THE AMERICAN EXPRESS

January 21, 2023

Dylan Wu

PGA WEST Pete Dye Stadium Course

Quick Quotes

Q. 61. Great playing to get yourself into the top 10 here. What was clicking for you throughout the day?

DYLAN WU: Yeah, I felt like throughout the week I was playing well. I started off at Stadium. That's probably the hardest of the three courses. La Quinta was kind of windy yesterday. So when I was 6-under through two rounds, I was, I feel like I'm playing a little better than my score, just playing the two harder courses first.

Everybody said the Nicklaus was the most scorable. There wasn't much wind today. Played really solid golf. Stayed patient out there. Tried to keep my head down. Because, I mean, shooting 5-, 6-, 7-under is kind of the norm out there today when there's not much wind.

Just played well tee to green. Made a few putts. Just played really solid golf. Didn't really have too much stress other than 18. Hole 9. I hit a great shot and it went in the water. Didn't think I could reach it. Overall it was just a great day.

Q. Was that a partially adrenaline, would you say, about reaching it? Do you get a few extra yards doing that?

DYLAN WU: Yeah, I knew the left side of the water was like a 330 run out. I'm like, Okay, the right side is probably 345 or 340ish. We're at sea level here. It's 65 degrees. It's a little down wind. But the course isn't super firm, not like last week in Hawaii. And I probably carry it, if I hit a really good one, like low 290s. And I hit a good one, exactly where I wanted to. I even was walking up the fairway and I was like, Hopefully that didn't go in the water. And I walked by my am's ball and I was like, Yeah, it went in the water. I was kind of joking with my caddie, because I hit a great shot. It's not like we hit a bad shot and it went in the water.

So I was able to regroup, kind of focus and dial in on the next shot. To be able to get up-and-down and save par there was huge just to stay bogey-free and help me head into the Sunday tomorrow.

Q. You had a couple fist pumps. There you could tell that you really wanted to make that putt.

DYLAN WU: Yeah, I think that was probably the only fist pump the whole day. If I had made bogey there I would probably be a little upset. I wish I hit it a little closer on my wedge shot. Yeah, just tried to stay patient out there today. Tried to keep my head down.

Kind of knew where I was at going into the last. I really wanted to have a chance to hit the fairway. I told Jeremy going up the fairway, I was like, Okay, I want to have a shot from the fairway and go for this pin. Because if I hole out somehow I could maybe shoot 59. That's always goes in the back of your head when you get close to that number.

So, yeah, overall it was just a great day. Just played really solid golf. So really excited for a good day tomorrow.

Q. When did that 59 number first pop into the mind?

DYLAN WU: It probably popped into my mind on the par-5. 7. I had an eagle putt from like 65 feet. I think I was 10-under at the time. I kind of forgot a couple holes before if I was 8- or 9-. I kind of just zoned out a little bit.

But like coming with two holes left, I know hole 8, the par-3 is an island green. Like, pin's back right. There's no chance you can go for this pin. I mean I hit it to 90 feet and just like trusted myself that I could 2-putt.

But, yeah, I knew if I somehow birdied the last two holes I had a chance at it. I really just thought the best opportunity was to hole out on 9. Just because it was a wedge shot. But overall just really pleased with the day.

Q. Could you speak to -- kind of you didn't get into the field until Monday and the uncertainty. What that was like?

DYLAN WU: Yeah, that's the reality of being in the 126 to 150 category. Kind of, in the off-season, like right after Christmas there was a lot of people that signed up. And I thought I wouldn't get into Hawaii or American Express. And there's no Monday qualifier.

I ended up getting into Hawaii. Missed cut there by one. I had kind of a weird roller coaster finish. I finished I think birdie, triple, par, birdie. And I had a five and a half-footer for eagle to make cut and I missed. So that was frustrating, for sure.

You have to make the most of these opportunities and be okay with you might be first alternate come Thursday and somebody withdraws and you have to get in. So that's the reality until you play better and get out of the category.

Luckily for me I finished 150th on the FedExCup last year. I played, I wouldn't say poorly last year, just didn't really play the best golf I know I can throughout the year. But to finish 150 versus finishing 151 that's a difference with being on the PGA TOUR or versus on the Korn Ferry. That's a big difference nowadays.

So just really excited to be out here and have a second year out here. Just be a little more experienced. Be a little more comfortable. But, yeah, today, this week's it just shows that the work I'm putting in in the off-season is slowly helping.

Q. What does it mean to have that chance tomorrow to be in one of the last tee times out?

DYLAN WU: It's great. I told other people, like, one of my goals this year is to have a later tee time on Sunday. I think my best tournament, other than Zurich where I was partners with Justin, it was like a 20th finish in Hawaii last year. So getting top 10, being in the mix is something I think any golfer wants. It's been awhile since I've done that. I know that I'm capable of it. Just need to keep on working hard. The courses here are really scorable. Rahm's probably like 24-under right now. It's not like shooting 11-under is like you're separating yourself that much from the field. It's a great day. But, yeah, I'm going to have the same mentality tomorrow. Just kind of keep my head down. I know there's a lot of birdies to be made. Just got to stay patient and just trust my game.