JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 2, 2026

Zac Blair

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. Nice opening effort there. What did you have today that maybe you didn't have in other years here?

ZAC BLAIR: Just, you know, hit it pretty good and made a few putts and didn't do anything stupid. But, yeah, just played pretty solid, honestly.

Q. Any secret to changes you've made immediately that's made it happen?

ZAC BLAIR: Not really. Again, just trying not to chase every flag maybe and do dumb things and just get a lot of looks. Felt like I did a pretty good job with that. You know, made a few putts.

Q. That's up in the noggin. How do you not go for the flag when you see it waving at you?

ZAC BLAIR: Yeah, I don't know. The weeks where I somehow find a way or the rounds where I find a way not to go at everything and I'm hitting it okay and you feel like you get a lot of looks, yeah, just mentally got to execute not doing that, I guess.

Q. You couldn't have played No. 2 much better to get that eagle. Obviously you were in the middle of the round, but how much did that spur you on down the last few holes?

ZAC BLAIR: Yeah, I got pretty lucky with the lie and just, you know, hit a 9-wood out of the rough. It just kind of ran forever. It wasn't really trying or expecting it to ever get that close. Again, kind of just got pretty lucky and made the putt, which was nice.

Yeah, it was kind of -- I got off to a pretty good start and then made a bunch of pars until 1 and hit a good shot in there pretty close. Then the eagle was obviously really nice.

Q. You talk about not really going for every flag, but now shooting an opening round 63, you're tied for the lead, do you change mentality at all going into tomorrow? What's your thought process?

ZAC BLAIR: I hope to not. Yeah, hopefully I can kind of keep doing the same thing and getting a bunch of looks and seeing if we can make a couple.

Q. This is a place historically you have to go low. Does that factor in at all?

ZAC BLAIR: Not really. Kind of the same thing. You know, making a bogey almost sets you further back than trying to make birdies. You know what I mean? You're going at a flag and hit a bad shot and make a bogey when other people are making birdies.

The pars aren't going to really kill you. You hopefully can kind of catch a little bit of a run somewhere and take it low a couple of the days.

Q. Zac, you parred 4. Your thoughts on how that looks without the tree on there now?

ZAC BLAIR: Honestly, not very good. I don't think it's very good, truthfully. It was a pretty unique, pretty cool hole before.

Obviously lost the tree, but I feel like it will be really interesting to see what other people think of it just because I feel like not many people can carry the bunkers on the right. Then you have to go left, and all the balls are kind of running into that left bunker.

If you lay short of the bunkers, you are completely blind. I mean, it's a pretty tough green, you know, from 200-plus, not seeing where it's going. The wind is always kind of whipping out there.

I wasn't necessarily a big fan of it, but it is what it is.

Q. This week just between the extreme heat and then the 4th this weekend, did that change your mental approach and your preparation for the week?

ZAC BLAIR: Not really. I've played here a bunch, so you know, came out on Tuesday and played a few holes and played the pro-am. You know, it's kind of the same stuff out here. You just got to keep it in the fairway and hit some good shots, and again, hopefully you can kind of catch a heater with the putter and make a few putts.

Q. Can you describe your past month? You made a cut at the U.S. Open, KFT last week, now you're here. Describe what it's been like for you.

ZAC BLAIR: A lot of cool stops. You know, playing pretty well. It was obviously really cool playing at Shinnecock. It's one of my favorite places in the whole world.

You know, to play pretty well there and get to play four rounds, and honestly, I just thought it was really cool playing that place seven days in a row or eight days in a row. I was, like, this is pretty neat.

So, yeah, just lucky that you get to go to a lot of cool places.

Q. How do you stay in a stress-free routine when you are rotating between tours and unsure of your schedule?

ZAC BLAIR: Yeah, I mean, playing golf professionally is pretty stressful. You know, especially for me. I've kind of always been, you know, right in that 125 to 150, you know, spot my whole career.

So every start is important. Just trying to do a good job of playing well, whichever kind of tour I'm playing on. It's still golf at the end of the day, which is fun.