ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 3, 2022

Ian Poulter

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. Just assess your round, if you could, please. 4-under, very nice score.

IAN POULTER: No bogeys. I think that first round in 2022, that's been clean. It's nice, especially on this golf course. The rough is a little thicker than we're used to seeing in previous years. We don't have the runoffs around the greens.

The couple of times I needed to make up and down, I did. The rest of the time, I kind of put myself in position to make a few birdies. It was nice. It was a good round of golf.

Q. I can't help but notice the color choice that you have there. Is there a reason for the color choice today?

IAN POULTER: Yeah, I think it's hard, when you flick the news on right now and obviously you see the devastation that's going on around the world and you feel for the people in Ukraine, just wearing a similar color today in respect to those suffering over there is the least I can do.

Just everyone's probably thinking of all those families that are affected right now.

Q. What made you think of it? Have you done that before?

IAN POULTER: It's hard not to think of it, right? You wake up in the morning and you want to read the news, and you go home at night and you want to read the news. I've got quite a few clothes in the closet, so I found a couple of colors that I think would kind of give them a little bit of respect.

Hopefully, just the thoughts and prayers for the families out there.

Q. The idea that you're out here playing golf, it's tough with what's going on in the world?

IAN POULTER: It just seems like every time you think there's light at the end of the tunnel, something else comes along. It brings it into perspective pretty quickly. We just play a silly game of golf while others are in the world suffering.

Q. This is a terrible transition, but back to the course. Do you have any preference on the runoffs or the thickness of the rough that's replaced it?

IAN POULTER: Well, I actually felt the course played really tough. James and I were discussing kind of all of the holes that were significantly different because of that. Holes like 15, I think you can be a bit more aggressive to a couple of pin locations. Right side of that green was always treacherous. If it's down there, you're probably staring 5, and that front left pin as well is horrible.

With the rough there, I think the ball's not going to go more than kind of two paces off that green, which may or may not give you a chance of obviously making 4. So I think in some holes it's more difficult. On other holes it's a little easier.

Q. Obviously getting off to a good start is key, but on a course like this, shooting 4-under knowing you're going to go out tomorrow morning, how big is that to get out -- in the afternoon to get off to such a good start?

IAN POULTER: I walked on the putting green at about 11:00 this morning, and they felt reasonably soft. By the time I'd hit a few balls and teed off at 1:08, it was quite the opposite. They've dried out significantly I think from the morning wave. I'm sure they're going to have to put some moisture on them tonight, and I'm going to enjoy that tomorrow morning.