Q. Ken, thanks for joining us. 9-under today. Just go ahead and start with what a great start. You had a hole-in-one. Take me through that.
KEN TANIGAWA: Yeah, it was a little unexpected getting a hole-in-one. Yeah, just hit a 5-iron, really good 5-iron on 16, yeah, and just one of those things, right? Didn't see it go in the hole but it was going right towards it. You hear all the hoopla up there so you kind of have an idea it went in.
Lucky enough it did.
Q. Anything in particular you've been working on in your game? Clearly the putting was there today.
KEN TANIGAWA: The putting was great. What have I been working on? Just nothing really. I just go play this game, so full of peaks and valleys, and you just forge on and put one foot in front of the other.
Nothing mechanically or putting; just keep going.
Q. Does it give you that validation to put a great round together like this, to be in contention tomorrow?
KEN TANIGAWA: Yes, it helps because I've been kind of -- my golf has been kind of rotten, right? I played well right after Dick's; had three Top 10s and missed the cut in the U.S. Senior Open. My game kind of went south.
So and then Sunday at Seattle, I mean, I made ten birdies the last round which was pretty cool, but I offset it with some stuff. Either way it was positive.
And so, yeah, to finish a round today and play all 18 holes was pretty cool.
Q. Is it out there to get today? Looks like a lot of low scores going on.
KEN TANIGAWA: Yes, it's out there to get. It's not windy at all. Maybe a little bit, but the greens are soft. Usually they're a little firm.
So it's there, but you still have to hit good shots and, you know, I mean, roll putts in and all that good stuff.
But, yeah, I mean, I think the bit of rain has helped, for sure.
Q. Coming off that Sunday in Seattle with the ten birdies, does that give you a boost coming into a week like today?
KEN TANIGAWA: Oh, certainly. After I played, I -go to Seattle, played well there, I love it there. I shoot 78 and my wife, Angela, had to talk me off the cliff, right?
Then Sunday was really good. I hung in there and made a lot of birdies, so that's always encouraging. If you can do that you can't be that far after, right?
So then played okay yesterday and then obviously played really okay today.
Q. How does it feel to match the course record out here?
KEN TANIGAWA: I didn't know that tied the course record. Yeah, it feels great. I mean, any time you can do that obviously did something good, right? Yeah, pretty good stuff.
Q. Do you know if you have any other course records?
KEN TANIGAWA: You know, I have no idea. I shot 62 where I play at home but I don't know if that is a course -- probably isn't because there are too many good players where I play. I have no idea.
Q. So is this 61 your best score...
KEN TANIGAWA: Probably just from a round of a numbers-wise, yeah. Shot 62 a few times before, but par was 72, so...
But, yeah, obviously 61, yeah, pretty cool.
Q. It was so bunched coming into today.
KEN TANIGAWA: Sure.
Q. I'm sure will remain that way.
KEN TANIGAWA: Right.
Q. What was your mindset teeing off today in terms of what it would take to keep yourself in this golf tournament?
KEN TANIGAWA: You know, I didn't think score at all. Like any round, I mean, unless you're right there early on -- I was 2-under and 7-under was leading, right, so I was kind of far out.
Just go play as well as you can and try to make as many birdies as you can because you know they're out there.
But no thoughts or trying to do much of anything. Just going into the round, just go out and player and hopefully something good will happen; lucky enough it did.
Q. Did you consider another ace on 9 so you would have the course record for yourself?
KEN TANIGAWA: You know, what's funny was I hit a really good shot in another par-3. Yeah, no, that was pretty special. To finish 9 with a birdie, didn't expect that really.
Q. Do you know how many aces you've made?
KEN TANIGAWA: I've made 13 in my career.
Q. Okay.
KEN TANIGAWA: And I made one in the pro-am at Benton Harbor this year, for the Senior PGA, but it wasn't during competition. So I don't really recall if I've ever made one in a tournament.
Q. And so obviously the sort of adrenaline gets pumping in that moment. Is there a way to make sure -- not that an ace would knock a round off track, but is there a way to put the hoopla as you described it behind you right away?
KEN TANIGAWA: Yes, because this game, I know how humbling this can be. So, yes, you just put your feet on the ground as quick as possible.
Yeah, you could do that. You don't get too high or low with it, right, because you know you got a lot of golf to play.
Q. I think you played with Mike today.
KEN TANIGAWA: Yeah. Sure did.
Q. Was there crowd buzz? Did you talk about Presidents Cup? How was your day with Mike?
KEN TANIGAWA: First off, love Mike. He's a 10 and he's fun to play with. Yeah, there was some crowd out there. I did talk about the Presidents Cup and some of his thoughts, and he's going to play Napa he said to get with the guys.
Yeah, we talked about the team and, you know, cheering for the international team a little bit for sure. You don't want the U.S. to keep winning, even though -- maybe I shouldn't say that. Cut, cut, cut.
No, but you kind of want some competition. I mean, you don't want the U.S. side to keep winning all the time. Sorry, Jim.
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