MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2022

Cameron Smith

Quick Quotes

Q. 4-under today. Those conditions out there are just brutal, but you seemed to handle them okay.

CAMERON SMITH: It was really tough out there today. I think I did a good job of just staying within myself, staying patient with the course. Yeah, just hitting -- again, hitting lots of quality iron shots. Today the putts went in as well.

Q. And what was the most difficult part of the day itself? The wind is blowing and the greens are moving everywhere.

CAMERON SMITH: Keeping my hands warm.

Q. Did you have hand warmers?

CAMERON SMITH: I had hand warmers all day, but I don't think they helped, to be honest. It was brutal. I think off the tee with this west wind there's not many holes you get straight downwind or straight into the wind.

You get lots of crosswinds and can get quite tricky into the greens and hitting different shapes and trying to judge the wind as well.

Q. You grew up getting out of bed to watch the Masters. How does it feel that everyone will get out of bed tomorrow morning in Australia to watch you?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, that's pretty cool. I've been watching this tournament since I can remember. Hopefully everyone gets up early and I can make some birdies.

Q. Looks like you'll have the next best shot behind Scottie at the green jacket tomorrow. Where do you think your mind might go, your emotions might go tonight, and how will you control the mental aspect?

CAMERON SMITH: I don't know, to be honest. I think I'll just try and keep it as simple as I can, try and keep it the same. Go home, have dinner, have a good rest, and yeah, just really focus on getting a good rest and being prepared for tomorrow morning.

Q. What will it take for you to get the win? To pull it off tomorrow, what will it take?

CAMERON SMITH: Shoot the lowest score out there again tomorrow probably. No, I think preparation. I think it's not going to be as windy tomorrow. Typically here on Sunday, especially the back nine, you can use plenty of greens to your advantage and have plenty of birdie opportunities.

Again, just stay aggressive into the greens and just keep hitting quality shots.

Q. What gave you the most confidence going into tomorrow? What do you like most about your chances, and where can you attack the boards?

CAMERON SMITH: I think the front nine out here, it can get away from you pretty quick. I think you have to stay really patient through the front.

There is a couple of birdie opportunities, but I think the back nine tomorrow is obviously where the tournament will be decided.

Typically, there's plenty of pins in bowls, and, yeah, you can give yourself plenty of looks if you're hitting it good.

Q. How much confidence do you take -- obviously Scottie is the hottest player on the planet at the moment. You took down the world No. 1 in Kapalua. You won THE PLAYERS against the best field in golf. How much do you take from that into tomorrow?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, it just means I can get it done I guess when I'm up against the best guys in the world. It's a good feeling to have. It's earned. It's not given to you.

So I'm going to have to go out there tomorrow and play really good golf again, probably similar to today. Hopefully everything just falls into place. I can't control what anyone else is going to do tomorrow. So yeah, just go out there and really focus on myself.

Q. What was the hardest aspect of the game today?

CAMERON SMITH: I think just controlling distance into the green today was pretty tough. Plenty of crosswinds. So many uneven lies around here as well. Just so many things to really think about into the green.

Q. Did you get schooled on 16 today?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I just got a little bit of a gust. I hit a pretty nice shot, but that's really where you try to miss it there anyway. It's probably the easiest bunker shot on the course. Didn't really hit my best bunker shot, but yeah, it's just what this course throws up at you from time to time.

Q. What club was that, 8-iron?

CAMERON SMITH: 8-iron, yeah.

Q. I know it's Saturday, but how many times did you turn around and check the leaderboard?

CAMERON SMITH: Every hole, every chance there was. I believe in just looking at what you need to do. So, yeah, the goal was today to keep making birdies. Scottie was making birdies, so just trying to keep up.

Q. So you don't try to stay away from that? Is that something -- you have a lot of time tomorrow morning to think about this. Will you be watching Golf Channel? Some people try to wall themselves off.

CAMERON SMITH: I'm not a big watcher of golf, to be honest. I like to watch other sports and really get my mind off what's going to happen tomorrow and really come out here fresh with a fresh mindset and focus on what I need to do when I'm here.

Q. 15 is a lot different hole, it seems like, now. Tomorrow might play a little shorter, but do you feel like it's a big gamble to go for it now? How do you play that hole?

CAMERON SMITH: I think with that green firming up it's hard -- you almost have to hit a perfect shot to hold that green. And the chip shot from over the back, as I'm sure you guys saw today, is pretty brutal.

Yeah, I don't think I'll be going for it.

Q. Think about cutting your hair to kind of throw Scottie off his game tomorrow?

CAMERON SMITH: (Laughter) No, definitely not.