THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 13, 2022

Tom Hoge

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. I have to ask. Kisner stood up here yesterday and said the integrity of the course and the tournament were questioned because you guys got to play today. You had essentially two days off and other guys were out there in the wind yesterday. What's your assessment so far of how it's played out?

TOM HOGE: I saw his comment hoping it was really cold for us. We certainly got that. I was onto my third sweater, I think, and I still wasn't warm enough. You know what, I think we definitely got the good end of the draw. That's golf, I guess. It was certainly difficult out there still this morning. I felt there were a lot of challenging golf shots out there.

I just tried to hit a lot of fairways and greens. I managed it very well until the 18th hole. But it was a solid day for me, and hopefully I keep that going.

Q. Have you been in bad waves before at tournaments?

TOM HOGE: I think we all have. You're out here long enough, you certainly get the bad end of the draw. I'm not sure how it will stack up. I watched on TV those guys struggling on 17, how hard that was. I came out and practiced yesterday afternoon. I knew that they had a very difficult afternoon out there, and it was a lot easier when I got to 17 this afternoon.

Like I said, there's so many hard golf shots as it is, but you've still got to step up and hit a lot of good shots to shoot a good score out here. So I feel like I did a pretty good job of that.

Q. To finish the way you did at 18, I know you weren't in love with it, but to make that longer par putt there, how do you think that's going to help you going into your third round since it's back-to-back?

TOM HOGE: Yeah, it was great for momentum. I felt like I played really well. I three-putted a couple of par-5s for pars and let a few other chances get away from me. For me, it was nice to keep that intact and not make a bogey there. It will make lunch a little better this afternoon.

Q. You've got a chance to play this same course all over again later in the day for round 3. Have you taken any mental notes on any holes, anything in specific to help you out?

TOM HOGE: Not a lot. I feel like I did a really good job in today's round just staying right there with each golf shot in the present. It sounds so cliche, but you let your focus slip just a little bit and a big number's right there waiting for you. I did a good job staying with it. I think we'll have a similar wind this afternoon, so it will help having played some of those shots already once today, and hopefully I can take advantage of that.

Q. How did you spend your day off?

TOM HOGE: Two days off actually for me.

Q. Two days.

TOM HOGE: It's a good time of the year for college basketball, so I watched a lot of basketball. Got a little practice yesterday. But kind of like everyone else, just a lot of sitting and waiting and hoping we get back out there.

Q. Is there a team you're rooting for?

TOM HOGE: I went to TCU. It was fun to watch TCU play for a few days in the Big 12 tournament. Selection Sunday today. We're waiting for those brackets to come out.

Q. Have you got a rainy day movie, kind of a go-to for that?

TOM HOGE: Not really, no. I would say I'm more whatever sport is on at the moment.