LIV GOLF LONDON

July 8, 2023

Patrick Reed

Centurion Club

4 Aces GC

Quick Quotes

PATRICK REED: I think the biggest thing today was I felt like I hit the ball just as well as I did yesterday, but I capitalized today on putts. Going around this place bogey-free always helps. Just kind of one of those days that when I got myself in trouble I was able to escape either with a good chip or making a long putt and keep the momentum going.

When you start getting momentum and start getting going on this golf course, you run into some of those par-5s that can come at you pretty quickly, you can make some birdies in a hurry, and I was able to do that and capitalize coming in towards the end.

I think that's key coming around this place, capitalizing when you can.

Q. Four back of Cam Smith on a golf course like this, what do you think you need to shoot tomorrow to catch him?

PATRICK REED: You know, I'm just going to have to look at pin placements and what the wind is doing. Really I would think you have to go out there and shoot under 7- or 8-under par to have a chance. Good thing is I went out there and did it today, so I know it's out there. Now it's just go out there tomorrow and hopefully be just a little sharper and make just a couple more putts and make it interesting.

Q. The first six, eight holes are really crucial because if you can get through those even 1- or 2-under par then it's really game on?

PATRICK REED: Oh, for sure. I think that's the thing about this golf course is I was fortunate enough to start on 16, and even though I didn't capitalize on making birdie on 18, once you get to 1, it turns into a stretch. That 1, 2, 3, 4, you have to try to avoid the trees and really just hit quality golf shots, and then after that you get kind of a breather on 5, and then 6 tries to come back and slap you in the face. 6 bit me yesterday and I was able to bounce back today with a birdie on that hole. If you can get a birdie on that hole, you're stealing one from the field.

Q. You've been hovering around so much near that top of the leaderboard. Has it been frustrating, or has it been encouraging?

PATRICK REED: I would say a little bit of both. The frustration I feel like mainly comes because of the first rounds. The first rounds I've been so far behind on the first rounds, and then I'm having to play catch-up. I've done a fine job of that on Saturdays and Sundays. The problem is starting that far back with these type of fields, these type of guys. You run out of holes. I think that's the biggest thing about that's awesome about LIV and also the frustrating thing, is because it's only 54 holes, if you get off to a slow start, you really have to put down the pedal and fly around the golf course. The problem is you almost feel like you run out of holes.

Last week I was frustrating with shooting even par the first round, and my wife goes, hey, at least you're only four back this time. It obviously was a step in the right direction.

But yeah, it seems to be that I've been getting off to a little too slow starts early at tournaments, and then I'm able to get my feet underneath me after that and get going.

I felt like yesterday was kind of the same thing, a little sloppy in the first round, and today was a lot sharper. Even though there was some shots I felt like I left out there, there was a lot of momentum keepers I made and some quality golf shots I hit toward the end that I really needed to be able to do.

Q. Last year when you got to this course did you think this was going to be one that you enjoyed?

PATRICK REED: I didn't really know what to expect. I heard that it was always -- that everything has been really baked and firm and fast around here, and same thing in Hoylake. That's all I've been hearing for the past couple weeks. I get here and it's lush and soft.

Guys were telling me last year how firm and fast this place played, and I think because of that it's taken a little bit of the bite out. It's made the golf course a little bit longer, obviously, but with it being longer you can still attack if you're in the rough.

As far as the golf course, the fairways are very narrow, so if you're in the rough it's hard to get the ball close to the flag. I think that's one thing I've been able to do is kind of get it going and just really taking advantage of the par-5s. I think that's key. If you hit the fairways with the wind direction it's been, if you hit the fairways on the par-5s, you're hitting iron into every one of them.

Q. Did you see the video from yesterday, the shot that went left?

PATRICK REED: No.

Q. You cringed.

PATRICK REED: You're talking about that par-5. I didn't see it on video, I watched it in person. I sat there like ooh, because -- I was aiming way right and just trying to lay up and knew that it could grab the hosel, and I was kind of playing for it if it does grab it to still be okay. I've never seen the hosel get grabbed so hard in my life. That thing came out low left like that, and I was worried. I was worried that it was just going to take the guy's head right off, and thank God he had fast reflexes because he ducked just in time.

Yeah, momentum, right? You feel like you should make birdie on all the par-5s, especially that one. I hit a bad tee shot, bad second shot. Was just able to chip out, hit a wedge that spun off the green and then chipped in for par. It kind of builds the momentum and kept it going.