Oct. 23, 2012

STANFORD, Calif. - Patrick Rodgers added to his list of accomplishments at Stanford with a win at the U.S. Collegiate in Alpharetta, Ga. Rodgers carded a final round 67 to win the event by four strokes. Rodgers has now won four tournaments in 15 college starts, with 12 top-10 finishes over that time.

How did your play progress over the weekend?

"The whole week was a progression for me. I played just ok in the practice round; I had been working hard leading up to the event and a couple of things popped up when we got to Georgia that I had to work out, and I just kept improving. Even though my score was higher in the second round (70-72-67) I really felt like I played much better and more in control. I really felt confident being three-behind and I had the momentum going into Sunday of a good team round. I was really motivated and feeling good heading into the final round, got off to a great start and kept that momentum through the day. I struck the ball really well, I've been doing some nice work with my swing coach back home, and it' really starting to pay off. I hit the ball really nice and controlled it around the course, and limited my mistakes."

Was there a hole that really impacted that round?

"I started off with two great shots on the first hole, I missed a 15-foot putt for eagle but left myself a tap-in birdie and was playing solid most of the day. A huge turning point in my round came after I missed a seven-footer for birdie on eight and nine was a reachable par-five. I hit a big drive and had 210 (yards) in, but my ball was in a divot and I hit a bad shot and made a bogey, which I thought at the time could be costly. I hit a big drive on ten, and hit a wedge to within five feet and made birdie to bounce right back. It kept the momentum going and was a big factor in helping me to a fast finish."

What changed for you on Sunday?

"I feel like I have the same mental focus each round, each shot is so important. The difference for me on Sunday was simply ball control. I was able to give myself good looks on almost every hole, I kept out of trouble and on the safe side on most holes, and besides the ninth that kind of got away from me (Rodgers made bogey) I didn't really sniff another bogey the rest of the round. I felt really comfortable and controlled, and really free with my driver and was able to be aggressive on some holes that were playing difficult."

How was the team able to finish strong after Friday's round?

"We really struggled at the start this week being in last after the first round. Some of our guys had struggled including myself, I wasn't as sharp as I usually am. That was a frustrating way to start the tournament; it's a big event and it's never a good feeling to start off that way, and I think we did a great job of not panicking and stayed within ourselves. Cameron (Wilson) had a nice second round with a 69, which was huge for us, and that second round gave us some momentum for the final round."

What does it mean to the team to get Cameron Wilson back?

"It was so nice to have Cam back, he brings a lot to the lineup and a lot of experience, he's played almost every event for two years. We all know what he's capable of; he can shoot some great scores and he's a really consistent player. He's done a really nice job, he's playing really well right now and gave us a lot of positive energy in the practice round and gave everyone a positive feeling with his return to the lineup. He's going to be a huge contributor in the spring for us."

How excited are you to be able to compete at Cypress Point next week?

"It's amazing how fortunate we are at Stanford to be able to play and host an event at Cypress Point, probably America's best golf course and certainly one of it's most historic and most scenic. It's really the opportunity of a lifetime. There are a lot of people we need to thank for the opportunity. Coach (Conrad Ray) for putting it together and the board and members at Cypress Point for the opportunity. We're going to make a lot of great memories, we're going to be able to share that with our teammates, especially with the team format, and I'm really looking forward to getting down there and it's an incredible opportunity for us."