SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 12, 2024

Austin Eckroat

Waialae Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Austin, how would you characterize the round today?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Solid. Hit the golf ball really well. Didn't get as many putts as I would like to fall, but easy to look back and say that.

Really solid round. Hit the golf ball great.

Q. You have a solid record around here. You seem to like this golf course. What is it about this place that you like?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: I think this golf course suits a drawer and I draw the golf ball. I played here well last year and was looking forward to coming back, which is huge.

Yeah, I think the golf course just suits my eye and the tee balls and everything, so it's really comforting golf course for me for sure.

Q. Where do you say this week?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Down in Waikiki.

Q. What's it like going out at night?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: It's crazy down there.

Q. Nobody recognizes any golfers. Too many people.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: No, it's jam packed. The road is actually closed tomorrow, I don't know how I'm going to get to the golf course.

Q. It's closed?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, the Waikiki -- the whatever the beach front road is, so going to have to figure out how to get to the golf course.

Q. Do we know why?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: It's going to be crazy.

Q. How do you define this golf course from a scoring standpoint? What I'm getting at I guess is feels like generally it's -- when Justin Thomas isn't playing anyway -- really hard to get separation here.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Seems that way. There is a stretch on both nines where it's just hard to make a birdie. You got a few scorable holes with the par-5s and stuff like that, but for the most part hitting mid-irons. You're not really attacking with low irons, and the hole locations are pretty good.

So it's just not the easiest to make a ton of birdies on I would say, unless you're Justin Thomas.

Q. He got lucky that year anyway. What were some of your better shots you were proud of today?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Not the shot on 2. That one I was up against the...

Q. I like going negative, Austin.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, no, but hit the irons great all day today and the tee ball on No. 9 was probably a great one. There is a lot of trouble on that tee ball, and step up and hit a good one, that is a good way to end your day. That's probably --

Q. Got a good look at 3 there, didn't you?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, I had a good look.

Q. What did you have in?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: I had 9-iron. I think I was 178 to the --

Q. Hang on, you would've played in the morning yesterday. What did do have yesterday?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: It started howling right when I played that hole. Man, I hit gap wedge or pitching wedge in. Something like that. Yeah, pretty funny.

Q. 18 play any different? It was into yesterday.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: A lot different today. I hit it left in that bunker, but I only had 228 yards and was able to hit a 4-iron onto the green.

Q. Couldn't get there yesterday.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: I hit driver off the deck actually on the green, yeah.

Q. Really? Nice. Missed that one.

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, right behind the hole. 15, 18 feet probably.

Q. Good way to spend your birthday today?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, shooting 66 isn't a bad birthday.

Q. How old are you?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: 25.

Q. What are you going to do? Anything?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Probably wait until I have not a golf tournament the following day.

Q. Where did you grow up?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Edmond, Oklahoma.

Q. Did you grow up in Oak Tree or...

AUSTIN ECKROAT: I grew up just outside of Oak Tree. That's where I played golf, yeah.

Q. That's where your formative years were. Were you guys members at Oak Tree?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yes.

Q. How would you describe Scott Verplank in one word?

AUSTIN ECKROAT: Mentor. He's been great to me. Funny guy.