MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2021

Cameron Smith

Quick Quotes

Q. You could have let that get away from you but you battled back.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, for sure. I mean, just wasn't hitting it the greatest on the front nine, and just a little change on the back, nothing major, just felt really nice, and actually hit some good golf shots.

Q. Explain to me what that was. What did you change?

CAMERON SMITH: I just felt myself getting a little bit out with my hips, and I just kind of tinkered with it walking down the 9th, and something just changed and then I went with that, and it was good.

Q. You always have, I guess, in the back of your head that there are scoring holes on the back nine here. No matter where you are, you've still got a chance to attack.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I mean, we were actually quite fortunate that the wind laid down. I really wasn't looking forward to the back nine with how windy it was. But yeah, obviously a couple of scoring opportunities. The course is so good at the minute. You couldn't ask for anything else out of the golf course. It's just perfect. You have to be so precise into the greens, and that's why that front nine was so tough for me.

Q. What's the strategy going forward now?

CAMERON SMITH: I think you've got to be smart, but you just have to know when to take your chances. Yeah, so not much really, just try and get off to a better start and see how it goes.

Q. A 74 has you +2. Describe your first round here at Augusta National.

CAMERON SMITH: I mean, pretty rubbish to start, to be honest, but fought hard on the back. The back nine was really solid. Yeah, I mean, nice to hang in there and get something out of it, you know.

Q. Talk us through your eagle on 15 because that approach shot was magic.

CAMERON SMITH: I mean, I hit a good drive, too. It was just a perfect 7-iron. Could not have been a better number, and Jordan just hit before me. He hit a 6-iron and went over the back, so it was just a perfect crushed 7-iron straight at it.

Q. Very tough going out there. Did yourself and Jordan have any chance to enjoy it at all?

CAMERON SMITH: We tried to for the most part. We tried to keep the chat up. It is very -- you can get very down on yourself out there. It's very tough. But yeah, we tried to keep it as happy as we could.

Q. Very different conditions to November when you finished tied for second, but do you feel these conditions actually suit your game better?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I do. This is probably a little bit more like home. I think growing up we played on firm and fast greens, and the course presents a good challenge, but it's one that I think I can play good on.

Q. Your coach Grant Field is back in Australia. Do you FaceTime him tonight? Do you text him? Do you screen his calls? What do you do?

CAMERON SMITH: We're probably going to go hit a few balls now. I probably won't FaceTime him. I'll probably take a few videos and have a little chat with him tonight, nothing too major. It actually felt for the most part pretty good today, just some tough conditions.

Q. Because of the relatively high scoring, do you change your strategy going into tomorrow?

CAMERON SMITH: I don't think so, mate. I mean, I've been around here enough to know what I can do and what I can't do, so just take the chances when they present themselves and then just try and grind all the rest out.