THE MODERATOR: Ricky, nice 64 today, including a 29 on your front. If you can talk a little bit about your play today.
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, got off to a nice start, which was great after posting even yesterday. I knew that the cut was probably going to be somewhere around there. Getting myself well inside that number was nice, especially when you have -- you know, five is probably one of my least favorite tee shots on tour. I've done a good job the last two days with it, but there are a few spots where this course can get you, and that's one of them.
I was trying to keep it going on the front, our back nine. Missed a couple. Had a couple of loose iron shots, but other than that, solid day. Definitely happy with the way we got out of the gate, though.
THE MODERATOR: That's your fifth 29. You just had one a couple of weeks ago the Truist. Just talk a little bit about your play of late and how close you feel here.
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, no, it's definitely coming around. I know it's been slow last year and slow start to the year. Body is starting to feel better, and the game I feel like it's been in a good spot and not very far off. It's a fine line out here. Nice to see things starting to come together a bit.
It would have been nice to continue on from our front nine, but a solid day on a Friday. We'll see if we can get after it this weekend.
Q. On 18 there after that bunker shot you turned around, a little smile to the crowd. That's a shot that nobody sees on the score card, but you know very dangerous play. How important is it to not make mistakes on those things that can totally turn it around sideways?
RICKIE FOWLER: Every once in a while you're going to have a shot where there's a bit of risk involved. I turned around to the crowd because two of my good friends were back there, Trent and Tyler Leon, who both played at Oklahoma State. They're Fort Worth guys. I had a little support, but they knew what kind of shot it was.
I think they were expecting me to potentially lay up because it wasn't the kind of lie you would want in a fairway bunker. The ball was a foot below my feet, and I was just praying for good contact.
Q. Since the redesign throughout Sunday of last year, just about every round since then you've played well here. Does this suit your eye since they renovated the course?
RICKIE FOWLER: I've always loved Colonial. It's a fun golf course. It's not one that you can necessarily go out and overpower. There's a few holes where you can kind of let it loose. Other than that, it's much more position golf. You don't have to hit a whole lot of drivers around this place.
I would say difficulty-wise it's still about the same as far as you play well, it's not like you're shooting a whole lot better or lower numbers. I think it's maybe a little bit easier when you are out of position. You can run it up on more greens where greens sat kind of up and were guarded by bunkers before.
But I would say, like I said, similar scores and numbers that you'll see. I think they did a great job of making it a lot more playable for general membership.
Q. John talked about the 29s. You've had these flashes. Do you feel like that stretch of prolonged really good play is right around the corner?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah. I haven't been far off. You know, it's sometimes hard to stay patient when you know it's as close as it is and you're not really getting anything out of it.
Not that you can shoot 29 every nine holes, but having maybe a couple of those a tournament is definitely nice. You kind of have to just plod your way around and hit quality shots and, like I said, stay patient, wait for those stretches where everything kind of does happen at the right time. Whether it's low 30s to 29, you take those when you get them.
Q. What do you not like about the tee shot on five?
RICKIE FOWLER: I don't know if you're going to find many guys that like the tee shot on five. Probably a little bit more inviting for a lefty. Typically wind is off the left. Hazard all down the right. Now you've got kind of thick junk up the left.
If you hit a good one, it's great and you get it in play up there. I only had 8-iron in today. I made a poor iron swing, but it's kind of the more you take on off the tee, it can make the hole easier from there, but it's just a good, tough hole. You have to step up and hit a good tee shot.
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