SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 6, 2023

Erik Van Rooyen

Country Club of Jackson

Quick Quotes

Q. Erik, nice way to wrap up the round. Take us through that last hole.

ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Well, didn't really hit it good all day. I shot 4-under on our front nine. I think I hit one fairway. I sort of got away with it.

Then it clearly bit me in the butt on the back. So I was just trying to get into the clubhouse.

Kind of squeezed a drive out there on the 9th. We had 119 to the hole. I played a 120-yard gap wedge. I think I fatted it just a smidge, and I thought it was going to be short, and it went in. One of those.

Q. What was the biggest difference between yesterday's round and today?

ERIK VAN ROOYEN: I just hit it much better yesterday, and today I made a few more putts, so it almost balanced out in a sense. Yesterday I think I hit 16 greens, had so many looks, probably could have been three or four shots better, and today I did not hit it great. I made a lot of putts, and that's golf for you.

Q. Mindset going into the weekend?

ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Well, the course is soft. It's my first time playing this tournament. All I've heard about is how good these greens are, and they are phenomenal. If it can stay dry and the greens can dry out, the course might play slightly different.

But the mindset won't change. We're trying to make as many birdies as we can.

Q. What is your mindset with the fall? What are your goals?

ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Well, I haven't had the greatest of seasons. I've went through a little bit of trouble with the swing and started working with Sean Foley about three months ago, and it's gone really well. My goal is just to keep playing good golf. The game is turning around clearly. Win as many tournaments as I can. The goal really never changes. Good golf kind of takes care of everything else.

Q. Biggest thing that you feel like Sean has helped with your game?

ERIK VAN ROOYEN: Just sort of understanding where the club face is and my tendencies. My grip tends to be a bit weak, or it is always weak, so I have a tendency to get narrow and leave the face open on the way down. For me, it's try and stay as wide as I can on the way back and on the way through and keep the face on top. I've got good face control. It didn't show today, but normally it's good face control, and I know where the ball is going.

I've always been a good ball striker, and when I lost that sort of throughout the year, the game became hard, and we're back on track.