HILTON GRAND VACATIONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 21, 2022

Mark Mulder

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Mark Mulder. So, Mark, you made eagle on the last hole. How is it out there today?

MARK MULDER: Well, I made an eagle on 15 and 9, starting on the back, so that was -- it was nice to finish with that.

I had two bad drives which really cost me, my two bad holes of the day. So other than that, I played okay. I mean, I really should have been a couple under through the first four.

I hit it -- the first four holes starting on the back I was inside ten feet and I missed every single putt. I kind of did the same thing inside ten feet yesterday, so I knew they were going to go in eventually. Today I finally made a couple.

So I'm happy to be where I am. We're only halfway so still a long way to go, especially with us celebrities. There is a lot of moving room I guess you could say with us.

Q. Do you have any certain expectations for the rest of the weekend?

MARK MULDER: Well, sure. I'm here to win. I'm being honest. I didn't come here to finish second. I want to play well. I want to win this tournament, and I know I can if I play well. So if I can avoid those few doubles -- I think I've had three doubles in the first two days -- so if I can avoid those I'll be okay. I'm bound to putt better than I did the first two days.

If I do that, I know I'll be there on Sunday. I just want a chance. I want to be in that final group, and I think any of us would. I think any of the LPGA girls would say the same thing. You just want to be in that final group with a chance to win, and for us celebrities it's the same thing.

Q. So how much tougher is this year's course from last year's?

MARK MULDER: Personally, it's way tougher. Last year I shot -- it was a par-34, 37, last year; I shot 29 on the front nine on Saturday sat and shot a 30 on the back nine, which is a 59, over two days.

But point is you could go really low at the other course, at the Four Seasons. This one you can't. It's just way too narrow. A lot of these holes take driver out of my hand. I hit a lot of rescues, couple 3-irons.

So it's just about positioning and then putting yourself on the green somewhere with a putt to make.

Last year's course, the one we've played the last few years, was way easier than this one, which I love though.

I would rather have a much more difficult course than something easier where somebody can go real low.

Q. And how has it been playing alongside the LPGA players?

MARK MULDER: I love it. I workout with Anna, Anna Nordqvist, I had Anna Nordqvist today, and yesterday I had Danielle Kang who I played with a couple years ago.

So I know a lot of these girls. Anna, we workout in the same gym in Scottsdale. We're members of the same club, so I know her very well. With Jeremy Roenick, who was our third person in our group, I'm friends with him.

Any time we have a group like that it's very comforting I guess you could say. You don't have a lot of nerves, very comfortable with the people you know, and makes it a lot easier.

Q. Do you play at Whisper?

MARK MULDER: I'm at Whisper Rock and Silver Leaf. There is a lot of -- Chez Reavie and Kevin Chappell, Pat Perez, they're some of my best friends. I'm fortunate enough that I get to play with them a lot. I get my butt whipped by them.

Q. Keeps you sharp.

MARK MULDER: Yeah, very frequently. It gets me ready for this type of a tournament I guess you could say.

Q. What did you have in on the par-5s for the eagle?

MARK MULDER: On 15 I had a pitching wedge, which I hit to about 12 feet.

On 18 -- or No. 9, I had a 7-iron which I hit to 25 feet and then made the putt.

So like I said, with my length, normally a short course could help, but with this one, 250 to 270 off the tee is where you need to be. That's my rescue, not driver.

So few of the par-5s I have to be very exact with just to take advantage of that length; otherwise rescue is probably better because that's what I'm hitting off almost every par-5.

Q. Wow.

MARK MULDER: Like number -- was it No. 8 I hit rescue through the fairway into the water, so even that one I should have hit a 3-iron.

So some of these holes are very short for me as far as I hit it, so I got to be very careful with my club selection off the tee.