Q. Rickie, obviously a hot start. What was going well for you early?
RICKIE FOWLER: Kept it simple. I guess in a way just kind of executed how I wanted to. I felt like some of the pin locations were pretty gettable, and with the conditions today, you were going to have to make birdies.
Kind of a start to how the golf course is laid out -- I know this isn't the normal routing -- but the first seven holes, and you can make a lot of birdies there. If you get out of position, you can also go the other way. I knew that was going to be key to kind of get off a nice start and get things rolling there.
Q. What's your early impressions of the course so far?
RICKIE FOWLER: It's great. It's a fun place to play. For the members that are here, this is about all you can ask for for somewhere you show up and play every day.
I feel like they've done a great job of modernizing it over time, but it still has all the old school characteristics. It's a fun place to play.
I figured scores were going to be pretty low with the softer conditions and not much wind today. It will be a little different maybe tomorrow with moisture and playing -- having to play with a wet golf ball.
We'll see. We're all enjoying it because this isn't -- we don't get to see many courses like this, old school architecture throughout the year.
Q. Is there any kind of like extra satisfaction, when you have to get an invitation to come and then to come out here and play that well?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, you obviously want to come out and prove yourself. I haven't been playing all that well last year and the start of this year. It hasn't been very far off, but fortunate enough to having spent (no audio).
For the tournaments to give me the opportunity to come play. A number of exemptions this year, which I'm very, very happy for and appreciate it from the sponsors and the tournament directors.
Yeah, you want to come out and play well. So off to a good start and looking forward to keeping it rolling.
Q. There's also been a little bit of mixed reaction, I guess, to you playing next week. Have you listened to much of that?
RICKIE FOWLER: The negative stuff, I would say, kind of helps me in a way because it fuels me to kind of go out and prove people wrong. I feel like there was something prior to 2015 PLAYERS saying I was the most overrated player, and that worked out all right that week.
Q. Typically, do you feel like you did better today than (indiscernible) this year?
RICKIE FOWLER: I was a bit tighter. My body's feeling better, kind of allowing me to go play golf. We made a minor adjustment yesterday, put my irons a degree up. I felt like I was making good swings and zeroing things out, and the ball was just hanging a little right from what I wanted to see. So it was good to kind of see things tighten up with irons today.
Yeah, I've been happy with where my game's been at for quite a while. I just haven't really seen the product of the work I'm putting in or what I feel like I can produce. This was a little better day.
Q. Was there a shot of the day for you?
RICKIE FOWLER: Birdie on the last after I put myself in a tough situation on 17. I think making birdie there, hit a nice drive off of the last, good shot in there with 6-iron. Hard to pick out one shot. I'll pick the 18th hole.
Q. I saw you out there kind of laughing and talking with Gary and Andrew. How does playing with guys you're comfortable with help, especially when you're playing well?
RICKIE FOWLER: I enjoy playing with everyone out here, especially guys I haven't been around much or new guys on TOUR, getting to know them.
Gary is one of my better friends out here. We play a decent amount at home. He lives about 45 minutes south of us. I've gotten to know Andrew a little bit, great player. He's obviously had a solid year this year, which has been fun to watch.
Yeah, Gary and I always have a good time together, whether it's at home, playing, practicing, or out here on TOUR.
Q. With the irons, had they gotten out of kilter and bent back to where they were, or did you make adjustments in swing changes?
RICKIE FOWLER: No, I just feel like over the last few years I've gotten more upright. I said I felt like I was delivering it in a good spot and zeroing things out, and the ball flight wasn't matching what I felt. I felt like I was having to work a little too hard to straight ball or the turn the ball over.
Just went ahead and tried a few of them at one more degree up from where I'm normally at. I liked what I saw. The club was holding better, a little more square through the turf. So went ahead and just did the rest from there.
Q. To have low scores like this on day one, what's it mean for the rest of the tournament?
RICKIE FOWLER: It's all weather dependent, depending on what we see tomorrow. It's going to continue to be soft from there. So then it becomes wind dependent, if we play the ball up or if we play the ball down, if we're dealing with mud balls and different things like that.
The big thing, when conditions are like this, you want to make sure you take advantage of it so you're not trying to play catch-up and kind of play from behind the 8 ball.
Typically low scores the first day don't really dictate a whole lot, unless it was going to be like this every day, but it doesn't look like it's going to be like that tomorrow.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports