VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

April 29, 2021

Justin Thomas

Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead)

Quick Quotes

Q. Justin, quick start. Some peaks and valleys along the way. How would you characterize round one for you here?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I played really well, I did. I hit a lot of really quality golf shots, hit a lot of quality putts that just didn't go in. The only really truly bad putt I hit today was 14. I just hit it too hard. I was playing break for softer speed and I rammed it. But I hit a lot of good putts I feel like that could and should have gone in and hit a lot of quality golf shots.

The wind was gusting all over the place out there and although I know I easily could have shot 4, 5, 6, 7 shots better, 2-under is fine after the first day.

Q. We talked yesterday about a little break, resetting after the Masters. How quickly can you get back in the rhythm even though it was just two weeks of competitive golf?

JUSTIN THOMAS: An eagle, birdie start helps. I was thinking walking down 1 that it felt weird, the first tee shot, it felt odd, just kind of hitting a competitive golf shot again, knowing that wherever I hit it off the tee is where I have to play it on the next shot, no matter what.

And so it was good. It was good to -- the fans were, there was a lot of them out there, they were pretty loud and rowdy and it's nice, it's starting to feel a little bit normal again.

Q. You alluded to a lot of positives from this round. What if anything do you try to fine tune before tomorrow?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I'm going to go hit some putts. Like I said, I felt like I hit a lot of really quality putts, good putts, a couple maybe had a little bit more speed. The greens are bumpy in the afternoon, you're going to get that any time you're in the afternoon wave, they're always going to be a little bit bumpier than the morning. But really just kind of go see a couple go in the hole and try and get some positive vibes. That putt on 18 was nice because I felt like I deserved to earn that after a lot of lipouts today.

Q. How has the birthday been?

JUSTIN THOMAS: It's been good. I woke up and played with my dog and had a smoothie and came out here. But that's a pretty normal birthday on the PGA TOUR just playing golf.

Q. What did you hit on the par-3?

JUSTIN THOMAS: 5-iron. Hit a nice kind of, not like a really low, but just tried to get a good flight on it and hold it up against the right-to-left wind and that was probably the best shot I hit today.

Q. Is this like you're going to be putting until dark?

JUSTIN THOMAS: No, no, probably just putt for five or ten minutes. I putted really well today, I started the ball where I wanted, I felt like I was rolling it pretty well, it just, they just weren't going in.

So I just want to go see a couple go in and see if there's anything that maybe fundamentally or anything that might be wrong to why I was missing them, but, no, I mean, I hit plenty of good putts out there.