MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2023

Viktor Hovland

Quick Quotes

Q. Are you satisfied with your play, considering the conditions out there today?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I feel like I'm playing well, but at the same time I definitely left a couple putts out there. Hitting it good enough I probably could have shot 2-under today on that back nine, which would have been a very good score. But we're still in the Tournament.

Q. Give us examples of how different the course plays between this weather and what we saw to begin the day yesterday.

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, the ball just goes nowhere. For example, on 14 it's usually a driver, wedge. Driver, 9-iron. Today it was a driver, 7-iron and it still didn't get there after a pretty good shot. On 18, driver, 5-iron. 17 was driver, 6-iron. Usually those you might have wedges into some of those holes. So yeah, just completely different.

Q. What's the mentality? Obviously you played through weather, starts and stops, but when you get to a major championship venue, especially with the way you played in the opening round, how does this sit with you knowing what's coming for the rest of the day?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, it's tough. You just got to, you know that nothing's going to be given to you and you're going to have to hit good shots upon good shots upon good shots. You're still going to have to make some putts and chip the ball because no one's going to hit every green out here today. So it's, it makes for a very scrappy game.

Q. Has the course been holding up well so far?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I didn't really have too many mud balls. But we'll see how much more rain this course can hold. But it actually was in great shape when we showed up here this morning.

Q. Under conditions like this is a caddie more important than it might normally be?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I think the cooperation becomes more important. Just the chemistry. Because he's got to hold the umbrella, I've got to hold the umbrella, he's got to clean the ball and you kind of have to work together a little bit. If you're not used to it, it can get awkward. But Shay and I we're great team and I don't think that's going to be the biggest challenge out there.

Q. At the beginning of the week you talked about playing those first two rounds with Tiger. What was that experience like as the guy who sat with him in Butler's cabin a few years back?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, really cool. Obviously watched him growing up for hours upon hours, watching highlights. Yeah, it's a little surreal to be playing with him. But at the same time I was focused about my own game. And, yeah, I was just happy that I managed to play well this week and obviously to watch him play as well, that was a treat.

Q. As you know his cut streak is on the line and was there anything that he was doing that maybe surprised you or you did notice when you were breaking focus for a moment?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I mean, not quite. But, I mean, it's still apparent when, you know, he's on the cut line and he makes that huge putt on 15 for birdie. So, I mean, the magic is still in there, even though he's a little banged up. But it's pretty fun to watch.