SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 16, 2026

Davis Riley

Waialae Country Club

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Davis, what was a little bit different in today's round than yesterday?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, definitely today I putted really well, but I definitely hit the ball a little bit better today. It maybe wasn't even better, I just didn't have as many crazy shots as yesterday.

I had a penalty stroke off the tee yesterday which really cost me and felt like I lost a lot of momentum there.

Overall the ball striking was a little cleaner and continued some of that good putting.

Q. You talk about your good putting. Did you work on any of that in the offseason? Was that something you were really focusing on?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, I've actually got a new putter. This is my first week using it. It was one I changed into actually about a week and a half ago, so kind of a last-minute switch before we got the season started.

Yeah, it felt really good in my hands and feels really good on the greens, and it's just matching my eye really well.

Q. Is it just maybe seeing something different with the putter always helps, the old adage?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, I went with a different face. I found a little bit this offseason my ball was launching a little bit high and wasn't getting quite enough topspin and running soon enough.

I've got a different face that Scotty Cameron made me, and it gets the ball rolling a little bit quicker and I can definitely tell the ball is rolling tighter to the grouped, and I think that's why I'm starting to see a lot of good putts go in.

Q. First week of the year here. What's your outlook for this season coming off a solid season last year?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, I feel like the last year, year and a half I've been really up and down. There are some things ball striking I need to clean up, which I've definitely hit a few loose shots so far the first few days.

I feel like I figured out a couple thing mechanically and then just honestly trying to have a little bit more fun. I felt for the most part of last year I was miserable on the course and kind of riding the ebbs and flows of golf.

Felt like I put a lot of good work in this offseason. Every facet of the game feels pretty good. No matter how bad the golf was I'm going to chose to try to be happy and not make myself miserable.

It's just golf, it's up and down, and I feel like I rode this rollercoaster a little bit more than I should have last year. So just take it day by day and learn as much as I can.

Q. Is that something you're learning as you mature not just as a professional golfer but as a person as well?

DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, for sure. I've got such a good life outside of golf. I've got amazing family, wife, and everything. I just try to keep things in perspective. Sometimes we play so much and we're on the road and we're away from family for long periods of time. I think we can kind of loose a little bit of reality out here.

We're blessed to play on the PGA TOUR and have an amazing job, but sometimes if you bog down in the ruts of golf you can find yourself in some weird places.

I think having a food perspective and then just trying to have as much fun as possible. I think these conditions are kind of bringing it out in me a little bit because you have to be creative.

It's not like you're trying to make perfect golf swings every time. There is definitely some feel and creativity on the golf course and on the greens.

I feel like that's bringing that part of my game out and that's why I'm having a lot of fun so far.