THE MODERATOR: Brian Gay is with us now at the 2026 Senior PGA Championship. Brian, a 68 for you today. How are you feeling going into the weekend?
BRIAN GAY: Pretty good. Another pretty good day. A little volatile. Pretty similar to yesterday, except I butchered a couple of par-5s. Two of them with one bad tee ball, two good tee balls, but other than that, I putted well again. Just a couple of balls in the bushes.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. You mentioned the par-5s. Can you talk about the struggle with the par-5s on the first nine holes, especially 17 here, and how did you manage to fix it on the other nine holes?
BRIAN GAY: Yeah, the first one was just a bad 5-iron. Trying to cut a 5-iron up on the green and fanned it right and hit a tree and went down in the crap. That's dead anywhere around that green. I was lucky to make a 6 there.
Then 17 I'm trying to hit driver way down the right over the bunkers and pushed it in the bushes twice (laughing). I think I lipped out. Hit it close for bogey and lipped it out.
Beautiful drive on three. Smashed one down there on three with a hybrid in and pushed it right, and it went right in the palmetto bush. Had to take an unplayable and actually got it up and down. Other than that, pretty good.
Q. How many unplayables did you have to play today?
BRIAN GAY: I had lost ball and one unplayable.
Q. You said yesterday you like the late afternoon tee times. That's what you're looking at tomorrow and maybe Sunday. Just talk about having a chance to be playing late in the day to win this tournament.
BRIAN GAY: Yeah, that's where you want to be, right? At least now I have a chance to -- you know, 20 hours or so to rest. It's kind of a long 20 hours.
I hadn't actually walked in a while. I hadn't walked since last summer, so I've gotten spoiled. I take a cart all the time on the Champions Tour, so walking wasn't that easy.
Q. When you have a lost ball and an unplayable and yet you're still tied for the lead, how do you walk away from the round today? Positive?
BRIAN GAY: I think I was 5-under after the double on 17. Came right back and birdied 18. Hit it to about 4 feet, which was really nice, a nice comeback there. Kind of turned me around after screwing up 17 and then birdied -- what did I birdie, two? Good save after unplayable on three and then birdied five. Where did I birdie? Seven and eight. So played good after the double on 17.
Q. So even though you are up there as a co-leader, do you feel there's room for improvement for the weekend?
BRIAN GAY: Yeah, I've made some good saves, yes. Made some nice par putts both days, but you never want to make doubles on par-5s or lost balls. It's just throwing shots away.
Q. What will be the key for you this weekend?
BRIAN GAY: I think if I'm in play off the tee, I usually do pretty good. My short game is great. I'm putting good, chipping good. So no penalty shots. I think I should be able to break par if I don't have penalty shots.
Q. Out on the Champions circuit you had some middle-of-the-road results until you got to Hoag, and then you tied for fourth. Was there anything that clicked into place for that tournament?
BRIAN GAY: Just been working on some stuff. Last year was a big struggle. I had tears in right elbow, then left elbow, and played with pain most of the year. Slow start in Florida and then after, you know, what, I had almost four months off.
I think just getting back in the groove of playing. Started hitting a little better. Drove it a lot better at Newport. I think Tucson I was second in birdies and finished, like, 29th in the tournament. So I was showing signs.
Tucson was a desert course and tight and goofy, and I hit it in trouble a bunch of times. I start driving it much better in Newport.
Q. Then also you're a long-time Central Florida resident. Playing a major on a Florida course, do you get any advantage out of that?
BRIAN GAY: Yeah, I love the Bermuda greens. I grew up on them. Live in Florida. So no complaints there.
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