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VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 10, 2017

Henrik Stenson

Palm Harbor, Florida

Q. Coming off a 64 yesterday, and today 71. How do you reflect on that?
HENRIK STENSON: I think it's a totally different test in the afternoon for sure. Wind swirling, it's about a club of wind out there, but it keeps on kinking on the angle and it's just hard to get it right. We had quite a lot of times where we thought we had something that should have been closer than it was, and it was a good test.

I mean, we've got bigger and better tasks ahead of us, as well, so good practice for that, keeping the patience and trying to stay committed to the shots and picking your targets. A lot of good things out there. I thought I handled that pretty well, and yeah, of course, score could have been a bit better. But there's always tomorrow.

Q. Ideal start at 1.
HENRIK STENSON: Yeah, I played a nice pitch out there. Grabbed a little bit more than we thought out of the rough but I made that putt, and just hit a decent shot into 11 and bounced over and couldn't get up-and-down. Got the wind slightly wrong on this one here, made two bogeys, but made a nice putt on 15.

Q. You talked about the putting yesterday, was probably working the best for you and again today?
HENRIK STENSON: I was putting solidly. I didn't make as much but you can't expect that every day. Was pretty solid on the greens, and it was just trickier in the afternoon than was expected.

Q. You talked about long irons off the tee and putting yourself in the perfect spot for the approach shots in.
HENRIK STENSON: It's going to be the same game plan. I think because of the wind today, might have been a couple of more woods off the tee and a couple of more 4-woods than 3-woods, but all in all, it's kind of the same strategy. Just got to hit it a little bit better over the weekend.

Q. If we can, just get you to press the play button on your face. Cute moment much the day goes to you and your daughter. ^ this was lovely?
HENRIK STENSON: My family drove up today. The kids were out of school and yeah, she doesn't know to stay outside the ropes, that's for sure. She comes running in when she sees me. That was good.

Q. How do you feel like you're hitting the ball?
HENRIK STENSON: I think strike-wise, it was probably a bit better than yesterday I think. It's just tough out there to get the yardages right on that breeze. It caught us quite a few times, so there's a place we're going to in about three or four weeks' time that's very similar to that. It can test both your patience and trying to stay committed.

It's just a different golf course in the afternoon, and that's pretty much expected. So all in all, I'm happy with the day's work and score-wise, yeah, it could have been better. But that's golf. Sometimes you run into a bit of a bad spell, and we had that on the back nine today.

Q. Your daughter is famous now; seems to be picking up online. Is that the second hole she came out on?
HENRIK STENSON: Yeah, they drove out from Orlando today to hang out a little bit. She's on television again now. She likes to be inside the ropes, like you guys.

Q. Has she ever done that before?
HENRIK STENSON: Yeah, it's not the first time.

Q. You talked yesterday about ticking off one box in preparation for Augusta. Did you tick off another one today, patience?
HENRIK STENSON: Yeah, patience was good. I think I stayed very level-headed throughout the day, even though it had its challenges and short game was pretty good. It's just when you get the wind slightly wrong and you don't strike it perfectly, it's easy to short-side yourself and that was one or two of the bogeys really. I ended up being in the wrong place.

All in all, I can't complain with too much. 3pstriking, yeah, I'm not quite where I want to be with my ball-striking, but we've got time to work on that.

Q. You said you were really pleased with your putting yesterday; not so impressed with your long game. What about ROUND two?
HENRIK STENSON: I probably thought I was striking the ball a little bit better today, but in the slightly gusty conditions, it's not blowing a whole lot; it's about a club, but it keeps on swirling and turning on us. So it's quite tricky out there in the afternoon, and that was expected. I thought I kept my patience, and yeah, it could have been a shot or two better. But you know, it's golf and we've got two more rounds to make that up.

Q. Bogey-free yesterday, and today even par. When you talk about the morning to afternoon differences with that wind, just how different is it?
HENRIK STENSON: I think it could be an easy two to three shots, because if you've got numbers that are good -- it's quite easy when there's no wind. But if you then think you've got a couple of yards helping and off a certain direction and then it turns on you, then all of a sudden you're a club out and that's the difference between hitting it stiff and being maybe eight, ten yards short in a bunker plugged or something. It's enough breeze there to keep you honest on this golf course.

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