ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 7, 2024

Justin Thomas

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you assess the day?

JUSTIN THOMAS: It was good. I played pretty solid, obviously, almost bogey-free. I didn't hit a bad shot on 17, it's just, that's Bay Hill. I feel like I just stayed very patient and just kind of plotted my way around. If I missed the fairway or got out of position, I feel like I just tried to put myself in the best spot to make par. I was solid. It was a very, I would say, low stress 3-under.

Q. What do you feel like you're doing better this year, this season than maybe last season? Obviously the results are kind of showing the game's trending upward.

JUSTIN THOMAS: Literally everything. Driving it better, irons are better, chipping's better, putting's better, mental game's better, preparation. I mean, you know, it's a cruel sport we play sometimes, but you're never, you can feel like sometimes you're never going to get it back, and then you feel like some weeks you can't possibly shoot over 66 or 67. You know, yeah, I feel like things are moving in the right direction, and I feel starting to feel really, really good about my game, I have this whole year, but I've also put a lot of hard work in. I understand you're not just given things because you work hard, so I need to keep at it and just try to put myself in contention, and start winning some tournaments again.

Q. I know golf is golf, but do you feel like you've turned the corner?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I mean, I don't necessarily look at it as any of that, it's just really just a part of a career. I think what's easy, when you go and look at it at the end of a career, you kind of have your peaks, your valleys, whatever you want to call it, but when you look at it over 20 to 30 years it's just kind of like this (indicating), you don't see the huge ups and downs. Again, I'm just, everything's just in a better place.

Q. On the golf course, can you get a feel of what the golf course, if the weather stays consistent, what the golf course is going to be like Sunday by playing it today?

JUSTIN THOMAS: It could. The greens are not firm or crazy firm. It's hard to explain. They don't really bounce. It's really hard to spin it. Like chips, they don't necessarily grab. I don't know if it's the type of grass it is or something, but it's not like they're taking -- they kind of, like, lose their spin as they land. As I say that, I realize it doesn't really make a lot of sense, but it's just, it's not like an Open Championship-type firm, where the balls are bouncing kind of up to your head. They're just kind of, like, they almost skid. The fairways are still very receptive. I think, yeah, if the fairways start getting firm and the greens get firm, with how this rough is, it's going to be very, very difficult.

Q. Obviously strange situation with Nick playing as a single in the field here. What do you think of that? Is that okay or do you think that's something they should have avoided?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I don't know if it's necessarily an issue. I think it's just strange. Yeah, I think that they could have thrown him with a three ball or another two ball or something. I don't think it's necessarily like, Oh, we have one, now we need to add a person because we only have one. These events don't have alternates for a reason, you have to qualify to get in them. I'm sure there's a different or better way to go about it, but it is very strange.