MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2021

Tyler Strafaci

Quick Quotes

Q. One or two bad holes there.

TYLER STRAFACI: You could say that, yeah.

Q. Wasn't the round you were hoping for, but what was the experience like for you today?

TYLER STRAFACI: Oh, it was great. I had a blast from the 1st hole on. First tee shot I've never been more nervous in my life, so it was good to kind of hit that one out there, and just barely get it out.

But great experience. I played really well for about 14 holes and the other 4 were disastrous. I still feel I can go out tomorrow and play a really good round.

Q. Was there a point when it started feeling almost normal, when the nerves and all that just wear off?

TYLER STRAFACI: Probably. Yeah, when I dunked it in the water on 12 I felt like -- got brought back to earth a little bit.

No, it was -- I just had such a great time. I just wanted to make sure I had a smile on my face the whole time because this is the last time I'm going to be playing a round with no money involved and just have a good time.

Q. Tyler, you're playing in the same grouping as Dustin Johnson and you've got the same course as guys who are legends of the game. What's it like just to be part of all this in this kind of group today?

TYLER STRAFACI: Yeah, it was great. I mean, I had a great pairing with DJ and Westwood. We had a great time. I enjoyed talking to them a little bit.

Course is playing hard so we were all kind of stressed out a little bit. Just a surreal experience just being a part of a tournament with such great names and history. Definitely something I'm going to look back on in of the future.

Q. Feel like the local kid, quote, unquote? Georgia Tech, Augusta, pretty close. Does that give you an advantage or disadvantage?

TYLER STRAFACI: Yeah, I had a bunch of guys saying, Go Georgia Tech throughout the round, so it was nice. Been here a good bit throughout my college career.

Yeah, I felt at home. I've been here a bunch, so definitely felt pretty comfortable out there.

Q. Wrong club on 12? Sounded like you knew it right away.

A. Oh, I just hit a God awful shot. I tried to hit like a skinny cut up there and I hit a steep push cut in the water.

It's just when the wind is blowing that like you kind of -- I didn't trust my number. I saw DJ hit the same club I did and I just didn't trust it because I know he's way longer than I am.

Yeah, looking forward to burning that hole tomorrow.

Q. How was the -- you played here a bunch obviously. This firmness, have you seen...

TYLER STRAFACI: Never. First time I played it was probably in January and it's -- grass is thicker. Greens are soft. Just like 18 for example. If you're kind of a -- I had a really good number if the greens were soft, but I knew if I landed up top and got a big hop you're not getting that ball up and down.

It's just different. It's not target golf. You have to feel it out there and hit your spots pretty good.

Q. Brooks said he's not even sure if there is grass on...

TYLER STRAFACI: Yeah, I experienced that pretty good. I knew where I was. There was no chance I was making par. Yeah, that was my mistake. It's just stuff like that when it's firm and fast that you experience. It's just you hit a shot and you know right away that you're dead.

Tomorrow I'm going to clean up and I'm going to have a really good round of golf.

Q. Is there a story from the Crow's Nest when you stayed in there?

TYLER STRAFACI: Yeah, had a good time. Had a few beers and had a cigar in there. Didn't burn down the place, which is nice.

Yeah, that was probably the coolest part of being the amateur playing the Masters, staying in the Crow's Nest with all that history. I remember getting in there, and it really hit me, the gravity of kind of what I've done. That was pretty cool.

Q. How would you describe just the walk to the first tee? Take me through what was going through your mind.

TYLER STRAFACI: Oh, I don't know how I didn't have a heart attack just walking through seeing -- what calmed me down was seeing my friends and family and giving me a hug before I went off. I understood that it's just golf and I just reminded myself just go out and have a fun time. Nothing really matters.

I'm an amateur playing at Augusta National and I'm the happiest kid in the world right now. I don't care what I shot today. Obviously would've liked to play better. But it was great.