WM PHOENIX OPEN

February 11, 2022

Patrick Cantlay

TPC Scottsdale

Quick Quotes

Q. This tournament is pretty different in terms of how voluble it gets and Brooks Koepka was saying that it kind of keeps him on his toes a little bit in terms of like he feels like he should be booed if he hits a bad shot. What's your take on all of that, how does it sort of make you feel or how does, how is it different from a week in and week out?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, it feels obviously a little more important on 16, although it's really not. And today making the 2 there, making like a 20-footer, it felt really good. Different than some of the other 20-footers I made today for birdie.

Q. What's like the best getup that you saw out there today, either on 16 or somewhere else, the best costume and was there anything memorable said out there today that sort of rose above the din?

PATRICK CANTLAY: No, I didn't really pay attention to much of that. I didn't see any costumes or hear anything too crazy. With the music playing and all the people yelling, it just sounds like a dull roar in the background.

Q. What took you so long to play this tournament?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I think I just play a lot on the West Coast and so this was the odd one out. This one, this year's sandwiched in between two tournaments I was playing and so as opposed to going back east home I just decided to stay out and play three in a row.

Q. And what was working for you today?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I drove the ball and putted really well today. I didn't hit a lot of great iron shots, but I hit a couple close coming down the stretch on 6 I believe. When the greens are this good and you can get in a nice rhythm you can make a bunch of putts out there and today I did.

Q. How far in advance do you wake up for an early tee time?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I mean, three hours or so.

Q. And then how much of it is physically warming up before you start hitting golf shots?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I work with my PT in the morning and then do an active and so I'm about an hour.

Q. And then do you know what you're ranked in the world right now?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Top-5, but I think Viktor jumped me.

Q. You're 4th. Do you pay attention to it? I mean obviously not that closely.

PATRICK CANTLAY: I do pay attention, but obviously not like a hawk. I think it's a good marker, but nothing to get caught up in day-to-day.

Q. And then your string of results obviously super impressive so far, do you feel like you're playing maybe the best golf of your life?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Hard to say anything different tracing back to end of summer. I'm playing really well right now, my body feels good and I'm hitting it where I'm looking and making some putts and so, yeah, I'm playing well right now and it's fun to be out here.

Q. You put yourself in a good position heading into the weekend. What do you need to do Saturday, Sunday so that you will be on top of the leaderboard at the end of the day?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, more of the same of what I've been doing. I still feel like I'm learning the golf course a little bit. This was really only my third trip around today. And so as I get more and more comfortable with the lines off the tee I think the key to this golf course is driving the ball in the fairway.

Q. Your two playing partners today, Hideki and JT, how do you feed off them and how do they feed off you throughout a round?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I've played with Hideki a good amount and then I play with JT a lot at home in Jupiter. He's been a great friend of mine for a number of years, we played junior golf together. So it's just like playing a round at home in Jupiter.

Q. Went out early today, yesterday you were on the back half of the day. Can you compare and contrast the conditions out there and how your round went today versus yesterday?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think we got the better side of the wave with less wind and so that's obviously really key. Sometimes it's nice when you're playing well to get feel like you don't really have a break you're just out on the golf course the whole time and not have that early and then late tee time.

So I think we definitely had a benefit being on that side of the draw and then I played well and was able to carry the momentum through the 36 holes.

Q. You played pretty well today, if there's one thing you could take away that you want to work on what would it be?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I think I could have played a little better from the fairway. I hit a couple wedge shots not exactly how I would like. And so distance control out here is a little tough with the elevation and I'll just dial that in a little bit over the weekend.

Q. Is the heat affecting you at all because it's a little bit warmer than most years we have out here. Is it a factor at all?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I wouldn't say that, it's pretty nice, actually, to be honest. I mean, not very much wind and 78 degrees is perfect.

Q. Was 16 what you expected it to be?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah. I mean it feels, it feels like an amphitheater in there and everyone's pretty loose and having a good time. I can only imagine what it would be this afternoon around 4, 5 o'clock.