PATRICK RODGERS
Q: Here with the guy who was a standout at Stanford seemingly just a couple years ago, Patrick Rodgers. You were able to put together a 65. How did you get your round going?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, it was nice. I knew it would be tougher conditions today and I had been controlling my golf ball really well the first couple days so I took a lot of confidence in knowing it was going to be tough today and that I felt like I had a little bit of an advantage. It was nice to sneak a few in there late. Seems like I’m right there for tomorrow, so it’s exciting.
Q: How big was that to close things out with what you did on 15 and the putt on 17?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, I’ve just been really patient this week, honestly. I hadn’t made a whole lot, but I’ve been hitting the ball really well, giving myself plenty of opportunities, so yeah, it’s nice to see a few fall there and, like I said, hopefully make a lot more tomorrow.
Q: Patrick, let’s talk about your play. Last two days, two 65s, you’ve got to feel really good heading into tomorrow?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, I’m controlling the ball well. I felt like I had an advantage today with how I’ve been hitting it, giving myself a lot of opportunities. Actually, I was really looking forward to the conditions being a little bit tougher. Like I said, I’m controlling it well. I just was patient all day and it was nice to sneak a few in there late. So we’ll see how everybody finishes up, but I feel like I’m playing well and should have a chance tomorrow.
Q: I followed you when you were playing really, really well and I know you’re hard on yourself about this year, but you’ve got a lot of game. You’ve got to feel like tomorrow’s your chance to break through and make this a really good year.
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, I have as much confidence in myself as anybody. I’ve just need to play smart and play aggressive and keep doing that I’m doing. Even though I haven’t had a ton of opportunities here as a pro on the PGA Tour, I have a lot of experience winning golf tournaments so it’s going to be something I’ll draw back on and like I said, hopefully have a chance with a few holes to go.
Q: And lastly, when the wind blows like 15 to 18 miles an hour like it was doing out here ‑‑ it helped you at 18, that was a great drive by the way ‑‑ what is the game plan? Do you do anything different in the wind?
PATRICK RODGERS: I try to stay really calm, keep the tension levels down just to keep my swing slow. I think the biggest killer in the wind is to get the speed up and to get the spin up, so I just try to stay very much within myself and swing very much under control. So I don’t hit a lot of drives super hard, don’t hit a lot of full iron shots, but yeah, I feel like I’m controlling it well and look forward to tomorrow.
Q: Patrick, how important was it to be patient today with the conditions tricky as they were? You were kind of in attack mode the first two days, today was a little different?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, obviously the conditions were tough but I’ve really been patient the first three days. I’ve been playing some really nice golf and hitting the ball very well and I only got 1 under par out of maybe the easiest day we’ve played all year in the first round. It was nice to get a few to go in yesterday, but still had just tons and tons of chances. So it gave me a lot of confidence heading into today that I was giving myself chances and controlling the ball well, and in the tough conditions I knew that if I just was patient, that I was going to be able to put together a nice round.
Q: The patience you’ve shown with your career out here, you’ve had some opportunities to maybe get a win. I know you want that win really bad. What would you rely on tomorrow that in your past experience that will help you get through the day?
PATRICK RODGERS: Yeah, no doubt. I haven’t had tons of experience on the PGA Tour being in contention with chances to win, but through the course of my career I’ve done it time and again. I feel like I’ve kind of jumped through the hoop of figuring out how to get it done coming down the stretch and that’ll be something that I draw back on, whether it be from college events or amateur events or some of the stuff earlier in my pro career. I’m not short on confidence, I know I’ve just got to just keep playing the same way.
