Q. Luke, first day of work as a pro. What did it mean to just have that day out there and kind of get that monkey off the back?
LUKE CLANTON: I don't know if you really call this work. I mean, we play golf for a living, and it's amazing. Yeah, what a group we had and what an experience we had. Me and my caddie were having a blast out there. So it was a lot of fun.
Again, I hit it really well and putted it really good. Just a few tee shots here and there, but it was good.
Q. What was it like to see that pairing with Rory and Ludvig to know that would be your first round as a pro?
LUKE CLANTON: Being paired with Rory is no joke. The crowds are amazing. Watching him hit drivers and iron shots, it's cool. I watched him growing up my whole life, so I guess you could say he's like the Tiger Woods of my life, and it's really cool.
Q. First tee, what were you thinking about? What was kind of going through -- did you take a little moment to soak it in at all?
LUKE CLANTON: I said to my caddie, I said the range session, putting, chipping, everything felt fine, even walking up to the first tee, shaking his hand, everything felt fine. Once I took that club back, I couldn't feel it. So it was a new experience for sure.
It's cool to be thrown in the fire right away, so it's awesome.
Q. The eagle on 18 really seemed to get the round back on track for you. How did it feel watching that ball go in on the long putt?
LUKE CLANTON: The first eight holes were great. I just hit a couple of shots that were a little bit off that kind of penalized me out here, especially par-4s over 500 yards are tough.
It was good. To make eagle on 18 in front of the crowd was pretty sweet. A couple of things to work on, and we'll be all right.
Q. The challenge too of playing on this golf course so much softer than yesterday, just controlling yardages and spin on these greens?
LUKE CLANTON: It was definitely a little bit harder. I think if anything with the long irons, it kind of helped out so you can drive it a little bit more. We're learning every single week we step out here. It's cool to be in these kinds of conditions and be in Canada.
Q. What time did you wake up today?
LUKE CLANTON: Didn't sleep very much.
Q. Was that because of the anticipation?
LUKE CLANTON: Oh, yeah, I was playing with Rory (laughter).
Q. What was kind of like dinner last night, breakfast this morning? What did you eat?
LUKE CLANTON: We just -- I guess I'm shouting them out again, but Tim Horton's, went and got coffee and a bagel. It was normal. It was good. It was exciting.
Nerves is not the right thing to say. It's always excitement. I'm just excited for tomorrow.
Q. Did you meditate in the shower?
LUKE CLANTON: Yeah, I did, yeah. I can't believe that's getting out, but yeah, I did.
Q. Can you explain where that came from and what inspired you?
LUKE CLANTON: I've kind of struggled with kind of settling into the moment a lot. I guess about seven months ago I was like, you know what, I'm just going to turn off all the lights and kind of get into the zone. It's been working, so I think I'm going to keep doing it.
Q. What was your favorite moment of today?
LUKE CLANTON: I think it's probably the first tee shot. I've never experienced anything like that. It was so cool to meet Rory and play with him and be out there with Ludvig as well, two great ball strikers. It was really cool.
Q. Is that a day you'll always kind of remember?
LUKE CLANTON: For sure. First pro start with Rory McIlroy, it's definitely a day to remember.
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