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SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN

October 5, 2019

Pat Perez

Las Vegas, Nevada

Q. Pat, seven birdies, an eagle out there. Have any fun out there on the golf course?
PAT PEREZ: Yeah, a little bit. I was telling her, I got into this power thing when I was trying to hit it so much farther and hit it a long way. I thought I had to hit it - like Justin Rose was talking about that 300 thing, well I just can't do it.

I'm trying to get it back in the fairway. I played for three years one way and I made a lot of money, won twice, do all these things; and then I went away from it to try to get longer and I hit it farther away again off the pin. It just hurt my game, so I went back to the drawing board.

You know, it's finally starting to piece together. I put in a lot of work in the last seven weeks to try to get it to this point. I guess it's kind of coming earlier than I thought it would.

Q. Obviously you learned the lesson. The big thing, over 406 feet of putts through three rounds. That's pretty impressive.
PAT PEREZ: Yeah. Both times I won I led the field in putting. I'm probably close, but it's going to take another good day tomorrow, make a lot of putts tomorrow, to beat everybody.

Q. You live in Scottsdale; obviously out here in the desert, very comfortable. You're a Vegas guy, I think. You like Vegas, right?
PAT PEREZ: I really like Vegas. I don't know anybody who doesn't like Vegas. And if you don't, I don't even want to know you.

Q. What are the things you like to do while you're here?
PAT PEREZ: Well, we stay at the MGM. The MGM hooks us up of it's incredible. You know, they take care of us. They're just phenomenal. We love it. We hang out there. We love the restaurants there. We drink some good wine and we just hang out.

I don't really gamble much, but there is a lot to do in those casinos.

Q. You have a chance going into Sunday.
PAT PEREZ: Yeah. It's going to take another good day tomorrow, but hit some good shots, make some putts, see what happens.

Q. You look like you're having fun out there. Enjoy it.
PAT PEREZ: It is fun doing that. It's more fun than 75, I can tell you that much.

Q. Lent round. Just get some comments.
PAT PEREZ: Yeah, got off to a good start. Hit a lot of good shots. Made some putts early. Birdied some holes I usually don't on the front nine and got off to a good start. Kind of got cold there on the back where you're supposed to make all the birdies.

Had a good eagle on 16, birdie on 18 to finish, so nice day.

Q. Can you talk a little bit more about that power game, trying to get at the that power game after you had won, best stretch of your career, and then decided to try to hit the ball farther? Was there a breaking point?
PAT PEREZ: Yeah, you know, well, it was after the end of the Liberty National and I was only swinging it 114 miles an hour full speed. I started lifting and I got stringer and I was getting to 122, but then I didn't really know where it was going.

So then I went back it my old action, which was a shorter, more controlled swing. Now I have about five more miles an hour. I can get the driver out there a lot further learning how to hit up on it. Now it goes about ten yards farther, so I did gain a little bit. When I try to kill it -- like last week I did in Napa. I hit it all over the map. I had no control. I played terrible.

So it's a total -- so I got here on Sunday and worked with Drew. First thing Monday I said, We're going back to the action we won with. We're going to do it. I feel strong. We should be able to put it in.

It took me a couple days to get back in that motion, but it feels good. Feels good now.

Q. Liberty National this year?
PAT PEREZ: Yeah, been seven weeks. It was a long year anyway. I got hurt and then went on vacation kind of stuff. I didn't play that much so far this year, but you get to a point where you get fed up. I was probably a little bit lazy and I needed to put some work in.

These guys work hard out here and it's tough to beat them every week.

Q. Any lingering issues?
PAT PEREZ: No, I'm good. Good to go. No problems whatsoever.

Q. What's is it about this place that plays into your style?
PAT PEREZ: Hasn't really ever played into my style. That's the thing. I've only played well here a couple times. I always think I can shoot 62 around here and I add them up and it's 70 all the time. I don't know what the hell happened out there.

But you really do have to make some putts. This course can get you if you don't hit it in the right spots. You can really just miss a shot a little bit and roll off and now you got a tough bogey.

But if you can get it in the right spot and make a bunch of putts, which everybody does here. You know, that's where you see the scores the way they are. You know, just I think I should be able to play well. Desert golf, I'm used to it. I can like when it gets firm like this. Ball gets out there running. I like the firm grass. Greens are running fantastic. That's the things I do like about it.

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