Q. How does it feel?
RICKIE FOWLER: It feels good. Yeah, I would say after -- front nine I didn't really get off to the start that we wanted. A little loose here and there, a couple drives that cost me. I had to reassess a little bit going into the back nine and kind of the main or -- initial goal for today was to make sure to get inside that top-50 number. Didn't quite have -- didn't make the push I wanted on the front to put myself in position to where I could go and necessarily try and win.
Yeah, just tried to manage and play as simple golf as I could, like I had through parts of the week, and that was kind of the goal for the back nine, to kind of help try and get some things back on track.
Q. How impactful is it that you don't have to talk to tournament directors for Signature Events next year, that you're in every event?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, being that I got a handful of spots this year, which I'm incredibly grateful for, unfortunately I really didn't take advantage of many of those opportunities up until Jack's event. Didn't play that well in any of them. Those elevated fields and maybe some more points, I didn't really get them.
But it was great to have a tee time in them this year, and didn't really want to bank on that for next year. Yeah, nice to be in a position where we'll be able to be back in those and not have to write notes and calls and ask for favors.
Q. How would you describe the pressure you were feeling on the back nine especially as you tried to get it across the line?
RICKIE FOWLER: I mean, it was tough, especially at this place where it's such a fine line. You have to hit the fairway, and it's a tough little course. You drive it well, you can obviously make birdies. There's been plenty of good rounds out there this week.
I felt like it was tough to make putts as the greens kind of dried out and got a little crispier.
So yeah, it was just trying to get the ball in the short grass any way we could, which I feel like I did a great job of that on the back nine, just to try and make it as stress-free as possible.
But I knew basically where I needed to be. I knew I needed to be inside the top 10 and I knew there was a chance that it could come down to my playing partner, Kirky and I. Not that we were necessarily playing a head-to-head match. We both wanted to play better than we did.
Unfortunate to see that he's birdied the last. I don't think he'll do it. But I think we were both feeling it out there. Like I said, after the front nine and not being off to the start that I wanted, had to kind of reprioritize where we were at, I wasn't in a position necessarily to go win, but hey, let's see if we can still keep ourselves alive and get a tee time next week.
Q. A lot can happen on that 18th hole. Describe the feelings one hole away from getting this done and what it's like playing that hole with what was on the line.
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, it's not necessarily a fun hole when you have to make par or birdie. It's a lot easier to make bogey there.
Yeah, luckily with the breeze just kind of lightly off the right and a touch of help, it was a great number off the tee, I could kind of hit it at the middle bunker.
I felt very good about when I got up there and got a number, I just had a full stock wedge, which in those situations you don't necessarily want to be hitting a little soft or off-speed shot, especially to a left pin.
I felt like I stepped up, made some good swings coming in. Yeah, accomplished it.
Q. Can you walk me through your emotions on that birdie on 15?
RICKIE FOWLER: I hit some pretty good putts, misread quite a few today, just felt like I wasn't quite seeing them.
I had a really good look there, and I knew, hey, this is one we need to take advantage of. It would have been nice to get 16 as well. But no, that was a big one just to feel like I gave myself a little buffer instead of feeling like I needed to make another coming in.
Although, like I said, getting another one on 16 would have been nice for those last couple.
Q. You were top 10 in greens in regulation. How important was that to keep giving yourself chances for birdie?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, I didn't have too big of an issue hitting fairways and greens, it was once I got on them, making putts. Going through the early part of the back nine, I had a mud ball on 10 and then I drove it down the middle on 13 and was in a sand divot. I was just trying to make sure, get these on the green.
But with these greens being brand new, they are rolling as good as they can be. There's still some areas, they need probably a couple good punch-and-sandings, but for being as new as they were, they were very good, and they're only going to get better.
Some of the unsettled areas, by the time we come back next year, they'll be in a really good spot.
Q. On 17, the par putt that was not short, did you understand the priority for that one?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, roughly. I knew that I needed to -- holding my position was I felt like a for-sure thing. Knew that there might be a chance if I make bogey and still make par, or make birdie I'm good on the last. But yeah, I wasn't playing to miss it.
I knew that would make 18 a bit easier, so I hit a good putt there. Between that one and making the birdie on 15, those were kind of two key putts to keep things going.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports