BARRACUDA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 5, 2021

Emiliano Grillo

Tahoe Mountain Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Plus-12 on the day, opening round. What are your thoughts of the course and overall?

EMILIANO GRILLO: I love the course. Played it last year. I enjoyed it a little bit more than the other one -- was a little bit easier; this is a little bit trickier. You have to hit good drivers. If you hit them left-right it's kind of hard to get away with it and the greens are fast. The greens are real nice. And so today I was able to, like I say, (indiscernible) play and I made some putts. I was able to close out with a couple birdies. My dinner is going to be enjoyable.

Q. With those -- sinking some of those putts, a hot start on the front and finished it with some nice birdies. Any certain area of your game you were playing aggressive with this format?

EMILIANO GRILLO: No, you almost are going, you are going for the birdie most of the time. Even if it's maybe a little bit more complicated to get it close or you're taking a little bit extra risk, you're just trying to avoid the big number. If you avoid the big number this week you're going to be in good shape. And every par-5 you have to try to go for the eagle.

It adds up more than double and it pays off. I was able to get one today. And that really -- it got me out there a little even though I was only playing three holes so far. And I was able to hold on and finish well.

Q. Is that a strategy at all you talk with your caddie about with those par-4s and par-5s?

EMILIANO GRILLO: The strategy changes a little bit, like I say. You try to get eagle and sometimes when you're kind of in between putts you go for the extra club just to get it to the hole to give yourself a chance.

Q. It seems to be a tournament where you're always kind of finishing top-25s or something that matches your game and style -- you're in elevation?

EMILIANO GRILLO: No, I mean, I just like the format. It's just different, something different. Every week we play 72 holes, stroke play. And come in here, it's kind of like match play. You're (indiscernible) just only for this week. And I honestly wish like not only this week but some of the weeks it was like different formats -- more couple events, more match plays, something different (indiscernible).

Q. Wind play any factor? Looking forward to playing in the morning?

EMILIANO GRILLO: Absolutely. It was really hard sometimes out there. (Indiscernible) trees and some holes like the wind is coming from a totally different direction just because of the trees.

It was very tricky out there. I was able to save some good pars in there when the wind was tricky and (indiscernible) for sure.

Q. Were you able to get some rest last week with an off week before a busy end to the season?

EMILIANO GRILLO: Definitely, that was a little bit of the plan. I know playoffs is the most important part of the year, at least for me. So I decided to take it off. And only an hour away from here. So trying to get as much rest as possible and be as fresh as I can going into the playoffs.

Q. And in good standings with the playoffs for FedEx Cups, but are there certain things that you're trying to improve with your game going into the playoffs?

EMILIANO GRILLO: Yeah, I've been trying a little off the tee and I'm starting to find a little bit more and more, feeling better over the ball, off the tee. That's it. I've been working really hard the last few years with the putter and it's been paying off. So just gotta keep going.