JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 8, 2021

Hank Lebioda

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. Hank, late in the day shooting 7-under. Unfortunate bogey at the last, but you must be pretty happy with that round.

HANK LEBIODA: Yeah, of course. I played really well. It stinks that's how you finish, but at the same time I think some of the putts I made throughout the round today make up for it for sure, especially today it's the first one. So I'm just going to carry that momentum. I think I had eight birdies. Haven't looked at the stats, but I've got to imagine -- hit my irons pretty well, putted pretty well, chipped it well when I needed to. So yeah, just keep on rolling with that.

Q. You're a man on fire; if anybody has been watching TV they've seen a lot of you in the last couple of weeks. What's been going on? Why the change in form?

HANK LEBIODA: Well, my son hasn't been here, so I just want to make sure he remembers dad by the time I get back home.

No, it's just consistency of routines. Continuing to do what I know is going to help make me a better putter, better ball striker, better mentally, a little tougher, and I think the continuation of doing those things over and over again has been able to kind of develop this nice confidence I have right now.

Q. What did you do particularly well today?

HANK LEBIODA: I have to imagine, honestly. I hit the ball well. I didn't really get out position except for my last hole, No. 9, and when I was out of position, I wedged it and chipped it well. Just did my best to give myself as many birdie looks as I could, and thankfully today a lot of them went in.

Q. We asked Brian Harman earlier in the week, is there anything that sets up on this course differently for you guys?

HANK LEBIODA: I don't want to speak to it because it's going to -- I don't know. Maybe. Maybe it sends a little lucky love. Maybe the designer, I'm not sure who it was, was lucky. No, I've got nothing.

Q. What happened on 9?

HANK LEBIODA: Drove it out of position, wedged it back to the fairway, hit a good little third shot into the green and worked shooting a putt.

Q. Traditionally morning scores are better, especially early in the week here. Did you look at leaderboards before you teed off this afternoon?

HANK LEBIODA: Yeah, I wanted to see how my friends were playing, see how they were doing. I went out early for breakfast this morning so I knew it was a little bit chilly and a bit breezy this morning, but other than that I didn't pay too much attention.

Q. So it didn't affect, didn't alter your game plan, your approach to the round this afternoon?

HANK LEBIODA: No, sir.

Q. This is only your second time seeing this course; is that correct?

HANK LEBIODA: Yes.

Q. Didn't have much success the first time here; is it just because you are a different golfer now that you've found a low score here?

HANK LEBIODA: Oh, I don't think I found a low score today, I went and did it. I executed, and I played the way that I'm capable of playing.

When I came here in 2019 I wasn't the same man that I am now. I think that's just the easiest way to describe it. That, and I am confident in my game, and I am hitting some really good shots, I'm making a lot of putts.

Yeah, I wish I would have had more success here in 2019, but at the same time why -- that was two years ago; why even consider it, why worry about it. Just try to go out and make each day the best that I can.

Q. What do you have to do now to build on this and keep this rolling?

HANK LEBIODA: Probably get some rest tonight would be my guess. Try to talk to my wife. My son is probably already down, so I won't be able to see him. Get something good to eat, get some rest, and continue on giving myself looks at birdie. We're going to be having tons of birdies this week here. Scores are going to be low. Normally the person who makes the most birdies probably has the most birdie looks, so that's probably going to be my approach moving forward.