LIV GOLF SINGAPORE

May 3, 2024

Sebastian Munoz

Sentosa Golf Club

Torque GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Sebastian Muñoz from Torque GC. You had a great day, shot 6-under and you are the solo clubhouse leader. Tell us a little bit about your round.

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Good round. Solid round. Gave myself plenty of birdie chances. Hit it pretty close, made the putts. Just a couple short misses but really happy where the game is right now and kind of trending.

Q. This is a common theme through the week, playing in heat like this, how much does it affect your game?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: It does. The main thing is that you've got to stay hydrated. You've got to stay calm. Your heart kind of beats a little harder, stronger. I felt like the sweat kind of helps me, helps me hit it a little further, which kind of gives me a little boost in confidence. I don't know, just kind of -- I don't mind it.

Q. It's a pretty stacked leaderboard right now. You're solo lead but there's plenty of guys right behind you at 5-under, 4-under. What is your strategy to break away from the pack?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Kind of go low. Here it's always go low every day. Good players behind me, capable, and you know they're going to shoot pretty low. Just keep shooting at the pins, trying to make the putts and hang on.

Q. A little different than your first round here last year. Do you feel like you know the course a lot better now after having some experience here?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah, absolutely. Last year was my first time here in Singapore. I felt like I did learn. I felt like I left kind of like on a better note, and having this round kind of confirms that. Just getting more comfortable with the lines, with the weather, with the greens, so just kind of learning a little bit.

Q. How would you sum up the first six starts for you this season? You started out pretty well and --

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah, I mean, it hasn't been as good as last year. I felt like I'm just going through some different stuff than last year. I'm still trying to learn for myself what can I do better. My swing, I didn't feel as comfortable as the beginning of the season last year, but now we're starting to step into a better rhythm, and hoping for better things to come for the rest of the season.

Q. Is there one thing specific today that you feel like you did better than you had previous starts this year?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah, I feel like my starting lines were a lot cleaner. My distance control was a lot better.

For the last couple events, I haven't been able to hit it where I want to, so it just makes golf a lot tougher.

Q. Earlier you just said you felt like you were trending in the right direction, and I was wondering have you always felt like it's just been there the last couple of tournaments, like you were just getting there?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah. It kind of goes and comes. But yeah, I felt like the first round in Adelaide kind of hit me hard. Both my teammates played really good, and I kind of played poorly towards the end, and I kind of got a little rhythm the next two rounds and now here with a better round. So I feel like I'm definitely learning what was the issue, and I feel like I'm addressing it the proper way, and I feel like we're in a good way.

Q. Given it's so hot, how are you wearing trousers?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah, I don't know, I'm convinced that if the sun doesn't touch me, it's better. Yeah, especially because I'm a little dark skin toned, so I feel like it just got hotter for me, so I just cover up.

Q. I don't think you will remember but we were standing on the 17th tee of Macau and speaking a bit, and you were really not very happy with your game at that point. What was exactly going wrong, and what have you exactly worked on after that?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah, Macau, it was a long stretch of golf, and I felt like my sequence got out of sorts, and I felt like I couldn't really practice at the practice facility there in Macau. It was a lot.

I feel like I've been working more on my sequence, on my rhythm, on my fundamentals. I felt like I was just kind of being sloppy back then, and given a little more time, I've overcome that in some way.

Q. When you have a teammate like Joaquín who is doing so well, does that rub on you, as well?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah. Joaquín has been on this year. He got longer. Playing practice rounds with my teammates, it's tough because they hit it so good, hit it so long. I'm the short guy on the team, and I've got to keep up. In the money games that we play, it's always motivation. Like I had a little low point in Adelaide last week, and they all came together and we kind of had a deep talk, and we focused where I was looking at the issue. I felt like just having good solid teammates can help you a lot.

Q. I think previously you mentioned that you don't really want to take care of the lead. How are you feeling now about being the first-round leader?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah, I mean, I've had the lead I think just once after two days. First round maybe twice. It's a tough thing, and it's a stacked field. The way that LIV Golf works, it's just kind of go low all the time. Sometimes it's a little stressful. So sometimes, yeah, I agree I haven't performed my best.

But I've learned last season, and I remember that I learned something, as well, playing with Abe in Santiago for the Pan-American Games. I just haven't been able to put it into work because I haven't been in the final group but now we get to try it again.

Q. What would winning in Singapore do for your game and your confidence aside from making a lot of money?

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah, it would be great. I haven't won in a while. I feel like I've been putting in the work still all these years, and it just hasn't happened for me.

But I'll take it one shot at a time, and I'll try to focus, and if I do end up winning, I'll be really proud of the work that me and my team have been putting as well as the things that are going on for Team Torque right now.