HONDA CLASSIC

February 25, 2022

Chris Kirk

PGA National Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Great playing. 2-under. How were you able to follow-up yesterday's round with another good one today?

CHRIS KIRK: A lot of the same thankfully. Really started out just kind of steady making a bunch of pars, hit one of my best shots I've hit in a while on 17 today. That hole's playing significantly more difficult than it was yesterday and for me, I draw the ball 98 percent of my shots, I hit like a little knock down, cut 6-iron in there and made the putt. So that was a huge boost for sure.

Then making, not easy but relatively easy birdies on the first three holes on the front nine, I hit a nice 9-iron into about 10 feet or so on 1.

Great drive and a sand wedge to 5, 6 feet on 2.

Hit just a miracle 3-wood to hit it on that back right portion of the green on 3 and just burned the edge. Hit a really great putt for eagle almost. Almost ended up with a 3 there.

But, yeah, it was some good steady golf and hit the ball I felt like better as the day went on and putted great again.

Q. You've mentioned in a couple other interviews about getting back on to Bermuda greens after the West Coast Swing. How important is that for you this week, you're putting very well and not just this week but for the entirety of the Florida swing and beyond?

CHRIS KIRK: It's definitely a comfort factor for me. Bermuda and sometimes bent, but mostly Bermuda, has been mostly what I've had the most success on for sure and the faster the better seems like.

For me, I tend to struggle with the greens that are a little bit slower where I feel like I got to hit at it some. If I know the greens are real quick and I can just kind of let it go, that seems to be when I hit my best putts and I seem to be pretty decent at reading Bermuda greens, so it's a combination of a number of things, but yeah, it's just what I'm most comfortable on.

Q. As it stands right now in second place definitely going to be in one of those last few groups tomorrow how do you keep it going into the weekend?

CHRIS KIRK: Just more of the same. I felt good about my golf swing for quite awhile now and then the work I've done with Ramon, my putting teacher, the last few weeks has got me feeling a little bit more confident in that area and yeah, so just keep plugging away.

Q. What are your thoughts when you walk into the Bear Trap?

CHRIS KIRK: I don't know I guess I don't think about it very much. It's a collection of three fantastic holes. I think that Jack did a great job of making 15 and 17 different enough, they're obviously similar holes, but you always have a different wind angle every time, so it requires two very different shots.

Then 16 is no cupcake either. Everybody kind of has to play to that same area in the fairway and you're left with a middle iron in to a difficult green.

So I think it's three, it's just three really great holes is the way I look at it I guess.

Q. Which one of the three is playing the hardest in these last two days?

CHRIS KIRK: I would say today 17. Today 17 for sure. 16 can be pretty difficult, but thankfully 16's much easier when you have that little bit of help on the tee shot where you don't have to hit a driver or 3-wood and you can hit, I've been hitting 2-iron off the tee or hybrid or whatever.

But, yeah, 15 I find to be very difficult with that right-to-left wind, as a drawer of the ball it's hard for me to hold it against that wind enough to keep from going in that left bunker. But yeah, I would say, to answer your question, sorry, 17 today has been definitely the most difficult.