Q. How would you characterize your round today?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, I'm happy with it. It was tough today. Obviously last week was a little softer. Today was as tough a test as I've seen in a while because we haven't played in wind really since we've been back from break. The golf course firmed up very nicely. You could tell it the last couple days, but it was a beast of a test today, and I'm happy with where I'm at.
Q. How did you adjust from playing a much softer, generally easier golf course last week compared to one that was very hard?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, it was a big mental change because you had to stay patient. Last week you were trying to make birdies. Guys were shooting 19-, 20-under so you're out there playing aggressive. Today was more typical of like a major championship. You're plotting your way around trying to keep the golf ball in the fairway, trying to pick your target. You try to attack the par-5s because there's just a lot of holes that can jump up and get you. So you're playing a lot more conservative, trying to be more patient because one bogey is not going to hurt you, but you've just got to play a little more conservative right now with this wind.
Q. Were you surprised how quickly the course firmed up from Sunday to today?
GARY WOODLAND: No, because there wasn't any rain. I mean, when you get conditions like we've had, we've had perfect weather the last couple days, and today we missed the rain and it got windy, so it really firmed up. And with the changes they're going to make to the golf course starting next week, they don't have to put as much water on it as they typically would.
Q. Is it unusual playing the same course two straight weeks?
GARY WOODLAND: It is different. You know, for a major championship I like to go in pretty early and get some work in, and that's kind of how I attacked this. Obviously you want to play well and win last week, but you're there early, you're starting to see some lines, starting to get familiar with the golf course, and then today you're showing up and it's a different beast. Pretty typical of a major.
Q. What do you kind of expect over the next three days for the course to kind of get to? Do you see them pushing it really far?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, you would imagine they might put a little bit of water on it but maybe not. It's tough. 16 I think was dang near impossible. I don't think how you hit that green, especially late in the day. There's just some holes that with the wind blowing the way it was, it was as hard as it's going to get. Hopefully we get a little less wind and they get maybe a little water on there, but if they don't, scores aren't going to be very low, I promise you that.
Q. You said you've been putting pretty well since you came back; it's showing all the hard work you've put in on your putting?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, definitely. I've put a boat load of work in. I took some time off from the golf swing. That's probably why I've fought it since I got back. But I didn't take much time off with the putter. I put in as much work as I probably ever have with the flat stick. I worked with Phil Kenyon who's been over in Europe so we've been doing a lot of FaceTime, but we had a schedule, we had a plan, and it's starting to come together. I'm starting to roll the ball really, really well.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports