July 24, 2014
Quotes From:
NICK WATNEY
Q. Congratulations, good round today.
You had six birdies, a couple bogeys on the
card. You had a good look at 17, as well. Your
thoughts on how you played today?
NICK WATNEY: Yeah, I thought I played
pretty well. I got off to a nice start, probably left a
few out there, but I guess you can say that a lot of
days. Pleased with the start, go home and get
some rest.
Q. You had a lot of rain yesterday.
How did the course play? I would assume the
greens were pretty receptive?
NICK WATNEY: They were, yeah. We
played on Tuesday and the front nine was pretty
firm, and obviously with so much rain yesterday, it
made it very much more scorable. I think we're
due for good weather, so we'll probably see the
golf course toughen up a little bit.
Q. How tough are these greens?
NICK WATNEY: Yeah, there's quite a few
little different sections, and if you can manage to
get it in there kind of -- you have some good looks,
but if not you have some interesting putts. Playing
from the fairway is big, just to control the ball, and
then once you get it on the green, hopefully you've
got a good look.
Q. State of your game right now? You
became a dad this year, took some time off.
Right now you're on the outside looking in at
the FedExCup points. Do you think you can
make a run here?
NICK WATNEY: Well, that's the plan.
Yeah, the game is pretty good, and I'm looking
forward to a pretty good stretch of golf.
Q. You've got to be pretty excited
about your 66 today.
NICK WATNEY:
Yeah, it was good.
Coming to a new course you're not quite sure
what's going to be a good score, and I played quite
well. I left a few out there, but for the most part I'm
very, very pleased with the game. I'll take 66 any
day.
Q. You haven't had a lot of success in
Canada but a pretty good round here in the first
round. What went well here for you today at
Royal Montreal?
NICK WATNEY: Well, I had a lot of good
looks and was able to roll some in, which has been
an issue this year, so overall feel good, and
excited to get a good round under my belt. It's a
quarter of the way through the tournament so not
much -- still a long way to go, but so far, so good.
Q. There's been a long delay since the
last time that we've played here at Royal
Montreal, 2001 for a regular TOUR event. What
do you notice about the golf course and how
do you feel it fits your game?
NICK WATNEY: Well, it's kind of two
different nines. The front nine is pretty classic, a
lot of trees. The back nine is a lot of water, a little
more open. It's always tough coming to a new
course; you're not real sure what a good round is.
But 66 I'll take any day. I think the course
will only get firmer from here, so it should be
interesting by Sunday.
Q.
Right now you're outside the
Playoffs looking in if it were to end today, but
obviously it does not. Right now you're not in
the PGA or the Bridgestone, but you have an
opportunity this week to do some damage.
What's your thought process on the last four
weeks?
NICK WATNEY: Well, obviously I need to
move up, and not being in Bridgestone is definitely
a -- it sucks because I've played there the last five,
six years or whatever it is. Yeah, it's a bit of a
reality check, and I definitely need to get going.
But like you say, we've got a few weeks, and
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hopefully good golf is here to stay.
Q. Great start to the tournament. Just
get some comments.
NICK WATNEY: Yeah, the golf course
was a little softer than it was in the practice rounds,
obviously, from the rain yesterday. I think it was as
easy as we're going to see it. I was able to play a
decent round.
Q. People are saying that the course
will get -- that over the weekend you might
have rain again. Do you think that will change
things a lot as this tournament goes along?
NICK WATNEY: Not really. I think from
what I -- the forecast I saw was no rain, so the
firmer it gets, the more difficult, obviously. If it
does get rain, it'll just mean the scores are a little
bit lower, but it won't have a huge effect on it.
Q. What does it mean for you to have a
good first round?
NICK WATNEY: Well, it's nice, you know,
you're not playing behind the 8-ball to make a cut,
and it's nice to play good once the gun goes off.
Golf is a little bit easier on Tuesday and
Wednesday. But to play a good round is always a
good thing, and getting off to a good start means -it only means it's only one round, but I'd much
rather play well in the first round than not.
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