DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 20, 2021

Mark Mulder

Tranquilo Golf Course

Press Conference

Q. Mark, as a past champion here, but Smoltz is back to back defending. How do you see your chances this week?

MARK MULDER: Well, good. I mean, somebody has got to get in his way. We can't let him three-peat.

We have so much fun together and it's so competitive. He wants to win again. Whether it's Mardy, whether it's I, Josh Scobee, we all want to beat him. He's the marked man.

I think that's coming as a defending champ that he is, or two-time defending champ. That's what you want. You want people coming after you.

Hopefully we'll all be there can give him a good run.

Q. So Annika Sorenstam is in the field this week, which makes it a little more interesting.

MARK MULDER: Yeah.

Q. Have you ever played with her?

MARK MULDER: I've never played with her. I know she played in the Tahoe tournament a few years back, but anybody who is a Hall of Famer and that good you have to be worried about. I know she probably doesn't play as much as she used to, but that really doesn't matter.

When you're one of the best ever, especially on the LPGA Tour and the women's game, you know she's going to be at the top of the leaderboard.

Q. After playing a few years here, obviously played with some of the LPGA players. Talk about their game and do you learn from them on the course? What do you get out of this?

MARK MULDER: For me, I know it might sound ridiculous, but it's tempo. All of them. Everybody I play with their tempo is so incredible.

I know PGA players are the same way, but there is something about the girls. Everything is so controlled. In all the years I could probably count on one hand the amount of missed fairways that they've had in all the different girls I've been paired with.

Their games are so impressive, especially the short games. I love watching that. So it's a joy no matter who I get paired with. I've played with Nelly before. That's who I'm with on Thursday with Mardy, so I know we're going to have a good time.