MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2025

Jose Maria Olazabal

Quick Quotes

Q. How is it looking out there and how different is it with the number of trees gone?

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL Well, I don't think it's affecting all that much the play of the course. Obviously some of the views are a little bit different. It's more open in some spots.

But I don't think that's going to have any effect on the way the golf course is playing.

Q. Wouldn't change it much?

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL No, I don't think so. Maybe, I don't know, maybe the tee shot on 10 is a little bit more open on this left corner.

But apart from that, I mean, the rest is pretty much the same.

Q. Any other differences of the course particularly new this year?

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL Well, the new green on 16. I think it's noticeable. The slopes are a little bit different. Apart from that, the rest of the course is playing pretty much like every year.

Q. How different are the slopes on 16?

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL Well, especially on that back portion and the short right portion, the slope is not as severe as it was before.

Q. Uh-huh.

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL And then for the flag that usually they have it short left, if you hit it past the hole, before it was fairly straight putt; now moves quite a bit left to right. Those are the three differences I've noticed today.

Q. One other question. I'm asking players which are your favorite par-3 holes in World Golf?

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL Par-3 holes.

Q. And do the par-3s here come into that?

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL I think 12 is fantastic. The par-3 here on 12, I think that gives you -- I think that's a good example of a par-3 that doesn't need to be long to be extremely difficult.

I think that's a good example of it.

No. 12, I mean I rank No. 12 here as the best par-3 or one of them in the world.

Q. Which would be your others that you prefer or like playing the most?

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL The Stamp. Well, that's another one. It's an 80-yard shot. The last time The Open was there you could see double and triple bogeys. You know, it's true that nowadays length is important, but sometimes to have holes like that that makes the golf course interesting.

Q. So those would be your two best?

JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL Yeah, I would say so. Yeah.