TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2023

Patrick Cantlay

TPC River Highlands

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Patrick Cantlay here to the interview room at the Travelers Championship. You're making your ninth start. You have about five consecutive top-15 finishes here, including your 2011 debut that featured a 60. Just talk about what it's like to be back at a place that has some positive memories.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, it's always nice to come back here. I think it's the event I've played the most on TOUR. It's a golf course I really like and a place I like. Should be a good week.

Q. You're also coming off of a top-15 finish last week at the U.S. Open and you just came from playing the course. Opening comments on the state of your game right now.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, game feels good. It's important to drive the ball in the fairway here this week. If you do, you have a lot of wedges, so you'll have a lot of opportunities to make birdies. Usually with the scores around here, you need to make a bunch of birdies to have a chance.

Q. This tournament has become known for giving golfers their first shot. A lot of golfers, I think 17, have won their first TOUR event here. There's talk of making these designated elevated events, events in which it's just the top golfers in the world, no-cut events. Do you feel this tournament might lose something if that happens, and what do you think the effect will be on younger golfers and players trying to make their mark on this TOUR?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, good question. I think potentially it could lose something, but I think it gains something, too. I think there's real power to having all the stars play an event and having them here for all four days, which I've said before.

I don't think there will be any difference on TOUR. If you're good enough to shoot the scores, you're going to find your way out here sooner rather than later.

Q. How do you expect tonight's meeting to go? How contentious do you expect it to be, and do you think you'll get some more answers than you did two weeks ago?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I'm not sure. I'm not sure if there's any new information out there. Be happy to hear more about it, but I haven't heard one way or the other if we're going to hear anything different than we've heard the last couple weeks on it.

Q. What do you hope comes out of it, you personally?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I think, like most everybody, just waiting to learn more. We've only really heard the preliminary, like what we saw in the press release the first week, and since then we haven't heard any more news, and I imagine there will be plenty more to learn as we go forward.

Right now I think everyone is just looking to learn more about this deal before they can make a determination.

Q. How has your relationship grown with Joe LaCava? It's only been a month or two. Just thoughts about him being here and how your partnership has grown.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, Joe lives not far away from here. He's a Connecticut guy. I'm sure it's nice for him to have a home game. Yeah, he's been great. He's a pro. He's done this for a number of years for some great players.

It's really nice to be out there with him. He's funny, too, so it's been a good hang.

Q. You mentioned obviously this is a place for great scoring. I wonder when you go to a U.S. Open versus a place like this, how different is your mentality entering the week, and how does that affect your preparation that week?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, to be honest, this golf course I think demands accuracy off the tee similar to a U.S. Open. It's obviously a lot easier coming into the greens. It's one of the shorter golf courses we play. You have a lot of scoring opportunities, a lot of wedges. That'll be much different than last week where it felt like there were a lot of par-4s over 500 yards. We were hitting a lot of 4-, 5- and 6-irons into the greens. That will be the biggest difference.

But it's a golf course I really like, and if you drive the ball in the fairway, you can get on a roll here and make a bunch of birdies in a row.

Q. Obviously you shot a 60 here. That's been 12 years. What do you say to someone who says, how did you shoot your best score ever when you're still in college?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think golf is a funny game like that. I remember that day I just got in a rhythm and felt like every putt was going to go in and pretty much they all did.

Q. Are you guys so used to the week in, week out motions of playing golf on TOUR, or does it take a little longer to answer the bell the week after a major?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I think I'm pretty used to it. I don't think there's much difference after a major or not. I think sometimes after being in contention, a week can feel longer, and sometimes it's tough to get up for the week after.

No, I think we do it quite often, so it's not that big a deal.

Q. Obviously very stoic and locked in most of the time on the course, but a week at home last week. Wanted to get your thoughts and if you had a chance to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy it a little bit?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I went to college for two years at UCLA, so I had played LA Country Club a bunch of times, dozens of times, so it was nice to be back there and see how they set it up for the U.S. Open. It was really great. Had a bunch of hometown support and had my family out there, so it was nice.

Q. If you're in the mix on Sunday, will they be rooting more for you or the guy on the bag?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I'm not sure. We're a team, so I don't mind either way.