MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 12, 2024

Corey Conners

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you describe the day?

COREY CONNERS: Very challenging, very windy. I feel like one of the more difficult days I've ever had on a golf course really. Just with the way the wind was blowing and the challenge of this place really got magnified.

Any type of misstrike or mistake was really magnified and got you into a lot of trouble.

Q. Was there one shot or two that you really remember the wind affecting or anything crazy like plastic cups blowing by?

COREY CONNERS: Lots of things blowing around. Yeah, a few sand storms out there.

The shot on 12 was really, really challenging. I hit a pretty solid straight shot, and it curved 40, 50 feet to the left from 145 yards. Yeah, just lots of challenges, I guess. Hard to pinpoint one, but every shot was equally as challenging, I would say.

Q. How good did the birdie feel on 12?

COREY CONNERS: The birdie felt great. That was certainly a good momentum saver, I guess. I certainly didn't have much momentum going, but got me back on track a little bit. That was definitely a huge putt to make, and I think it turned my round from getting really ugly to respectable.

Q. Did those three holes, that stretch, was that just basically wind affected?

COREY CONNERS: I liked the two swings on 10 and 11 from the fairway. I didn't hit a great drive on 11, was kind of on the left side, but I'd certainly like that swing over. Obviously there's lots of room on the right side. Heading in the water there is certainly not what we're trying to do.

Kind of got tricked a little bit on 10. I really hit a solid shot, just hit it too far and got myself in a tricky spot on the left of the green. Yeah, it was a battle.

Q. Is there any way you can time the shot, sort of wait for a lull in the wind?

COREY CONNERS: Not really. I like to play fast and have a good routine. I don't like getting stuck over the ball or thinking about other things. Just feel comfortable, try and trust it, and go.

Q. You're a pretty stoic guy on the outside, but on the inside when you're having a stretch like that, how does it feel? What's on your mind? Was there any conversation with Danny?

COREY CONNERS: Just kind of hit a reset after walking off 11. I was 5-over on 9, 10, 11. I knew I was going to be able to have some chances. I knew it wasn't going to be easy coming in. I knew, if I played my game, I was hitting a lot of quality shots, I was going to give myself some chances. I was able to do that a little bit, I guess.

Q. No pep talk from Danny?

COREY CONNERS: Not really. He knows me pretty well. Just a few words and reset and figure out the next shot and move along.

Q. Nice up-and-down on 18. What did you see on putt?

COREY CONNERS: The putt, I knew the read was just trying to get a feel for how the wind might affect the putt. Just a little bit inside to the left. I was really happy to see that one go in. Made a similar length putt on 17 for par. Yeah, those putts can be the difference.

Q. Is a day like today more physically or mentally fatiguing or both?

COREY CONNERS: I think mentally fatiguing. It's really challenging mentally to stay in the moment and stay committed. There's a lot of distractions definitely with the way the wind was blowing. Yeah, the golf course still played awesome. It was fun out there as grueling as it was.

Q. As tough as it is to read these greens when it's not windy, how much are you reading the wind into it, or do you even bother?

COREY CONNERS: I picked my spots with reading the wind into it. A number of greens down in the Amen Corner and the lower part of the golf course are a little more protected than 9 and 18, for example, up on the top of the hill here.

Those ones were a little more exposed where the wind was blowing a little bit more and possibly had to play a little bit in that.

Q. Your putter, you seemed dialed with it early. You were talking about some other great putts you made late in the day. How would you describe your putting today specifically?

COREY CONNERS: Putter was great. I didn't put myself in the easiest spots the first handful of holes, but made a bunch of putts to save pars. Made a good birdie putt at 2 and kind of bailed me out again late.

Certainly, of everything, I think the putting was most challenging today to get the speed right with the wind and the read.

Q. Can you compare the wind today to any other time you've been here before?

COREY CONNERS: No, not really. This is the windiest I've ever experienced at Augusta National today. Nice to have the sunshine and still fun to be walking around there, but definitely an added challenge.