ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 3, 2023

Davis Riley

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. What are you most pleased with on a difficult day like today to shoot a round like that?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, for sure. It's getting really tough out there. Fortunately, I was the first tee time off, so I got nine or ten holes with some pretty solid scoring conditions.

You can tell that they planned properly for the windy conditions that they're expecting this afternoon. You could tell they put some water on the greens. I think they only single cut the greens, which was good.

But I felt like this morning I took advantage of some good scoring opportunities. Then, even when the wind kicked up, I made a couple nice birdies.

I turned into the wind on 8 and 9, so just trying to get in with two pars. Unfortunately, didn't hit a great drive on 8, walked out with bogey. But 3-under today given the conditions that are coming and I had to play in, in the second half of that round, I'm super happy with.

Q. Taylor said the toughest tee shots to him are 8 and 9. What would you say are the toughest shots around here today?

DAVIS RILEY: For sure I think 8 and 9 were probably the toughest ones. You turn right into that wind and it's just -- and they had the box up on 8, so it's like it was like 275 to that bunker. So it's kind of awkward. Like, if you felt like you hit a really good drive you could get there, but you had to fit it in there a little bit.

So all those holes, and I can't think of all of 'em off the top of my head, but any of those holes that you start turning into the wind, they're super hard.

Q. How about 16, which is typically easy? Is that a little tougher today?

DAVIS RILEY: It certainly was. Fortunately, I was able to play it where it was only a handful, maybe 10 miles an hour into. I still hit a good drive and had 3-iron in. So it still was playing long, even at, whatever that is, 9:30 or 10.

But, yeah, I know this afternoon, with the wind up even more, guys, if you're going to go for that green, are probably going to have 3-iron to 3-wood in. So, yeah, it will be a tough second shot this afternoon. But, yeah, that's tougher than it has been in the past.

Q. You moved up the board quite a bit. What's your kind of thought process going into the weekend now?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, yesterday, coming into this week with the prep I felt like I was playing some really good golf. Didn't have my best stuff yesterday, but I felt like it was one of those rounds where I just kind of pieced it together. When I was off I had my short game saving me. When I was in position I was taking care of business.

So shot 2-under yesterday and I just told myself to keep doing the same stuff. I felt like I was playing really good. I was able to hit some really nice shots today and capitalize on those opportunities.