SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 6, 2023

Luke List

Plantation Course at Kapalua

Quick Quotes

Q. Good bounce back from 16 to finish strong and a really good day. Could you tell us about it.

LUKE LIST: Yeah. I was a little disappointed with yesterday because I feel like I played a little better. I just didn't score, especially you've got 14, 15, and 18 you kind of got to make some birdies on, and I played those 1-over yesterday, and I was a little -- not pleased with that.

Got off to a good start today in birdieing 2 and just kind of played consistent on the front, and then was just kind of trying to keep the pedal down. These guys are so good out here, you can't just let up and coast on this golf course. Even though it was a little, I thought a little tougher today with the wind, I was able to put myself in good positions having a lot of opportunities.

Q. Do you like this place?

LUKE LIST: Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's my first time here, but everybody kind of told me that I would like it and they were right.

Q. Why did they tell you that?

LUKE LIST: Pretty wide fairways and kind of beat on the driver a little bit. It's obviously spectacular viewing and golf course and after the golf's pretty good too.

Q. What do you do?

LUKE LIST: Just chasing the kids around the pool.

Q. No beach?

LUKE LIST: There's a beach right there, but mostly the pool. For whatever reason, they're not keen on the beach so much as the pool. So that's fine with me.

Q. What could the score have been today? You were 8-under today.

LUKE LIST: Yeah, I mean, I made most of my opportunities. 16 was a little sloppy with my number, and then I kind of, I could have chipped it, but felt I could get that putter close on the third shot. And, I mean, I'm okay with it. That happens. It was just kind of an in between wedge number.

Obviously that was a birdie opportunity to make bogey there, but I capitalized on most of my other opportunities out there today. So it's, woulda shoulda doesn't really work a whole lot in this game. So I'm happy with my score today.

Q. We're kind of looking at it and three guys were 9-under yesterday. You start thinking about it. How low can people go out here?

LUKE LIST: Even though par's 73, there's definitely a 59, 58 out here. It just kind of needs to be the right conditions based on, the wind I think is the biggest thing. But a lot of times with the wind, you do get some downwind holes and that makes some of the holes shorter and gives you some more scoring opportunities.

Although, there's some crosswinds and into the winds with some wedges that are tough, I think generally the no wind is when guys would go bananas out here, which I think last year there was a couple 61s, 62s, is that right?

Q. There were three 61s.

LUKE LIST: With the talent now, it's not out of the realm of possibility to see 14-, 15-under.

Q. We were thinking more like 40-under?

LUKE LIST: For the winning score. Yeah, I was thinking single round 14. But 40-under, that's --

Q. It's only 63-over day.

LUKE LIST: Yeah. Yeah. I would be impressed if that gets to that point. What was it, 34 last year? That's pretty good in itself.

Q. You are going to be defending in a few weeks. How are you preparing for that? Anything different? Does it feel like a year ago --

LUKE LIST: I'm just trying to get my game back in good shape. I kind of went through a lot of changes with some golf swing stuff and I've been working hard with my putting instructor, John Graham, and just, I feel like I'm actually putting better than I was when I won last year.

So to get my ball striking back a little bit, which left me, which is the new thing for me in the last several years. So if I keep driving it well, keep improving on my irons, and putting the way I know I'm capable now, then I'm looking forward to defending.

Q. You win and you make changes, but the changes, I take it, are because you kind of found a little bit of a rough patch?

LUKE LIST: I got into some bad habits after the win, which happens out here. You start getting some bad habits. You don't realize, you don't catch it in time, and then that kind of cements itself in your swing, and then you kind of lose a little bit of confidence, and that's kind of what happened. And I never feel like it was terribly far off, but it was enough that it was really inconsistent.

Q. What do you remember best about last year?

LUKE LIST: I would like to be in that position again, but kind of in the last group on Sunday instead of waiting around for an hour and a half or however long it was. I just was hoping to get in a playoff and was fortunate that it was my time to get in the playoff. And obviously Will Zalatoris proved himself the rest of the year and to get his first win later. It was just my time that week.

Q. When you make changes, are you necessarily trying to get better or are you trying to get to something where you can easily more easily maintain it?

LUKE LIST: Yeah, I just think that my career has been a little inconsistent, so when I'm on, it's really good, when I'm off it's bad. So it's trying to make the bad not so bad and still keep the great at the high level.

So it's just being a little bit more consistent where I feel like I can give myself more opportunities to contend and have some better finishes instead of missing some cuts here and there, and that's kind of what the mindset is.

Q. When did you get here?

LUKE LIST: Friday. Came a little early with the family and enjoyed it for a few days. Played nine holes every day pretty much besides the pro-am and have been enjoying the weather.