AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 15, 2023

Mark Mulder

Edgewood Tahoe

Quick Quotes

Q. 38 points total; 28 today. So just let's talk about the difference between yesterday and today. So you finished yesterday with a birdie on 18. Did that just kind of say, okay, let me just level-set and get into today?

MARK MULDER: It did. The joke yesterday was I was first teeing off on 1 and then I birdied 18. And I think -- I jokingly, as we walked up 18, hey, guys, I'm teeing off first on the next hole. So that was our little joke, because I don't think I teed off first the entire day. So it was not a good day. We're amateurs for a reason. For some reason, as good as I was hitting it, I just had a really terrible day yesterday.

But that's golf. I knew things would change today. I didn't necessarily get myself back into it today, but at least I gave myself a chance. So there's still obviously a long way to go. Possibly winning this thing could be out of range, but the point is I can still have a really good finish and accomplish kind of what I wanted to do in coming here.

Q. You started off today with a couple of bogeys. And then you got on your birdie streak. What was kind of the mentality? Was it just be patient today and just let it come?

MARK MULDER: It was, but it was just more don't try to do too much. Just hit the next shot. Then go hit a good putt and then go hit a good tee shot. To be fair, yesterday I drove the ball great.

My approach shots, some of the places I found I've never been in before. So it was just a really odd day yesterday, and today I knew it would be better. So it was just hit another good shot. Hit another good shot. Hit another good putt. And finally see the ball. When you see a couple balls go in, that's when things change. That's the biggest thing, just starting to see a ball go in the hole. When that happens, that helps.

Q. You finished three birdies on your last five holes, including the final two. Does that give you confidence going into tomorrow?

MARK MULDER: It does. We were on 14, and I said to my son, I want to birdie four of the last five, or at least get 12 to 14 points. And I 3-putt on 16, I tried not to let it affect me going into 17. I hit 20 feet for eagle.

I wanted to make it so bad that I blew it four or five feet by and missed a comebacker for birdie. That wasn't exactly great, otherwise I could be at 41 right now.

To be fair, my tee shot on 18, if it had been five feet left of where it was, I could have had an open line to the green, but I didn't. That leaves you a wedge in your hand for an eagle putt. This round could have been really good had a few things gone a little better, I suppose.

Q. Quickly about just Saturday here at American Century Championship, always the big day with the crowds. Talk about the atmosphere as you were walking the course today.

MARK MULDER: The energy, you can't replicate this. I always tell friends, 16, 17, 18, you're going to hit the ball further with whatever club you choose than you will at anytime of year, because of the adrenaline.

We're at 17, I have 170 some yards, hitting a 50-degree wedge. You just can't replicate that. So it's hard to convince yourself that when I first started playing in this thing, it's hard to convince yourself that that ball is actually going to go that far. But it does. You're in altitude, adrenaline, just have to trust the shot. Saturday here, the amount of people that are out, there's been a lot of boats on 17, but that might be the most I've seen. So it's pretty cool.

Q. As I'm sure you're aware, Steph Curry got a hole-in-one on 7. Did you hear the roar?

MARK MULDER: We did not. I think we were actually coming down 16 or on 16 tee when somebody said he had a hole-in-one. And then coming down 18, one of the officials told me he one-hopped it in. Whether that's true or not, I'm not exactly sure, but that's what I heard.

Q. What are you looking forward to tomorrow. Two birdies today. What are you looking ahead for for tomorrow?

MARK MULDER: I mean, obviously I didn't come here to try to finish second, third, fourth, fifth, I came here to win. So 18 pars is 18 points. Nine birdies, nine bogeys is 27 points. I will be going after every single shot possible tomorrow no matter what.

There's no playing it safe tomorrow. I think if I can post 30-something, which I could have done today, I'll have a chance. Who knows. But obviously having Steph make that hole-in-one gives him eight or 10. Whatever it is. He'll have quite the lead going into tomorrow, but you know what, I'll be in front of him in some group. You post a number, you try to make those guys stare at that thing.