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SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 13, 2016

Jimmy Walker

Honolulu, Hawaii

THE MODERATOR: Like to well Jimmy Walker to the interview room here at the Sony Open, two-time defending champion here. Obviously it's a place that you play well. You have a good history and track record of playing well in Hawaii as well. Can you open up talking about what it's been like to win this event twice in a row and what you think it's going to be like going for a third win? Is it going to be more difficult?

JIMMY WALKER: I don't know. I mean, yeah, it's going to be even more of a challenge. I mean trying to win three, I saw something the other day about the list of people that have won an event three times in a row and have won event four times in a row, and it's small and there's some really good names on it. Seeing how many times Tiger has done it at different tournaments. I mean four, he did four in a row like at three events. I mean it's crazy.

So yeah, going for three, that would be awesome to put your name in there and any of the guys that are around modern times. I saw Strick on there and Tiger. And it seems like that was about it. It's hard to do. It's hard to win two in a row let alone three times in a row.

But love Hawaii, love playing here, love the golf course. I know they've made a lot of changes and that didn't seem to change too much of the golf course, I think. But yeah, it's in great shape.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up to some questions.

Q. Two things. First of all, you mentioned changes. Anything that really stood out significantly that would impact the way you play it?
JIMMY WALKER: Nothing really that's going to impact the way I play it, but significant changes are how much grass they've shaved down, fairway height around the greens, whereas, before if you missed a green and you're a foot off the collar, I mean you were in the rough. Now, they've shaved -- they've given you six, eight, ten feet in spots of just pure fairway grass to chip out of. So spots where you were kind of scrambling to make a par, you know, now you're looking at maybe pitching some shots in.

The only really hole I saw on the front that they did it, they did all on the back, but the front was No. 6 green. Very tight green, good hole. If you missed that green, you were always really scrounging to make par and now if you just miss it, you can put some spin on it and control the ball a lot better.

Q. So it's actually favorable for scoring?
JIMMY WALKER: I think so, yeah. It's not going to help you with like birdies. It's going to help you alleviate bogeys, I think.

Q. But the possibility of birdie exists where it might not have before?
JIMMY WALKER: It does, yeah. I'll go along with that.

Q. Secondly, just in reviewing the two years that you won, what is it that you think you did the best?
JIMMY WALKER: I know for me, I really drove it well the last two years that I've played here. I've been in the fairways. I've been hitting more fairways than I normally hit. And I've really putted well. I felt like last year I really got into a good groove of putting and really seeing the greens and the grain and the breaks and just making a lot of putts. And that was the difference.

Q. If you win the Power Ball, would you quit playing golf?
JIMMY WALKER: No. I'd buy a jet.

Q. Have you ever won anything three times in a row?
JIMMY WALKER: Had three strikes in a row. Yeah, no. I've had -- no, never won three things in a row, I don't think. Well, no. I shouldn't say that. I won my 4A regional golf tournament four years in a row, freshman through senior. So yes, I have.

Q. (No microphone).
JIMMY WALKER: You definitely come here and you feel good about it. I feel good about being here and being back, and I can get out and shoot the golf shots and see the holes again. You have good memories. And especially last year, I can remember just hitting some really quality shots coming in and making good putts. And even at the beginning of the week -- I remember I started the week off on No. 1, I bogeyed the first hole of the week of the tournament.

And coming off of losing in a playoff the week before, I was like, oh, man, are you really going to start this off by bogeying the first hole. And then obviously we righted the chip. Yeah, you get in a good mood. And everybody knows that there's like a novelty everybody. Everybody is like we want to see the three-peat. We want to see the three-peat. It doesn't happen very often. It would be cool. It would be fun to do.

Q. (No microphone).
JIMMY WALKER: I think it would be big. I think throughout your career you've got these milestones and goals that you want to accomplish. You know, obviously win a tournament, win another tournament, get that monkey off your back. Can you defend, can you win two -- can you win the same tournament two years in a row, can you win back-to-back weeks. So there's little things, and then win a major. Can you win two majors. There's just little milestones, and to be able to win three tournaments in a row, that would be very cool. It's not something that happens a whole lot. So I think that would be something to really be proud of.

Q. (No microphone)?
JIMMY WALKER: I don't think so. I know the holes historically where I've played well and the holes that you kind of just want to get by and get through without leaking too much oil or making any bogeys. So I feel like I know the golf course, and I think that's a big advantage.

Q. (No microphone)?
JIMMY WALKER: No, you know, with two little boys, I think a lot of that stuff gets thrown out the window because you never know what the heck is going to be going on at any given moment. So all your superstitions and ways about doing things are gone anymore.

Q. (No microphone).
JIMMY WALKER: No, not really. I'm pretty set in my ways on the gear front back home. With El NiÃ±o in California we've been starting to get some rain, which is very much needed. We haven't been shooting a whole lot, so I haven't had much coming in to work with. I feel like I'm kind of going through withdrawals a little bit. I haven't got to do it in a while. There haven't been any good nights to shoot anything. I'm looking forward to that kind of going away. I know we need the rain. It's going to make for an interesting West Coast swing, I think, this year.

Q. (No microphone)?
JIMMY WALKER: No, it was on. I was not real happy with the final round. I just didn't play very well. Actually had good opportunities early. I struggled with the speed of the greens last week. I felt like they kept getting slower and I just didn't adapt. I kept leaving everything short and finding it hard to make putts, especially on the last day.

And I remember I three-putted No. 5 from like 20 feet for par, and I never do that. And I missed a short putt the hole before that for birdie. And the day just never really materialized. I got back over par, but I made two really good -- I made a couple of birdies coming back in, 14, 15.

Made a great -- made the longest putt of the tournament on 17 for bogey and then made a good birdie on 18, one of the longer putts of the week. But I just didn't think I putted as well as I would have liked to last week. I felt like I was hitting it good enough, but just didn't make the putts to really bolt.

Q. (No microphone)?
JIMMY WALKER: Oh, no, no. It's just golf. I mean it's good that I felt like I didn't putt very well last week and still have -- and still put a nice, full, round number up. It was good.

I hit it well and I was excited about the things that I had been working on on my golf swing and felt like I transitioned those into the week last week. So I drove it great. I hit good iron shots. I just didn't quite make the putts I needed to make.

Q. (No microphone)?
JIMMY WALKER: I don't know. It's kind of fun, like some of the younger guys, they've got my number and we go play, and they ask and I'm more than happy to go hang out and play with them. They're all really good kids, and it's fun to hang out with them and play.

Last week it was Brandt and I and Rickie and Jordan and Justin, and we had a blast. We had a fun day together. Justin texted and asked if I wanted to play again this week. And I said, yeah, man. What did he say? He said -- I don't remember how he said it, but it was he was like, you want to come play with me? I know you'd appreciate that and like that, just being funny.

But they're fun. They're really good group of guys. I enjoy hanging out with them, and they're really good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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