ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 3, 2022

Adam Scott

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. Adam, thoughts on the day. Is this the easiest you've seen this course since you've played in this event?

ADAM SCOTT: Is it the easiest? Definitely not the easiest at all. Maybe the least wind, but it's definitely not easy out there. The rough is incredibly thick. It's a half-shot penalty almost every time you hit it in it. I didn't think it was that easy because I didn't hit every fairway either. But I managed my round really well.

Q. Do you like it when there's not runoff areas around the greens, or would you prefer that? Most people believe that that separates the great chippers from the good chippers.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it can. It's a tough balance when you grow the rough up like this. It feels like there should be rough around the greens. I'm not sure if this course was designed for runoff areas or not.

You know, the conditioning of the grass is so important if you have runoff areas because you really should have options. I'm not sure Bermuda is always the best for that kind of thing. So I don't mind if they've gotten rid of the runoff areas here.

Q. Did you go today without a driver?

ADAM SCOTT: I did.

Q. What's the situation behind that?

ADAM SCOTT: Trying to hit fairways. If you look at my driver stats, accuracy is not its best thing. Distance is fine, but accuracy is not good. If it's not in the bag, it's not a temptation.

Q. Do you feel -- I guess, when you play with a guy like Rory and you're watching that, do you feel like it's costing you on the 5s or anywhere?

ADAM SCOTT: No, because I know better than to get into a big hitting contest with Rory McIlroy.

Q. When did you make that decision?

ADAM SCOTT: Yesterday.

Q. How did it work out?

ADAM SCOTT: Not bad for me, 68. I mean, that's not bad.

Q. Are you going to do the same thing next week?

ADAM SCOTT: I don't know. I've got to think about whether I'll do it tomorrow or not yet.

Q. Do you feel like you played off Rory today, like there was good energy in the group?

ADAM SCOTT: I like playing with Rory. I really enjoy watching him play. He's a guy I can watch play and get positive swing thoughts for myself. I love watching him swing a golf club. I think almost everyone in the world would say that. But he's a guy I like watching play.

Generally, he can lift my level of golf, especially when he's playing the way he did today.

Q. Is it a simple when he plays the golf course well because, when he's hitting the driver well, he can be dominant that way, or is there more to it?

ADAM SCOTT: I think that's a little bit one-dimensional maybe just to say he drives it good around here. He drove it well today, but I thought his speed, his putting was beautiful today. You've got to hole a few putts to get to 7-under around here. I thought all of his game looked really good.

And of course when he throws a driver at 330 in the fairway, that's a nice spot to start coming into a green from. His driving is so impressive when he's hitting it straight like today, it's easy to kind of make any course look fairly simple from there.