MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 10, 2021

Billy Horschel

Quick Quotes

Q. What did you specifically ask Phil as soon as you got up off the landing?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I said, How bad is it? I said, How bad is that grass stain going to be, and he said, There may not be one there, and he looked and said, Yeah, there's one there, sorry, buddy. Obviously that's going to be a highlight that's played on social media or maybe Augusta or the Masters will take it off. But I was hoping to make the putt so at least it would be something funny from it.

Q. What did you see on the second shot there off the pine straw? How far and what were you thinking?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, we had 200 yards of carry there and 205 pin. It was a decent lie, it was just a downhill lie, and it was a tough pin to get close to with a wedge shot. So I either had to lay way back and try and get that wedge shot because the way the pin is, it sort of slopes down and to the right so you've got to land it in the right spot, or you've got to go way past the pin and to the right. I've hit two really good shots in there the last two days from the fairway, and I thought it was just a 5-iron from the pine straw, and as long as I hit it solid and kept it left of the flag, it would be okay, and just half a groove low, and I thought it still was going to get there and was about a yard or two short.

Q. Was the shot from the creek as easy as you made it look?

BILLY HORSCHEL: No, it was completely submerged. And when I say completely submerged, I'd say it was probably a couple inches under the water. Fortunately enough, I've hit a few shots from the water just for fun in my lifetime, and I understand that the ball will come out if you -- it wasn't too deep, so as long as I just knew -- I knew there was a whole bunch of green behind me, so as long as I hit it hard enough, it would come out. So Phil thought -- he was impressed by that. I guess that's my highlight of the day.

Q. What did you see out here today just with the wind and stuff?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, it was swirling a little bit. It was funny, it blew hard the first few holes for us and then it died down and then picked up the last couple holes. Yeah, it was swirling. I thought I hit a really good shot at 14, and somehow we had it in off the right, and it flew eight yards further than we thought it would. I mean, I hit an 8-iron 165 normally, and it flew 173. That was a little unfortunate, and made bogey there, then the next hole was downwind. So how you have two holes going downwind -- so it's going to swirl out there a little bit. I think there are some gettable hole locations, and the greens are still pretty receptive out there, and they're not fast. I mean, this course is completely different than when I played it when I teed off on Thursday at 1:00. It was really fast and really firm.

You know, I'm not sure if it's the humidity in the air or maybe they're just playing games with us a little bit, but still pretty receptive, and the greens aren't too quick yet.

Q. The putt on 16 and the third shot on 18, kind of take a little bit of the sting out of --

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, I've played decently well this week. I haven't putted as well as I've wanted. I haven't made a lot of putts. And so it was nice to finally make a putt at 16, that long one. All I envisioned as it got close to the hole was that ball lipping out like it did yesterday on 16, and then 18 I needed to hit a better tee shot, and there was only one shot to be played from there, and it was the Phil Mickelson full-out flop shot, and after I hit I told him he inspired me to hit that shot. And then I told him I hit it closer, after he hit his shot on the green, that I was closer.

Q. Would it be a mistake to write this guy off yet, Phil? Do you think he's still got some fire in the tank?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, you know, I'll be honest with you. A couple years ago I would have said I'm not sure what kind of game Phil has. But I think he's showing some bright spots this year. He's hitting the ball better, driving the ball better.

I think the thing that if you look at over the last few years, his iron game has been really bad from what I could tell, hasn't been up to his standards -- let me clarify, hasn't been up to his standards that we all know. And I think I've seen this week, or at least I saw today and over the last few months his iron game is back. He's driving it better, and he looks like he's rolling it well.

Yeah, I mean, what is he, 50, 51 in June? And he still hits it pretty far. He still goes at it. He's out-driving me when he goes at it. Listen, the guy has got a ton of confidence. He's not afraid to hit the shot when it's called for.

I think does that mean he's got something special over the next few years? No, but I think I wouldn't be shocked if he does win in the next few years somewhere.

Q. Can you think back to junior golf or college golf to a moment that maybe was more, I guess, in the embarrassing category as slipping on the golf course? Is there anything that's happened to you over the years that was probably more embarrassing?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I've ripped my pants a few times, and early in the rounds.

Q. With cameras?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Thankfully there was no cameras. I don't think I've done it -- I did it in a mini-Tour event. I've done it somewhere else.

Q. What about slipping on the cooler at Bay Hill?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I don't know what you're talking about there.

Q. Tried to box jump on the cooler --

BILLY HORSCHEL: No, I do not know what you're talking about there.

The great thing about that, there was no visual evidence that that ever happened. That was a great thing that I did it behind the cameras. Tiger was giving me crap earlier in the week about that, and so obviously I was going to show him that I could jump a little bit, just jokingly, and as I was in the air I saw the cooler was not -- the lid was broken, and thankfully I was behind the cameras because it would have been a funny sight to see. Tiger was on the ground laughing for a good minute and a half.

Yeah, there's been some embarrassing things, and it happens. I don't know, maybe it's me and things I do it just happens. I'm fine with it. Like I said, it's funny. You can't laugh about it and have fun with it, it's okay, and I do a lot of it on my own.

Q. That's what they say when you have tailored pants, that they're going to rip every now and then.

BILLY HORSCHEL: I wasn't wearing Ralph Lauren when I ripped my pants, let's just say that. I was wearing other clothing companies.

Q. So Ralph Lauren is holding up better?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Ralph Lauren does a better job than any other company out there.

Q. Course setup question: You hit on the members' tee on 4 --

BILLY HORSCHEL: On Thursday.

Q. Was that unusual?

BILLY HORSCHEL: No, you know what? I think they've done that a little bit more the last few years, they've done it at least one of the days. They did it in November and they've done it in '19. I think they've even done it a year before that somewhere. So it's not unusual to see it there one day, usually Thursday or Friday. I would like to see it there every day. I think it's a really good hole from there. Maybe if they built a tee in between those two tees it would be even better. That's just a tough hole, especially from that back tee. You've just got to know where to hit it to certain pins to get up-and-down.

Q. Setup-wise have things been fairly normal? Has there been anything unusual?

BILLY HORSCHEL: No, I think setup-wise it's been good. I think the only thing to me is that -- that befuddles me is we haven't had a lot of rain and we're getting some mud balls in the fairway. So I think they're playing tricks on us a little bit, which we're used to a little bit, but it's fine. I think the setup has been really fair. It's been really scorable if you hit good golf shots.

As you've seen, Rosey shot 7-under, he played right in front of me on Thursday, shot 7-under in really tough conditions. You know when you come here they ask for almost perfection on every golf shot or close to it, and you've got to be able to land it where you're looking, within a yard, and if you do that, you get rewarded.

Q. Are more guys hitting driver on 3 this year than in years past?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I don't know. You know, that hole is -- everyone plays it differently. I hit driver when the pin was in the back like it was yesterday, and then I pretty much lay up with an iron. I think every guy is trying to figure out how to play that hole. It's such a good little par-4. You've got to figure out do you want to get up there and have a short little chip shot today, like Phil did today. Phil hit a great drive and with his short game he bounced it right in the hill and had a three-foot birdie putt. I laid up and I missed the green, so maybe I played the hole wrong. Everyone plays it differently, and like I said, I think it's a really good little hole.

Q. So the math begins with the pin position?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I think the pin position dictates whether guys hit driver. I think where the pin was maybe the first day or the last three days, you would hit driver. I don't think you're going to see a lot of guys hitting driver tomorrow to that left pin just because you get it up there so close, like you said, you're going to have to bounce something in that hill. Everyone is a little bit different. Only guy I could see hitting driver maybe is Bryson because he thinks he can drive the green.