SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 14, 2021

Billy Horschel

Waialae Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you assess your play today?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Another good, solid day of golf. No bogeys. Started off, I hit a really good shot into No. 11. Didn't hit it as well the next few holes but then I think I made a good swing at No. 15, 16, and sort of got me back on track. I played really solid. I missed some greens with some wedges. I think it was a little bit tougher today. Wind felt like it was swirling; was it hurting, helping, across, tough times with some wedge shots, especially where the pins are located. But really solid round of golf, so I'm excited with it.

Q. Course seemed to play firm and fast today. Is that your assessment?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, I haven't played here very much. It's only my fourth time in my career playing. Haven't played it in about four years. I think early in my career, it was always soft and slow, and you just never know with the weather leading up to it.

And so it's the first time I've seen it this fast and this firm and I've always wanted to play it this way, and it's exciting to see it because I think this is a really good golf course. Makes you think off the tees and where you try to land it on the greens. The greens are still very receptive but the greens are fast and running out.

Q. Is this a tournament that you normally play when you play Maui?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I have actually never played this event after Maui. This is the first time. After Mayakoba last year, I talked to my team and I was like, you know, what maybe we should play Hawai'i. I'm not exactly where I want to be in the FedEx. I want to be in a better spot. I'm not in a bad spot but I want to play well and I thought having two weeks to really see where my game is here in Hawai'i before I go to play Torrey and Phoenix, two courses that I really do love and I've played well there in the past.

So it gives me a great assessment of where my game is, and I have a week off to just make the improvements before those events. It's been a really good two weeks other than nine holes last week.

Q. When did you find out about the white stakes between 10 and 18?

BILLY HORSCHEL: The funny story was I playing my Pro-Am yesterday and Justin Leonard who is a really good buddy just happened to be on that green we were playing. He goes, "Hey, do you think about going down No. 10?"

In years past that never even crossed my mind. I'm like, "No."

He said, "Well a lot of guys are. They are having like flip wedges into the green."

I was like, "Well, maybe I'll have to look at it when I get on the tee."

I think somewhere around 7:00, 8:00 last night, we got a text saying that there was an internal OB now on No. 18, which is smart. I think the hole should be played the way it was designed and not cheat -- not saying cheat, but not take advantage of whatever you want to take advantage of.

Obviously there's a few guys laying up here and there's a safety hazard, but I think playing the hole the way the hole was designed and intended, I think they kept that in play with those OB stakes.