SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 15, 2021

Joaquin Niemann

Waialae Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. 1-under today and you hit 16 greens. Did you just not hit it close enough or was the putter not working as well as you would have liked?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah it was a weird day. I didn't feel like I played bad. I actually hit it pretty good. I just didn't hit it pretty close. I was all day in between. Still in good position, so, yeah, just looking forward for the weekend.

Q. Usually you have one day like that out of four rounds here. Do you feel good about your chances on the weekend?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I'm playing great. I think if I just keep playing the way I'm playing, hitting a lot of greens, giving myself a lot of chances, I'll be doing good.

Q. Looks like you're having fun cheering on your fellow competitors teeing off on 1?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I just watching my guys from the Presidents Cup, wishing them good luck.

Q. What do you find to be the hardest part of this golf course and what do you find to be the easiest part of this golf course?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I think the hard part is you've got to be out of the rough. It's hard to control the distance from the rough. It's long and you have a lot of flyer lies. I think that's the tough part.

And the wind, it's all over the place, too.

Q. What's the easy part?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: The easy part, well, I mean, I don't think there is nothing easy. You've just got to play good.

Q. Why do you like Sergio so much?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I just enjoy playing with him. He's a nice friend and I just enjoy, also, watching how good he hits the ball.

Q. Did you like him when you were a kid?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I remember growing up and watching him a lot and really looking forward, like my role model.

Q. How did you first get started in golf?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: With my dad when I was probably like two, three years old. My dad just go and play like a hobby on the weekend and I go with him. I was also lucky enough to live near a golf course, so just start practicing every day since I was like three, four.

Q. You didn't want to give up for soccer or something else?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Growing up, I always enjoyed playing every sport. I grew up playing soccer. I do a lot of track and field also. So yeah, I just did a lot of sports and I stick with golf.

Q. There was a story about you picked up an adult's club and you hit the ball to your grandmother or something?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I remember in my house, I was just chipping around and my grandmother was there and, yeah, I hit it too far and I hit her on the knee.

Q. Was that almost the end of your golf career?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: No, it was probably when I was like five years old.

Q. How far was the shot?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Probably like 50 yards.

Q. What did she say afterward?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: She was proud of me.

Q. Proud of you?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, because I hit it pretty good.