THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

January 20, 2022

Jon Rahm

PGA WEST Pete Dye Stadium Course

Quick Quotes

Q. What did you like about how you played out there today?

JON RAHM: The score. I liked the score and the weather. It's always a very enjoyable walk out here. La Quinta Country Club it's a great golf course, it's always in pristine shape, one of the best we play all year shape-wise. It's a golf course where if you play well you can give yourself a lot of birdie chances and that's what happened today.

My swing didn't feel a hundred percent but I kind of adjusted a little bit and I played some good golf. Hopefully I can tidy up a couple putts. My first few holes I didn't hit the best putts, but then starting on I think it was on 8 or 9 I started rolling the ball better and it showed, made a couple clutch putts on the back nine.

Q. When you won here you started on this golf course and it seems that La Quinta is usually the easier of the three. Do you see more of an advantage to starting here and getting your first round under way and getting a number up on the board?

JON RAHM: Well that year I posted a low number, I shot 10-under, you get off to a flying start, so I was 16-under through two rounds, I mean I covered quite a bit of ground.

But it seems like, yeah, I mean you feel like if you come out here, you're not shooting 6-, 7-under for the most part, you're almost losing strokes, both here and Nicklaus. Stadium is the one that can show the teeth.

Even today, I mean you didn't see the lower scores as usual. Greens are a little bit firm, you have to put it in the fairway, if not it's going to be hard to hit it close. And we got some gusty wind, the wind changed quite a bit today and you didn't see as many gimmies as you usually see around here.

So maybe it's just today, maybe it will be every day, we don't know. But I think the biggest difference in this tournament is if you get a day where it's playing a little bit harder, where do you play? If you're on the Stadium Course your score can stuff. Nicklaus and here you can still post a good one.

Q. Getting off early when you didn't putt particularly well at the start, is it really frustrating when you're on those perfect greens?

JON RAHM: I mean when I hit it like 1, 2, 3, I'm hitting those putts and like I'm hitting it wasn't 10 feet or 15 feet and it's just the ball rolls so perfect so I'm like, this shouldn't be an excuse. If it doesn't go in it should be closer than what I had today.

For me early on more than anything it was adjustment to the speed. Those greens are a little bit better shape than what I putted on yesterday or maybe just because they're in tournament shape and I played earlier today, barely anybody had walked on the greens. And once I adjusted it became a little bit better.

But, yeah it can get frustrating. I was 2-under through 7 and missed three putts pretty much from 10 feet and you always like thinking well what would be, but then I ended up I made a great par putt on 4 and a great par save on 12. So it evens out.

Q. The 50th year anniversary of La Quinta Country Club hosting this tournament. Your thoughts on the overall experience and the vibe out here?

JON RAHM: I think I said it, it's one of those that I'm always looking forward to playing. It's a great golf course, it's always in great shape, and without a doubt, with the rotation we have, we've had to, if I had to be a member at one, it would be this one. Now can I plead for an honorary member? No -- kidding -- because I think, if they'd give it to me. But if I had to choose it would be this one because it feels like a better atmosphere, right? It's a private club and again it's just a really enjoyable walk, it's a really good golf course.