Q. Harris, talk about how difficult it was today, and why was it so difficult today?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Man, when greens get that firm and things get spicy like that, it makes every golf course firm or really difficult.

The wind, even though it wasn't blowing that much, still moving around, puffing around. We have such small targets to land it on this golf course, and you want to put the ball underneath the hole, and it just makes it that much more difficult.

Coming on 18, I'm trying to leave that ball just short of the pin, and there's not that much room because, if you hit it 30 feet past, you've got a really, really difficult putt.

But I like it when it plays tough. The rough's up. If you hit it in the rough, it's going to be a hard time getting within 30, 40 feet of the flag. So it really identifies who's in control of the ball and who's playing some good golf.

Q. It's like a major championship almost, isn't it?

HARRIS ENGLISH: It is. It is. Definitely a shorter golf course. You can get away with hitting a lot of 3-woods, or for me, driving irons off the tee. Yeah, I've never seen these greens here at Colonial this firm, but it's awesome to see. That's kind of why you're seeing the scores where they are.

Q. How charged up were you when the putt went in from 40 feet at 16?

HARRIS ENGLISH: It was good. I hadn't made a whole lot of long putts this week and was struggling a little bit today really getting the ball to the hole. I just told myself I finally had a pretty good uphill putt and gave it a rap, and luckily it went in.

It was really good to get a birdie there. Obviously hard to hit it close to that hole location given the wind and how firm the greens are. But making 2 there, I'll take it all the time.

Q. A chance to win number five tomorrow. You're No. 1 for the week strokes gained accuracy off the tee. I think that's key, you're hitting a lot of fairways.

HARRIS ENGLISH: I felt great with my game this week. It's kind of what I've been struggling with, I guess, over the past few years is that accuracy off the tee.

I feel like I know this course really well and I'm very comfortable out here. So if I can keep that up tomorrow, I have a lot of chances at birdies and have a chance to move up the leaderboard. Hopefully I'll get that fifth win.

Q. Harris, how significantly are the greens changing by the day, in terms of receptiveness and firmness?

HARRIS ENGLISH: I saw it Thursday afternoon. I played late on Thursday, and they were getting firm, the firmest I've seen them on a Thursday in a long time.

Obviously playing yesterday morning they were softer for the first nine holes. Then today starting on No. 1, they were crispy, and you have to hit it really solid, really high, a lot of spin on your iron shots. If you miss the green, it's going to be difficult.

Yeah, they're getting them right where they want them. I know they're tearing them up after we get done tomorrow. So I think they're going to be even firmer and faster tomorrow.

Q. Are you adjusting carry distances into the green?

HARRIS ENGLISH: For sure. For sure. It just depends on the wind, but I'm going six, seven, eight paces short of the flag, which is hard to do when you have like a gap wedge or a pitching wedge to the green. So you just kind of have to trust it that it's going to bounce that much and release.

Q. Were you caught off guard on how firm the greens were this week, or were you kind of thinking it would happen based on the fact that they are tearing up the course this coming week?

HARRIS ENGLISH: You could tell kind of in the practice rounds that it would get firm this week. Given the fact they're going to tear them up after this tournament, I think they're going to let them go and let them bake out and see how hard it can play out here.

I think even-par is going to be a good score tomorrow. I don't know if it's going to get it done, but it's going to be tough.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

133135-1-1182 2023-05-27 22:10:00 GMT

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