ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 4, 2023

Harris English

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize your round today?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, it was really solid. Starting off with a holed bunker shot on No. 1 was a good start to the day. I like it when it plays like this. It's tough out there. You got to plod around. It feels like a U.S. Open setup. Felt like I just did a lot of things well today. Hit the ball really well, controlled it nicely. Hit it in fairways and made a good number of 5- and 6-footers out there.

It's playing tough. The wind is blowing around on the greens. The greens are getting nice and firm and really fast. And it's just, I'm sure, how exactly they want it to play. So par is really good. Just played really solid today. Did a lot of good things well.

Q. Why do you like it tough more than maybe a birdiefest?

HARRIS ENGLISH: I don't know. I've been trying to figure out that for awhile. I just like grinding. I don't mind missing greens and using my short game. Just the mentality of going out saying, like, this is going to be playing tough and you got to stay in the grind and put the mouth piece in. But I don't know, I've always enjoyed the challenge of these days and these tournaments like this. You have to think yourself away or around the golf course and it's more like a chess match. Sometimes birdiefest it's more like you're playing darts. I'm not a huge fan of that.

So I don't know what it is. I just got a good game plan and I've done really well to stick to that. As long as I can keep executing, keep moving up the leaderboard.

Q. Is it a byproduct of Hacker making the practices tough back in the day?

HARRIS ENGLISH: He would make us play on some really tough days. Raining, windy, cold, snowing. So he didn't mind us grinding like that. We played a good bit in college, which I liked. So maybe it was a product of that, of getting out in the bad weather and grinding it out and doing the best you can to think yourself a way around the golf course of where you want to miss it and always try to be chipping into the wind.

Q. He was probably inside during those days.

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, he was not walking with us.

Q. How much has Masters been on your mind right now? Just World Ranking, trying to play your way into that? Is that something that's a little bit in your mind?

HARRIS ENGLISH: I haven't really thought about it. Obviously didn't get top 50 at the end of the year. I just know good golf will take care of itself. I'm kind of -- I was happy to get in THE PLAYERS. I was right on the bubble of getting in next we go. I feel like I can use a couple of these weeks to springboard and start playing some great golf. Hopefully can get in the Match Play, work myself in there. Anything past that is a cherry on top.

So I'm just coming here to Bay Hill trying to compete, trying to see if I can get around that lead and then have a chance to win. And really whatever happens after that happens.

Q. What have you and Justin been working on?

HARRIS ENGLISH: It's always been takeaway. It's a tough thing to put your finger on when it gets off, because it can get off just by a little bit. It feels like it's miles off, but then you look at the tape and you watch some swings and it can just be off by a little bit. It's crazy how small a margin this game is. Really just a lot of takeaway stuff.

Haven't really been thinking about my swing a whole lot. Not a whole lot of technique on the range or trying to play different shots. Especially days like this where it's really windy, you can't really think about technique at all. You got to picture a shot and try to hit it. I feel like I've done a really good job of that. I know the wind's going to switch tomorrow, but keep seeing the lines and hitting the shots.