MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2022

Charl Schwartzel

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize that round in these very difficult conditions?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: It was tough. I think we had a little fortune this morning. It was very cold, but we didn't deal with a lot of wind for the first five or six holes. Started picking up around 7, 8, and then the back nine it was pretty much this. It got hard.

Down the bottom there around Amen Corner, the wind swirls a lot. You know that it's there. It's just trying to commit to a shot that was the hardest thing.

Q. Can you talk about your knowledge around here and how that helps on a day like today?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Sure. On days like today it's sort of minimizing how bad the mistake is going to be because everybody is going to make a mistake, so knowing the course well, if you do miss a shot, it's how do you limit that?

On 14 I pushed it right, and I wasn't trying to hit the green. I said anything long right, I'll be able to at least give myself a chance at making 4. Managed to do that. Hit long right, and I actually had a really easy shot. I guess there's a few little things like that that it helps knowing the golf course well.

Q. Was it kind of just maybe knowing where to miss it on a day like today?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Yeah. You're not going to play for misses. When you are out of position, it's how to eliminate a big number because everybody is going to make a bogey. It's not easy. Good shots end up bad today, so guys are going to have to just hang in there. It's not easy. I made a few good par saves tend, and I think those are the sorts of things that you are going to have to do today.

Q. Was the course, as it's drying out, did you find it to be a little faster, and did you have any mud issues at all?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: A little bit of mud. Nothing severe. These top holes, the ones high up -- 8, 9, 18, 17 -- they were dry. Down at the bottom it was still susceptible. You could still hit some shots in that stopped, but I'm guessing by tomorrow they'll be firm.

Q. With the wind today and through the weekend, do you feel like par is a good score, and you don't need to be as aggressive?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Par is a great score. I think if you shoot level par around here in these conditions, you are playing good golf.

Q. Considering that, how good was 3-under today?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Like I say, I think anybody would be happy shooting level par. If you shoot 3-under, that's a bonus, and you have have hit a few good shots and made a few extra putts.

Q. What were you working on coming into the week?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: I've been working on it the whole season. I haven't felt like I've played as badly as my results, though. I tried to tighten the swing up a little bit. Get the hands a little more passive. Hands were a little too active. I must be honest. These two rounds are one of the two best ball-striking rounds I've had in a very long time.

Q. Can you talk about the club you hit into 16?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: It was 166. Wind was in-out the left. I took 7-iron. I took dead aim. I always try to cut it into the slope. Felt like a really good swing and picked it up, and it sort of bounced further than I thought it was going to, and then it looked like it was in a good line. The people started getting out their chairs. I thought it might go in.

Q. What about 7 because that's a hard hole?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: 7. Yeah, 7 was playing downwind today, so I hit a very good tee shot. I had only 126 in there, so it was a three-quarter wedge, which was ideal because that could take the spin off. It was a nice shot.

Q. As you said, it's been kind of a struggle for a while now, so you come here, and you put these two rounds together, which you probably didn't necessarily see coming.

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: I did.

Q. You did feel you saw it coming?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: The bad results didn't really determine how I felt coming in here. I actually took two weeks off, and as the two weeks went by, my confidence grew in belief that I could win this tournament because I was starting to hit it very good and just looked at old footages, and it's still there.

Q. That's what you did over the two weeks, look at old footage?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: I did, and I worked on the swing, and I just tried to erase all the last couple of weeks, the results.

Q. Old footage of winning here?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Footage of winning here.

Q. What struck you the most about that?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Putting on the green jacket at the end.

Q. This place is obviously tough enough as it, but when the wind is picking up through a round, how do you not -- you're a pro, obviously. How do you not let the mind wander too much into what the wind is doing and not get too far ahead of yourself?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Well, I think that was one of the challenges. I think that's where I've been going wrong. Mind is too active, and I really worked hard in staying in the present and just trying to execute a golf shot and not to worry about what can go wrong because I've been playing too much golf thinking of what can go wrong.