Q. Patrick, I sense a little disappointment, obviously, with the way you finished but still a fantastic round today. You've emphasized previously getting off to a better start on Friday. How pleased are you with your start today?
PATRICK REED: I mean, the first 17 were great. No, as a whole I played solid. I hit the ball pretty well off the tee, hit some quality iron shots and made some putts, and I think that's what you have to do around this place. When the wind blows like this, they get these greens kind of firm and fast like this, you have to take advantage of good looks, and I was able to do that, and when I needed to make a putt for a save, I was able to capitalize.
Yeah, for the back tee with this kind of wind direction here on 9, I don't know what to do. I don't have a club for it that I feel like I can hit a straight shot, and it's hard to start it over the water and get it turning back. It was just an unfortunate finish, but at the end of the day, it's still a solid round of golf.
Q. You've got a great track record here, tied for ninth last year, obviously won in 2014, and here you are leading on what is maybe one of the toughest golf courses in the world. What about this golf course brings out your best?
PATRICK REED: I think the thing is it's a grinder's golf course. You have to grind on every shot out here, and at the end of the day, you have to play pictures. You can't just set up and be robotic.
When the wind blows here, you have all this water and all these kind of undulated greens. It's one of those things I start seeing shots rather than working on swing. Hopefully I can get a better picture here on 9 because that's going to eat me up this week.
But it's a great golf course. You have to hit it well. When you're out of position, you have to lean on your short game, and I feel liking my short game is pretty sharp. It's just a hard place.
Q. With 36 holes left to play, you're yet to get your very first LIV win. The conditions are set to be pretty similar to today. How confident are you going into the weekend?
PATRICK REED: Yeah, the game feels solid. Being out in front, obviously just got to go out and play some great golf. We've got a lot of golf left. 36 holes around this place is nothing. It's a freaking eternity. That being said, I'm going to go out there and just try to win each day. If you go out and pretend everyone starts at even par and if you go and win enough days, at the end of the day, you'll have chance to win.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports