THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

January 20, 2023

Jon Rahm

PGA WEST Pete Dye Stadium Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Great start. Back-to-back 64s. Got to be feeling pretty good, I would imagine, heading into the weekend.

JON RAHM: You are absolutely correct. Feeling great. Lot of confidence. Having essentially the hardest course two days in a row, but I'm in a really good position. So hopefully I can keep the good game going.

Q. I know the more you win, the more you're going back to tournament venues you've won before. But how nice is it to come back to a venue like this where you have had such good success in the past?

JON RAHM: I mean, I don't want to be playing based on what I've done in the past a lot. But obviously I have a lot of good visuals going into a lot of those holes. I've done a lot of good things around all the golf courses here and I've posted good scores. So obviously my level of comfortability is very high.

Q. You said you shot 64 yesterday and it wasn't the best that you could play. You shot 64 today. Looked like it was maybe a little better. Particularly your iron play going into the greens. Seemed like you were on the pin all day.

JON RAHM: I would say -- I'll give you the same answer as yesterday, except my wedge game. That was probably the best I've ever had it. It was a distance today which was basically a hundred-yard-feeling shot that I had multiple times. I had it on, let's say 10. I think I had it on 13, 14, 15. Close to it on 1 and on 5. That is six shots that none of 'em were outside eight feet and three of them were absolute tap-ins. One almost went in. So, yeah, that part of it was amazing. I hit a couple of really good long iron shots as well. Second shot into 7 was really good.

Listen, when I'm saying it's not the best it's because I expect a lot of myself. Especially with how good I've been playing. But still pretty damn good rounds of golf.

Q. I think you're one shot lower this year than you were in 2018 when you won here. I'm not sure that means all that much in this tournament though, especially given that you got two rounds at Stadium.

JON RAHM: I think I'm tied, I believe. I believe I'm tied. But again, really doesn't matter what I did in the past. Stadium I remember that year played a little bit more difficult. I think I shot even or 1-under on that third round and barely lost any ground. Pretty sure if I do that tomorrow I will lose some ground. So just got to keep on going.

At this point where we're at on the PGA TOUR with so many great players going on you need to show up on the weekend and shoot low. If anything is proof of it it's the fact that two weeks ago I shot 16-under on the weekend and ended up winning the tournament. So you have to keep the foot on the gas and keep making birdies.

Q. Davis Thompson has five eagles in two rounds. Two yesterday, three today.

JON RAHM: He had three today?

Q. Three today? 11, 4 and 7. Somehow. But I guess, again, at this tournament that's not the most surprising stat you're going to hear.

JON RAHM: I mean, five eagles through two rounds on two different courses is pretty impressive. Now I wouldn't expect to keep it going for the weekend because those par-5s on the Stadium Course are, that would be some serious thing to do, 10 eagles in four rounds. But, yeah, I mean it's good playing. Things can happen out here. It's accessible and if you get the right number, the right shot, the greens are in such good shape that you can make a lot of putts.