KIA CLASSIC

March 25, 2021

Mel Reid

Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Nice 4-under par to start getting back at it here at the Kia Classic. How did it feel to put that together?

MEL REID: Yeah, good. You know, I think that these are very, very tough greens. I think this is probably the worst I've seen the poana on these greens, so you are going to miss a few putts.

I feel like I've been hitting it good all week, and, yeah, it was nice to string together some nice shots and some good putts.

Overall with the weather and stuff it was obviously windy today, so to get 4-under in is obviously very nice.

Q. Five birdies. Was there one that maybe stood out in the round?

MEL REID: Not really. I think my par on 18 probably stands out the most. I kind of hit it right. I don't know how it didn't go in the water. I was kind of in the hazard. Somehow got it on the green, knocked it out 20 feet past and holed that for par, so there is no where I should have made par anywhere on that hole. I was nowhere near that hole. That is probably the thing that stands out the most.

Yeah, missed probably three or four inside ten feet, but we also made some good putts. I don't know. Just of was a nice kind of stress-free round of golf, which is nice around here.

Q. The Aon hole is No. 16. You birdied that one. What was the strategy and how did the wind affect that today?

MEL REID: Yeah, obviously it is a drivable par-4 when the tee is moved up. It was into off the right today so it was like kind of a driver -- I think I hit driver sand wedge to about 18 foot and made a nice birdie there.

So it obviously plays very, very different when the tee is back and the wind is into. It's a good little hole. Like it's just a very, very kind of tricky golf course. You feel like you can hit it certain places and you just can't.

Especially off the tee you kind of have to shape it right to left or left to right, and so I enjoy doing that, so it was nice to get a nice-- I haven't really played well around here, to be quite honest with you, so to get a nice 4-under is obviously off to a good start.

Q. Yeah, to get some good momentum for the weekend. I walked the back nine, and to your point, seems like you have to be pretty strategic about club selection and where you are placing yourself off the tee.

MEL REID: Yeah, you can choose to play aggressive on 10.

11 is a great par-3, really tough par-3. The way the wind comes in it kind of swirls from the tee.

12 you're hitting a cut.

13 you're hitting a draw.

15 you're hitting a draw.

16 you're hitting a draw.

17 probably a cut.

And then 18 obviously kind of want to hit a cut up that left side.

So it's just a lot of shot shaping, and like I said, the greens are the most poana I've ever seen them. We had it nice this morning. They were kind of smooth, but tomorrow afternoon will obviously play a little bit different.

Q. Just being back at the Kia Classic obviously you said you haven't had your best results here, but just to have this back on the schedule after the crazy year last year, now nice is it?

MEL REID: Yeah, exactly. I mean, I love San Diego. It's probably one of my I favorite stops on tour. I would move here in a heartbeat. It's very much my vibe so I am always very happy here whether I play well or not.

It's obviously great to have it back. It doesn't really (indiscernible) actually said it didn't really feel like we've been away for two years, it just feels like a year.

So, yeah, I mea, it's just great. Got ANA next week, again in California, so it's just great for that. Yeah, it's just nice to have the Kia Classic back.

Q. Keeping the Mel Reid vibe going.

MEL REID: The Mel Reid vibe is going to keep going hopefully.