Q. What were you thinking about the whole hour and 15 minutes while waiting for a 3-foot putt? What did you do during that time?

DAVIS RILEY: I was starving, so I got some food, which was nice. Luckily, it was a 3-footer straight up the hill. So wasn't too much to stress about. I knocked in about five 3-footers before walking over there to cap off the round. Yeah, hit it center cut and made it. It was nice to finish the day and made for a good pretty stress-free 6-under.

Q. Did you put any thoughts about leading when you were in for the hour or so?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, I kind of had an idea where I stood. I saw the scoreboard walking off 18. I knew I was maybe one in the lead, tied for the lead. Yeah, just kind of told myself I didn't really want to look at any scoreboard on the back nine, I just wanted to get really into the process and just trying to execute the shot at hand. I feel like I did a good job of that. I didn't know where I stood until the rain delay here. Then I was on my phone and I saw where I stood and saw the TV's and stuff. Yeah, it was nice and just had a 3-footer coming back out and was able to execute it.

Q. Wasn't that your partner at Zurich? How was it playing with him?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, honestly, when I was on the green I was feeling it and I was more excited to watch Nick's putt and pulling for him, because he had a putt, 12-footer on the last hole to make the cut. But, no, there was definitely a level of comfort there playing with -- we won at Zurich this past year, it's always nice to play with a good buddy and made for a comfortable first two days.

Q. You won that one, obviously. How can you draw on that as being an individual leader and trying to win your first as an individual?

DAVIS RILEY: For sure. Having being able to win Zurich, which is a team event and having a couple close calls in individual events, you draw back on stuff like that. Just trying to improve on the times I had before, maybe I could have handled a certain situation better here or there, but also telling yourself that you can handle the situation and believing in yourself. That's what I'm just trying to do and just trying to have fun with it and execute what's in front of me.

Q. Wrapping up two rounds of the redone Colonial. What have you seen that really drew your attention that's different and how much have you had to erase your memory bank from what you've done here in the past?

DAVIS RILEY: For sure, certainly on the greens it's a lot different. There's definitely a big learning curve Tuesday and Wednesday. Definitely the par-3s look a little bit different. I would say just getting used to the firmness into the greens, different contours on the greens. I just feel like I spent a lot of time Tuesday, Wednesday around and on the greens. Tee to green is fairly similar with the exception of the par-3s. Yeah, just a lot of work around the greens.

Q. Recap the 64 for us. What worked so well for you today?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, I feel like the key to this place is putting the ball in the fairway, because there are some -- it's long, but if you're hitting the fairways, there's a little bit of run out, so you have some scoring clubs in your hands. If you're able to execute the shots from the fairways you're going to have some decent looks. I feel like I was hitting the ball in the fairway for the most part of the day and hitting my irons good and giving myself good looks and I had the putter rolling, so I feel like just a lot of fairways and greens and then rolling, you know, I feel like the putts that I feel like I needed to.

Q. You mentioned that you had gone back to an older swing coach that you used in the past. Talk a little bit about that.

DAVIS RILEY: For sure. Jeff Smith, good buddy of mine, great coach, obviously. I worked with him for quite a bit with the exception of this past year. I feel like I just kind of needed to get a little bit more simplicity. We haven't re-invented the wheel or done anything different. I feel like I'm in a good head space and comfortable there and I feel like simplicity has been the key for me.

Q. What do you remember from a couple years ago, your rookie here year, when were you in contention throughout the week?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I remember, I think I grabbed the lead on the 10th or 11th hole on the back nine on Sunday. Yeah, I hit a not a good tee shot on one of the holes coming in that cost me. But I like this place a lot, I feel comfortable around it. Yeah, just trying to draw back on memories from that and the good play I had my rookie year at this event and some others and just trying to get back to some of that form.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

144437-1-1044 2024-05-24 23:38:00 GMT

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