SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 15, 2021

Russell Henley

Waialae Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. A place that you know really well; you have to be comfortable going into the weekend in your position?

RUSSELL HENLEY: Yeah, I got away with some drives today that I did not hit very good. I'm very thankful for a couple of really good bounce the I got but I feel really good with my putter. I'm feeling it better and better with the irons. Yeah I'm just excited to be playing.

Q. A couple times, especially on the back with as firm as this is, you can take driver out of your hands and be able to put it in position and still be able to attack this golf course. How do you try and pick spots out there or is it really just prioritizing fairways with as firm as this place is getting?

RUSSELL HENLEY: You just to pick on what side of the fairway you want to miss. There's usually one side out here that's better than the other so I try to do that, and if you don't do that, try to get lucky.

Q. You were hitting the ball so well end of last year, were you itching to get back out here on a course that you've already won on?

RUSSELL HENLEY: I'm always excited to play, I love the greens and it's a fun little course. It can be tricky. Today, the wind I've never played the wind how it was today. It literally felt different every hole. It blew opposite of what the forecast was and that's just the fun of it.

Q. Keys this weekend?

RUSSELL HENLEY: Just play my game and stay patient. I'm sure there's a ton of people right around 10-under and probably some people finish better than that. You've just got to play so well out here to compete, and just be easy on myself and just be patient.

Q. How would you assess your round today?

RUSSELL HENLEY: I putted well. Hit my irons well. I got some really nice breaks with my driver and not hit it that good, that well. I'm thankful for those breaks. Not far off. But I'm excited to be here and I feel good with my putter again. So that seems to be the inconsistent thing with me over the last few years.

Everything feels pretty good.

Q. You talked about in the fall, CJ Cup, your putter not rolling consistent. When you feel that's in a good place, does that help your game that much more?

RUSSELL HENLEY: I think then you have to start doing something else bad. That's usually what I do. Once I figure out my driving, usually the putter goes bad and vice versa. It's been a fun process trying to work on it and get better and seeing results. This game is always evolving and your game is always changing and so you just have to learn to adapt to however you feel that day. At least that's what it's been like for me, I don't know how everybody else is, but I'm just excited to be competing.

Q. Do you ever look back at 2013 when you won here and all those putts you made and kind of get those good feelings when you come here?

RUSSELL HENLEY: Oh, yeah. Usually if somebody ever knows who I am, they usually talk about, man, you really ran away with it here. I love this place. I love the greens. They just remind me of home growing up in Georgia, and they are fun to putt on. It's a fun course. I'm just thankful and excited to be here.

Q. A lot of winners from the southeast here, a couple guys talked about it earlier, the grass is similar to what they grew up on?

RUSSELL HENLEY: I think so. When you can learn to judge shots out of the rough better, out of the bermuda versus Kentucky bluegrass or whatever you call it, it's very helpful and gives you confidence. So I just think it's a comfort thing, and out here, if these guys are comfortable, they are going to play well. So that's a big contributor.

Q. Is the one thing you need to work ongoing into the weekend your driver?

RUSSELL HENLEY: I'm going to hit some drivers. Just changed to the new TSi4 Titleist driver and I love it but I think it was me, not the driver.