THE MODERATOR: Nick, 4-under today. Sitting atop the leaderboard. Can you kind of assess the second round, what was going well for you today?
NICK WATNEY: Yeah, I kept it pretty simple. Hit quite a few greens, and actually left a few out there at the end with -- didn't make some ten-footers, but very, very pleased.
So far so good for this week.
THE MODERATOR: Then through 36 holes now, looking at the course, what are some of the challenges that it presents? Some of the guys are mentioning the greens were a little tricky to figure out?
NICK WATNEY: The greens are a bit tricky. Sometimes the grain is kind of going opposite of the slopes, which can get a little bit confusing sometimes. I know we got a little bit of rain, but they're still firm enough that if you are coming from the rough, you definitely have to pay attention.
The golf course I think is great and should be fun on the weekend.
Q. Yesterday you were in here. You talked a little bit about your recent play, and you feel like you're kind of on an upward trend now. I'm older than you by many years, but at 44 you're towards the end of what is usually a regular PGA TOUR career. People start thinking about the champions, and maybe you're want there yet. What do you think has led to this resurgence in your part, the fact that you are now sharing the lead in this tournament?
NICK WATNEY: I think just I really enjoy golf. I really enjoy to play in competition. Obviously it's more fun when things are going well than not. Although I haven't been home by choice. Just because I haven't been in many tournaments. It's actually been really good just to kind of really work on some things and continue to learn.
I'm very pleased with my position and try not to think about how old some of these cats are and how old I am, but yeah, trying to have fun and see where we end up at the end.
Q. You got in obviously when Webb Simpson withdrew. When you found out you were in, what were your ambitions for this week?
NICK WATNEY: I just wanted to come and continue to improve. I'm trying not to think about what finish would mean what. I'm aware of it, I have to say. Top 10 would be maybe another start or et cetera, et cetera, but I'm just trying to really enjoy myself and soak in my opportunity. Yeah, that's pretty much my expectation.
Q. It looks like around 2014 things started to slip a little bit for you. Now you're here. You're sharing the lead and this sort of thing. Is there a moment that you looked at it back then and seeing things are not going well for me and this is why and, conversely, do you look now at where you're going? What got you started on this upward trend?
NICK WATNEY: No, there's not really like one specific moment of where I kind of thought, oh, man, I'm starting to struggle. It was kind of a gradual thing. Then there hasn't really been one specific moment of, like, oh, man, I'm back, because in my career anyway it's been -- like I've kind of been -- I got on tour, and I didn't win until my third season because it was like a gradual thing. Getting comfortable and understanding what I need to work on and how the best guys did certain things.
I'm super, super impressed when guys come out and win their rookie year or, you know, first few events or whatever. It's super impressive, but for me it's always been kind of a work into it. There hasn't been one acute moment of, oh, man, I got it. It's just been slow, gradual improvement.
Q. 2014 you would have been 31 maybe, 32. Something like that.
NICK WATNEY: Yeah, 33.
Q. 33, which for a lot of players on these tours, that's kind of the start of your peak season, the ones where you really hit your stride. It's like you kind of said, well, I'm going to take 11 years off. I know you didn't, but now here you are. This has got to be kind of rewarding to be doing what you are doing at this point.
NICK WATNEY: Well, not quite yet. We're halfway done. I look at kind of taking stock of certain guys. There have been a few guys that have done well at the back end of their -- or the second half of their 40s. Jay Haas is caddying for his son. He made a Ryder Cup team at 51 maybe. So it's possible.
I have a great wife at home that's really supportive. I got asked yesterday about Scottie Scheffler. I mean, Scottie Scheffler is amazing, and I don't expect to compete with him tomorrow, but I can say, look what's possible. I think if you put a ceiling on yourself, then you shouldn't even be out. You know, you shouldn't be in competition, so...
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