ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 2, 2023

Adam Schenk

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize the round out there today?

ADAM SCHENK: I just made a lot of putts from 12 to 15 feet. I didn't hit it overly straight, which I'll have to take care of for the rest of the week.

The rough's long. I drew some good lies and was able to advance the ball toward the front of the greens and chipped or putted down there to 5 or 6 feet a couple times and made 'em every time. So that was crucial in holding the round together.

Actually, played the last hole nicely, just made bogey. But just tough.

Q. Talk about how tough the course was playing this morning, even though it was early on?

ADAM SCHENK: Yeah. Not a lot of wind, which made it a little easier. But being early in the morning and having the rough wet made it a lot harder, so it was a premium on hitting the fairways. Obviously there's a lot of trouble out there as well, so driving it straight on this course is a must.

Q. Did you feel like you got away with a few drives?

ADAM SCHENK: Yeah, I got a couple good lies. I also had a couple bad breaks. On 15 I hit the lip of the bunker, didn't have a stance, and then basically grounded it out of the bunker, hit the tree, and fortunately made a 7-footer for bogey. So that could have easily been a double. But do need to drive it straighter for the rest of the week.

Q. (Question about the wind.)

ADAM SCHENK: Yeah. I knew having a good day today, making putts if I could keep it going, that would give me all the more opportunity tomorrow because I know it's going to be hard. I'm sure they're going to set the golf course up a little differently, move some tees up, maybe try and soften and slow the greens down just so balls will stay. But it helps when you have a good round, a 4-under, a 6-under on a hard golf course, it kind of sets you up for the rest of the week. Because you're going to have one round, most likely, where you don't play so good and if you can post another 4-, 6-under at some point then you're going to be near the top of the leaderboard with a chance on Sunday, hopefully.

Q. What's the stress level playing this golf course? A lot of players have compared it to a major championship in terms of the speed of the greens and the height of the rough?

ADAM SCHENK: Yeah, I've only played in two majors. The rough was long at both of 'em. But definitely feels a little more like that.

This morning it was an early morning, so I was, you know, warming up in the dark's a little bits harder, so not as long of a warm-up. So just kind of by the time I looked up I feel like we were already on the our 12th or 13th hole. So it did go by fast and now we have the rest of the day to do whatever. Which is the nice thing about starting at 7 a.m.