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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 12, 2017

Chris Stroud

Charlotte, North Carolina

Q. Can you talk about the last 18 hours and how you regrouped this morning?
CHRIS STROUD: Normally I would be extremely tired. I would be worn out, sore. Coming out this morning not wanting to be here, beat up. But I have used so little energy.

I'm taking the same concept I used last week. I don't practice. I warm up in the morning and I go play. I just do the same exact thing. I'm using very little energy.

Most important, when I'm playing, I'm using very little energy. I'm focused on my shot and then I'm talking about something else. That's been a big key for me, especially if I go four in a row. I'm going to play Greensboro next week. I may go four more in a row. We've already played -- this is six. I've never gone more than five or six in my career. So I know I've got to pace myself.

I'm careful with my time. I'm not in the gym spending -- making my muscles sore, which I normally am. I hydrate, drinking tons and tons of fluids. I'm eating clean, and that's a big part of it. At the end of the day, the most important part is keeping my mind simple and not stressed, that way you don't burn all the energy up.

Q. What is it that Quail Hollow that meets your eye well?
CHRIS STROUD: This is actually one of my favorite golf courses. Years ago, maybe the last time Tiger played here, maybe the second to the last time he played really well. I want to say '09 or '10.

I missed the cut here a couple of times and I was like, Man, this course is so difficult. I watched Tiger that day. I think it was Friday or Saturday. And I remember on No. 4, which is now No. 3, I hit it down the middle of the fairway. I remember the back left pin, I was trying to hit a draw to the pin. I hit it in the middle of the green, 3-putt and make bogey. I missed the cut by one or two.

I watched Tiger, he hits like a 6-iron, but he's slicing it into there. I'm thinking why would you hit a fade to that pin. He missed the green, chipped it in from the left side.

I thought about that, I looked at my book and I thought he's chipping straight uphill. So watching him for the rest of the round, I watched him. He puts the ball -- he's always uphill. If he's chipping, his bunkers, he's always uphill. A light bulb went off. I said you know what, I've got to do in a next year.

So the next year I came out, I always worked the ball to the uphill. So if it was a right pin, normally I would cut it in there. But if you cut it and the slope is to the right, you are actually going away from the hole and it's going to go off the green. I'm trying to draw it into the pin, which I normally wouldn't.

Long story short, watching him helped me realize my strategy was wrong for the golf course. I changed everything. I started working the ball a little bit more off the tee into the greens and I've played well ever since.

Q. With the anticipated wet weather today and you in a very good position on the leaderboard, what kind of strategy this afternoon is going to work?
CHRIS STROUD: Same thing. Stay relaxed. That's a key for me. I've got a lot of weeks in a row. I'm playing well. There's no reason for me to worry about anything. I'm putting well. I'm chipping well.

I didn't hit it very good this morning, I was a little tight. I'll come out and I'm sure I'll figure out something on the range when I get back out. But nothing's changed. Simple. Stay simple. Don't get distracted by the media. Don't get distracted by the cameras. Don't get distracted by playing with Jason Day or Matsuyama or whomever I'm going to end up playing well. These guys are No. 1 in the world and they've been in these situations many times.

At the end of the day, I've been in these situations just not in majors. At the end of the day, it's the same. It's the same. I keep telling myself it's not that big a deal because it's really not. What was more important to me is that my family is here with me. I'm living my dream and I'm just going to enjoy every second of it.

Q. What are your plans during this four, four and a half hour break?
CHRIS STROUD: I'm going to go back and look at the weather a little bit. Go back to the hotel. Clean up. I sweated a ton this morning. Change clothes, take a shower. Just rest and do the same thing I would if I were coming in for a late tee time.

I usually show up about two hours before, eat a little food, get my body moving a little bit and stretch it out, then I go straight to the range and warm up.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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