HONDA CLASSIC

February 26, 2022

Andrew Kozan

PGA National Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. A general overview of how the day went.

ANDREW KOZAN: I hit it really solid. I've been hitting the ball pretty good all week. One or two poorly hit shots yesterday, ended up kind of costing me down the stretch. Went out there today, knowing that in my mind, knowing I haven't been hitting the ball bad, so I had a lot of confidence still, even after yesterday, so just kind of went into it with a good mindset after this morning getting through on 18 early in the morning. So, yeah, I mean I had a lot of confidence as I said and hit the ball really well today, gave myself a lot of good birdie opportunities, didn't really capitalize as much on them as I would have liked to, but it was still overall a solid day.

Q. What time did you go to bed last night what time did you wake up this morning?

ANDREW KOZAN: Probably about 11, I probably fell asleep 11, 11:30 last night by the time we grabbed dinner and went home. And I think I was up a the 4:30 stretching and stuff, getting ready for today. It was kind of a tough break, I mean I wanted to finish last night, I was excited to get the round over and get ready for the weekend, but I mean it coming down 18 we couldn't see the balls at all, the other guys I played with were just outside the cut line, so I guess they just kind of wanted to get out of there. So I made the decision to come back this morning and it worked out.

Q. Could you walk us through that, did you have any, was it tempting to go for the green in two this morning and could you walk us through the clubs you used?

ANDREW KOZAN: No, I didn't. I guess you could say if I was going to go for it that would have been the time, but with that pin it was a front left and you want to miss left of the green, so it's a really tough up-and-down any ways to that front hole and especially the position I was in the last thing you want to do is put one in a bad position and have a tough par or miss one short right in the water and then you're kind of over with. But I knew where I was it was only 260, 265 to the hole and so I hit an easy 9-iron and had a sand wedge in, so for the position I was in, it was a lot easier just to take the stress out of it, hit two easy 150 yard shots and call it a day.

Q. The putt? 20 feet first one?

ANDREW KOZAN: Yeah, landed right on the front edge of the green, if it would have landed on it would have bounced right to the hole probably, it landed maybe six, seven inches short under the fringe, kind of came back a little bit. I was probably 25 feet I would say, maybe five, six feet off the green. 25-footer, maybe. Give or take.

Q. I don't mean this in a rude way, is this your first post-round interview?

ANDREW KOZAN: No.

Q. Okay. Could you take me back to the Puerto Rico Open?

ANDREW KOZAN: I think I was 15, yeah.

Q. Were you 16 at the time?

ANDREW KOZAN: I was, yeah. 16.

Q. And you won the AJGA tournament. How was that playing in that thing?

ANDREW KOZAN: That was awesome. Yeah, I won the AJGA Puerto Rico Open probably two or three month prior to the event so that was a blast. That was just great opportunity, that was -- as a young kid I would say, I mean you want to go in there with the mindset of trying to win, just like every other tournament, but obviously at 16 it's a little bit different. But I took a lot of positives out of that week, played with some great players throughout the week, just learned a lot that week that would really be helpful in the future amateur golf that was to come, college golf and all that it was definitely an experience I was able to look back on with some positive energy from.

Q. Are you aware this will be your biggest paycheck?

ANDREW KOZAN: Hopefully.

Q. No, you're guaranteed you're biggest paycheck this week. You're guaranteed?

ANDREW KOZAN: For the season, yeah. I made a good one last year but in Q-School, but --

Q. Yeah. Well how much -- I'm sorry how much was that?

ANDREW KOZAN: Like maybe 30.

Q. Oh, okay the Q-School.

ANDREW KOZAN: But for this year, yeah. For this year, yeah.

Q. Is that on your mind at all?

ANDREW KOZAN: No, not at all.

Q. You came in, you had a chance three birdie right in the last four holes. Just take us through that, when you hit 15 you're even par on the day, and then you, and you're putting for birdies or par on the way in coming in. Just at that point what were you thinking and just especially it's been a short night take us through those last four holes?

ANDREW KOZAN: I still had a lot of energy, surprisingly. This is my sixth week in a row, so you would think maybe being a little more tired, especially come the weekend, not getting a whole lot of sleep, but still had a lot of energy, especially this week, a lot of fans, a lot of friends and family that are out here, supporting me, kind of pushing me along. So after the finish yesterday kind of went into kind of aggressive, not aggressive, but a little more aggressive I would say mode today. Nothing to lose, pars aren't going to do too much just got to make some birdies, see if you can get some birdies and kind of slowly move up that leaderboard going into tomorrow.

Q. You walked off 15 shaking your head. Did you feel that was a makeable birdie?

ANDREW KOZAN: Yeah, it absolutely was. I missed a few shorter ones, you know had a good look on 11, good look on 13, and then a good look on 15 as well. Didn't capitalize on either of them, but it's golf, it's a game of averages. So just looked at my caddie and said, Well, we're definitely due now, and was able to make the one on 16, good 2-putt on 17 and good birdie on 18 as well.

Q. Was that approach shot at 16 as good a shot you hit today that thing, that was?

ANDREW KOZAN: I don't know I thought the one on 15, given the pin and the wind, I would probably take that one. I think 16 was a little bit closer but 15, given that into, off the right wind, with that pin tucked right on the water, I would say that was probably the shot for the day.

Q. How many people were here -- were as many people here to start your day today as far as friends and family --

ANDREW KOZAN: I had a few.

Q. -- to end your day last night?

ANDREW KOZAN: Yeah, I had a lot here finishing up last night. Most of them didn't come out. I think we restarted at 6:45 this morning, so still had a few out there today though once we made the cut and got the tee time a lot more were showing up throughout the day so it was great.

Q. And then also playing as a single, matter to you, advantage, disadvantage, anything like that?

ANDREW KOZAN: I don't think there's an advantage or disadvantage to it. I guess you always want to look at the positives of it, you know you don't have to worry about playing with other people, waiting -- there's a lot of time you get some slow players you got to hit the shot you got to wait awhile. So it was nice you can kind of get in a groove that way I feel like so I guess that's a positive of it you get in a groove in your own zone and you can kind of keep the pedal to the metal without vehicle to wait on other tee shots because sometimes you get to the Bear Trap, you got a 15, 20 minute wait to hit the next shot. So it was nice just being the first group off today as well in that sense to go when you're ready.

Q. Lastly, have you played -- this course -- um, what is your history been on this course? Have you played it as well as you have today in the past.

ANDREW KOZAN: Yeah, we were members here for eight years actually, so, yeah it's, it was, I think I was a member here from the age of maybe 7 to 15. So it was pretty much my home course for most of my life. So, yeah, a lot of history out here.

Q. What is your commute time this week?

ANDREW KOZAN: 25 minutes.

Q. What time did you get to the golf course?

ANDREW KOZAN: 5:40.

Q. Warm-up for possibly four shots how long does that take?

ANDREW KOZAN: It was just a typical warm-up as I was going out to play 18 holes because I knew once I made the cut I would be teeing off one of the earlier groups as well so got the full warm-up in, just as any other day, maybe a little more emphasis on the two shots I knew I would have to come in I knew I would be hitting a 9-iron and probably a sand wedge so I hit a few extra of those on the range just to feel a little more confident once I got out there. But other than that it was just a typical warm-up.

Q. What did you do the 30 minutes between ending and starting your first third round?

ANDREW KOZAN: Got breakfast. (Laughing) That was about it. Hit a few more shots to get back and loose again, but other than that it was grab food, hit a couple shots and go.

Q. What are you going to do the rest of the day?

ANDREW KOZAN: Relax. Long couple weeks. Last night was long night. Early morning. So grab some lunch, maybe practice a little bit and get back and watch some movies and relax.

Q. The last thing for me and I apologize, you were rolling yesterday and then the double at 14. But what is your thought process in the fading light after what happened at 17 going to the 18th tee how do you handle that?

ANDREW KOZAN: Nothing changed. I mean, still a birdie hole, I was still, I wasn't really worried about the cut line I knew I was on the cut line but I was still looking at 18 as good, hit a good drive, you have a wedge in, it's a good birdie opportunity to move up the leaderboard again. So I wasn't really worried about the cut line, given 18 being an easier hole, especially once I got the tee shot off last night that's really the only thing that can get you if you're laying up on the hole, so.

Q. You live in Palm Beach Gardens?

ANDREW KOZAN: I do.

Q. Okay. It takes you 25 minutes?

ANDREW KOZAN: Well I'm down in south Palm Beach now. South Palm Beach north Lake Worth area now. But we're from Gardens originally and my parents live in Wellington, I'm down Lake Worth.

Q. Okay. Okay. So yesterday on 18 I know your partners couldn't wait to get out of here. So they were finishing no matter what. Did they discuss it with you at all?

ANDREW KOZAN: No, I just told them -- we hit the tee shots on 18 and no one even saw the shots. You know you're like, okay, I think I hit it straight. Then you got to walk out to the fairway just to see if your ball's there. So once we hit the tee shot I was like, I'm waiting guys. I've had a later tee time the last couple week, so I've been in a similar scenario, so what was needed I think they were already out of the cut so they just wanted to get out they didn't want to come back I would have done the same thing. But for what I needed, two solid shots, couple good putts, it was definitely the right call to come back today.

Q. And they were like, hey, we're out of here?

ANDREW KOZAN: Yeah, yeah. (Laughing).

Q. It was no problem?

ANDREW KOZAN: No, they didn't care. Yeah, they don't have to come back or anything they just send an official out here with you in the morning so it was easy enough.

Q. You said you've had some later tee times, did you ever make the mistake and decide to go ahead and in the dark?

ANDREW KOZAN: Well last week I was in their position where I was going to miss the cut so I finished any ways. (Laughing) But no, I haven't. I think one of the weeks I had to come back out early again, you know the level of golf we play just a single shot can make or break a whole week. Especially with the strong field that's we play. One shot could be difference between 10th and 30th. Especially looking back on the end of the week. So I mean and every shot you can get you don't want any disadvantage hitting in the dark or anything like that and that's how most of the guys are thinking out here.

Q. When you talked about the bad shots on Friday, did any of that weigh on you thinking that you could or could not make the cut out here?

ANDREW KOZAN: No, absolutely not. Definitely not. I mean, I hit -- I hit two bad approach shots and a poor bunker shot and that was about it. The bunker shot was just a bad break too. So I mean two bad shots on this course is perfectly fine I just happened to miss both of them or one of them in the wrong spot on 14. But I still had a lot of confidence, I was hitting some really great shots besides those.

Q. You talked about obviously you didn't play your round out yesterday, when you got home or when you were sitting talking to our coach or eating dinner, whatever, was there any push or pull about should you go for it in two tomorrow morning?

ANDREW KOZAN: No, not for the scenario we were in. We talked earlier in the week that front left pin as I said, it's a tough one to go for in two any ways, especially having a 3-wood in. If you can get down there and have a 4-iron or a hybrid it could be, but as far back as I was and the scenario I was in, it was definitely not worth it.

Q. Where do you play now in this area?

ANDREW KOZAN: I'm at the Breakers West.

Q. You said you were here like for seven years. What did you, what did you take from this golf course as a kid trying to play here?

ANDREW KOZAN: I think it was the fact that I played so many times with some great players and you see a bunch of low scores out here, I feel like people travelling to this event always think Bear Trap, the whole course is super intimidating, so they're not in a great mindset to start the week. But I've seen so many low rounds out here I felt like I could come out here, be aggressive and shoot some low scores.

Q. I assume that you've been to this tournament numerous times.

ANDREW KOZAN: Oh, yeah, my whole life.

Q. How often do you think about wanting to be inside the ropes?

ANDREW KOZAN: Every day. Every day since I was probably 7. So every time I was out here even Honda's in what, February, March? They start putting the stands up in December. You always want to go out and play as close to the event as you can putt with the stands up just to fell like you're playing the event. I mean, so it's a dream come true this week.

Q. If you could take me last one, when did you get the call that you got the sponsor's exemption and how did that feel?

ANDREW KOZAN: I got it Sunday night. I got a text from Gary Nicklaus and it was tough because we there was four spots available we didn't get the first three, so we were kind of assuming we weren't going to get it just because there was the Monday qualifier on Monday, because you wanted to be in the right mindset that if I don't get the spot I still need to go out there on Monday and earn it. So I was out there doing, practicing, doing a practice round on Sunday, got home Sunday night, was getting the clubs, getting the outfit ready for Monday and then got the text, said, No need to worry about tomorrow, just come on out and enjoy the week.

Q. From Gary?

ANDREW KOZAN: Yeah from Gary, yeah.

Q. And you believed him?

ANDREW KOZAN: Yeah. (Laughing).

Q. Have you met the Nicklaus's before.

ANDREW KOZAN: Yeah, I have. A bunch of times.