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SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS


January 3, 2019


Marc Leishman


Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

Q. Marc, nice bounce back at 18 after the misfortune at 17. That had to make you feel really good.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I played really good all day and then just hit a terrible tee shot on 17. You miss that fairway, you deserve to be where I was. And I had that chance to make the bogey, which would have been a great bogey, but double was pretty disappointing. But to come back, make that putt on 18 makes you feel a little better.

Q. At No. 5 I thought I was going to witness a double eagle. That was really close. Did you, could you see it out in the fairway, how close that came?
MARC LEISHMAN: We couldn't see it. It was, there was some longer grass that was sort of shiny on top, so it looked like there was about five balls on the green. But, yeah, that was a nice one, just to be able to tap in an eagle like that. It looked pretty good off the club and turned out to be pretty good.

Q. We have been talking about the wind all day, but you grew up in this wind down in Australia, didn't you, this doesn't bother you, does it?
MARC LEISHMAN: No, I mentally enjoy the challenge of it. I played in it a lot. I enjoy playing in it. I guess the more you do it, when you grow up in certain conditions you feel comfortable in those conditions and do decently good at it. So it worked out all right today that I played good in the wind. And not sure what it's meant to do the rest of the week, but it would be nice if it stays like this or maybe a little less wind would be better.

Q. I think it will get less and maybe by Sunday. What have you been doing in the off-season the last few weeks? Have you taken golf off, have you relaxed with the family, what have you been doing?
MARC LEISHMAN: I was in Australia for a couple weeks. So normally I would not touch a club, but back where I grew up I love going back and playing there so I probably played more this off season than I have in any off season since I've been on TOUR. So my young lads, Harvey and Ollie, they're playing in, they have just gotten into golf so they sort of give me motivation to go out and play with them. And a lot of family time, a lot of beach time, probably a little too much eating and drinking, but that's part of Christmas, isn't it?

Q. Talk about your round a little bit.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it was a good day. Made a couple of good par putts in the first two holes and then kind of got going after about that eagle on 5 really got the round started. Drove the ball well, apart from 17, and made a few good putts. So it was all around a pretty good around, just would like to have that tee shot on 17 again, but happy with 5-under.

Q. When you knocked that eagle in to tap in range. Obviously the pin was still in you had a bit of a laugh about it.
MARC LEISHMAN: I did. I thought to have the putting with the pin in and it was only, I mean it wouldn't have been six inches, the putt, so I thought I could just lag it in the front edge and make sure it didn't hit the pin and bounce out. So, yeah, it was the first one I've done, probably the last, but I thought I better get one out of the way.

Q. Do you feel good about bouncing back after 17 with the birdie on 18?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, hit two really good shots there. Said to Matty, in the practice round we were trying to get that putt to the hole and couldn't get it there. So I knew it was slow and still couldn't get it there today. But to make that 10-footer on the last for birdie to kind of repair a little bit of the damage from 17 was good. It was pretty tough out there, so there's always going to be a couple of bad shots. Obviously I just did it on the wrong hole and it went into a bad position, which I probably deserved to, because if you miss that fairway that's 80 meters wide you deserve to be well and truly in the bush.

Q. Seemed like you and Patton were feeding off each other, especially when he had that ace and you guys were kind of trading birdies and eagles.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it was good. We played together a lot at the end of last year, enjoy playing with each other, had plenty to talk about.

Q. And then when you are both playing good that helps as well.
MARC LEISHMAN: So yeah, definitely. That eagle on 5 for me, the 1 on 8 for him and then we just kept sort of trading blows there on the back nine until 17 when we both sort of tripped up a little bit. Me on 17 and him on 18. But, yeah, it was a good day. Hopefully we can back it up tomorrow with a low one.

Q. Do you get confidence or motivation from your two runner-ups in this tournament?
MARC LEISHMAN: Both, I guess. It was kind of mixed emotions. I was happy with the trip but finishing second twice there was some disappointment there as well. Yeah, confident that I'm playing good, but motivated to try and lift another trophy. It's obviously fun to do that and didn't get to do that in Australia. But yeah, definitely motivated here and for next week and about the rest of the year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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