THE SENTRY

January 4, 2024

Patrick Cantlay

Plantation Course at Kapalua

Quick Quotes

Q. Your scoring average for the season is 66. How does it feel to get off to a good start and what was the highlight today?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Played well today. Actually putted really well today. Sometimes I've struggled around here putting before with the grain and it being a couple months since I played. My ball striking was a little rusty, but kept all the momentum with my putter today, which was nice. So it's a good start. You got to be a ton under par to have a chance to win this week, especially with the conditions being ideal as they were today, so 7-under is a good start.

Q. Is the putting better here, is that part of the benefits of the move to Florida, getting accustomed to Bermuda?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Probably. Although, I moved there, I want to say, in 2018, so maybe it's taken five years for that move to help me out.

Q. What did you do when you were off?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Took some time off and rested. Got married, had a honeymoon, first of all. Had some time at home. I say all the time, being at home is like being on vacation, because we're living out of a suitcase half the weeks out of the year. Spent some time at home and then get ready for the season.

Q. What's the benefit of the time off? To clear your head, get your mind, body and everything else?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I think so. I think there's benefits to unplugging mentally and physically, and hopefully that time off allows me to extend my career a little bit longer. It's tough to play year round, and so I've kind of always taken a bunch of time off in the fall, and this year was probably no different.

Q. With the way the season's gone back to the calendar year, does that feel like a benefit to you to take that time off and not feel kind of like catching up?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think I finished fourth here one year and I was 55th in the FedExCup, a few years ago. So, I think it will be good. Then it will also be good that all the most important golf is from now until August.

Q. What do you do when you unplug and what don't you do?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I stay indoors a lot, because I'm outdoors every day for my job. I started reading the Dune books, because of the movie that's coming out. I saw the movie at home and started to get into those books. I'll read, hang out with friends, go out to a dinner with some friends. Pretty low key.

Q. How long was the unplug or how long were you not touching clubs?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I don't know, four, five, six weeks.

Q. What do you consider, how do you measure a good putting day? Just things going in the hole, is it that simple?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah.

Q. Do you look at length, do you look at --

PATRICK CANTLAY: Today I had a bunch of mid-range putts, so from maybe like 4 to 10 feet. I feel like those putts, if you're reading the greens well and starting the ball where you're looking, you're going to make a lot of those putts. You can't always control making long putts, there's a little bit of chance there. Today I made all those short and mid-rangers.

Q. Par, birdie, either one?

PATRICK CANTLAY: A lot of par putts. I was a little rusty with the rest of my, with my iron game, with the rest of my game, so my putter helped me out a bit.

Q. Do you have an opinion on this field, the idea that -- I mean, last year I think they did winners and TOUR Championship. This year they kicked it out to an extra 20 spots. Do you have an opinion whether it's good, bad, whether it should be only TOUR --

PATRICK CANTLAY: I think it's great. I think having more of the best players in the world together playing against each other is great. I'm supportive of that change.