MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 13, 2024

Xander Schauffele

Quick Quotes

Q. Xander, what's the mental exhaustion level? You've been grinding out there.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it's probably the same as everyone else. I had two weeks off, so I'm doing all right.

Q. What did you do best today?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It was a weird one. I had a couple -- 8 and 9 I really would want back, but then making that par on 18 from the middle of nowhere kind of makes up for it. All in all, to go bogey-free today was pretty special.

I think just really plodded along. Didn't leave it in the best spots at times, but with how windy it still is and how firm the greens are, even the sort of okay spots that were kind of chipping uphill to the holes still aren't that good.

Q. 2-under the last two days combined. Is there a part of you looking back on Thursday with a little bit of regret?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No, not at all. Just trying to play my way into the tournament. I just kept telling myself -- I looked up, and I know how hard it's playing, and if you start to get aggressive around the property you can pick up some shots going the wrong direction.

My goal was to get to 4 today. I thought that was doable. I definitely had enough today to do it. Just kind of have to go out and shoot something ridiculous tomorrow.

Q. Do you think it's possible?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Of course, yeah, absolutely.

Q. Will they have a setup a little more friendly?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Probably not. It's just going to take something special.

Q. Did it feel like a Masters in terms of the firmness, the spiciness of the course?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I thought it felt like a weekend here at Augusta. Today was sort of back to that.

Q. Did you look at leaderboards out there when you got going?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, you hear the roars, and it's pretty hard -- as hard as you keep your head down, it's pretty hard not to look at them. I was looking and didn't see anything too crazy. Collin is kind of the guy going pretty low today. Everyone else is kind of hanging on.

Yeah, just ready for tomorrow.

Q. It looks like there was a few spectacular shots today. Can you talk about the shot on 15 and the shot on 18?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, 18, I told Austin after I hit it, could be the best shot I ever hit in my life.

That's why I was really happy to make that par putt to sort of pay off that iron shot. I had to aim at a tree and then try and cut it, and if I hit the tree it's going to come straight back to me, like back in the forest.

For it to sort of clip the pine needles and spun up to the right and land on the green and go over, it was a really bad third shot, but happy to make 4.

On 15, that was a little bit more of a doctored situation for me. I had to take two twigs out from the ball, and everyone was staring at me and the cameras were there. I was feeling pretty nervous. Probably the most nervous I've been to be honest.

Q. How much do you crave that adrenaline and that rush, especially at a place like this?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, you just want a chance coming down that back nine. Hopefully I'll have mine tomorrow. I'm going to be ahead of the leading groups, but not too far, I hope. Yeah, that's all I can shoot for.