WM PHOENIX OPEN

February 11, 2023

Sam Burns

TPC Scottsdale

Quick Quotes

Q. Looking like possibly the round of the day. 7-under. Always good to be bogey-free.

SAM BURNS: I think going back to yesterday, finishing there on, after hitting our tee shots on 13 and to get called for darkness. I kind of just texted Travis and I said, I feel like, man, we're playing pretty good. Just haven't really gotten much out of the round so far. Just kind of a couple things that I did that I wasn't happy with.

So the restart, to birdie three of my last six holes that kind of gave me momentum going into this afternoon.

Played a really solid round today. I think this golf course is tricky just when you get a little bit of wind and where they put the pins. So overall a solid day.

Q. Are there any specifics you were talking with Travis that you guys were pinpointing certain things?

SAM BURNS: I think today really just trying to go out there and hit a lot of quality shots. Not trying to get too greedy at times with certain pin locations. So that was really about it.

Q. Round highlighted by the eagle. Walk us through that.

SAM BURNS: Yeah, hit a drive kind of up the right side. It just caught the desert. Then only had a 7-iron in. So was able to hit it 20, 25 feet left of it and was finally able to make a putt.

Q. Can you talk about what it's like for you to play at hole 16, just the unique hole?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, it's awesome. I think for me I look forward to it every year. It's a great atmosphere. The fans are obviously incredible. So, yeah, it's a hole that I always look forward to.

Q. Do you have to change your strategy at all? Do you have a different mindset when you're playing due to the crowd and just the different circumstances?

SAM BURNS: Not necessarily. I think you're trying to hit the correct shot. Obviously you don't want to get booed. But, yeah, just trying to hit a good shot in there.

Q. What's your favorite part about playing on hole 16?

SAM BURNS: The crowd, for sure.

Q. What does faith mean to you and how does that intertwine with your golf game?

SAM BURNS: I think for me just going out there and being able to play free. At the end of the day I know that whatever happens on the golf course I can kind of leave it at the golf course. Golf is what I do, but it's not who I am.

So going out there and knowing that no matter what happens on the golf course it's not life or death. It's not going to define who I am. So I think just going out there and being able to play with freedom.

Q. When you're playing well is it ever tempting to try to hit more drivers, aim at more pins? Do you have to check yourself?

SAM BURNS: I would say when you're playing well you kind of automatically do that just because you have more command of your golf ball. You're able to hit more quality shots. So I would say they kind of go hand in hand, I guess.

Q. Do you ever have to remind yourself to stick to the game plan or do you let yourself ride with it?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, I think, I mean, sticking to the game plan is obviously a key, especially around a tricky golf course like this. So I would say a little bit, yeah.