JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

June 30, 2022

Ricky Barnes

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. First group off this morning. Get some comment about 5-under for the opening round.

RICKY BARNES: Yeah, just nice to get into some tournaments with everything going on with golf. Started practicing a little bit more because I know I'm getting into probably next three tournaments or next three out of four.

Course is in great shape. You can't complain about the greens being first off. I drove it pretty well today. Always kind of told myself I know I can play golf courses from the fairway, and I did that pretty well today.

Q. How does this feel? It's been a tough year. To get off to a good start, how does that feel?

RICKY BARNES: It's good. I haven't really gotten a good start in two, three, four years. As I said, I just haven't had the rhythm. In my category I get into we'll call it six to nine tournaments a year roughly. Started to do some other ventures in life and for work, so I have been put a little bit of time in that as well.

But like I said, knowing I had the summer, some events coming up and saw the schedule clear up and some other tournaments going on, I was practicing a little bit more and trying to get my body healthy.

It's good to be back here. It's course I'm familiar with, so I step up on the holes and I know kind of what to hit, where to be.

I executed well today.

Q. What has been keeping you busy?

RICKY BARNES: Doing some real estate with a friend that I know in the multi-family space. I got three kids in the family, so I stay busy.

Q. What was working out there for you today?

RICKY BARNES: Like I said, I played from the fairway. If I got out of it, I just took my medicine. I hit probably three kick-ins, so that helps, too.

I think I made seven birdies, two bogeys. I drove it solid. Got far enough up in the fairways where I was having wedges and 9-irons and I controlled my distance well.

Q. What mentality do you take into tomorrow now to make that cut? It's been, what, five months or four months I think since you made a cut.

RICKY BARNES: Yeah, played well at Puerto Rico and played okay somewhere else, missed the cut by one. Yeah, like I said if I feel like I drive the ball pretty well I can score. So I just got to go swing and trust like I did today. That was the main thing.

I got one my best friends on the bag and having fun out there, staying loose, and when I'm loose I drive the ball well.