Q. Opening round 64, what worked so well for you today?

NICK DUNLAP: Really everything. I've got no complaints. Drove it nicely off the tee, iron game's been pretty solid the past couple weeks and continued today, and felt like the putter's been really good. Hasn't shown results and finally I made a couple putts today.

Q. You mentioned back in Utah you were kind of going through some driver changes. What's been kind of the result of tinkering?

NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, I feel like I've been swinging it a lot better and it's not necessarily matching my eye. We did a lot of work this week with a new driver shafts with length. Added some length, I was playing a short driver. A little bit softer, it's got some more kick which allows me to get the ball up. I like to tee it down, so obviously allows me to get the ball a little bit higher and also fades a lot more than my other one did so I can be a little bit more comfortable aiming left.

Q. How much of this past year or so really tested your patience, tested your resolve, tested your resilience, everything

NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, I went through something similar going into college, a little bit different with a wrist injury but you learn ‑‑ it's hard saying that, but you learn a lot more when you're down than when you're up. You're never as bad as you think you are and you're never as good as you think you are.

So I think that's something I'm continuing to tell myself. Especially out here, you're not far from contending and you're not far from missing the cut. Everybody's really, really good out here and that's one of the great parts of being out here.

Q. You mentioned in Utah that you're on the right track. I think that's obvious to anybody that's watches you. What specifically are you seeing now that has sort of dramatically improved that you feel really confident at this point?

NICK DUNLAP: It's the driver, that's been what's been holding me back. I think all the stats kind of show that, but it truly is. Like I've been trying ‑‑ I've been having to swing the driver differently than the rest of my clubs and I think we're finally onto something, that I can swing the 3‑wood the same way as the driver and it fit my eye. I like being able to turn a 3‑wood over and being able to kind of hold it where the driver I see a 10‑ to 15‑yard fade. It's been hard to kind of find something that will do that, and the past couple days it's been great.

Q. So just to understand correctly, is it solely an equipment issue or technically have you made some adjustments as well?

NICK DUNLAP: I haven't tried to do anything different the past couple weeks. Honestly, it was pretty eye opening to me, I hit Camilo's driver on Saturday at Vidanta last week. I think it was the first eye‑opening thing of how much a driver‑shaft combo can actually do, especially with technology now. I think I kind of dove more into that of how can I have a driver fit me versus how can I swing so the driver will react the way I want to.

Q. Were you playing a shorter driver to maximize ‑‑

NICK DUNLAP: I was playing a shorter driver mainly because over the past two years the club's gotten underneath, so a shorter club helps you get it back out in front. Like I said, I've been swinging it a whole lot better and I don't feel like I need that shorter club anymore. The longer shaft helps to kick a little bit more, it can be a little bit softer, helps me get the ball up in the air and helps with fade.

Q. How much with the driver is it like swing related and also like mental?

NICK DUNLAP: There's definitely a mental aspect to it. But just like today like I told Jeff, I've been driving it really nicely the past couple days and it really just takes one for me just to see ‑‑ for the ball to do what I'm trying to get it to do. It hasn't been doing that. Started on 13 and hit a really nice one and was kind of off and running.

Q. Change on the bag. Who do you have on the bag this week?

NICK DUNLAP: Jeff Curl. He caddied Asheville and the past two, Bermuda and Vidanta.

Q. If memory serves, you're exempt through 2027, correct?

NICK DUNLAP: Yes.

Q. What are some of your goals this fall? What are you trying to get out of these starts?

NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, I'm playing them all. Like I said, through the last little stretch of not being in the Playoffs, having a little bit of time off was to really just get comfortable off the tee. I'm not trying to drive it great, it's hard to go from being in my eyes awful to one of the best, it's really hard to do, but I just wanted to be comfortable. I felt like if I'm comfortable, the rest of my game's in a really nice spot to where I could start seeing some results.