MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2022

Jon Rahm

Quick Quotes

Q. So how will you assess your round today, and can you talk a little bit about the best performance of the day maybe?

JON RAHM: I played a lot worse than yesterday and shot two shots better somehow. I don't know. Just got a couple of good up-and-downs. That's the only thing I would say.

It was difficult. It's difficult. I would have taken even par, but it's just -- I felt like there was a lot of moments out there that I could have taken advantage. 13, 15, and 16, if I played them a little bit better. I could have probably ended up under par today.

Q. So you could be in a better position, but you are right now five strokes from the leader, and you have --

JON RAHM: I would probably be less than five. Yeah, Danny Willet is probably going to make.

Q. There's people that finished 3-under.

JON RAHM: I'm 2-over.

Q. Five strokes with the experience of other stuff. It's some, but it's not that much. What will you --

JON RAHM: No. I'm playing good. I'm just not getting really getting going. If it wasn't for the first two birdies, it probably could have been a very different day. It's just wind. It's difficult. It's not an easy round out there.

And, again, if I could have taken advantage of some of the moments and after that second shot on 13 and then the putts on 15 and 16. Especially 16 because I thought I made it.

Q. What was the most encouraging to you through 36?

JON RAHM: That somehow I'm still not far from the lead because I haven't played good at all. That's all I can say.

Q. Are you as amazed by Tiger as some of the rest of us are?

JON RAHM: No. I mean, up to this point it's kind of what I expect from him now. He just does something and then gets this amazing comeback. Obviously, he is still incredible, but there's always faith, and I think one of his strongest assets and abilities is to not play a competitive round in years and then show up and do it. He has done it here over the years. Not played for five, six, seven months and then come out and compete for the lead, and that's not easy to do.

Q. What else makes Tiger Woods Tiger Woods in your mind?

JON RAHM: We don't have enough time for me to talk about it. Exactly what we're all thinking. He is the best there's been in the last ten years. I'm not going to get into G.O.A.T. conversations, but I think the best golf -- the highest level of golf ever played was Tiger over a span of ten years, and it's incredible to do what he did and what he continues to do.

Q. Jon, what's the key to putting together a solid round in difficult conditions when you are just, as you said, not quite getting there?

JON RAHM: Faith and good short game. Quite a few good up-and-downs out there today. Good up-and-down on 17. It would have been amazing one on 18 if I hit a better putt. Good up-and-down on 7. Another one for bogey on 12. Good up-and-down on 11. That's the key. Trying to manage and get the ball in good spots. I felt like most of the day I was hitting a lot of 30-, 40-footers up the hill because that's just the best option you have right now. It's easy to put yourself in really bad spots to where you need to fight for a bogey, and I think I managed that pretty well.