HONDA CLASSIC

March 19, 2021

Matt Jones

PGA National Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. To finish up where you started the day it's not easy to follow-up an amazing round of golf like you had yesterday, but what were your expectations coming into today?

MATT JONES: It's always tough to follow up a really good round. Just, I hit it well, warmed up well, and my goal was just to give myself as many chances at birdie as I could. I had plenty. I had a few out there today that I didn't make, but I had a good day and I'm happy where I am.

Q. (No Microphone.)

MATT JONES: The wind was a little different. There was a little more -- we started off yesterday with not as much wind when we teed off. Today we had a constant wind, but it was still very playable. You saw some great scores out there today. So I'm sure it's going to show its teeth the next couple days when it firms up and they let the greens go a little bit more and you'll really have to be able to control your ball good this weekend.

Q. What are you looking forward to heading into the weekend?

MATT JONES: Playing on the weekend, having a chance come Sunday. This is a golf course that you just have to be very patient on. You cannot be aggressive, you can just be smart, give yourself chances, and then just don't turn a big score, make a big score into a bogey or something. Just limit your mistakes as much as you can.

Q. Did you hear any of the feedback from your kids about the round that you had on Thursday because there was a lot of great talk.

MATT JONES: I did. I did. I had a lot of texted messages and a lot of golfers out here have asked what golf course I was playing yesterday. So it must have been a pretty special round. It's just a round of golf for me, but it was a pretty comfortable 61 for me. But today it showed its teeth and I had to battle it very hard. And that's why this course is such a tough golf course.

Q. (No Microphone.)

MATT JONES: I definitely could have shot under par. I mean, I missed a few makeable putts out there, but that's what this golf course does to you, the greens are tough to read, they're a little bumpy in the afternoon, and they firm up. But I'm happy with where I am.

Q. Four bogeys in the first seven holes. I mean, the wheels were a little loose, but then the eagle at 18, that was almost a double eagle, that came very close. That kind of settled things down.

MATT JONES: That did. It's never an easy nine to start on that back nine, when you start on 10. I mean, as I said when I was out there, I didn't really hit that bad of a shot, that many bad shots when I was 3-over. If I make the putt on 10, which I probably made yesterday. 12, I 3-putted. 14, I 3-putted. Missed a putt on 15. 16 was tough. Missed a putt on 17. So, yeah, so I was 3-over, but it could have been much easily been more than that too.

Q. What's the mindset now heading into the weekend? Because you're right there and you worked your way through a tough day, what's the mindset?

MATT JONES: Just keep doing what I'm doing. I'll work on the putting just a little bit because I think that was what let me down today. My ball striking wasn't quite as good, but that's going to happen. But the swing felt good, so I'm not really worried about that, I'm pretty comfortable with that, so I'll just work on the putting and go from there.

Q. A little more of an up-and-down day today. Of course, it's always hard to follow up a round like you had yesterday. What are your feelings about the round overall?

MATT JONES: Overall I'm satisfied with it. I'm, I think it could have been a couple better, I made a couple of silly mistakes out there. I bogeyed number 8, which was not the best. But I'm very happy with where I am, comfortable with where I am and another 36 holes out here, it should be fun.

Q. When you make the eagle at the turn how much did that speak to your patience and perseverance through a really rough start there?

MATT JONES: It helped a lot. I mean, I didn't think I hit it that bad on the first nine holes and I was -- I don't know what I was at that time, I can't remember -- but I missed a few, a couple birdie putts and I had a couple of 3-putts, which is not normal for me.

So it wasn't like I hit it that much worse, I just didn't make the putts where I would have yesterday.

Making that eagle definitely helped and then you go to the front nine thinking you have a chance to make some birdies and I didn't quite do that, but it was still a good round.