Q. I want to talk about the two pars, you par you made at 16 and then the par you made at 6. Obviously kept your momentum going.
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, that's the stuff that keeps rounds together and keeps moving forward. 16 I felt like I hit a good tee shot into the wind, I hit it really hard and it gets a bad bounce, what the volunteer said. I was able to take it back on the line and get a flat lie and then get a good shot in there and rolled in to make a good par there.
I guess on 7, it was one of the few fairways I hit all day, and just had a huge mud ball, so you're hitting and hoping, and unfortunately that mud didn't come off so that ball went shooting over there to the right. Instead of taking my medicine I tried to be a hero and looked like I'm going to make 6, and then the golf gods said, "nice par."
Q. The golf course obviously early this week has been a little soft. Did it dry out at all there today?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: You know, I had a few mud balls, so that's not a sign of drying out. But the course was in great condition. The greens are pure and as good as we play on TOUR. It's hard to complain about that.
Q. You've been out here a while, obviously you're playing on a medical extension. You've got 18 events left; is it something you consciously or subconsciously think about?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: No. I mean, I'm just out there trying to play good golf. I know that good golf transfers for me and is good enough to compete out here at the highest level. I mentioned earlier that I hadn't done myself any favors coming back, poor scheduling, poor play, maybe came back a little early, but I kind of feel like I got my feet under me, getting more comfortable being on the road, being away from my family, and so the focus is just enjoying it and playing good golf, and the results will come.
Q. Did you feel a round like this coming?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Honestly the game has been close. I played three events in the summer after the restart and really got nothing out of it, a lot of penalty shots, a lot of good shots, making a lot of birdies, making a lot of doubles and had to stop for the birth of my daughter and just kind of waited for the new season to start.
Napa I really hit it very poorly, chipped and putted it great and finished middle of the pack, or made the cut. Last week I hit it great and chipped and putted it poorly, and I'm like, okay, well, at least we're seeing things transition a little bit. I did a little bit of both today. I hit some really good shots, I hit some poor shots, but my putter was great and really chipped it well to keep a round like that in the realm of possibility.
Q. You missed the cut last week, right?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yep.
Q. Did you spend Saturday and Sunday working on the game or chilling by the beach? How did you use that time before you came here?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: A little bit of both. I practiced both days, Saturday and Sunday, spent some time by the beach, went on some walks. It's hard being out here. I definitely got comfortable being home. You miss the cut in the Dominican Republic, it's a great place to be, but it's a pretty lonely place to be when you're by yourself. I was looking forward to getting back to the States, and I look forward to playing three great rounds and I can see my family next week, which will be great.
Q. What would you have done differently with your scheduling?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: I would have played a lot more. I would have played consecutive weeks. I kind of tried to ease my way back in, one on, one off, one on, one off, but you just can't get in a rhythm, and I hadn't been in a rhythm. Fortunately after COVID hit, the TOUR really extended an olive branch to those of us on the medicals and I was able to take advantage of that. Once my daughter was born I could make a schedule, don't have to worry about missing that or infecting my family with COVID. I look forward to playing a schedule and building some momentum.
Q. Did you have a good line on the bomb you made on 8?
KEVIN CHAPPELL: Yeah, it was about six feet short and my caddie and I, we have a fun game, if I make it from outside 20 feet, he's got to pay me $20 and if I leave it short inside 20 feet I've got to pay him, and it was about four feet short, and I was saying, "Pay me, Benji. Pay me, Benji," and that thing went right in the middle.
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