MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2023

Collin Morikawa

Quick Quotes

Q. 6-under, how would you assess the two days?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: I haven't put it all together quite yet, but pretty thrilled with the 6-under, back-to-back 69s. I just found out that I've only made two bogeys, so that's a good thing obviously out here at Augusta. Just kind of managing my game piece by piece, putting it in the right spots, and I've just got to convert a few of those extra birdies, and we'd be closer to 10.

But it is what it is, and it's going to take obviously two great rounds, but I'm looking forward to it.

Q. I know it's only Friday, but do you find yourself looking at the leaderboard at all or noticing that someone who's won four majors is already 12-under?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: I mean, I always look at the leaderboard. I've been able to close out a couple so far.

Look, it's very hard to close out a major. It really is. Major championships are just different. People show up breathing differently, feeling differently. Brooks is a great player. Obviously he's playing really well. He won last week. To be 12-under through 36, it's some really good golf.

But I think with the weather and everything, you're going to have to really stay patient, and I'm going to have to go out and make some birdies. I don't think he's really going to come backwards, so we're going to have to go out and chase him, and that's going to be on me to figure out how to make a few more out there for these next 36.

Q. Bit of an extra challenge with just the two of you and having to go slowly?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, but Fitz and I talked about it, that was kind of nice. I think both of us rush sometimes, and I even talked to my coach last week about just walking behind J.J. so it was kind of nice to walk behind everyone and just go as slow as possible and really just take it step by step.

Sometimes you want that intensity to go up, and when you're going that slow, it makes it a little more difficult.

But overall it was kind of nice to enjoy it, and I'm glad we got in our 36 before all this chaos hopefully happens.

Q. Did it give you pause when you looked up on the leaderboard and saw an amateur doing as well as he is?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I met Sam I think say a year and a half ago and he's really done the right things in college and has been doing really well on the amateur circuit. I think this is his fifth year, so he's at that point where he's played enough Tour events and maybe not majors but he's seen all of us play, and yeah, it takes some guts to be out there. I think he's still, what, at 8-under? That's some good golf, especially by an amateur at Augusta for your first time.

My first time I was freaking out. You step on that first tee and you have no clue where the ball goes and you really don't care, you just want it to go forward. Yeah, it's very impressive what he's doing, but I think he's seen enough Tour golf where he's in his mind just being comfortable in that setting.

Q. How satisfied are you knowing the weather is going to be what it's going to be tomorrow --

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, look, I'm glad I put up a good round. Hopefully I'll still stay near the top of the leaderboard come the end of the Friday cut and whatnot. Hopefully I can miss a bunch of what happens tomorrow. That would be great. I think tomorrow is going to be the worst, 51 high, really windy. Who knows how many holes we're going to get in today or the rest of the guys are going to get in.

I'm going to get a little work done and then just kind of relax and get ready for what is going to be a very tough weekend with -- look, these first two days what we got in the morning wave today, some of the easiest I've seen Augusta play. Not easiest I've seen it, easiest it has played in my four times here. There hasn't been wind. When you're on 12 and you're on that par-3, you're not worried about anything. You've always had to worry about wind switches, anything, is it windy down below, high. Past couple times it's just been nice. We've gotten pretty lucky, but Mother Nature is not going to give up come Saturday and Sunday.

Q. When the course is wet and soft, what kind of adjustments do you make off the tee?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Nothing. No.

Q. You don't change anything at all if the course plays differently or because it's not rolling so much --

COLLIN MORIKAWA: I'll have a longer iron.

Q. Your thoughts on Mark Madsen?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: I hope he changes us around. Look, our program -- I don't even want to talk.

Q. I was just surprised the Stanford Cardinal --

COLLIN MORIKAWA: It's all right. Hey, he wants to build this program. I'm all for it. I'm all for anything. Yeah, look, when I was there, Jaylen Brown was there and Jared Goff was there on the football team, and it was exciting, and that's what we need. You just need excitement. You need someone to step up and have that swag. Even out here I think people like to see that; how do you show up to these events and just put yourself forward, have that trust and belief.