Q. Keegan, how would you characterize the round as a whole?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: It was just really solid. Pretty boring honestly until the very end there. I made some nice shots some nice putts. I'm proud of the way I played. I've wanted to win this tournament forever, so the feeling of wanting to push and win is something I need to fight against and just let myself go out and play.
Q. How will you fight against at that overnight and tomorrow before you tee off?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: The good part about having my family here is I get to be a dad in the morning and in the afternoon, so they don't let me think about it much. We'll hang out as a family and that helps a lot.
I'm just going to have to go out and do what I've been doing and try to stick to the process and play my best.
Q. You have came here as a spectator, did you not, when you were younger?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, my first event, yeah.
Q. As a New Englander, just describe what that means to you to be here and be in this position? You referenced with Golf Channel about wanting to win this thing badly for a long time.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah. Well, you know, when I got my PGA TOUR card in 2010 going into '11, the first thought in my mind wasn't to play the majors, whatever, it was I get to come play Hartford.
My first PGA TOUR event I ever went to. I came here and watched David Duval play. I remember looking at his tee time and making sure I got here when he warmed up. The range was right over here and it was my first real taste of what the PGA TOUR was like.
Pretty special to be able to come back here and compete in this tournament.
Q. How much is making the Ryder Cup team on your mind right now?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, listen, tomorrow can go a long way to doing that. I know that. But there is going to be a lot of things on my mind tonight, tomorrow during the round. I have to do my best to try to play my best.
I know I'm going to play my hardest, and luckily I got a great team. Scotty Vail and my coach, Darren.
Just going to try to go out and play another 18 holes.
Q. Why do you feel like your putting has been so good this week? I know it's been improving, but why do you this week it's been so good?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I well, think with AimPoint and the way I putt, bent grass is especially nice with this style. I've just been really feeling the reads really well. Speed's been good.
I don't know, just every time I'm standing over a putt I feel like I have a chance to make it, which is a great feeling.
Q. Speaking of that, you have a small area over on the practice putting green that you set up all the different slopes. One, two, and three percent slopes. Why do you that and what do you each day with it?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, well I practice it just like I would practice hitting drivers. I have to practice feeling the degrees in my feet. It's something that I have to work on. Everybody that does AimPoint will go over. I do it on my off weeks. I do it before every round.
It's just a little reminder. It's just like doing a drill that you're working on your swing. It's part of the game I have to work on.
Q. With the two birdies you made on 15 and 16 and Chez going bogey, it was a three-shot swing. During that period what was your thought process, and then having those two opportunities on 17 and 18?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I was sort of behind -- I was up there and then Chez started to make a lot of birdies and there was a moment there where I could have gotten one, two, three back.
Then all of a sudden I had that putt to go two ahead, maybe even three if Chez missed that putt. He doesn't miss those putts.
And then I hit a great putt on 17 and I hit a great putt on 18.
You know, it's just an exciting finish because you can make bogeys and doubles as fast as I can make birdies on those holes.
Q. You were a shot away from tying the all-time TOUR record for 54 holes. Were you aware of that at all?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: No, I had no idea.
Q. I remember talking with you at Wells Fargo last year. I know that was a tough Sunday for you. Wondering, since ZOZO, how much different does tonight and tomorrow feel versus how it might have without?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it's going to feel a lot different. I hope. You know, you can always tell when you get to the course and you warm up, get on the first tee, how you're going to feel for the day. I got here today and I felt great.
I'm sort of an anxious person, so I know I'm going to be fighting a lot of thoughts. Winning this tournament with my family here, what an incredible thing that would be. I'm going to have to do my best to really stay where I'm at.
I know I'm going to play my hardest no matter if I'm five up or five back.
Q. With how well you've been playing this year, can you go back to another year where you feel like you're -- how long has it been since you ou feel like you've been playing this well?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: This is about as good as I've ever played. This week. I would say.
But I've been playing great all year. Actually been playing good the last couple months. Just had one bad round in there. Almost every tournament the past month I've had one really, really solid round. Memorial I shot a good round on Saturday and not very good on Sunday.
So it's been there. Darren May, my coach came and I actually played awful last week. I had my coach come in, Darren May, and we had a great three days Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and swing feels really good and the putter feels good.
Fastscripts by ASAP Sports...
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports