	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

January 17, 2020

Tony Finau

La Quinta, California

Q. You've played four straight weeks in a row. 30,000 miles of flying. Obviously jet lag not quite a problem. 69 and then a 62 today. How were you able to put those two together?
TONY FINAU: I felt good. The putter got hot for me on that back nine. I hit it really nicely yesterday. I didn't feel like I got what I wanted out of the round and I wanted to change that today. I hit it well again and I was able to make some putts and just get some momentum, so that was a lot of fun out there today.

Q. Nothing but birdies on that back nine for the most part. When you're in that kind of zone what's going on?
TONY FINAU: I don't really know. You're just playing and sometimes you get over a golf ball and it's nice to have the feeling of knowing where it's going. And then I was able to hit some putts that started on my line and you're at the mercy of the greens and today the putts fell.

Q. Coming out here was a tight turnaround for you playing three courses and getting prepared for that. What is it like, a week like this where the amateurs are a part of the mix and there's three different courses you have to prepare for?
TONY FINAU: It can be exhausting but I've got experience playing these type of events and you just can't kill yourself too much over it, whether you see all the holes, play all the holes or not. The most important thing for me is I have to be fresh, make sure my game is ready, and I'll be able to take on any test. Happy with this start and we've got 36 holes to go.

Q. What a spectacular round of golf here. 62, including 29 on your closing nine. Take us through this round. You're 3-under making the turn and then all of a sudden the birdies just kept coming.
TONY FINAU: The putter started to feel a little bit better in my hands. I had a thought that was pretty simple that worked. As I mentioned to Chantel, you're at the mercy of the greens sometimes when you putt. And I feel like I hit a lot of good putts the last couple days, and they finally started to fall on my back nine today and that was good to see. Whenever you start to see more putts fall, it seems like it loosens you up a little bit more and I was able to make seven birdies on that back nine. So I've been hitting it well this week and I'm excited about that putter being hot my second nine.

Q. 17 of 18 greens in this round, so that obviously gives you many opportunities to do what you did today.
TONY FINAU: Yeah, no doubt. I've hit it nicely these first 36 and if I keep that up and the putter gets hot we'll have a chance on Sunday.

Q. You've got to go to the Stadium Course tomorrow. Your thoughts on how that sets up for you. You're not in the lead yet, but you certainly have given yourself a good chance here.
TONY FINAU: Yeah, no doubt. That's what you got to do. You got to make a lot of birdies out here. You know that starting the week. Sometimes emotionally and mentally that can be tough, but I'm happy with that round today. It put me right in the mix. 36 holes on the Stadium, a golf course I'm very familiar with. I got through here, qualifying school through here in 2013, so I've got some good vibes on that golf course and hopefully I can show that this weekend.

Q. You've been playing with Phil, our host. Did he have words of encouragement today?
TONY FINAU: Phil's great. He's so fun to play with. I always have a good time with him. He's got great stories. He hasn't had his best stuff on the golf course these first couple days, but you would never know it and that's the sign of a true gentleman and a true champion, so I've enjoyed my first couple rounds and we got one more round together tomorrow.

Q. Obviously, a 62 is a pretty impressive score in the desert. Just some thoughts on that round today.
TONY FINAU: Yeah, I was really happy with it. When I made the turn, I was playing nice golf. I was 3-under for the day and I felt like I left a couple out there. If I can get the putter going, we can get some momentum, I can get myself right back in this tournament, and I was able to do that right out of the gate on my back nine. Birdied my 10th hole, birdied my 11th hole and I was kind of on my way there. A couple of the par-5s I needed to take care coming in, I did and just kind of smooth sailing. So I was happy to get myself back in this golf tournament and these are the type of rounds you have to have to be in contention here, it seems like. Everybody's going low, everybody's making birdies, and I'm happy that I was able to do that today and put myself in the mix.

Q. How do you carry that momentum into the next couple days?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, just hopefully the putter stays hot. A lot of times you're at the mercy of the greens. I'm putting well and hopefully the putts fall this weekend. It would be nice to see some go in a little bit earlier tomorrow and maybe make a run. But anytime you shoot 62 you're making some putts, and hopefully that continues this weekend.

Q. What's the patch on the back of your neck?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, just a little kink in my neck just from sleeping a couple of nights ago. STAMINAPRO is something I believe in that helps with inflammation and things like that, so I use it. It's something I used on my ankle in 2018 at the Masters. Most of you are guys familiar with that incident. So a big believer in it and it helps ease the tension, no question.

Q. You had four consecutive birdies to put you at 9-under. What about this course made you pick up momentum and just finish so strong today?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, I'm very familiar with this golf course, Nicklaus and the Stadium. I played qualifying school here in 2013, so I've got, I've always got good vibes coming back here, great memories of a cool time for me. So I think anytime that's the case and you're familiar with the golf course, you can shoot some good rounds and I was able to do that today.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297