MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 12, 2025

Joaquin Niemann

Quick Quotes

Q. You got a couple early birdies. How would you sum up the round?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I mean, it's kind of frustrating, obviously. I played great. I mean, I felt like I did what I didn't do yesterday on the par-5s, especially on the back nine where I hit beautiful shots, and yeah, I think I did two three-putts on the back nine, no one-putts, and I still shoot even par. Yeah, it's crazy.

It's like there's no hope, but it is what it is. I've been playing great. I feel like anytime that you come, maybe tomorrow they all go in and have a beautiful round.

Q. You're in this position, so what is your main goal? What are you trying to accomplish?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, it's still the same. It's obviously nice to be here. Obviously I love playing golf. I love playing golf here in Augusta. It's always a pleasure.

Yeah, I mean, just kind of try to have fun, enjoy those things. It's a lot of fun when you hit a good golf shot here, and it doesn't matter what the score is. It's going to make your hard balls a little bit harder, especially on those holes on the back nine.

So that's always nice. I feel like it's always nice when you have those nerves and try to calm yourself down and still try to hit that shot, and I feel like I've done that pretty good, especially for the short grass.

Q. How important are these rounds in terms of your learning experience in majors? You're still only 26.

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I mean, every time I look back, I feel like my ball-striking has been there on these events. I feel like I had that before and I have that right now. All three days have been amazing, my ball-striking. I feel like how bad I've been putting, I could still have a chance if I make two-putts every day, which is pretty easy to do, and yeah, I feel like I just need to work on the greens.

I've got to figure out something. I've got to figure out how to get that consistency that I have with my ball-striking. I know I've been putting well before and I've been putting well on a few LIV events.

Obviously not all of them because of the way I hit the ball if I putted like the way I hit the ball, I feel like I could be winning a lot more.

But I feel like everybody has weaknesses, and I feel like that's one of mine, and I've got to figure out how to get it better.

Q. What is one thing you've learned the first three days about Augusta National that you didn't know?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Everything about it is nice. I feel like there's a lot of -- I need to figure it out. I feel like it's just a tough challenge. Like I said, there's a lot of shots during the round where you're feeling really nervous.

Like just for that shot, I feel like every time I get to No. 12 my heart starts pumping a little bit faster and I can feel it, and then also on the second shot on 11, the tee shot on 13. So there is a stretch where you feel those nerves.

I feel like I've been able to calm myself down pretty good and hit the shots there. It's just a matter of making those putts, and it's just a different story.

Q. Do you feel like Augusta National is a course that you're going to have some really good results on?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, for sure. I feel like how my game is, I feel like I can have a good chance anywhere. The way I'm hitting it right now, I just need to make a few putts, and I'm going to be fighting for the tournament. That's all I know.

Yeah, I just need to figure it out, to have that putting skills whenever I need to.