Q. J.J, 9-under 63. Really impressive stuff to start the week. What are your overall takeaways from today?
JJ SPAUN: Yeah, just solid round. Played really solid. Took advantage of the soft conditions, the lift, clean, and place, ball in hand.
So I was just kind of playing each hole as it came and was trying to make as many birdies as I can. Felt like when you looked at the leaderboard is it out there today for sure.
Q. Well you came out here and made nine birds. Turned in a clean card. How freeing was it to be out there knowing that the conditions were so generous that you could take advantage of it?
JJ SPAUN: Yeah, I feel like there are more easy holes than hard holes, so you kind of just got to stay in the moment. You got try to attack when you can. Fairways are pretty wide.
Yeah, there are some long holes, but you just kind of swing away, and if you can get a close one on those ones and pour it in, great. But all the par-5s are reachable, at least today for me, which says they're pretty short.
I don't know. I just stayed in the moment and made some good putts, and eventually I'm signing for 9-under.
Q. You started the season able to get a Top 10, had some challenges between then and last week when you had the T18. What was the in-between time and what were the struggles that you might have been dealing with?
JJ SPAUN: Yeah, it was a lot of searching. I feel like that's something that us golfers kind of do too much of when things start to go wrong instead of just chalking it up to a bad week or couple weeks' slump with the striking.
I started spinning my wheels there trying to find something to click. Each week I'm trying a different swing thought or a new feel or something. You know, just wasn't working out, and kind of started looking at some old swing footage from four, five years ago when I was playing really good and hitting it really good. Just trying to get back to that and just trust it really. Know that I'm making some good putts, too, out there.
Last week and this week kind of brings everything in together, and I feel like when you're making those 6- to 10-footers it can free you up in the long game. You don't feel like you have to play scared or don't have to miss the green because you're not going to -- you don't want to have a 6- to 10-footer for par.
So the putting being a lot better has freed up everything else for me.
Q. When you do come out and shoot such a great first round, obviously a lot of golf left to play, but how do you keep yourself calm and ready going into tomorrow?
JJ SPAUN: Yeah, I mean, I haven't been in this position in a while so I don't know. I'm just going to keep trying to do what I been doing last week and this week. I mean, just stay in the present. You know, don't be scared. Fire away. Make as many birdies as I can.
If I do it, great. If I don't, well as least I tried. That's the mindset I'm going into for the rest of this week.
Q. Awesome. Best of luck.
JJ SPAUN: Thank you.
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