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August 24, 2013
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY
CHRIS REIMER: We want to welcome Kevin chap he will here, a sensational third round, really gets you in the thick of things tomorrow. Just maybe some comments about what you had working today.
KEVIN CHAPPELL: You know, I got some good breaks. Took advantage of them. I had a chip‑in and then I just really holed all the putts that you kind of expect to hole that you don't always hole; a lot of 10‑, 12‑footers to make birdies. Just was able to keep doing it.
Q. When you saw that Keegan Bradley shot 63 yesterday, what did you think of that?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: I wasn't too aware of what Keegan shot yesterday. I believe he was in the same wave as me. He played late/early, and that's really impressive, considering the weather that that wave had to play in and considering how few of guys actually made the cut from that wave. But I didn't know Keegan only shot 63‑‑ or only shot; shot 63.
Q. 3‑under on your front side, and then did something switch, the 10‑, 12‑footers at what point did you start making everything? It seemed like a pretty good day with nothing out of the ordinary.
KEVIN CHAPPELL: I played pretty nicely on the front. It was a complete opposite wind than it is right now.
So there was some shots that‑‑ probably that are comfortable right now or awkward when I played the holes, and then the wind kind of switched, made the turn, and just seemed like I kept hitting it to ten or 12 feet and on the front nine, I made some 10‑ or 12‑footers for par. On the back nine, they were all for birdie.
Q. Kind of an up‑and‑down year coming into this week, but I guess you put in a couple hours with Mark early in the week, maybe just talk about what you guys worked on, anything specific?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, it's been‑‑ since Memorial, I felt like my game was pretty good, and I felt like being that close to winning there, I really felt like my time was coming. I was close, and probably some added pressure from that, those thoughts. Didn't allow me to play the game the way that I know I can. You know, my game's been pretty poor since Canada, we'll see.
But Mark and I have been working on some good stuff. I guess the key for me this week has actually been some work that I do with James Sieckmann on just seeing more putts go in the hole. You know, trying to structure my practice around watching putts go in the hole and that's what's been happening.
Q. You mentioned being impressed with Keegan Bradley's 63; how impressed are you with your own 62?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: It was a good round of golf. It was probably one of the better ones I've played. Second time I've shot 62 this year. Not going to say you expect to do that in Palm Springs, but it's not out of the ordinary.
But here, in the wind, I wouldn't have‑‑ if you would have told me someone was going to shoot 62 today, I would probably have laughed at you.
Q. How many course records do you have?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: It's a tough question. I'm not sure. I know in college I shot‑‑ at the time I had the course record at Chambers Bay when we played there. I'm sure that doesn't still stand.
I shot a course record on the Web.com Tour in Canada. I don't know if that still stands. So there's been a few times where I've been told, you have the course record, but I haven't followed up to see if I still have it.
Q. You mentioned it was one of the better ones; was it the best one, even though the score was 62?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: We play so many rounds of golf. It's hard to rank them. But it was a great round of golf. It was exactly what I needed to get back in the golf tournament, and you know, I just‑‑ I'm excited that I was able to get the ball rolling in the right direction for a change.
Q. You didn't have a whole lot of people out there following you. I think when you putted it on 9, there might have been 20, 25 people there. Do you kind of like that sort of going around there doing what you did today?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, I just enjoy doing what we do. You know, it's nice to have some fans. But just the challenge of the golf course is enough for me to pay attention to. I don't really notice how many people are there usually, whether it's‑‑ whether you're playing with Phil and there's however many people are following him today, or just me and Roberto and Stewart today.
Q. You spoke of increased expectations after Memorial. In some ways, when you have a tournament like this where the weather has made it somewhat disjointed and people are playing it seems from dawn till dark, does it actually help you lock in and just concentrate on golf, and is it in some ways easier psychologically?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: I think just with this week, where we're at, with all the distractions and the weather, stuff to do in the city, golf almost becomes secondary. I think sometimes I put it on a pedestal and that's when I don't reach those expectations I've set for myself.
Yeah, as far as the weather, it's kind of a similar day to the third round at Memorial. It was eerily similar, so I guess maybe I play better in tough weather.
Q. You mentioned the recent work with James Sieckmann to see the ball go in the hole, could you elaborate on that? Is that certain drills, or what exactly are you talking about there?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, structuring my practice around getting the fundamentals right and just repetition, seeing the ball go in the hole. I've been hitting putts from three, six, nine feet, four different spots around the hole. Broke down the stats on what the average on TOUR would be, and then the goal that day is to beat the average.
Q. Does it feel like the golf course is there for the taking and you're going to have to go out and shoot a good number tomorrow again to win this thing?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: I think that's up to Mother Nature. If the wind blows, you know, a good round could be 2‑under par. If the wind doesn't blow, it's still soft enough that 7‑ , 8‑ , 9‑under par is feasible out there.
Q. Just to follow to the earlier question, when you have a chance, what do you like to do in the city?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: My fiancée is here this week, so we've enjoyed some good meals. Hung out in the meatpacking district with Mark Blackburn and his wife, on I guess Sunday, we were at the Gansevoort Hotel and it was a great time.
Q. What kind of distractions did you have in Dublin, Ohio?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Myself (laughter).
Q. What is the lowest number you've ever posted, anywhere?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: I believe it's 61. I forget if I shot‑‑ I think I shot 61, 63 back‑to‑back days on the Web.com Tour in Canada. So I believe it's 61.
Q. And what's the commute been? Have you been staying in the city? What's the commute been like?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: No, I'm staying in Jersey City. It's really easy. Although, I guess that was yesterday morning, it was pretty early and I was trying to beat a car merging and that little lane that they give you got pretty narrow at 4:30 in the morning (laughter).
Q. The 18th hole, Roberto holes out for eagle and Stewart makes a bomb. What's going ‑‑ you couldn't keep up with them, you only made par there?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Roberto holed out for birdie. He laid up from the fairway bunker.
Yeah, I had it the closest and made the highest score, but I guess that's just the game we play.
Q. How much do you know about Heath Slocum and what he did in '09, as being the guy that kind of came from nowhere to knock all these big names off?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: I spent some time with Heath through Mark Blackburn. Heath and Mark work together and have worked together for a long time. Believe me, I've heard the history of this event and Heath and here, and look forward to keeping Mark's batting average as high as we can.
Q. I believe you were 42nd, 43rd coming into today on the leaderboard; what's your mentality when you come in like that? Is it, you need to be aggressive and go out and make as many birdies as possible, or just play steady golf and see what happens?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: The way my game's been recently, it was like, all right, kind of felt good to make a cut and have a chance to play a couple more rounds of golf.
But once you get things moving positively, it becomes easy for that mind‑set to change and to start swinging a little more confidently and hitting some more confident putts.
So I guess my mind‑set going into it was like, all right, let's enjoy this as much as we can and help ‑‑ maybe game can grow today, and then once you get into the round, it's like, all right, let's go, let's keep going.
Q. Staying on the subject of your mentality, where are you trying to put yourself mentally going into the final round?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: I feel like I'm in a good spot. You know, for me, perspective is a big thing. Went to the 9/11 Memorial on Wednesday with Elizabeth, and you know, it just really puts golf‑‑ really puts golf in its place. It seems to be whenever I get too caught up or too emotional about my game, life will‑‑ life hits me hard. That was a great experience and a learning one for me, and it really kind of tightened my screws mentally.
Q. What would be the short version if someone were to ask you why you almost lost your card last year and what you did to make sure it didn't happen again?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Didn't get the ball in the hole fast enough. Is that short enough for you? (Smiling).
No, I was searching. I went through two swing coaches, four caddies, and just never really had any structure, and that was kind of the goal for the year was to have some structure. Structured practice, structured workouts, structure where I'm going to stay. I've gotten off, but for the most part this year, it's been pretty good.
Q. Who has been the biggest teacher‑‑
KEVIN CHAPPELL: It's been a team work. So Mark Blackburn, James Sieckmann, Brett Mccabe, Craig Davies, it's all guys that I work with; Elizabeth, most importantly. And everyone really bought in and kind of sat me down and said, this is what we think you need to be successful. I'm like, okay, that's what I want, let's do it. You know, it's been a team effort.
Q. What's Elizabeth's last name?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: A few days it will be Chappell; Petrie.
Q. On a different note, just to follow up on your trip into the city, whose idea was it to go to the 9/11 Memorial, and what was your‑‑ what was going through your heart when you were there?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Whose idea? I guess it was a mutual decision. We had been‑‑ we had been on that side of the river for dinner the night before, and I practiced early and I was like, oh, why don't we go do some sightseeing. She had done it last year before Bethpage, so we took the PATH across, that's right where it drops you off essentially. It was convenient and it was great.
My mentality, when you see it, it's such a sobering experience. It's eerily quiet in that area for such a large city, and just to see the amount of people that you see there, all feeling the same thing. It's not too often you get to see a group of people have the same emotion; a group of strangers have the same emotion. At least that's what it felt to me while I was there.
Q. You are getting married in two days?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: A few days. September 28.
CHRIS REIMER: Quickly, you mentioned you played a good deal of amateur golf with Gary Woodland. Just some thoughts if the leaderboard stays the way it is about your grouping tomorrow.
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, it would be fun. Gary and I are good friends. Kind of came up college, amateur, played some mini‑tour golf with each other. I remember playing some Monday qualifiers with Gary for the Web.com Tour, seemed like yesterday. He's obviously had a very successful career. Seems like his game is back on the rise. It would be fun; it would be comfortable.
But there's not too many guys out here that aren't good dudes, and I don't know where Matt is, but I was very comfortable playing with him at the Memorial.
CHRIS REIMER: Thanks. Good luck tomorrow, Kevin. Great round.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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