HONDA CLASSIC

February 24, 2023

Ben Martin

PGA National Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. That finish has got to make lunch taste a little bit better, birdies on four of your last six holes. Just a few comments about the round today.

BEN MARTIN: Yeah, like Andrew Medley's comment there at the end, caddying for Lee Hodges, he's like, you just ran out of holes. Yeah, I felt like I did a good job kind of staying aggressive. I think it's easy out here at this golf course to see all the trouble and try to play safe and try to make a few pars, but with the wind being down, there was some holes to take advantage of, and it was nice to do that.

Q. How have you been feeling coming into the week? Have you had a level of confidence that you're comfortable with coming into the week?

BEN MARTIN: Yeah, I've played four in a row kind of on the West Coast and wasn't in the last two weeks, so just had two weeks at home and actually didn't do a whole lot of golf. Just played two or three days out of the two weeks I was home. Maybe a fresh mindset more than anything. Not that I was not confident or was overly confident, but just kind of came in fresh.

I had a nice finish at Pebble the last event out, so it was nice to just kind of keep that momentum going.

Q. How much do you look at this week as opportunity?

BEN MARTIN: Look at this specific week?

Q. Yeah.

BEN MARTIN: You know, not necessarily more than any other. I think, though, that how well I've played on Thursday and Friday, it's an opportunity to go play well on the weekend.

But I try to look at every week as kind of an opportunity to play well, regardless of where we are, what the field is, what the golf course is. Certainly happy with the way I've treated the opportunity the last two days.

Q. What's part of this course that brings out the best in your game?

BEN MARTIN: I think I usually think through the golf courses well, manage my game well, and I think this course leads itself to that. There's holes where you can -- the par-5s you need to take advantage of, some of the shorter par-4s when you have a wedge in your hand, but then there's also pins you can get in trouble with and make a double bogey pretty quick.

In my mind, if you can rack up some pars on those holes where you can get in trouble and take advantage of the others, I think that's why I've shot some low rounds here in the past. I don't know if I've had any good finishes, but I remember having a good Sunday here one year.

Q. What was the best shot you hit today?

BEN MARTIN: Best golf shot that I hit today, maybe the -- it wasn't that hard of a shot, but the wedge on the last hole was nice, just to kind of not lay it up in a great spot, but then to kind of refocus and commit to trying to birdie the last hole and hit it in there to two or three feet was a nice way to finish.

Q. Nice birdie-birdie finish, especially that third shot on 18.

BEN MARTIN: Yeah, I was a little frustrated. The lay-up there was maybe the worst shot I hit all day, but luckily you can miss it left and not right there. Yeah, I had a good number with a gap wedge and hit it up there to two or three feet.

Q. Simplistically the lack of wind made things better today for everyone, but was it the wind, or was it you're striking the ball better? Four more greens today, three more fairways.

BEN MARTIN: Yeah, I don't ever remember this place playing without wind like it did today. Of course you still have a lot of challenging golf shots out there in the wind. In years past, in the history since I've been here, it only makes it more difficult, but you've still got to execute some good shots and avoid the water hazards. But yeah, I felt like I was in pretty good command and rolled it well. It was one of those days of golf that you picture, ball is looking where you're going, you make a few, have some momentum and just get it rolling.

Q. Does it help you to play aggressive knowing, okay, I'm hitting it well today, the wind is not here, I've played here enough to know that I'd better step on the gas?

BEN MARTIN: Yeah, I think you've got to pick and choose your spots, take advantage of the par-5s, some of the shorter par-4s and then some pins - 11, 14, 15, 17 - you've got to play away from and take pars. Pick and choose and take advantage where the course allows you to.