MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2022

Webb Simpson

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize the round out there today?

WEBB SIMPSON: It was a good solid round. Nothing flashy, but had a few good par saves on the front. A day this windy, it's hard to give yourself a lot of good birdie looks. I didn't have a lot of close ones. I missed a six-footer on 13. That might be the only good look at birdie that I missed, but it was tough today.

1-under, I thought anything par or better today when I started was a great score.

Q. We talked a couple of days ago about your maturation process around here. How much does that help in the difficult conditions you had today?

WEBB SIMPSON: It helped a lot. There was a number of shots where the golfer in me, I guess, wanted to be more aggressive, but the more kind of disciplined player just went 30 feet. Like 10 was a great example. I had 8-iron middle of the fairway, and I hit it 25 feet left of the hole. I think that led to the lack of bogeys but maybe didn't afford me as many birdie opportunities as I would have wanted.

But this week's going to be tough. We've got to hang in there each day.

Q. You've got supposed difficult conditions coming tomorrow. How do you mentally prepare for that? What's your mentality as you come into a day like that on a course that's only going to get firmer and faster?

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it's going to be colder, windier. I think more of the same. I don't think it will be a ton harder tomorrow since I'm playing early. I think for the guys playing late, it's going to be difficult.

As of now, it looks like I've got a better draw, but at 9:39 in the morning, it's still going to be cold and windy. It's going to be a tough test.

Q. Last time it was really kind of cold and windy, you look back at like 2007, 2008, like Zach and Trevor. Your mindset of not being one of the longer hitters, knowing that in these conditions I can definitely compete out here?

WEBB SIMPSON: I think, when I saw the forecast, I didn't necessarily get excited, but I thought this levels the playing field a little bit, especially with this west wind because a few of these par-5s are into the wind.

But length is always a benefit. I've gotten a little longer the last few years, but the last few months I've been trying to get back to hitting fairways, being in control of my ball into the greens, kind of what I did for a long time. I got a little bit away from that, but it feels good to be back and feel like kind of the old me.

Q. With your experience, how is it different standing on the 1st tee at Augusta National versus other majors and other tournaments?

WEBB SIMPSON: Well, today I hit a tee shot, and it looked like my first Masters I've ever been to because I hit it way left, but it does help. I was still nervous, but you're drawing on experience of how to handle those nerves.

And I think you know this is my 11th Masters, and I try to, every time I drive down Magnolia Lane, just be thankful for the opportunity to be here again. I'm 36. I'm not getting any younger. So every year I'm here, I try to be thankful and soak it all in.

Q. Still special standing on that 1st tee?

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it's the best. It's my favorite week of the year.