ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 4, 2021

Lanto Griffin

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you describe your first round?

LANTO GRIFFIN: Ball striking wasn't as good as last week and the first couple days of this week, but I managed it well. The putter felt really good and I kind of plotted my way around and birdieing the last three was a nice way to finish it off.

Q. Did you chip in on 18 or did you putt that one?

LANTO GRIFFIN: I putted it, it was about a foot off the green.

Yesterday I had a couple -- my hip flexor and my thumb was swelling up, it was kind of a weird day. So I wasn't sure how I would feel today. And I came out, luckily it felt fine, the guys in the PT trailer spent about an hour and a half on me.

And so I wasn't really -- I didn't have a ton of expectations today which I think helped and the golf course is playing perfect.

Q. Do you know what was kind of wrong with the issues?

LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, I got like some kind of nerve block in my left groin, hip flexor area. And four or five shots yesterday in the pro-am, it was just like a shooting pain. And then the next shot I wouldn't feel anything. So it was kind of messing with your mind, you're not sure if it's going to pop up or not.

And then just randomly my thumb started swelling up last night. So I think that's old age just hitting me (laughing).

Q. Does that kind of help, like when -- everyone always talks about beware of the injured golfer -- when you have low expectations, that can help, maybe on a cold morning like today?

LANTO GRIFFIN: Yeah, I felt fine today. Not one shot did I notice the thumb or the groin. But last night I was kind of wondering if I was going to be able to play or not, just in case if it got worse this morning. But I drank a lot of water last night and hopefully that helped. I'm happy to be able to play and I feel a hundred percent, so it was a nice surprise this morning.

Q. How difficult were the conditions kind of early on there? Chilly, a little wet?

LANTO GRIFFIN: First four holes with that wind is brutal. Once you get through that, there's some scoring holes. But the greens are the best I've -- I've only played here one time but I used to live around here -- and the greens are incredible. They're a little softer than last year.

But the rough's brutal, the rough's really thick. So the course was playing perfect. Good shots were rewarded and wayward shots aren't. So I think it's playing a lot more fair than last year and I think we'll see a really good tournament.

Q. Talk about that finish. Birdieing the last three holes here at Bay Hill is a nice accomplishment. 16's a par-5, but the last two are no joke.

LANTO GRIFFIN: I made a 40-footer for birdie on 16, too. It's such an easy hole if you hit the fairway and I left myself about 40 feet, luckily that fell.

And then I hit a good shot into 17 and had about 10 feet.

Then 18, hit it in the right rough and we were just trying to get on that front left edge and I was able to do it. So 18's playing very tough and so I was pretty fortunate to birdie that one.