MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 12, 2024

Scottie Scheffler

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to the interview room. You enter the weekend as the co-leader with rounds of 66 and 72. Can you please describe the challenging conditions you had to battle out there today.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it was extremely challenging. The winds were up very high, and it blows from everywhere out here. I think even par this afternoon was a really good score.

And, yeah, I couldn't really describe how windy it is and how difficult the gusts are just because, I mean, I think you just have to be out there and experience it. Like hitting shots into 11 and 12 today, it's so difficult.

And like when you have putts -- had a putt from about four or five feet on No. 9, and on a typical day would have been just outside the hole with no wind. But I could hit it on that line, and the wind -- so the putt is breaking right-to-left, wind is blowing left-to-right, and, I mean, it can change the break of the putt by a cup on either side. Especially at the speeds that these greens are at.

Everything out there is extremely difficult when it's this windy. So I was definitely -- definitely pleased to get in there at even par.

Q. Two quick ones if I could. What was the role of experience on a day like today?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not really sure. I think for me mostly it was just trying to manage my way around the golf course, and that's pretty much it. Just trying to make as many pars as you could and trying to leave it in the right spots.

But it's just so difficult when you can't tell where the wind is coming from. You can only make really an educated guess and try to go from there. For the most part, I think we did a pretty good job today.

Q. We always think when you get to 13 tee you're seeing the scoring holes out here. Is that as hard as you've ever seen those holes play, 13 on?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Pretty much. I mean, like 13 for me today was a good example of I hit a good tee shot and hit a really good second shot, and then you just get gusted by the wind, and then stuff like that happens, you make bogeys. You get to 15, a hole that's typically reachable, like yesterday I hit driver, 3-iron onto the green, and today -- and it was still a little bit into the wind yesterday actually and I hit driver, 3-iron onto the green, and today it was so into the wind and I hit driver, 3-iron, and I had 70 yards left.

So, yeah, big difference out there.

Q. The day was so long and so challenging. Do you have to play little tricks with yourself to give yourself a little break from the task at hand while you're between shots or any other time?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I try to relax as much as possible out there, but I feel like I teed off 10 hours ago. It was a long day out there. Kaiser was wearing a watch, and when we got to 16 tee, I think it was 6:57, so it had already been over five hours. And, I mean, that's what happens. When you have greens this fast and this much wind and that much water out there, it's going to take a while to play golf. That's pretty much it.

Q. Almost like U.S. Open golf is often like that, isn't it, where the days are so long and so mentally grueling?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think major championship golf has a tendency to just be very mentally grinding, and days like today I think are the extreme of that. Just with how much the wind is blowing. It can be so difficult, and you know, you've just got to do your best to relax as much as possible out there and try and execute.

Q. Are you going to hit balls tonight?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I was going to hit a few but it's pretty much dark. I'll see if -- if Xander is still on the table, I may hit a few just to get a feel before I go home. Outside of that, I may just head out.

Q. With Meredith not being here, what's missing when she's not here with you?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: What's missing? It's difficult to describe. But yeah, it's a bit weird. This is my first tournament without her being around in quite some time. Fortunately Nike kind of takes care of my clothes this week so I don't have to pick my own outfits. I did make breakfast this morning, which was an adjustment.

Yeah, she's obviously my biggest supporter, and I definitely miss having her here. But it's an exciting time for us in our lives, and yeah, fortunately she's still at home and feeling good, so we are grateful for that.

Q. How would you compare today's condition with last year's conditions, was it harder today or last year?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think it was harder today. What I remember from last year was a lot of rain, which can be challenging in its own way. Today with the wind and the firmness of the greens, I would say that it felt more challenging. But I don't have, like, distinct memories of last year outside of just raining a ton.

Q. On a day like this, even par is a good score. Does it some way feel rewarding to have fought through that and come up with a score that puts you tied for the lead?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it's definitely rewarding. Like I said, it was extremely challenging out there, and you know, I'm proud of how I finished. I would say I had three really good pars to finish the round, three really nice two-putts.

Yeah, good par on 14. I can't really say it was a good par on 15, but really anytime you make a par on a day like today is typically a good par.

So yeah, definitely feeling pretty good with the results from today and excited to get some rest and get ready for tomorrow.

Q. Was there ever a situation where you felt a little frustrated because it just took so long and it was so hard to fight the feeling, I guess?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think you get frustrated sometimes when you think the wind is blowing one direction and then it just decides it's going to blow the complete opposite direction.

Outside of that, those are things that you expect on days like today, and all I do is just try to control what I can control, and then you know if I can do that, then typically pretty satisfied with the results.

THE MODERATOR: Scottie, thank you for your time, and best of luck this weekend.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Thanks, y'all.