AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

February 4, 2023

Keith Mitchell

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Keith Mitchell to the interview room here at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. At the time of suspension Keith is 10-under and in a good position on the 11th hole at Pebble Beach. So, Keith, thoughts on how the round was going so far and looking forward to tomorrow morning resuming at 8 o'clock?

KEITH MITCHELL: Definitely pleased with how I played today. We definitely -- first couple holes were very benign. Then right when we got on 6 green is when the wind started picking up. Playing 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, pretty much straight into the wind. 8 was a little off the right, but everything else was straight into the wind.

We knew going into today that those were going to be the tough holes. That was going to be the hardest stretch potentially all week. If we could make it through that stretch in a relatively good score, I would be set up for the weekend.

Felt like at even par from 6 tee to 11 tee I was very pleased. Had a couple great up-and-downs. I was hitting driver -- I hit driver, 4-iron into 9 short. And that hole normally can be like a wedge. If you can get it down the hill.

So it was definitely playing tough. I think I hit 8-iron on 7 from a hundred yards. It was getting out there.

But then turned on 11, we were going to have every hole downwind or just cross all the way up until 17. So felt like I had some good scoring opportunities coming up.

Then, unfortunately, one hole at Monterey Peninsula stops play for the entire day.

Wind looks like it's going to be switched tomorrow. So now I'll be playing 11 through pretty much almost through 18 straight into the wind, if not into off the left I think it may be.

All the holes are cut for a south wind. We figured we were going to be done in three days. So the rules officials were smart, they put the holes where they're supposed to be. So there's definitely going to be some tough hole locations with a different wind.

So tomorrow's going to be very difficult in the morning. With the rain, the gusts up to 20, it's going to be a tough -- it's going to be tough. But we got to give it our best.

Then when we restart on Pebble on No. 1 in the next round everybody will be back on pretty much the same playing field. So I think tomorrow morning's going to really say a lot about this tournament. Whoever comes out strong in that, wherever they are on any of the three courses, will really determine the rest of the event.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Do you recall what was going through your mind having gone through that beautiful stretch through 10, and I don't know what you had in to 11, but then hearing the horn?

KEITH MITCHELL: I knew when they blew the horn what it was. I figured we were just going to stop in place for a little bit. Maybe go back out.

But the forecast, every time you looked at the forecast it looked like it was going to get windier and windier.

If you could put some water on the greens on that one hole on Monterey, No. 9 -- that pin was really tough. It was right up against the slope. So I can see why those balls were moving.

You don't want to say if there was a different pin it might have not happened.

But we figured it might be Pebble. It could have been all the places. If that's the case then -- of course it just stinks that it was one hole on one golf course that stopped 156 people from playing.

Q. Did any of the players in your group have a problem with the ball oscillating?

KEITH MITCHELL: Oscillating's different than moving. You're going to keep playing if the ball's oscillating. That's just how you play golf. As long as the ball's not moving.

Definitely on 6 and 7 you would wait to mark it just to make sure the ball found its place.

I hit my putt on 6 and felt like the ball might have oscillated a little bit while I was marking it and putting it down. But you know that's going to happen today.

Q. No movement of ball in your group?

KEITH MITCHELL: No. I didn't hear anybody's moving. Except 8 and 9 on or maybe just 9 at Monterey.

Q. Aside from the weather part of it, how odd and sort of challenging is it psychologically to stop so early and then come back early tomorrow and play obviously a lot of holes tomorrow. How is sort of the -- it kind of disrupts the normal rhythm I guess is what I'm asking.

KEITH MITCHELL: We've done this so many times, rain delays and start and stops, that you just get used to it. It's definitely different, but everybody's got to do it. So it's not necessarily harder. You just got to wake up tomorrow and just go through your normal routine and try to rock and roll in the afternoon.

So it's really -- the only bummer, I mean, we've had a great group with Kevin Chappell, Eric Church and Josh Allen. We've been having a blast. And now knowing that those guys or Josh, it looks like we were in good position to make the cut and then he's not going to be able to play the last round.

I actually was actually pretty bummed because we had such a good time. He's kept me loose. We had a lot of fun. Kind of forget where you are sometimes. Helping him read putts or hit shots it kind of takes you out of your thought process and kind of hits the reset button.

So I look at it as a positive that he's in my group, having a good time. And it's a negative that he's not going to be able to play on Sunday, considering that he made the cut.

Q. (No Microphone.)

KEITH MITCHELL: I would assume. So I haven't spoken with him. But the guy was out practicing in the rain and the wind this afternoon when everybody was inside. So I don't know. I can't imagine him not showing up. The weather's better tomorrow morning than in Buffalo right now, I can promise you that.

Q. What do you do to mentally just lock in tonight, tomorrow morning, to prepare for these tough conditions that are going to be in front of you?

KEITH MITCHELL: Same as every day. I always get up about two hours, two and a half hours before my tee time. Have breakfast. Get PT. Go to the range. Do some putting drills. Hit some balls. Go to the tee. I'll do that every day for every tournament for every round just to get going.

Then I'll probably, after the morning -- I am in the -- I think I'm in the latter half of the wave tomorrow, so I'll probably have a couple hours in between, maybe an hour, I don't know.

The hard part is between rounds. The morning's fine. Probably just go have some lunch and just restart. Probably bring an extra pair of socks in case it gets wet in the morning to be able to change. Make sure my rain gear's in the bag.

Q. I'm sure Kirby Smart would be happy to give you highlights of Georgia's win over TCU, just to kind of help you along.

KEITH MITCHELL: I think I got every play memorized by now.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Keith, thank you very much for your time.

KEITH MITCHELL: Thanks.