HUGEL AIR PREMIA LA OPEN

April 22, 2021

Dana Finkelstein

Wilshire Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Your name at the top of the leaderboard.

DANA FINKELSTEIN: Yeah. That's always nice.

Q. How is it going out there? Steady day obviously today, but turn in a nice round yesterday; steady today. Got feel good at the halfway point.

DANA FINKELSTEIN: Yeah, I mean, I played well yesterday and then had a quick turnaround with the -- playing in the afternoon and going in the morning.

I just kind of kept those feels going this morning, and kind of started off slow but was hitting it well. Putts started to fall on the front nine, the true front nine, my back nine.

Yeah, 1-under today, so...

Q. Trio of birdies. Any one of those in particular that was a little more excitable than others?

DANA FINKELSTEIN: Yeah, I guess on 17 I thinned a 5-wood to about three feet, so that's always fun to get away with one like that. Wasn't a great shot, but I got away with it. So sometimes you just need breaks like that.

Q. What is it about Wilshire that you enjoy, catches your eye, that fits your game?

DANA FINKELSTEIN: Yeah, well, the course doesn't play super long, which is good for me, and the greens are really small, and you really have to hit tight, good golf shots.

I think I that just sets up well for me. My ball striking has been really good this year, so just to get the putts to fall and scores start to show up.

Q. Have you played here before?

DANA FINKELSTEIN: I played here in '19, so...

Q. How did you do then?

DANA FINKELSTEIN: I don't know. I made the cut but I don't really remember, so probably wasn't super memorable.

Q. Is the weather a little cooler?

DANA FINKELSTEIN: Yeah.

Q. The air I feel like is probably a little different. Is it playing a little different?

DANA FINKELSTEIN: Yeah. The ball is definitely not flying as far as it did in the practice rounds. Yeah, I mean, I wasn't expecting it to be this cool. I only packed two pairs of pants.

But it's not bad. It's comfortable.

Q. Yeah. Just rotate the pants, right?

DANA FINKELSTEIN: Might have to. Might have to do some laundry tonight.

Q. You're obviously hitting fairways. Only missed one fairway in two days. How good has that been, especially on this course? I feel like you have to find those nice angles into the narrow greens and be precise.

DANA FINKELSTEIN: Yeah, hitting fairways I think is always key on any golf course, but especially out here. To be playing from the fairway makes it a lot easier to attack some of these pins, yeah.