in and went right in.

Q. Kind of a shakedown last week at the Safeway Open. Feel good? Ready to win this weekend?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I'm ready. I like this place. Had a good track record here and feel comfortable, which is a big part of it.

Q. Yeah, first, second, and now in contention heading into the weekend. What is it about this place that looks so good to you?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I think you got to drive the golf ball in the fairway. If you do, you got a lot of opportunities. I have driven the ball really well this week. I haven't capitalized all the time, but I've played so solid and I really feel comfortable around here. I like the lines off the tee, lots of draw tee shot.

I like the golf course, so I think that helps.

Q. Got to be pretty happy with your position the first two rounds. Let's go to 15 and that really nice long eagle putt. Walk us through that good stretch of play.
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I hit a 3-wood on the green, which is always good to hit that green, and then just rolled in the putt. I had a good line. I got a good teach from Bryson and got the right pace on it and it fell in.

Q. Playing a golf course like this, someplace you've had a win and had success at, what specifically about this golf course do you like?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I think driving the ball in the fairway is really important. It's one of my strengths, so most of the tee shots out here look really comfortable to me. Leaves me lots of wedges, lots of opportunities for scoring.

First couple days hit the ball really well, especially off the tee. I think that's a big part of playing this golf course well, is hitting driver a lot. I hit driver a lot out here when other guys might lay up.

It's worked.

Q. When it comes to being on this specific golf course, a place that I said you've had success at, what are kind of the things that you realize, you notice, when you come back to a place you've won?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I think being comfortable. Because I hit driver in so many spots, I think it's being really comfortable with the lines has helped me a lot. The first year it was really windy and so played a little different, but now after seeing it a few times I know on certain holes that there actually is space to hit the driver. Like 7 is a good example. I hit it way down there and then flipped it on the green.

Once you start getting comfortable with those lines this golf course get easier.

Q. I know today the wind picked up a little bit. How drastically different can the temperature change and what does that affect with the ball going a little bit further distance?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, we're at a little elevation, so the ball is already about 5% farther. I think when it gets hot, maybe over 85 degrees, over 80 degrees, it starts to go even farther, maybe 6%, 7%.

So it's a factor all day. That percentage gets bigger and bigger as it gets hotter.

Q. I've overheard you talking about your fondness for the golf course is on of the reasons for your success. Is there anything away from the golf course, the city, the area, that puts you in a good mood, good vibe, to be as successful as you've been here?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I wouldn't say necessarily. I mean, the year I won I was coming off China the week before, so coming back to America I was in a good frame of mind. I remember being happy to be back here with some regular food and what I'm used to.

And then last year I played well. It was nice. I was in California. I think I came over on Tuesday afternoon, so that made it easy, not having to get here early and feeling like I was super well rested.

I like the city. I don't go out very much, but there are tons of good restaurants and I'm enjoying it.

Q. Is there any extra pressure? I would imagine in your brain you would expect to play well here. Is there any extra pressure knowing when you go on the 1st tee, I'm going to play well?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Not really. I think a lot of times I play a round out here and feel like it could have been a few better, yet I'm still up there on the leaderboard, which is interesting. I feel like that also at Hilton Head, where I feel like I leave some out there and still I'm doing relatively well in the tournament as far as where I am on the board.

I think the golf course just -- I want to say it's easier for me compared to some others, and I think that's because I feel comfortable hitting driver everywhere and I leave myself so many wedges.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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