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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 8, 2019

Billy Horschel

Orlando, Florida

Q. 1-under 71 on this Friday. 5-under halfway home. How would you characterize your second round effort here at Bay Hill?
BILLY HORSCHEL: It was decent. I got off to a really hot start and then unfortunately made a bad bogey at number 4. I lost a little bit of momentum there and from there on I just sort of had like in between clubs and everything and hit some good shots, just didn't get rewarded for. I stayed patient and making eagle at 16, I just hit a bad tee shot at 18 that led to bogey. But overall a really solid day. The course is playing tougher with the greens getting faster and firmer, so I'm happy with it.

Q. What do you take from these first two days that you hope to carry over into the weekend?
BILLY HORSCHEL: My ball striking has been a lot better. It's been a struggle this year, which is unusual type deal. Todd and I have been working really hard on it and we know what the issue is, we know what we're trying to do, it's just slowly getting the feel to match up to what we need to be able to do to hit my draw. We figured out something this week that allows me to do it a little more consistently and it's been good so far.

Q. New addition to the family last month. Where's the balance of sleeping and changing diapers also practicing and trying to get your game where you want it to be?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I'm lucky I got an unbelievable wife and they don't travel at all, maybe a couple times a year, so she's been home taking care of the Axel along with the two other ones. And we have a friend of ours, my manager's youngest daughter, nannying for us for a couple years, so, yeah, it's, like I said, I'm fine, it's Brittany that's got more of the tiredness and changing diapers, I've been on the road playing. So it hasn't been too bad for me.

Q. Take us through the round, you birdied the first two and then you give a comeback and then a string of pars, you make the eagle at 16, bogey at 18. So you're 1-under par for the day. Your thoughts on how it went.
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, it wasn't a bad day of golf at all, it was a solid day. Get off to a hot start hitting two really good iron shots into 1 and 2 and unfortunately I made a bone headed mistake on number 4 trying to be a little more aggressive to that pin with a wedge and missed it in a spot I couldn't. I had some opportunities to make some birdies, I hit a bad drive at 8 and a bad drive at 18, cost me my bogeys there. But I hit some really good shots, didn't get rewarded for it on a couple of holes and but you know it was a really good day of golf, the course is playing firmer and faster so I know it's going to be challenging, so the main goal was just hitting a lot, trying to hit a lot of greens and that's what I did well and we're in a good position going into Sunday.

Q. I think this is your sixth time playing this tournament. You made the cut every time. Is there something about the course, what do you like about Bay Hill?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I just think that just being here and Arnie being it's Arnie's course and everything and how special it is to play here, sort of just I want to play well here. Also I grew up 45 minutes from here, so it means a lot for me to play well here in front of family and friends and Gator Nation type deal, so there's a lot that goes into me wanting to play well and I've been fortunate enough to make every cut and this is the best position I've been going into the weekend, so hopefully I can keep it going the next two days.

Q. Our third tournament now without Arnie waiting for you guys at 18. What did he mean to you, what were, what was your relationship like with him?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I didn't know Arnie that well, just a little brief brushes with him here type deal, fortunate enough to meet him first time in 2007 at the Palmer Cup when we were playing. But he's golf. He is the iconic figure of golf. Obviously Jack is unbelievable, but Arnie was beyond just what he did on the golf course. We have what we have because of Arnie type deal and we appreciate everything he's done for us. So he's just the iconic golf and it's sad that he's not here anymore.

Q. Some general thoughts on your round for the folks here.
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, today was another good day of golf, 1-under par on a course that's getting tougher, so I hit a lot of good shots, a lot of shots I hit didn't turn out as well as I wanted, a little bit due to my mistake of aiming a little bit too far right and the other part of it was just a little firmer bounce on the greens type deal. So I played really good golf today and I'm excited about the weekend and see what it has in store.

Q. The position over the weekend. Talk about how the changed overnight?
BILLY HORSCHEL: It hasn't changed too much. When we came out the greens were fairly receptive this morning but as we played, as we made the turns the greens got firmer and a little bit faster and I don't expect them to get any softer or slower as the day goes along.

Q. Heading into the weekend you've watched the tournament growing up, what would it mean to win the tournament in Mr. Palmer's name?
BILLY HORSCHEL: It would mean a lot. Obviously Arnie being the icon of golf, the guy that everyone knows -- obviously Jack has a better record -- but outside of golf and beyond just what you do on the golf course, Arnie was the man. At the same time I grew up 45 minutes from here, so I came over here, I used to caddie in the pro-am when I was in high school and used to come to the event so I have a lot of family and friends and this event means a lot to me. So to be able to win on Sunday would be awesome, obviously, because it's Arnie's events, but it's also the closest event to my home.

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