DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 21, 2021

John Smoltz

Tranquilo Golf Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, John, so tell us about your round today. Climbed at the end there.

JOHN SMOLTZ: It's a typical first round for me. Every tournament I've been here I think this is what I do. Then the second round usually is better. As usual, I left a lot of points out on the first round.

But last year I think I was nine down going into the second round and rallied back. Mardy Fish and Aaron Hicks and the boys put together a good round today. The pins, I was just amazed where some of the pins were.

So all in all, I bandaged it together to shoot I think 1-over and I'm in the mix.

Q. Exactly. How was your threesome today?

JOHN SMOLTZ: Fantastic. I've never seen -- I mean, I've played with Annika when she was No. 1 in the world and she just knows how to golf. It's like the understatement of the -- she knows how to score.

Gaby was a click away from shooting 8-, 9-under. I've never seen anybody knock down pins as much as she was doing. It gets tough when you got about a 30, 40 minute delay on a couple holes and lose your tempo.

I felt like that was the only thing that kept the birdies from coming for Gaby.

Q. You were talking about pin placement being a little slow. How was the course out there?

JOHN SMOLTZ: Fantastic. Course is in great shape. I mean, it's kind of intimidating at times when you look at some of the green complexes and you know they're going to get faster because they can't get slower. No rain and not able to grow.

So it's going to be a challenge if Mardy Fish can throw a bunch of 40s and 39s, more power to him. I tip my hat.