ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 9, 2024

Harris English

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. How good was that 68 today, considering the conditions?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, it was good. That putt at the last made that bogey on 16 feel a little better. That was not the highlight of the day. Yeah, I played really good. I got off to a good start, birdieing 1, birdieing 4. I felt like those first four holes with the wind direction today, you got to get those, then kind of bear down on 8 and 9, because those are probably two of the toughest holes on the golf course. Yeah, I've been putting really well this week, been getting my ball striking -- I feel like a couple loose shots today, but, overall, I hit the ball really well and gave myself a lot of chances. That's all you can do around a good tough Saturday at Bay Hill.

Q. What do you attribute to your success at this course? Obviously, last year and what do you attribute that success to?

HARRIS ENGLISH: I really enjoy how tough this place plays. Not too far off how a U.S. Open plays. It feels like a major-type golf course. They got the rough up, got the greens firm and fast, you got to play some chess out here, and it's not about overpowering it. You can hit driver all you want, but if you're playing out of the rough, you're not going to hit it very close to the hole. I don't know, just something about it fits my eye. I just enjoy playing really tough setups. It plays into my hands. You got to chip it, got to putt it good inside six feet, and I've just enjoyed these tests.

Q. Is it the mental challenge or physical challenge that you like more about these type of setups?

HARRIS ENGLISH: A little of both. What I'm trying to get better at is playing the easy courses where I feel like I got to make a lot of birdies. You come out here you don't feel like you're getting behind or getting left behind if you're even through six or seven holes. I kind of like that. I kind of like playing chess and picking your spots to go at flags and be aggressive. You're not going to have many guys hitting more than 14 or 15 greens out here, and it becomes a little bit of a short game, and making those tough 4-, 5-, 6-footers and I feel like that's what I'm good at.

Q. You had a fair amount of birdies out there on a tough day. What was the highlight?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Just got off to a really good start, ball striking-wise. I think I was 3-under through 6. Could have been a little more. Had some more chances. Just really struck it well, hit my lines, got the wind direction correct and played the correct shot. Yeah, bear down on 8 and 9. Made a great par on 9. Drove it barely in the right rough and got it up and down. That's what you got to do, you got to miss the ball in the correct spots and got to get it up and down.

Q. What did you hit into 18?

HARRIS ENGLISH: That was a 56 degree, I hit 3-wood off the tee. I think I had 129 hole, and maybe a little juiced up and that wind's pumping and it flew further than I wanted it to, but good spot for that 38-footer to go in.

Q. Have you always embraced the tougher tests or is it something you kind of grew into?

HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, I have. Ever since I was a kid I really enjoyed the big tournaments and when it gets really hard and firm and fast. This reminds me of kind of a place I grew up in south Georgia. When the greens get firm and fast, good Bermuda greens, I feel right at home. Yeah, I don't know what it is, I've had success in a good many of the U.S. Opens, I just enjoy those tests.

Q. There's been a lot of players who have kind of voiced opinions on what the future of the TOUR should look like, and such like that. What's on your, what's at the top of your wish list for what the TOUR looks like three or four years from now? Is it a world tour, is it fewer players, what's your big --

HARRIS ENGLISH: I really have no idea. It's changed so much coming from my rookie year in 2012. I thought we had a very good product. I just enjoy playing in some of the biggest tournaments in the world. To me, Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of those, got THE PLAYERS next week. For me, I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking about what the future holds. I'm thinking about my game and how I can get better and become one of the best players in the world, and try to win some more tournaments and hopefully win a major. So that's -- I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking about it. I know we got a lot of guys thinking about it that are a lot smarter than I am, and we'll see. I really have no idea.

Q. If there were six tournaments that were international in all different continents added to your schedule, would you play them all if you were in them?

HARRIS ENGLISH: I would enjoy it. I love played in Europe, I only played in England, Scotland. Just with our PGA TOUR schedule, it's hard to go over -- I don't really see the benefit of going to play a tournament when it lines up against a PGA TOUR event, just because I want to get as many FedExCup points as possible, but if those tournaments are part of the PGA TOUR, then I would love to go play in Spain and Wentworth. I would love to -- Australia -- I would love to go travel and play golf. That's the beauty of playing this sport is we get to go all over the world, and there's some great golf courses that I never played and places I've never seen that I love to go check out.

Q. What did you learn here last year playing well on Sunday and carrying it into tomorrow?

HARRIS ENGLISH: It's just a grind. I feel like I know what to expect, what the course is going to be like tomorrow. You just got to stay mentally in it. Every shot means a lot, and it's a razor thin line between hitting a good shot and being in a bad spot. So, yeah, I love that line and I feel like it gets me mentally sharp and hopefully I can focus in and keep hitting some good shots and give it a chance.

Q. What was the track at home that it reminds you of?

HARRIS ENGLISH: It's a different version of this place. Greens are about the size of this, half this tent. Sunset Country Club, Glen Arven Country Club, yeah, when those Bermuda greens get firm and fast, it's fun.