BETFRED BRITISH MASTERS HOSTED BY DANNY WILLETT

May 6, 2022

Justin Walters

The Belfry

Quick Quotes

Q. Obviously a track you're happy with, very close here in 2020. What's your relationship like around here?

JUSTIN WALTERS: A love relationship totally. I've always liked it here. Just get a good feeling around here. I came here when I was still an amateur, landed from South Africa and walk down holes with Lee Westwood way back when and fell in love with the golf course then and it's nice to be back and it's nice to be back in England. It's just lovely to be here when things somewhat normal. We've had good weather. It's been so fun. I've enjoyed it.

Q. When things feel normal, Ryan Fox touched on it yesterday, he feels like a weight has been lifted as things move towards a bit more normality. Do you feel what is happening outside the course reflects what you're doing on the course?

JUSTIN WALTERS: I think it has a big impact on our psychology definitely. Obviously the height of it was really difficult.

But with that being said, I think it's made me appreciate, and I'm sure others, more now. I'm not saying I wanted it to happen to get the appreciation but since all that devastation and what we went through has happened, it's given us a new outlook on things and it's just lovely to hear people clapping and laughing. Sometimes you back off a shot and then you think, well, it's okay, and it's nice to have people back and it's been great.

Q. How is the course playing?

JUSTIN WALTERS: There's not as much rough this year but what's nice about it is seems like the course is holding up without any rough. I think they have narrowed the fairways in some places and a bit of a chillier feel in the air and a bit of swirling wind. I think the greens are firmer than they have been in the past and I think that's all this course needs. It's got a nice balance of reachable par 4s, really long par 4s, a good balance of par 5s. If you play good, you get rewarded and if you don't, you get punished and that's all we can ever ask for.

Q. In contention going into the weekend, does your mindset shift? There will be more drama and 10 tee will be moved up, which will make a few people think.

JUSTIN WALTERS: Last Saturday in Spain, I ruptured my deltoid ligament in my left ankle, and I played Sunday in a severe amount of pain. Hobbled my whole way around. Didn't touch a club from Monday or Wednesday, really, on the range. I just putted.

So yesterday was a real test to see where things were at. I've kind of had to adjust my swing a little bit and it's actually benefitted in other ways, which has been good.

To get to your question, it's been a case of survival at and just being in the moment and hitting shots and hoping it holds up. I don't know what it can do for another two days because it's wrapped heavily and taken a lot of medication to get through the last two days. If I can hold up, yeah, just keep hitting the shots and doing what I'm doing, I think with the injury, it's helped me stay present and in the moment and just trying to hit that one shot and then go and find it and see where we end up.