MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 10, 2022

Jason Kokrak

Quick Quotes

Q. It's a big thing for you for the top 12. What would that mean if that were to happen and you could come back next year?

JASON KOKRAK: It's something you don't really think about until after the tournament is already over. I played some nice golf in the wind today. I just didn't have the right stuff, a couple of miscues. I played solid on the front, but just couldn't get any putts to go, but not overly displeased with the week.

I played some good golf in spurts. Made some putts when I needed to. It was a nice putt to make on 18, but I'm learning this golf course more and more. It always takes me a few times around a place to really learn how to play it. Did Riviera for quite a while and almost won there.

I think the more opportunities I get around this place, the better I'm going to play. The golf course suits my eye. I'm a high-ball hitter. I think if I could do a little better around the par-5s and I guess practice my shots with the ball above my feet, I think that's where it's really killed me this week on 13 and 15. Other than that, I played solid.

You play 12 at even par with a double bogey, it's never a bad thing. I'm not displeased with the week itself.

Q. How did you feel about the alterations to the course on 11 and 15? Suit you?

JASON KOKRAK: Absolutely. Being a longer player on TOUR, it definitely suits me better. Overall, it's a 3-wood for me all day long. On 10, guys that are hitting -- today I hit an 8-iron into 11, and if you have any hurt, like in cold weather I hit 5-iron in, and guys are hitting longer clubs than me into that hole. A few guys might be hitting 6-iron, but it definitely suits me better to lengthen the holes.

I think the only tee ball that doesn't suit me is 18 because I like to work the ball the other way. I think I hit that fairway twice, and I think I missed it by a total of two feet.

Q. Even the longer holes (indiscernible). I know there's wind and wet and all that.

JASON KOKRAK: It was super cold two of the days and blowing 20 miles an hour straight in our face, and it's just not an ideal shot. It's easier to hold the green, I guess, but downwind you're thinking about hitting the green and going over and over into that water, which is just -- that's as tough of an up-and-down as laying it up.

Q. What did you hit today?

JASON KOKRAK: I made birdie, but I hit an okay drive, and I had between 4 and 5-iron. I think I was trying to play 4-iron over towards the right side and just overdid it and hit it just short right of the bunker. I was trying to err on that side.

Kind of an easier pitch from over there. Other than that front right pin, that right bunker is doable to pretty much any pin.

Q. But imminently reachable with an iron for you in normal conditions?

A. Normal conditions with 75, 80 degrees with no wind I'm hitting a mid-iron into that par-5, but you have to be so precise with that shot. Whether it's the left side, if you land it hole high, you're going to be 20 yards over the green. Same way if the back right pin, if you land it anywhere near hole high with firmer greens, it's just -- it depends on the firmness of the greens.

I was going to say, without that 4 inches of rain, I think we're looking at a whole different golf course.

Q. You've already gone into so much detail. For example, on the tee shot you play right to left, and that slope, that thing has been increased. Does that make the tee shot that much tougher?

JASON KOKRAK: I think it's just one of those shots that it's like hitting a smaller fairway. It's immensely bigger over to the left, but you either wedge up over the trees or you kind of punch something down there and you have a wedge in.

Q. You go for it?

JASON KOKRAK: Absolutely not. You can, but it's not a good idea.

Q. What do you make of Scottie Scheffler? Is this just an incredible hot streak, or do you think we're starting to see something?

JASON KOKRAK: I think he is an incredible player. He has been playing Walker Cups and Junior Golf all the way through, and I think he is going to be one of those players that when he is hot, he is going to win a lot.

He is on an incredible hot streak. I don't think -- I think I know where you are going with this, but I definitely don't think that we'll ever see the likelihood of seeing a Tiger Woods again.

He is doing Tiger Woods things right now and winning multiple times in a two-month span, but it's impressive stuff what he is doing on the golf courses he's doing it on.

Q. As long as you're answering that, do you feel like you won't see Tiger again simply because of that kind of talent emerging or because of the way the TOUR is changing?

JASON KOKRAK: Both. As well as I think Tiger Woods was a better golfer and artist with the golf ball and was able to do things that you really can't do anymore with the golf ball in the modern equipment.

He has done stuff that we're definitely never going to see again. The level of athlete, the level of player that we're seeing right now is overall better. But nobody is going to -- I don't think anybody is going to touch on the work ethic and the things that he went and did for himself and for his golf game to become the No. 1 player in the world for 600 straight weeks or some crazy, insane number.

Scottie Scheffler is doing some insane stuff. Look at Jon Rahm, what he did there for a year and a half to two years. Collin Morikawa. The list goes on. The guys, Justin Thomas did it for a long time. You're going to see new up and coming players.

I'm 36 years old. The median age on the PGA TOUR now is 25, 26 years old. These guys are the future of the sport and the future of golf, and they're showing it now.

Q. The style of play was also related to the type of equipment, and because the equipment has changed, that style of play that you said brought out Tiger's genius isn't quite as accessible.

JASON KOKRAK: I definitely don't think so. I think you see it a little bit with Bubba Watson, how much he moves the golf ball. But Tiger hits 7-irons two, three clubs different. The modern golfer doesn't really have that many gears and different shot shapes and different things that he does with the golf ball. It's so impressive to just hear the sound that he makes on the driving range. It's incredible to have him back.