JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 5, 2025

Austin Eckroat

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. Clean card for you. Overall evaluations of how you played today?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, really solid. The golf course is a little bit more difficult, you know, windy conditions.

But still kind of soft so it's scorable at times. But played really good. Bogey-free is always nice.

Q. As it stands now you're one off the lead. You'll have a chance to win another tournament tomorrow. None of us have ever been inside the mind of someone trying to win on the PGA TOUR. Can you explain that feeling?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, it's just fun. Today you kind of got that feeling out there. Looked at the leaderboard a couple times. I knew I was close.

Just this is fun. It's why we practice. You get that anxiety and the rush. Obviously there is a lot going through your brain and you just try to focus on the shot and do the best you can.

That's obviously the goal for tomorrow.

Q. Obviously a proven winner on the PGA TOUR. How will you lean on that experience of closing to win here?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, I think it helps a lot. I've done it twice now, from both positions, from the lead and from behind. You know, I definitely have experiences to draw off.

There is just a -- being comfortable in that situation is important, so...

Q. Chris is one behind you at 11-under.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Gotterup?

Q. How competitive are you both? Both trying to win, both right in there.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, it'll be fun at the house tonight I'm sure. We're staying together. Yeah, obviously I want him to do his best, but hopefully I just do a little bit better.

Q. When the conditions are the way they are today, how does that affect the mindset, especially on the back nine?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Right.

Q. I mean, focus on making pars and not having any bad cards. Was that kind of the mindset with the conditions the way they were?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, it was kind of tough. Playing this golf course and you're just used to kind of point and shoot, attacking pins, it gets difficult out there when the wind starts blowing.

Felt like I was still being aggressive. I hit some really good shots that just didn't go as close as I thought they were going to. Missed couple putts that I could have made.

You know, I definitely think there was a mindset shift, especially on 17. I'm in the fairway from 111 yards out, something like that is what I had. When the wind is howling off the left, not sure if the green is firm or not yet, you're not able to attack like you were earlier in the week for sure.

Q. Is it satisfying to have a clean card in these conditions? A lot of guys have struggled out here today.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, to me it just tells me I was in control of the ball today. Made a couple nice par saves. Just definitely just good momentum going into tomorrow knowing that I have control of my golf ball right now.