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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 5, 2020

Talor Gooch

Orlando, Florida

Q. A little carryover from last week, your good play of a week ago?
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, it was a grind last week, so it was nice to get out there in the morning, a little bit before this wind started picking up, and get a few early ones before this wind picked up and just kind of hung on there the last few holes. So the game feels good and it's nice to always get a good one out here.

Q. The players have talked about the condition of the golf course, particularly the greens. How tough are the greens?
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, you can't fake it at this golf course. You know when you come to, I mean, almost the whole Florida swing from Honda, here, PLAYERS, Tampa, I mean, you got to be on top of your game or it's going to expose you.

Q. Four par-3s out there. 200 yards was the shortest one. How tough did they play today?
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, they, I think I only hit one or two of the greens, so thankfully I feel like I gained on the field by making a few pars on those. So, they're tough.

Q. What do you think the biggest challenge for the players this afternoon is going to be?
TALOR GOOCH: It depends on how much this wind picks up. But not to simplify it too much, but if you can just hit as many greens as possible that's going to help you, because it's going to be tough if the wind picks up.

Q. Talk about that stretch through the middle there, the eagle and, what, three birdies. Did you think that was going to continue a little bit?
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, actually, after making the three birdies, the next hole I lipped out one for birdie. So I thought I kept it going for one more hole. But, no, when you get on a roll like that, you just try to get as many as you can. And the, like I said, a tough course like this, you just try to hold on once you get a roll going like that.

Q. Looking at some stats, you hit only eight fairways. The rough out here is no joke. How were you able to put up that impressive number by hitting just that many fairways?
TALOR GOOCH: I had a couple that were in the first cut, so I kind of got away with that. But I was just in the right part of it. I'm missing the right part of the hole whenever I wasn't in the fairway. So it was a good score but it was really a better day of misses were pretty good today.

Q. You start on the back nine, eagle 16, birdie 17, birdie 18, then you make the turn, then you birdie your 10th hole, No. 1. What was that stretch like for you right there?
TALOR GOOCH: The hole looked like it was about the size of a basketball goal. It's nice whenever that happens. It's like we say, when you catch lightning in a bottle you just try to get as much lightning as you can. And then on a tough course like this, once it's over you just try to hold on for dear life after that.

Q. Does this feel like, at least today, a bit of redemption because last year you injured yourself, you fell and hurt your thumb. You were out two months. Is this gratifying to get this number back?
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, it was a year ago on Tuesday where I was going to the doctor after an injury. I didn't know what was going to happen. Whether I was going to be out for a week or a year, I just didn't know. So it is a little bit nice, a little bit sweeter to do it at this place a year post-injury.

Q. Recap your round today. It was a good stretch through the middle there.
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah. 5-under is always a good round out here. I was 5-under in a four-hole stretch. So other than that I was, I kept it below the hole and tried to make a bunch of pars and when I caught fire there I just tried to make as many of those as I could. So it was solid.

Q. First group out, with the weather forecast a lot more wind coming this afternoon, you must feel pretty good with that situation?
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, I'm glad to be going back to the hotel after this, for sure.

Q. Just the one bogey, it seemed like you didn't make a lot of mistakes and scored well.
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, I had a couple of good par saves. When I did get out of position the putter got hot today. So any time you shoot 5-under out here you got to be doing something right and the putter was working today.

Q. Expand a little on that 16, 17, 18 stretch and how good you were through there.
TALOR GOOCH: Good and a little lucky. I made about a 25, 30-footer for eagle. And then I made a bunker shot. And then I hit it to about six inches. And then I made about a 25-footer. So like I said, the putter got hot today and after the last couple tournaments it was close and so it was nice to see a couple long ones go in today.

Q. What's the key to maintaining this throughout the week?
TALOR GOOCH: Try hit more fairways and greens the next few days. I didn't hit a bunch of fairways or greens today, but I missed it in the right spots, so hopefully can improve on the ball control a little bit the next few days.

Q. You came in with a little bit of wind, but you can tell it's going to be a factor this afternoon.
TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, whenever I saw the tee times come out I was excited that I had a morning round today. So, like I said, I'm excited to be going back to the hotel as soon as this wind starts to pick up.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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