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MASTERS TOURNAMENTNovember 13, 2020Abraham AncerAugusta, Georgia THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, we are pleased to welcome Abraham answer to our interview room this afternoon. Abraham, great round today. You shot a 5‑under 67 for 9‑under par after 36 holes. You started the round on No. 10 and made birdies on numbers 12, 14, 16, 2, 6, and 8. Tell us about the round, and how are you feeling? ABRAHAM ANCER: Obviously feeling great. Not ideal obviously starting with a bogey. I kept telling myself that sometimes the best rounds start with a bogey, so I just kept telling myself that. Very patient. The golf course, you have to be extremely patient, and I've been able to do that these two rounds. I didn't really hit it my best off the tee. Felt like I got away with some wayward shot that I normally don't hit. Missed a couple right but I've been able to scramble really well and made some putts for birdie, which is what kept me in it. I played the par3s really good.  Q. Can you speak to how your time in Melbourne with the International Team has helped you become a better player, your performance there, and how last week's Carlos OrtÃÂz win inspired you as well? ABRAHAM ANCER: Sorry, I didn't hear you very well.  Q. I know, that was terrible. Okay. Speak to your time in The Presidents Cup, International Team, for your confidence that you were building before that and then how you performed there, and also how Carlos's win last week may have inspired you as well? ABRAHAM ANCER: 100 percent. I've always said that experience in Melbourne definitely prepared me or helped me feel a lot more comfortable, really, in any scenario I get put on or whoever I'm playing with or whatever tournament it is. I mean, the amount of pressure that you feel there, the excitement, every putt counts so much. That whole week was big for me and my career. I felt like it's helped me tremendously. And Carlos inspired me. It was awesome watching him. I was here at the locker room watching him. I was going to go play the back nine, but I was like, I've got to go watch my boy win this thing. I've never been that nervous watching somebody else play. I was actually freaking out there a little bit. A Mexican has not really won a tournament on the PGA TOUR, over 40 years ago. So that was really cool to watch. I grew up playing national events with Carlos and against Carlos, and in college we played against each other all the time, as well, and we are great friends. His caddie, Eduardo, is one of my good buddies, as well. We were teammates in college. It was awesome. I got pumped up. That day, I ended up practicing until dark here. I was really excited, and motivated me, too.  Q. I know it's been a long time and it's been longer away than it would have been in a normal year, but what was it like to receive that invitation in the mail that you were invited to play in your first Masters? ABRAHAM ANCER: It was awesome. I actually have it framed in my house, so it's right there in my living room, and it's something that I dreamt since I was a little kid to play here. I was really, really excited to be here my first time ever, I've never been to the tournament or watched, anything, was last week. I played with a member, Nick Evans, awesome, I couldn't have picked a better guy‑‑ well, I'm lucky he picked me, I guess. I didn't pick anybody. It's been amazing, and I know maybe it's not the same as in April, but I mean, it's incredible and I love it out here, I love the golf course, and I think this is probably one of my favorite places in the world.  Q. When did you receive that invitation? What month it was? ABRAHAM ANCER: Probably, I would be lying to you, but I think it would be maybe close to December, if I'm not mistaken.  Q. Making your first appearance, you played with a lot of poise, even with the bogey on 1 to start the round. Was there any pre‑round routine or pre‑shot routine to go through to keep your mind right? ABRAHAM ANCER: Not really. Today was obviously a little different since I played 25 holes, I had to finish my first round, and it was a little bit weird because I finished 11 yesterday and that's when we got suspended. So I had to be patient because I 3‑putted 11. I've been putting really well, and I felt like I hit two good putts, and I just didn't‑‑ I didn't make the put. So I was a little bit mad about that, so we got called off, and so I had to be really patient and know that‑‑ I mean, there's no reason‑‑ it's not going to help me if I'm going to be mad and coming back and thinking about that. So I just tried to flush that out. It's a challenging tee shot coming back and starting on 12, but I managed to hit the green and 2‑putt, and from there it was really nice, smooth sailing. I played well, coming in with four birdies in my first round, and after that I just wanted to take that momentum to the next 18.  Q. Your first time on the course was last Wednesday; is that correct? ABRAHAM ANCER: Yes. I played 27 holes on Wednesday last week.  Q. As a first‑timer, can it be intimidating knowing all you have to learn about this golf course? ABRAHAM ANCER: I just wanted to get here and play the course and just have a good time, enjoy it. I was with a good friend, playing with, it was his first time, as well, and obviously Nick Evans hosted us, which it was awesome. And I just wanted to get it out of the way. I didn't want to get here for the first time ever this week and being like, you know, really excited. I wanted to feel like I was here and I've been here before and it was more normal. I mean, the golf course is incredible. Wanted to keep on playing. I just ran out of time. There were some tee shots, and the elevation changes were a lot more drastic than I imagined on TV. That's what everybody has told me, but once you're here, it's quite severe out there. There's definitely a couple shots I didn't think would be like that. For example, the second shot on 13. It's pretty tough. Unless you get it way past there and it's flatter, and you've got a shorter iron, I mean, if you're trying to hit a 4‑iron or a 5‑wood, it's pretty tough to catch it right. So all those shots seen on TV and growing up, now I'm like, wow, those were some amazing shots. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much for being here, and good luck the rest of the week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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