MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2021

Martin Laird

Quick Quotes

Q. Can you just talk about the conditions of the golf course today and how you found it compared to yesterday?

MARTIN LAIRD: Definitely a little easier versus this morning. The greens were softer and we had no wind for probably our first 10, 11 holes.

The greens -- obviously first out the greens are perfect out there. They're immaculate, so they're still really quick, but it was nice. It was definitely some scoring conditions early, and then the greens are firming up now, and obviously the breeze has picked up just a touch.

I would say the conditions are maybe a touch easier, but I'd say the pins are maybe a little harder, so it's kind of a little balance there.

Q. How good did it feel to be back here?

MARTIN LAIRD: Very good. Very good. You know, to get back here obviously is great, but to play really well today -- a little disappointed with my finish, but up until then I played really nicely all day, and looking forward to the weekend.

Q. We have some questions from the Scottish writers. They'd like you to talk about 16, what club you hit.

MARTIN LAIRD: I hit 8-iron, back right pin there. Wasn't sure if I could get it there but knew it couldn't go over, so tried to hit it as hard as I could. Took the slope down to the left and then I hit that putt in practice a few times and couldn't get it to the hole, so I knew it was slow.

Kind of told myself to give it a little extra and felt like I gave it a good rap up the hill and was perfect, went in nice speed around the middle. It's always nice to see those putts up those ridges going in.

Q. What are the best parts of your game right now?

MARTIN LAIRD: My iron game. My iron game, I've been struggling with my iron game the last few weeks, but my iron game this week has been really good. My coach and I kind of figured something out early in the week and I've been hitting them very nice.

I didn't drive it very well yesterday. I drove it better today, and my pace on the greens has been nice, too. You can hit good shots here and have a really tough lag putt down a hill. I feel like my pace on the greens has been good, but my iron game -- I think this is a second-shot golf course so your iron game has got to be on around here.

So I'm glad my irons are good and hopefully can drive it in the fairway this weekend.

Q. What did you figure out with your coach?

MARTIN LAIRD: Just a little thing. Playing in the wind last week I was leaning on the ball a little bit on the way down just to stay behind it a little bit more. I was kind of hitting pulls, getting on the ball a little bit from playing in the wind.

So just stay behind a little better, and like I said, I immediately got really good on the range and then in practice, so I was pretty happy coming in how I was hitting it and happy to play well today.

Q. You've played here with intensity, with a lot of patrons, you've had rounds with Tiger Woods. How different is this?

MARTIN LAIRD: It's very different. It's nice to have some people here, but especially being first out, some of those holes, hitting good shots, there's only a few people watching.

You know, it's nice in a different way. It's kind of peaceful out there, especially at 8:00 in the morning. I said to my caddie, it's just so nice out there walking around, being a little quieter. Out early in the morning, nice weather, it really doesn't get much better.

Q. Do you feel it helps or hurts and in what way?

MARTIN LAIRD: I wouldn't say it helps or hurts. This course doesn't change whether there's fans there or not. It's still a beast.

Q. How do you see your weekend here? Any plans, any changes?

MARTIN LAIRD: No, I'm just going to rest up. This place -- especially yesterday with the wind switching all over the place and the greens being firm, I was exhausted. I was in a twosome in the middle of the field yesterday, so it was a five and a half hour round yesterday in a twosome.

So when I finished yesterday I was pretty mentally beat up, so just kind of rest up, because my game is in good shape. Just rest up for this weekend.