THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll get started. We would like to welcome Patrick Fishburn to the interview room here at the Bank of Utah Championship. Making his third career start at this event. One that I know is near and dear to your heart, Patrick. If we can get some comments on being back.
PATRICK FISHBURN: Yeah, I've always loved St. George. I've been coming down here probably since I was 8 or 9 years old. I remember playing my first ever Utah junior Golf Association event at Dixie Red Hills when I was about 9 years old. I remember being so nervous to play in it -- that tournament that I couldn't even tee the ball up. St. George has always been a fun place to come down to. Especially for us northern Utah guys, we like coming down to St. George. But it's a special place and I love the state of Utah, I love playing in front of friends and family, so this week's really awesome for me.
THE MODERATOR: Speaking of friends and family, not to bring up negative results, but you've missed the cut both weeks, both times here. What is it about the tournament that you feel like you put a lot of extra pressure on yourself?
PATRICK FISHBURN: Yeah, maybe. It's hard to say. Yeah, you probably want to do well in front of friends and family. I haven't played bad the last few years. There's just been a few things here and there. It's a tricky course. You got to pay attention out there and the greens can be tricky. But going to try to prepare a little differently, go about things a little differently this week to try to get some different results.
THE MODERATOR: Important stretch for the Tour season here in the FedExCup fall. Number 146 in the standings. You've had a couple top 20s. Comment a little bit about your season and what you're hoping to accomplish over the next couple months.
PATRICK FISHBURN: Yeah, it hasn't been the greatest year to this point. But the beauty about golf is your whole life can change in four days. So the next six events I love all the places that we're going to. I've played all of 'em accept except Austin. So I played well this time of year, so I kind of I have confidence knowing that I can get it done. With professional golf you feel like your job's always on the line, and so it's definitely on the line again these last six events, and so looking forward to the challenge, but definitely needs some good results.
THE MODERATOR: Speaking of the challenge, talk a little bit about the different style of golf here in Utah with the elevation and how hard that is for a lot of guys who aren't from here to adjust to.
PATRICK FISHBURN: Yeah, definitely. We're playing at 2,500 feet elevation, and so it's a different challenge, especially three-quarter shots. That's when it really comes into play, when you're trying to hit something a little bit off speed. So it's good. Where I'm from in Ogden, I'm 4,500 feet, so anything to give me a little bit of an advantage is great. It's a little bit different playing at elevation, like you said.
THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll take some questions.
Q. If you can talk about the course a little bit more and how you unique it is with the black lava.
PATRICK FISHBURN: Yeah, first of all, it's beautiful. We don't have anything like this on Tour, probably in the world. You don't see features like this anywhere. The course is -- it's very tricky. It's very intimidating off the tee. You can't see some of the landing areas, so you're picking targets on the hillside and just trying to trust your swing. So that's a challenge.
Then I feel like these greens are very tricky. Very rarely do you have a pitch that just breaks one way. So you have to factor in a 10-, 15-footer and it's going to break both ways, and so it's really important to have your speed correct so it's catching both those breaks. But it's such a great test. I think my fellow players, PGA TOUR players, I've heard nothing but great reviews and great things about coming here to St. George.
Q. I know there's a lot of young guys from Utah here in the field, especially with our sponsor exemptions. Curious if you how well you know some of these guys and their games and if you can just talk about kind of the level of talent among some of these guys that are going to be in the field this week?
PATRICK FISHBURN: It's really cool. It's really cool to see the level Utah golf is at. It's kind of just a nice nod to the Utah Junior Golf Association, the PGA Junior Section, Utah Golf Association, all these associations that I grew up playing in that has developed all these great players. So it's awesome. There's very talented. I know we had a couple more Utah guys get through the Monday qualifier yesterday, so I think there's probably 10 or, 10 maybe Utah players and they're all amazing college players, high school players, and so the state of Utah golf is really good. There's a lot of guys that can get to the PGA TOUR and excited to see what they do, for sure.
Q. How did the track feel with the pro-am yesterday and the weather and the rain?
PATRICK FISHBURN: A little softer. Definitely a little softer. That rain will soften it up. But the course was spectacular. There's not a blade of grass that's out of place. The greens are perfect. I think it was right probably where they want it on a Monday. As the week goes on it gets a little firmer, a little faster, drys out, so I think they have it right exactly where they would want to have it for a Monday and like I said, Thursday it will get a lot faster and then come Sunday it's usually is when it's fastest, firmest, most challenging.
Q. (No microphone.)
PATRICK FISHBURN: I think so. I think so. Yeah. I think it will be that same area. All depends on the wind. The wind can create a huge -- when you put the wind in and the altitude, that's what makes things a little bit tricky, for sure.
THE MODERATOR: All right, Patrick, thank you for your time. We appreciate it.
PATRICK FISHBURN: Yeah, thank you very much.
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