Q. How would you characterize the round? A little up-and-down start but a strong finish.
PATRICK REED: Yeah, I mean, that's basically how I played, kind of up and down. I got off to a slow start today. Unfortunately kind of started with not really the ball-striking on the first hole of the day, it was a three-putt. When you three-putt the first, it kind of gets you off to that slow start, and then I missed a five-footer for birdie on the second, and when you do that, it just puts kind of a sour taste in your mouth. The good thing was all day, I knew that as long as I kept on hitting the ball solidly I was going to give myself opportunities. Coming when I made the turn, I looked at Kessler, and Kessler said, hey, just keep on giving yourself opportunities; you're going to make some putts; it's going to go in. The funny thing was I made probably the hardest putt of the day which was on 4. It was only six feet but it had two feet of break and I barely had to get it started. So to make that putt kind of gave me the confidence I needed going forward, and I was able at that point I think birdied 4 and then of the last six, I think, coming in, and being able to do that -- even though it wasn't the overall number I wanted on the day, kind of gives me that confidence going into the weekend that, hey, you get the putter hot, you can get going out here.
Q. Is that all it takes sometimes, just that one putt? You said it might not have been the longest, but that kick-started the finish that you had?
PATRICK REED: Yeah, I feel like that's kind of what it's been recently. I feel like I've -- even though today my tee shots weren't as tight as I wanted them to be like they were yesterday, I felt like they were good enough for me to shoot 68-67 today, and I felt like the putter just kind of let me down early on in the round, and to go ahead and make a putt like that on 4, which -- even though it's only six feet, it's one of those that because of how high you have to play it out, how perfect your speed has to be, I mean, you have to hit a perfect putt, and to be able to do that and knowing that you're going into a par-5 if you hit the fairway it's a 5-iron to a 6-iron to the green, which set up a two-putt birdie for me right there, that kind of jump started the stretch I needed to get it back under par and to get closer to the lead.
Q. Was there something different putting down the stretch than there was maybe the first 12 holes?
PATRICK REED: I think the biggest thing was just trying to figure out the speed. I felt like I dialed down the speed pretty well on the putting green this morning, and then when I got to the first hole, putting on 10, felt like I hit a good putt and the ball just seemed to go. I hit that one six or seven feet by, missed that putt, and then from there just kind of seemed a little timid on speed, and because of that, just kind of one of those things that once I freed it up and I was like, all right, kind of got where you are self in a hole now, you've got to make putts, you've got to actually put good strokes on it, so I was able to be a little more aggressive and more fluid with my stroke, which is kind of the biggest thing for me, don't rush your stroke and just kind of be fluid with it.
Q. Do you feel like you're in good position going into the weekend, and what's one big key for you the last 36 holes?
PATRICK REED: You know, I mean, I think everybody would like to be obviously closer to the lead, but yeah, I feel like I'm in a great spot. I'm close enough to have a shot at it, yet at the same time it's one of these that I know I have to go out and put my foot on the gas and make some birdies. For me, the biggest thing is just kind of getting off to a faster start, kind of getting off and -- like today, a couple bogeys; yesterday, I birdied the 3rd, but at the same time I didn't really have very good looks on 1 and 2. I actually had to get up-and-down on the 1st yesterday. Try and get off to a little faster start, give yourself good birdie looks on the first couple and try to make one early. If you make one early, it kind of frees you up for the day, you feel good, and I think that's the biggest thing.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports