MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2022

Kevin Na

Quick Quotes

Q. Can you take us through the round, please?

KEVIN NA: I played pretty well on the back nine. I played really solid on the back. Front nine made too many mistakes. I think the biggest mistake I made was on the par-three 6. I had a 12-footer downhill, and just got a little careless and hit it three and a half feet, almost four feet by and missed it coming back. You can't do that out here. It really hurts your momentum.

Making a turn at 2-over, I told myself there are a couple of par fives. Stay in it. It's playing difficult. I played really solid. I was able to make a few birdies, and on 18 it was a bonus.

Q. It looked like you played better when the conditions got worse.

KEVIN NA: Well, it just happened to be that way. Look, it's going to be more difficult tomorrow. It's going to separate the guys playing well and who is not. Short game and putting is going to be extremely important, but I'll tell you what, I think even par tomorrow -- if it does what they're saying it's going to do, I think even par is going to be an unbelievable score.

Q. What was kind of the biggest difference when you made that turn? Did your game change at all?

KEVIN NA: No, I think I just kept telling myself there's plenty of opportunities. Stay patient. Let's say I just get one back -- 1-under in the back nine with the difficult conditions going into tomorrow, I said that's even fine. I tried to hit a lot of good shots and not worry about my score. I was able to hit some good wedge shots. Good wedge shot on 15 to make birdie. And I just birdied the holes that I needed to, and 18 was a bonus.

Q. What was the toughest part of the wind for you today out there?

KEVIN NA: 12 was incredible. I couldn't believe. I hit 7-iron, and it wasn't a full, but I flushed it. As soon as it hit the apex, I was saying, 'get down.' It cleared the front of the edge of the green by four feet.

Shane Lowry hit the same shot. He is a club longer. Hit 8-iron. In the middle of the air we were saying probably go or perfect. It went over the green. That hole is going to be extremely difficult and even more difficult tomorrow.

Q. What do you have into 11 today?

KEVIN NA: I hit 5-wood.

Q. What was the number?

KEVIN NA: It was, like, 230 into the wind, and I bulleted a 5-wood to the back part of the green and two-putted and ran out of there.