MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2023

Jason Day

Quick Quotes

Q. How are conditions? Obviously it's tough again this morning.

JASON DAY: Yeah, it was -- I mean, the wind's up, and the wind's going to probably be like this for the afternoon, if not get a little bit harder.

That lead that he's got is definitely not secure right now, especially with 18 holes to go. Me sitting at 3-under, I've got to play pretty well to try and give it a sniff.

I think overall I'm glad we got it in. We're most likely going to finish today, which is a good thing.

Q. You've played here so many times before. Yesterday and today, have you seen harder conditions?

JASON DAY: No. We've played in pretty windy conditions, but yesterday, that was a difficult one. Just the drastic change in temperature and the way that the wind and the actual -- like the rain was affecting the golf ball.

We were hitting -- from the day before prior, we were hitting 330, 340-yard drives to hitting it 230, 240 yards. So it's a pretty drastic difference, and there's like a good three to four club difference on some of the holes. I hit 5-iron on 6. So it was difficult.

I just wish I had a little bit more control with the swing and a little bit more control with the putter. Just not 100 percent confident in those two things right now. Still got 18 holes to go.

Q. You heard the news about Tiger withdrawing?

JASON DAY: He looked like he was laboring pretty hard yesterday. It was obviously difficult to watch because he had to come back out and then play through all that yesterday morning, and then he had to take a little bit of a break and come back out and play again.

It didn't look like -- it wasn't the perfect conditions for him to be able to at least get through the round. It's disappointing, but that's just kind of, I think, where we're at with how his body is right now.

Q. You saw him last Sunday, right?

JASON DAY: Yeah.

Q. Did you play nine holes or walk nine holes with him?

JASON DAY: No, he was walking around chipping and putting, and I was playing nine holes. He did a lot of work. I caught him at 1. I saw him on 2. And then I was on 7, and he was on 3 green still. I mean, he was putting in a lot of work.

His short game looked tremendous. It's just the weather got him. That's just how it is.

Q. And you had remarked too about how it's still got that Tiger sound when he clips it on a shot.

JASON DAY: Right. I was warming up next to him, and it's just distinct sound that a lot of guys don't have. I mean, majority of the guys out here don't have. He's got a different sound to his shot.

Yeah, it was good to see him play well and make the cut in those conditions, especially to tie the all time record of consecutive cuts. That's unbelievable. Another thing that he has to put on the trophy cabinet, I'm sure.

Yeah, it's obviously difficult to hear that he had to pull out because of injury.

Q. He's a mate obviously. Will you reach out and see how he is?

JASON DAY: At some point I will. Obviously not today. I'll give him some time. I'm sure everyone is reaching out to him right now. Like I said, you can all see how he's feeling on TV. I don't know what he's feeling internally, how bad it is.

Like I said, I was talking to him at the end of last year, and then he was saying the reason why he pulled out of the PGA was a screw went through the skin on Saturday or whatever it was. I don't know how bad it is this time, but hopefully he --

Q. He said it's the plantar again.

JASON DAY: Oh, it is, okay. Once again, yeah, it just sucks that he's not here playing.

Q. Consequently, you had a funny moment on 13 today.

JASON DAY: Steven Rintoul, Aussie rules official on the PGA TOUR. I hit my shot, and luckily enough it stayed up. I hit my shot and my layup. I saw the camera guy walk across the same rocks, and it was like walking on ice with my spikes. Like for a moment there, I actually thought I was going to go in. That actually would have been really cold.

Because I slipped twice. I'm glad I kept my footing. Little funny moment because I turn around and Rintoul's there pissing himself laughing.