Q. Great round of golf for you, particularly on the greens. You seem very comfortable out there on the putting surfaces?
AARON BADDELEY: Yeah, been working hard on my putting, something that I've been focusing on these last few months and it was nice to make a few today. Funny how when you make one, you feel like you can make them all.
Q. Been working hard and working quickly, is that part of the process? You seem pretty fast compared to some other players and how quickly you pick your line and go with it.
AARON BADDELEY: Yeah, on the greens, I'm definitely a reactive putter. I've had that same quick routine once I pick my line. But sometimes I over read it and think too much about the read. Often your first thought is the best one. Today I went with that and just trust it and try to knock it in.
Q. Did you have to be patient on the inward nine, four straight pars, did you have to keep reminding yourself to be patient? You finally broke through there at the fifth.
AARON BADDELEY: Yeah, down the first had a good look for birdie and hit a good drive up 2 and just caught the bunker. So there was a couple things that I feel like I was hitting good shot. I just didn't get as close to the hole.
To make that putt on 5 was nice and rolled another one in on 7. It was a good day. I was very pleased.
Q. What was working so well out there?
AARON BADDELEY: Pretty much just played solid all day. Drive the ball nice. This is definitely a course where you have to hit some fairways to be able to control your approach shot and feel like I hit quite a few fairways. Hit a couple close but also made a couple of putts which was nice.
Q. You were just saying, you've been working on your putting. What specifically have you been working on?
AARON BADDELEY: Sort of freeing it up. Just really trying to make the putt. Sounds weird but trying to just make it instead of like try and hit the right line or try and hit the right speed. Just step up and make it. That was my thought today.
Q. When you come to an event like this, first one of the year, missing 12 of your last 14 cuts or something like that, does it help that it's a new year in some way in terms of resetting?
AARON BADDELEY: Honestly, it's been a really weird stretch because I feel like I've been playing well. I'd play all right and hit one poor shot or something and end up missing the cut by a shot. I feel like I missed a bunch of those by one shot. It's such a fine line. I felt like I was playing well and just wasn't quite getting it done.
Been working with Butch Harmon since August, so he's given me two things to focus on. I've just been working on those every day and seeing it getting better and better and better, and it was a matter of just trusting what I've been doing and going out and just playing golf, and that's sort of what I did today and that's been good.
Q. What's he had you working on?
AARON BADDELEY: A little with my footwork, keeps the ball better on the left side through the ball and releasing the head through the ball, like David Duval a little bit. Sort of helps keeps everything doing. My bad is if I don't follow through properly. Releases the head, releases the body, everything. I wake up and do those things every day. It's been great. He's been great, keeping things super simple and giving me good focus on what I need to do when I go practice.
Q. What prompted you to go see him?
AARON BADDELEY: Like I said, I felt like the last, before COVID and then during COVID and then after, I felt like I was playing all right but just when I got to the tournament, it just wasn't spot on. So I was like, I'm missing something.
So I was like, I remember talking with him years ago, love to go see him; there's not many guys better than Butch, you know. He was gracious enough to let me come up, because I live in Phoenix. So drive up, saw him and he's been amazing. It's been good just to simplify it and so every time I go practice, I do the same thing and I just keep getting better every day.
Q. What's the best shot you hit today?
AARON BADDELEY: Best shot I hit today, maybe even the tee shot on 2, even though it finished in the bunker, water left, wind was off the right and hit this great tee shot. Didn't think I could get there and just ran through the bunker. Things like that, I have to stand up and freewheel it, a difficult tee shot, gives me confidence that it's going in a great direction.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports