THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2022

Sam Ryder

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you describe how difficult those conditions were today?

SAM RYDER: Yeah, it's just tough. Really hard to get in a rhythm. It's all about just getting committed to your shots, especially 17 is a perfect example, watching guys, just tough out there. Just the wind, it's gusty. It's just inconsistent. It's just hard, especially after a lot of waiting around, not knowing when you're going to play.

They moved a couple of tees around, so it makes it a little more manageable, but like a hole like 18 is just -- if you would have given me a 5 before I teed off I would have taken it. But yeah, I told my caddie on a couple of shots I'm just trying to make solid contact.

For the most part I hit a lot of good shots. It's hard to gauge my round, whether it was a really good round or not, but fortunately I had a solid round the first round and kind of hung on and had a couple birdies at the end, made one bad swing on 14, made double, and then it's just -- it's just tough when things start going sideways, and in a wind like that it's just really difficult.

Q. What did you hit on 17?

SAM RYDER: 17 I hit a 7-iron. Matt Wallace went first and I told my caddie, I was glad we got to see him hit because I was thinking it was an 8, it's only 130 and change. Yeah, I mean, it's just very out of the ordinary. I hit a really straight shot, didn't know what to say to it in the air. It looked like it was going in the back grandstands and then it looked like it was coming up short in the water by the end of it.

It's just all about, like I said, just hitting it really solid and getting committed to whatever number you've got.

Q. At what point does it become fair and maybe not fair?

SAM RYDER: I think it's fair enough. I think one of the only things that was a little frustrating today was we fell behind on a couple of shots because we had to go back to the tee because a couple guys were kind of getting put on the clock there, and it's like, it's playing so tough, it's like how fast do you want me to drop and make a double bogey for you here so I can get out of the way of the tournament that's going on. It's just not easy, and if you -- you can fall out of position really quickly.

I think the course setup and everything is plenty fair, it's just hard, and with all the delays, it's just -- it's a little frustrating at those times because it's not easy in those conditions. You've got to kind of throw some of those policies with time out the window a little bit when you're on a tee like 17. Imagine getting timed and trying to hit quickly and you're in contention to win a golf tournament with a $20 million purse, and you're just trying to get it done within a certain time spot. It's just tough.

Q. Were you getting timed on 17?

SAM RYDER: No, not on 17 but we were timed from 12, 13, 14, 15. You know, I was playing well, and I was 3-under, and it's just -- I was playing good golf. I'm not complaining about that. I think the course conditions were fine. It's just like -- it's just difficult. We're looking at a Monday finish. Like it's just a matter of when.

Everything in terms of our windows when we're trying to -- we're just trying to get the golf tournament, have a really good tournament played on one of the best venues we have, and we're playing for a lot of money.

Q. What's the craziest shot you had to hit today?

SAM RYDER: The most stressful was probably the tee ball on 18, and the tee ball on 17. But I didn't have anything too crazy I would say. It's just you were just taking different lines.

I live 20 minutes away. I play this course pretty regularly. I'm looking at shots I'd never -- lines I'd never usually take.

It's like I'm playing a different version of golf, so I'm kind of just deleting those from the memory bank and just trying to commit to certain lines from certain tees and stuff like that.

17, I just watched Hudson Swafford hit one in the water when I was doing my scorecard, they said they've had 24 balls so far in the water. A lot of the guys haven't even teed off yet at this point, so we'll see what happens. If conditions are like this tomorrow, that number is going to get up there pretty high.

Q. Where did you have to aim the tee shot on 18?

SAM RYDER: I was aiming pretty much in the water and trying to hit it pretty straight, and it finished in the right pine straw. I don't think that's necessarily unfair, it's just hard. It's not like it's set up goofy. It's just the weather is just making it difficult. The balls weren't moving on the greens. I think at the did a good job with that. The course for how much rain they've got has held up unbelievably well in my opinion. It's pretty amazing how well it's held up. The greens are still rolling pretty good for how much -- it's been dumping.

All in all, I think it's about as good as it can be.

Q. 17 and 18 are challenging for you guys; what would you expect someone with a 10 handicap to play those two holes in in these conditions?

SAM RYDER: A lot. I mean, they might not finish. You just have to hit it so solid, you can't -- that's the only way you can predict how far the ball is going to go. For guys, really good PGA TOUR players who miss it just the tiniest, tiniest of margins and it's a 20-yard difference with how far it goes or direction. It's just really tough.

Q. How many balls in the water would you expect someone with a 10 handicap to put in?

SAM RYDER: It's one of those things where they might hit the first one on the green or they might go through their whole bag. I would say it would take a couple at least to try and get a feel for it. But a 10 handicapper is a good golfer. I would probably put my money if it was a coin flip, I would put my money on it being in the water before being on the green to start.