LIV GOLF ANDALUCíA

July 13, 2024

Eugenio Chacarra

Real Club Valderrama

Fireballs GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Holding strong at T-3, you're currently sitting at 2-under. Tell us a little bit about your day.

EUGENIO CHACARRA: It was okay. I didn't have my best out there. Starting from 80 yards, I made double on the first. Not the start you want on Valderrama.

But I think I hung in there. Obviously it you Tell me you'll shoot one over on No. 1, probably take it. Happy and not happy at the same time. But it's just what it is. I mean, this course, I hit a lot of good shots that end up not being great and like I said, like you said, I'm still in contention.

I know Anirban scored low. But everything can happen in Valderrama.

THE MODERATOR: So I think most of us expected to see more scoring today with the conditions being easier, really across the board, there wasn't a lot of moment. Can you tell us what was going on out there?

EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, it's just Valderrama. Every day that goes through, it just gets tough and tougher. The greens were firmer and not firm in other spots. The wind sometimes gets it and sometimes doesn't. It's just a hard test. Obviously you need to be in the fairway. This place is never easy even if there is no wind.

Like I said, I'm not happy with one over today. I think I didn't hit a lot of good shots that I should have hit, and I gave some shots away. But I also fight until the end and I give it all out there.

THE MODERATOR: I watched you on the first tee and watched you walking through the crowd and all the fans and you're just absolutely beloved out here. Do you feel the love?

EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, it was awesome. I think the crowd did a great job. I want to say thank you to all of them. They were supporting me since the first hole. Didn't start like the way they wanted and they were with me all day.

Obviously it helped me to hang in there, and hopefully I can give all of them a great Sunday tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: So last one from me.

The Fireballs are currently sitting in second place. You guys are four off of the Crushers but knowing how volatile the leaderboard can be and like you said, knowing what Valderrama can do out there to you, what do you think is going to happen?

EUGENIO CHACARRA: There's a lot of golf left. Even though there's two holes left, there's a lot of golf left in Valderrama. You can make a birdie and another guy can make a double; that's three shots. It's that simple.

We're right where we want to be. We're in contention come Sunday. If everybody comes to support the Fireballs, I think that's going to help us. Hopefully we can all have a good Sunday.

I didn't check what my teammates did, but I think you said we were second. Pretty happy for that and hopefully we can all have a great Sunday and hopefully we can win in front of the home crowd.

THE MODERATOR: How important would that team win be over the individual win, or equal to?

EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, I mean, just win as a team is great. I'm lucky enough that I've been on a great team the last couple years and I experienced winning as a team, and it's super fun. I also won individual and it's fun, too.

But hopefully we can win and we can do the double: Someone from my team wins individual, hopefully me, and hopefully the team wins, too.

Q. You're obviously the highest-ranked Spanish player on the leaderboard right now. What would it mean to win at Valderrama at this stage in your career, just is it something you dreamed about as a kid?

EUGENIO CHACARRA: For sure. I always dreamed to play golf in front of the Spanish crowd. I remember when I was little and came and watched the tournaments here or in Spain, the Spanish Open, all those events.

I always dreamed to play good in front of the Spanish crowd and to play good at Valderrama, one ever the toughest places in the world. When I'm healthy, I'm one of best players in the world. I'm happy to be having fun on the golf course and I'm happy that I can complete 18 holes without pain and not enjoying it out there.

Like I said before the tournament started, my game is trending and I'm working really hard and I finally feel healthy again.

Q. Do you feel like your patience was really tested out there today, not just with the double to start but also you had a couple rulings that took some time to figure those out? Was it -- are you proud of the way you handled the round today?

EUGENIO CHACARRA: For sure, I got some rulings that obviously as a player, I don't think they were right but it's just what it is. Sometimes they give it. Sometimes they don't. I mean, to hit a shot, to be on a par 5, it's pretty hard, pin-high and have a tower in front of you and not allow you to give you a drop, I thought it was pretty bad luck. I was like an inch off, giving me the drop.

But I think we handled stuff well. I just take, it like I said, at Valderrama, there's going to be a lot of fluctuation. After the first hole, I was five back from Danny and we ended up finishing one back. It's just 18 holes in Valderrama, it's a lot. So hopefully we can get a better start tomorrow and hopefully we can get some putts rolling and put some pressure to Anirban.

Q. How important was that approach shot at 5 to just make sure and kind of get the round back on track?

EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, I think everything. Really important, I think every shot. Like I said, I obviously started with double, and we know that but as soon as I tee off on No. 2, I was just trying to play my best on the next hole.

Obviously making birdie on 5, getting momentum going a little. I hit a great shot on 6. Somehow the ball spun back five steps, so that's what Valderrama is. Sometimes spin, sometimes bounce. It's just hard to predict.

I'm happy overall with the round. I need to work on some stuff on the range right now when I finish and hopefully I can hit it a little better tomorrow.