Q. Taylor, walk us through your round today.
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Well, you can hear it in my voice. Wednesday night I came down with a head cold. My head is so big it's probably double the size of a head cold for anybody else.
Short story is this: I see ball, I hit ball, I walk very slowly and just try to get something out of the round.
I really have never felt this bad, yet it's kind of simplified what I've tried to do the last two days, which was just get it going, get it close to the hole, and be smart; not try to do anything crazy.
Hole 12 today was an odd hole for me for just many reasons. That was pretty much the only bad hole. Other than that if you told me Wednesday night when I had a 102 fever that I would have 66 points the first two days, I would sign the dotted line.
Q. Two shots out of first place at the moment. Playing pretty well. When you came into this tournament, did you want to try to be at the top of the leaderboard or was this more of a, hey, I'm going to go have fun?
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Can I do both?
Q. Yeah.
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Listen, majority of us are competitors. Getting to know guys like Derek Lowe, Mardy Fish, Mark Mulder, Joe Pavelski, guys that are always at the top of the leaderboard and I just started doing this a couple years ago. Naturally you want to grow into it and play the best you can.
I still got a long way to go. I'm trying to give it my best. My best is decent enough to maybe get there. I still got to find the next level.
I will always have fun. Anyone that's ever played golf with me, I promise you one thing, we will have fun on the golf course.
Q. You mentioned you been here a couple years ago; always like to have fun on the golf course. This is a unique setup with celebrities.
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Yeah.
Q. The best of the LPGA Tour celebrities. Hilton Grand Vacations puts on a unique event. Talk about the things you look forward to playing in this tournament and the uniqueness of it.
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: When I get the e-mail from Hilton Grand Vacations, Santa Claus came to my inbox. This is a highlight of my year for me. I'm a 44 year old man that feels like I'm 12 years old at a party. It's amazing.
First off a lot of guys are really fun to hang out with. Celebrities are good; girls are great. LPGA players are just bad ass. For someone that has two daughters, they've come out here and watched these girls. It's just a privilege to be inside their arena with them and see how they play.
Then you realize that they don't get enough credit because what you see on TV is that much better in person. Then to hang out with guys that you grew up with, idolized. There is a mixed bag for me.
I go back to my first statement: I really do feel like I won the lottery and Santa Claus came to me. I look forward to it every year and it's a real privilege to be here.
Q. Lots of ups and downs on the score card. Can you just talk me through the 9th hole, what you hit, yardage, that kind of thing?
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Yeah, 9th hole, driver off the tee. Then I was 178, a little downwind. Hit 9-iron to about 15, 16 feet and missed the putt. Had a tap-in for birdie.
You don't want to ask me about the 12th?
Q. I want stay on good sides.
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: You can ask me anything you want.
Q. How much does the 9th -- you missed the putt. How much does that do for momentum?
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Truthfully the birdie on 2 calmed everything down. Being sick, not getting sleep throughout the night, the first hole was a complete disaster. To follow that with a birdie, kind of slowly get into it.
9, then you turn the corner. I thought 11 was a good birdie. And then 12 was kind of where you just kick yourself because you're like that's where the momentum was. 13, 14, should have made birdie putts and I didn't. Solid round.
Again, Wednesday night I thought I was on my death bed, right? So if you would've told me I would have 66 points I would've taken that no doubt.
Q. When I walked in you were talking about it. When you are sick, I've heard a lot of players say it actually helps you stay within myself better because you can't get wild and crazy and loose with your swing. Is that accurate?
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Yeah, I think my sport, in soccer, if you don't feel 100% you got to find a way to get energy. This is a little different because you're not running five and a half, six miles. You got to mentally be engaged for five hours, so it's a little different.
The other part is there is bathroom breaks on the course. There is the ability to have a banana or two. There are different ways to maintain it.
Yeah, it was -- I stayed within myself today, no doubt about it.
Q. Taylor, you've got couple of other soccer players out there, Landon Donovan and Brandi Chastain. Have you had a chance to watch their games and can you critique their golf skills?
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Brandi made an eagle, did she not, on 14 yesterday?
Q. Yeah.
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: So she doesn't need me. I love the fact Landon is playing. We grew up with each other with the National Team. We're a year apart. I basically found out last year that he's been playing golf. He loves it. I love the fact that he's doing it competitively and that he really is engaged with it.
It's great to see both of them out here.
Q. I know Landon has talked about finding golf in the last couple years. How long have you been playing?
TAYLOR TWELLMAN: Well, my uncle was on TOUR for 20 some odd years. Jay Delsing my mom's younger brother. Golf was always within any family. When I was playing it was only like occasionally. And then when I stopped playing it became something I did regularly.
I've said this multiple times on the Golf Channel: Golf saved me because my career ended due to concussions. I missed out on a lot. Golf kind of gave me back the competitive spirit and a lifeline when life was difficult in the moment.
I'm very grateful for golf.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports