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NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CHAMPIONSHIP


September 24, 2015


Aaron Watkins


Columbus, Ohio

Q. Conditions? Tough out there, eh?
AARON WATKINS: Yeah, this course always seems to play difficult. You throw a little wind in the mix it's always hard. Greens are starting to get a little firm this afternoon, so you really have to think about how you want your shot to come in.

Q. How is the year coming? Up and down year; suddenly you're playing well.
AARON WATKINS: Yeah. Up early and then down pretty much until today. Just kind of the way it goes, highs and lows. Just to have kind of ride it out and just know that, you know, it'll get better.

I've had some success around this golf course, so comforting to know coming into it. Saw some putts go in early. Chip in on 11 kind of got the day started.

So kind of all worked out.

Q. Anything in particular about your game today that's been better than the last two weeks? I know you missed some cuts.
AARON WATKINS: Just that I kind of continued the round. Don't let a bogey kind of sidetrack you. That's what it's been the last couple days. I seem to start out okay and then I'll make a couple birdies (?) And then I can't do anything to recover.

Today I made a bogey early and then birdied the next hole right after that. Wind kind of came up, and then you're playing defense for a couple holes until you kind of get the opportunities to make some birdies.

Made one on 6; had a couple good looks and missed a short one on the last.

But given the day, I would've taken 3-under.

Q. Where does the mental adjustment come from?
AARON WATKINS: For me it's like flipping a coin. I don't ever know what I'm going to get. It's kind of nice to get off to a good start knowing it's going to be a long day.

But that's just the way golf is. I mean, tomorrow could be benign and maybe even worse. I don't know. It's nothing I can control. Just kind of best my ability stay patient.

Q. And with this being the last, second to the last finals event, is there any aspect of putting more pressure on yourself?
AARON WATKINS: I've got enough pressure on myself as it is. It is what it is. I know what I got to do: play good, keep the pedal down, and keep going the next three days.

Q. The fact that you have been kind of thinking about some other career options here and there, does that lessen any of the pressure or still the same?
AARON WATKINS: No, it's still the same. It's not something that I think about when I'm out here. You know, this is still my No. 1 job, so I have to take it as that and go from there.

Q. Can you talk about the level of difficulty of this golf course coming up at time of the season and how that compounds the pressure that's on this week?
AARON WATKINS: Well, it's already a hard course as it is. You throw in kind of low temps in the morning and really nice in the afternoon. They can do whatever they want to this golf course and not worry about it. That's kind of a dangerous combination. This is not an easy course at all.

When the greens get firm and fast and throw in some of these kind of short-sided pins, you're definitely trying to hit it to 30 and 40 feet and just kind of get out of there.

Q. It's just a different mindset then for most of the year where you're attacking pins.
AARON WATKINS: I would love to have this type of mindset. I'm not one to overpower golf courses. Throughout the year, you know, I mean, you got to be 5- or 6-under just to mic the cut.

Tournament like this, 5- or 6-under after tomorrow I would think might be leading. I think it's going to be harder in the afternoon with the greens firming up, but I like playing courses where par is your friend.

Unfortunately don't get to play lots of that out here.


FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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