Q. What's it like out there? People have been saying it's a little U.S. Open-like or major-like. Does it feel like a big part of this is just keeping the big wipeout off your card?
MARK HUBBARD: A hundred percent, yeah, I mean, obviously I'm not happy with my finish again, but at the same time, I made three pretty good bogey putts coming in that I could have easily let one slip. And, yeah, I think if you can keep the doubles and big mistakes off your scorecard. I mean, I was -- I don't know what Lipsky is going to do right now, but I might only be one back. So, yeah, it's just kind of keeping your head on straight and playing disciplined.
Q. This feel like just a wide open final round, a lot of guys involved?
MARK HUBBARD: Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, it's one of those courses where if you're in position, you can make a lot of birdies. I know me and Si-Woo both did today. But if you're out of position, you almost don't have a chance on some of those holes. I was out of position on the last three holes and I really didn't have a chance to get it close to the hole to make par. So anything can happen, for sure.
Q. Do you feel somewhat overlooked in this field? You haven't won out here and you've got Rory, who obviously is a big name. Do you like to be sort of overlooked?
MARK HUBBARD: Yeah, I don't mind it. I definitely don't feel like I play with a chip on my shoulder or anything like that. I'm out here for me and my family and I just want to be as good as I can be and whatever that equates to I'm good with.
Q. At what point in the round does it dawn on you that anything around 70 is probably going to be good? 72 won't lose too much ground in those kind of conditions.
MARK HUBBARD: I mean, 1's a decently hole if you're out of position. 2 and 3 you can kind of get. So for me, it's kind of like 4, especially seeing how that green is bouncing and releasing. I know I hit a 6-iron today that seemed to release about 30 yards.
So that's kind of, for me, get through those first four and kind of see how it's playing, how the firmness and speed is. And then, yeah, I mean, just try and make a lot of birdies on the par-5s and not make doubles on the hard holes.
Q. I think you mentioned this earlier in the week about hitting the ball a little bit higher. Was that the result of some off-season stuff and how has it helped this week, specifically?
MARK HUBBARD: Yeah, it hasn't been off-season. It's been like this season, early this season, I started working with a new coach kind of on the West Coast Swing and stuff's definitely starting to click a little bit. I'm hitting it a lot farther. I'm definitely hitting it higher. It's still tough for me out here, especially if I'm in the rough or the first cut to get stuff to hold, as you saw on 18.
But it's definitely better. I feel like I can attack a lot more than I've ever been able to before around this place.
Q. Who is your coach and can you give me an example of when that ball flight might have helped you the last three days?
MARK HUBBARD: Oh, I mean, every iron shot I've hit the whole week, and then a couple driver swings. I know 6, like, I used to not be able to carry that left bunker, now I can. 17 a little bit. It's hard to say because I haven't hit it close to the fairway, so I don't know where it's landing. But it seems like I can carry that left bunker pretty easy now.
So just a few shots like that that I don't have to worry about where I used to really have to thread one.
My new coach is Corey Lundberg. He's out at Trinity Forest.
Q. Are you in Dallas?
MARK HUBBARD: I'm in the Woodlands, just north of Houston. So it's only two and a half, 2:45 door to door.
Q. Were you in Denver at some point?
MARK HUBBARD: I'm from Denver. All my family is still there. I'm Denver through and through. I just live where it's cheaper.
Q. 16, how did you play that today?
MARK HUBBARD: Poorly. Yeah, I mean, it was weird. I felt really good. I was coming off a birdie and a couple really, not only good shots, but smart plays. So I was feeling really confident. I'm not great at drawing the ball, I'm getting a lot better, so that's always going to be a tough shot for me, especially with the wind off the left. It felt pretty good. I looked up and it was not and it was way right. I think everybody was hitting it over there, so I don't feel too bad. But I think I kind of figured out what happened on those two swings on 16 and 17 and -- I guess three swings, because I had two on 17. So, yeah, hopefully, I'm right and I'll get that fixed tomorrow coming down the stretch.
Q. I feel like I talked to someone earlier this morning that feel like there were a couple guys who played it a good 15 yards short of the green and were happy about it. When did that ever --
MARK HUBBARD: Yeah, I was sort of playing kind of just front right. Like I definitely wasn't going at that pin. I was kind of playing in between the pin and that bunker, just trying to get it front edge and if it even came up short. The wind was just kind of coming and going. And it even played randomly down on 18, which is northwest, which wasn't predicted at all. So it was kind of all over the place. So if it's in off the northeast like it's supposed to be there I'm basically playing it to the front edge at best. So that was kind of my game plan. Like I said, I thought it was good. I hit it really well, it went a long ways, but it just wasn't the right direction.
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