THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

January 21, 2022

Tom Hoge

PGA WEST Pete Dye Stadium Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Great round today. 6-under 66, bogey-free. I'm guessing you probably are really glad that you got it in given the way the wind's picked up. Just a few comments about the day.

TOM HOGE: Yeah, I didn't really know what to expect. The forecast I think was 10 to 20 for today and really felt fortunate that we got through 17 holes without the wind really coming up, just our last hole there it got gusting.

But just a solid day for me. Again a lot of good birdie chances, would like to have hit a few wedge shots closer there for a few holes, but happy where I'm at. And I think we might have some wind again tomorrow as well at La Quinta, so just got to go play another good solid round.

Q. I know you've had a top 10 here before, you've had some good history here. What is it you like about this place and what is it that kind of suits your game well?

TOM HOGE: I don't necessarily think there's one thing. For me it always seems like just a good practice week for me. Put a little more work in early in the week, the weather is so perfect out here. Even this week I haven't really focused on the scores a whole lot. Just tried to keep making good swings one after another and I think that's helped me out. Kind of when I get off here I would say it's such a shoot-out, you got to make so many birdie, you feel a little bit of pressure that you got to keep making putts. And this year I haven't really focused on that, just trying to make good swings again.

Was a little disappointed last week in Hawaii, so I tried to carry that forward.

Q. Did you work anything in the off-season, anything that you've tweaked, anything you're feeling more confident with?

TOM HOGE: Nothing specifically. I took a few weeks off there with Thanksgiving and that with the holidays and then tried to get going right around Christmas time again and worked pretty hard to have a good start to the year.

I always enjoy these West Coast events, especially when we get some nice weather like we've had this week so far. But, yeah, just put a little extra work you know you can get off to a good start, start off the year well.

Q. Are you going to do anything different tomorrow given the fact that the wind is supposed to stay up? Going to keep the ball down, anything you do differently?

TOM HOGE: Yeah, I mean, I think we'll just kind of wait and see. Kind of like today. That wind was expected to blow most of the way and we had pretty calm for the majority of the round. So kind of take it as we go, one hole at a time.

But I feel better playing La Quinta, a little more protected over there in the trees, a little shorter golf course, you can play a little more conservatively off tees and just get it in play and go from there.

Q. 6-under today on the Pete Dye Stadium Course, tough conditions as you started to finish, but the wind really picked up didn't it?

TOM HOGE: I saw the forecast was 10 to 20 today for the wind and we got really lucky because we played 16 or 17 holes really with not much at all, so fortunate for that.

I just hit a lot of shots in there pretty close. Again I felt like I didn't hit my wedges as well as I would have liked to, I would have liked to hit it a little closer. It will be interesting with more wind forecast for tomorrow.

Q. I heard you talking the putting has been really good this week so far?

TOM HOGE: Yeah, everything's been pretty good. I've driven it well and I've just given myself a lot of looks which I think is key around here. It's such a shoot-out here every year, you just got to keep making birdies. So just try to keep hitting good iron shots in there and have a look on every hole.

Q. Some pretty strong winds for tomorrow, you're going to be at La Quinta, that course is not that long. Is that something you really have to factor in or do you just have to go out and play?

TOM HOGE: Yeah, it might help a little bit, a little more protected over there in the few trees, but so many great players out here that I know I got to keep making birdies the next couple days to have a chance here on Sunday.