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THE MODERATOR: Let's give it up for our hometown hero, Patrick Reed from 4Aces GC. You had a great day. You're currently sitting at 9-under. You are one off the lead at your hometown event. What do you need to do to get it done tomorrow?
PATRICK REED: I think the biggest thing is I've got to play from the fairway. This golf course is doing exactly what I expected it to do, getting kind of fiery, fast. Greens are getting firmer, a little more burnt out. Because of that, if you're playing out of the rough, it's hard to get the ball close. So got to play from the fairway, got to take advantage of the par-5s and the short par-4s, and I just need to see a couple more putts go in. Yesterday the putter was working, today I felt like the putter was still pretty good, just had a couple putts out there I feel like I should have made that ended up burning edges.
Just keep on hitting the ball how I'm doing and take it one hole at a time and put the pedal down.
Q. Are you going to head out to the range and grind a little bit after this?
PATRICK REED: No, we're going home. Going home to see the kids.
Q. The first two years obviously you played really well on Sundays. That was kind of your calling card. It hasn't really happened this year, although Singapore you had a really good final round. What has been going on in that final round, and do you think you've turned the corner a little bit?
PATRICK REED: Yeah, the final rounds, it's kind of been one of those things -- all the rounds really, where I feel like I do a lot of things really well, and just kind of miss a putt here or there or hit a poor shot here or there and just the number doesn't really add up for how I feel like I'm playing and hitting the golf ball.
This week so far I still feel like I've left a decent amount of shots out there the first two days and we're in great position going into tomorrow.
Really for me it's just let it happen. There's times that I've been so far back and trying to get a decent finish that I've had to push, and when you go out there and you press, it usually doesn't happen in golf. You've got to let it come to you, and I feel like that's what I'm trying to do this week is go out, just play golf, have fun, and have fun for my family and friends who are out here and showing me all the support and just go out there and put on a show.
If I'm able to do that, I'm able to ease into the rounds and not seem like I have to push so hard early, and when that happens, I'm able to play a little bit more free and the game seems to be showing.
Q. Do you like your position as a bit of a chaser going in, especially with a bunched up leaderboard like this?
PATRICK REED: It doesn't matter to me. I've always liked being out in front, either way, but I've won golf tournaments from behind, I've won from being the guy who's being chased. The biggest thing is to go out there and treat tomorrow like a Monday qualifier. It's 18 holes to go out there and shoot the low round of the day, and that's what's going to get it done.
Q. Obviously a home game for you. You have a lot of support. But do you feel pressure to perform in front of the fans, your family?
PATRICK REED: No, I actually haven't felt any pressure. Really the biggest thing is I just feel more energized. I feel like the energy is higher up because you have all your family and friends out there, everyone cheering you on. You want to go out and play well for them.
It's interesting, you would have thought I would have felt more pressure, but really if anything it's just kind of gotten me more hyped up and ready to go and just kind of get out here and get into the rounds. The energy level is really high, and I feel the same. Just go out there and shoot the lowest round I can.
Q. Obviously you're sleeping in your own bed. You've got the support of the hometown, driving the ball well, putting well. However, do you think the biggest contributing factor to your success this week is playing with us in the pro-am?
PATRICK REED: Oh, for sure. I mean, hey, I got to play against y'all, and y'all are sitting there going, oh, three of you won, four of you won. It doesn't matter. I told y'all that. But no, y'all definitely got me going and got the juices flowing. I had to go out and play some really good golf against y'all, and I was able to do that and just kind of carried it into the week. Let's go ahead and win it tomorrow and therefore then y'all can say y'all can take the credit, as well.
Q. Obviously sports has home-field advantages. Do you feel like that carries you into this final round, that you have some advantages to try and get over the hump among a crowded field at the top to try and get to win this championship and do it in front of your fans?
PATRICK REED: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is it just brings more energy. You get more hyped up and energy levels on top because you have all the support out there. So I think that definitely helps. It definitely carries you and gives you that little bit of extra motivation, that little push to go out and play well.
Anytime you can play at home, sleep in your own bed and just have that comfort level it always helps, especially in golf because golf is just as much mental as it is physical. It's having all that support and also being able to stay at home, it means a lot, and hopefully we go out there and these fans and everybody, we can give them a show tomorrow and hopefully hoist that trophy.
Q. How big of a party are you going to plan if you're able to win this big title?
PATRICK REED: Of course, we'll have some fun, trust me.
Q. 13, 14, we're out there watching you. You always talk about playing to your strengths, but you laid up, didn't hit driver like the other two. You left it just short, chipped it up to a foot, easy birdie. On 14, the par-5, you laid that one up but made birdie as well. You could have sent it on both holes. What was the strategy there?
PATRICK REED: Really the biggest thing for me, 13 -- actually, sorry, 12, the drivable one, Justine told me earlier this week, whenever we were out here, she goes, you do not hit 3-wood on this hole, you always hit driver, and I had 279 flag right to left a little down. I was like if I hit driver, even if I cut it, it could go forever. So I hit 3-wood, good thing I got up-and-down and made birdie.
But no, that hole with that front right pin, just put yourself in the right spot. You can't go past it. If you do, you have to be on the green. If you're left and long, it's not a very good up-and-down. So I just kind of held the 3-wood there.
I love how you thought my strategy was to lay up on the next hole. I hit such a thin iron shot there and ended up 50 yards short.
But that was another one I was sitting there with an odd number of 3-wood is too much but 2-iron is probably not enough, but we knew with that pin, talking with Kess, he's like, hey, if you're short, it's a basic little chip.
Both those holes I felt like I was hitting the ball well enough to play to my strength, which is my wedge game, and I was able to put it in those spots.
But yeah, I love the confidence over there saying I was purposely trying to lay up on the par-5 because that definitely wasn't the case. Good thing is I was swinging well enough where the direction was fine, even on the mis-hits, and when you're able to do that, you're able to attack a golf course.
Q. The top of the leaderboard was constantly changing today. Did you look at the leaderboard much and see how you were doing?
PATRICK REED: Yeah, I always look at the leaderboard. It doesn't matter what I'm playing, if it's the first hole of the day on the first round or when. I've always been a guy who looks at the leaderboard and knows where I need to go, what I need to do.
It's just one of those things. I don't fall in love with the leaderboard, I just always want to glance and know where I stand. Yeah, you saw the leaders just kind of everyone on that board kind of moving quite a bit, and that's what this place it do when you get some wind blowing up here, you get firm and fast and kind of dry like it is, you hit the ball in the rough or you hit some greens, the ball just seems to kind of bounce and go wherever it wants to go.
You're going to have chances to make a decent amount of birdies out here, but at the same time you fall asleep for a little bit, you can make a big number.
Q. Obviously you look at the leaderboard, you see how your teammates did, especially how DJ did. Did that energy that you're carrying right now, do you think that carried over to the rest of your teammates this weekend?
PATRICK REED: I hope so. I think the biggest thing with our team right now is going out and being who we are, letting DJ be DJ, let Pat go out there and be Pat, and let HV III be himself. I felt like earlier this year we kind of tried to appease each player rather than being true to who we are, and at the end of the day if we go out and play the golf we're supposed to individually, the team is going to take care of itself. I feel like the start of this week and that tournament for the second half of the season is what we're doing, going out there, just doing what we do and go out and prepare how we prepare, play how we play, and then at the end when the day is done, that's how we can hang out and have some fun and get on that team side.
But the biggest thing is for us to go out there, and the best way to help the team is to go out there and perform and I feel like our team, we're really close. You're never really worried about DJ and myself and Pat. It seems like he's playing well, and I know with that round that Harold had today, I know he's going to be coming for blood tomorrow and he's going to play some good golf. Hopefully the rest of the Aces can go out and do what we're supposed to do on Sunday, have a Sunday charge and have a chance to maybe hold two trophies.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports