Q. General thoughts on today?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, really solid round of golf. Very pleased with the work Fooch and I have done. Not only today but over the last three days.
I think just going through our process, making sure we have a number where we're trying to land the ball, talking about the shot, the club selection, the wind. When we do that, it allows me to have a clearer picture and have a little bit more of a higher acceptance level over the golf shot.
Everyone has told me on my team for years, when I have that, I'm able to make better golf swings on a regular basis.
We didn't do that well the last two weeks, and Fooch and I just had a conversation after Colonial after we missed the cut last week, we were both really ticked off about it, missing the cut, so we said, we just need to get back to what we do best, and if we do that, then it's giving us the best chance to succeed on every shot.
Q. Are you aware you've gone 44 holes without a bogey or worse and how are you able to do that on this track?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I'm very aware of everything I do on the golf course. Yeah, I just think it's -- like I said, I think it just goes back to understanding what's a good golf shot, understanding where you need to miss it on this golf course to have a chance to get up-and-down.
Yeah, I've put myself probably in a couple bad spots over the last two days, but I've been fortunate that I've hit really good shots and made a putt.
I'm very aware of everything I've done on the golf course, and I just feel very comfortable right now with what we're doing on the golf course. I'm not really worried about score, I'm not really worried about the result of the golf shot, just worried about the process that Fooch and I are trying to do, and I think if we do that well, and I sound like a broken record, but if I do that it allows me to make better swings, and it's been producing better results.
Q. Tomorrow do you go with a five-shot lead in your head or a one-shot lead in your head or behind?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I just go to the tee understanding I'm leading the tournament, I know I've got however many shots I have ahead of the lead. Just going out, trying to play a really good round of golf. I'm not going to be protective, I'm not going to be overly aggressive. I'm going to play the way I have the last three days.
We're going to hit the golf shots that are required, and I know if we do that it's going to give me the best chance to be victorious come tomorrow. I've been doing this for 13 years now out here, so I think I should have a pretty clear understanding of what I need to do and the feelings and the emotions I'm going to have tomorrow.
Q. Ever had a five-shot lead or even greater one?
BILLY HORSCHEL: No, but I've had it in my head plenty of times.
Q. How did those turn out then?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Let's just say very well.
Q. You know what works, but yet you kind of got away from it. Why is that?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I mean, I'm sure I'm going to shock everyone when I say this. I move very quick, and I'm impatient, and so I'm ready to go without always being clear on everything. Sometimes I just want to get the golf shot over with.
Yes, am I an idiot for not doing what I know works every time? Yes. But I need to do a better job of it. If I'm going to win the golf tournaments I want to win, and I feel like I can win, then I need to do a better job of it on a daily, weekly basis, especially when it comes to the bigger events. Obviously I haven't played well in majors, which has been sort of a pet peeve of mine now for a while.
I need to do a better job at regular events of really doing what I need to do in majors so it transitions easier over into majors because obviously I get a little more wound up. I want to win a major tremendously. I'm a little bit more on edge.
By doing what I need to do here this week, just hopefully it will carry over and sort of just be like riding a bike to me. But yeah, I'm an idiot for not doing what I need to do on a regular basis.
Q. So really it's you and not Fooch in this situation?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Fooch does a really good job, and Fooch tries, and sometimes I'm short and I don't want to listen. Like I said, shocking.
Yes, I mean, Fooch has done an unbelievable job of trying to do the right things, and sometimes we just move a little too quick. We're not very clear enough on everything we need to do, and so that falls on me, not on Fooch.
Like I said, we had a conversation after Colonial, and we just said, we need to get back to it.
There was a couple times where I've tried maybe a little quick this week, and he's sort of pulled me back, and there's other times where we thought we had the shot and then I wasn't sort of fully committed and I backed off and we talked about it a little bit more to make sure we were hitting the right shot with the right club and doing things to give ourselves the chance to succeed.
Yeah, Fooch is great. It's all on me at the end of the day.
Q. Who initiated the discussion at Colonial after the round?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Me.
Q. Can you just give us a glimpse of what your thought process is say walking up -- are you already into that shot or are you in that process from there on, that you want to be slow it sounds like?
BILLY HORSCHEL: So usually even though I may be carrying on a conversation with somebody, I'm very aware of where my golf ball is, I'm very aware where the pin is, I'm very aware where I need to put the ball on the green and where I may need to miss it if I don't hit a great golf shot. That's why sometimes when I get a number, I just grab a club right away and sort of have an idea of the shot I want to hit and then I go. We talk real quick and it's gone.
I think this week we've just done a better job of -- especially with the firmer greens you have to be really precise on where you're trying to land the golf shot, the trajectory you're trying to hit it, the shape you're trying to hit it. We've just been very clear on all of that.
Like I said, just taking 10, 15 extra seconds, that's all it really comes down to over the shots before we hit it, and that's all it's come down to. It's very simple.
The process hasn't changed, it's just giving ourselves 10 to 15 extra seconds before I pull away and then he tries to -- he'll try to chime in and sometimes I'll shoo him away unfortunately.
Q. Are you over the ball a little bit longer, too?
BILLY HORSCHEL: No, I think everything is done before I get over the ball. Only reason I may be over the ball a little bit longer is just sort of a little uncomfortable with my stance or posture or setup, whatever it may be.
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