ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 22, 2022

Aaron Rai

David Lipsky

TPC Louisiana

Quick Quotes

Q. Aaron, 5-under par, excellent round today. If we can get some comments on your play.

AARON RAI: Yeah, we played really well together. David hit some very good shots early on. I made a couple of putts and we kind of got the round going quite early. A couple of good saves, as well, so just very solid, created a lot of chances. David rolled some amazing putts, as well, throughout the whole of the round. Very close on a couple of the holes on the back nine. Gelled together very well, played very well. Tricky conditions, as well, so very pleased with how it went today.

Q. David, your thoughts on the round?

DAVID LIPSKY: Yeah, Aaron sort of saved my ass the first nine holes. He was holing those putts early. It got the momentum going, and I was able to get some confidence going on the back nine, and we played great. I think between us we only missed like two greens and we hit almost every fairway, so I think that will do it in alternate-shot.

Q. What are the strengths of each other's games that you strategize to use whatever you were going to do with your alternate-shot playing today?

AARON RAI: We spoke a little bit about it on Tuesday. David has got a great all-around game so probably wouldn't have made much difference whether we went odds or evens. Our only thinking behind it is was David is stronger than me probably with his short clubs in, with the wedges and the short irons, and when the wind picks up, I can maybe flight the long irons a little bit better, so that was the only thinking behind it today.

David's game is so solid, we're pretty well matched as a pair, so I wouldn't think it would have made that much difference whether we went odds or evens today.

DAVID LIPSKY: Yeah, Aaron is a great long iron player, and a lot of the odd holes out here are the long par-3s, so I think Aaron is much more comfortable with those shots. In the practice round it seemed like it. So we just went with it.

Q. Looking at the leaderboard now, you guys are probably going to be one back, depending on what Redman and Ryder do coming in. Just your thoughts looking ahead to the weekend now.

DAVID LIPSKY: This is such a fun week for us. You play with a friend, different format, and I think we're just enjoying it. Wherever Doc and Sam finish, I know we're one back of Xander and Pat, but I think we're just having fun out there. We're both playing pretty well right now, and I'm looking forward to what we can do this weekend.