MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2021

Paul Casey

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize your round?

PAUL CASEY: Let one go, really. Johnny just said to me, "well played," but I felt like I left a few out there. I mean, 3-under is leading. It shows how difficult it is. I guess technically you shouldn't be that upset with 1-over, but I am.

Q. What was the most difficult part of the conditions out there today?

PAUL CASEY: I mean, look, the whole thing is tricky, and it's right where they want it. I mean, it's brilliantly set up, but there's every aspect of that golf course which is difficult and will test your game. There's no one particular bit that's more difficult than the other, it's just difficult, and a little bit of swirling wind, firm greens, exposes anybody who's not on top of their game or any weakness you have in your game. It will find it.

Q. When is the last time you've seen it playing this tough without crazy wind or weather?

PAUL CASEY: It's been a while. I mean, this is what I remember from -- this is my 15th so I've seen a few of these. It doesn't scare me, but this is -- it's kind of what I enjoy, and I think the guys who have played the last few years and the younger guys have just not seen Augusta National in full flow, and this is right in the sweet spot. This is what it's all about. The color of the greens were I think scaring a few guys the beginning of the week, but it's brilliant. The control they've always had through the years of this golf course is remarkable, unlike anything we ever sort of play. We've seen championships -- other championships where it can kind of get out of hand, but it's always under control here. But you have to have Mother Nature sort of -- a dry Mother Nature to allow them to do that, which is what we've got this week.

Q. So if you take one shot off, you're --

PAUL CASEY: I messed up around -- predominantly poor shot into 13 and a three-putt on 14, and then another three-putt on 15. That's it, three -- that span right there. But everybody in this field has got ifs and buts. It is what it is.

Q. Is it fair to call this a roller coaster round, and if so how do you get any momentum when it goes up and back down?

PAUL CASEY: In terms of roller coaster, I'd be disappointed because it didn't have too many corkscrews, it was just up and down. It was up and then it was down. It was a rubbish roller coaster really. You wouldn't pay for it, would you. Sorry, what was the question?

Q. How do you get any momentum when you're going up and then down?

PAUL CASEY: It's cliche, but it's one shot at a time. That's all it is. You get too far ahead of yourself you'll always get bitten around here. That's it. You can't do anything about it. It's frustrating, but as I just said, there is not a player in this field who will walk off this week but even today and go, oh, I wish I hadn't done that or made a different decision, or I doubt that there would be one playing, but that's the difficulty of this golf course.

Q. What did it expose in your game today?

PAUL CASEY: I was poor with the driver. The driver was leaking right all day. In fact I want to go to the range right now, but Johnny has banned me from going because the wind is going to be off the left and I'll only stand there and probably try to hit hooks and it will just get worse and worse. But the driver was poor. I didn't have good control of that. Speed control on the putting was poor. You combine those two things, it makes it very difficult. In fact, 1-over sounds quite good if I describe that to somebody.