MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2026

Samuel Stevens

Quick Quotes

Q. So what's the excitement level, first Masters?

SAMUEL STEVENS: Yeah, it's really exciting. I was able to come last week early and play a couple times which was really cool. My first time ever being out here.

Yeah, just getting to play the practice rounds being all will people being out here it's a different feel than last week. Going to be a fun week.

Q. What are you learning about this course?

SAMUEL STEVENS: Man, you know, you have seen it so much on TV you think you know it. Kind of like everyone says the more you play it the more nuance you pick up on. The greens are obviously super tricky. That's been my main focus, to figure out where I want to leave it and which putts I need to be delicate with and which ones I can give a good run.

Played with Russell Henley the last couple days and he's played here a bunch, so he's been giving me some tips, which has been nice. Yeah, it's been a good couple days. I got a little bit more to learn. Not sure I'm going to have it all figured out by Thursday, but, yeah, figure it out as we go I guess.

Q. How old were you when the Masters became one of your goals or dreams?

SAMUEL STEVENS: I mean, it's -- you know, like all the majors, when you're a little kid that's what you dream of playing in. Golf has always been my thing so as long as I can remember playing here, coming here. Honestly, ten years ago I probably would've said if I could just come watch would've been pretty cool. To be playing it's going to be really special.

Q. Favorite Masters memory watching the tournament?

SAMUEL STEVENS: That's a good question. I remember when Tiger chipped in on 16. I think I was seven or eight. I remember when Phil hit the putt from the pine straw, I remember when he made the putt on 18. I don't know that might have been the year before. Those are pretty cool.

Man, I'm going to make a few of them this week hopefully.

Q. I'm from Columbia, South Carolina. We're hosting a Korn Ferry TOUR event in May.

SAMUEL STEVENS: Cool.

Q. How important was that tour in your development and your being here in the Masters now?

SAMUEL STEVENS: Yeah, I mean, that was a great place for me to play. I played the mini tours even before that a little bit where you cut your teeth and find out what you got.

But playing on the Korn Ferry TOUR you're playing with a lot of guys that have played out here before, playing with guys that are great college players coming up. So for me it was great kind of, yeah, learning experience really. I got my card right at the very end of the year so it was great timing to play well at the end of the year.

Yeah, that tour, learning how to travel, dealing with the delayed flights or learning a course manage a couple days and getting ready for a tournament was huge for me, and thankfully I've been able to keep it going on the PGA TOUR.

Q. For fans who may not be familiar with the Korn Ferry TOUR, maybe this will be their first one, tell us the level of golf that they're going to see out there.

SAMUEL STEVENS: Yeah, like I said, earlier, you got a ton of ex-PGA TOUR players. Might be guys that just lost their card. Might have been playing the Masters last year and they lose their card and they're going back town to the Korn Ferry TOUR for the year.

I think the level of play is -- I mean, people don't realize how good it is. Those young kids coming up you've never heard of who in three years are going to be stars on the PGA TOUR.

So we used to have a Korn Ferry TOUR in my hometown in Wichita, Kansas and the whole community got behind it and it was a really cool atmosphere for us to go out and play in front of the big crowds.

I think people in Columbia should get out and support it and watch some great golf.

Q. Sam, what did you learn about playing Amen Corner in these practice rounds that you didn't know watching on TV?

SAMUEL STEVENS: Yeah, always gave people trouble for bailing outright on 11, and I see why now. That's a tough second shot.

It's just a really cool place. You know, I don't know, like I said earlier, you watch it so many times you think that you kind of know everything.

Where everyone misses it or everyone's tendencies. Just getting out there and kind of hitting the shot, you know, even just today, like doesn't mean anything but having a couple 1000 people watching you tee off on 10 gets the juices flowing a little bit.

So those shots are awesome. It's such like I said just a special place. To be able to tee it up on Thursday and to go through there is going to be something that's really cool.

Yeah, I don't have all the nuance figured out yet, but it'll be fun to go through there on Thursday.

Q. Does to live up to the mystique you conjured in your mind?

SAMUEL STEVENS: Yeah, yeah, for sure. You know what's really cool is that when you get back on 12 green and 13 tee you're just back there by yourself. No fans, which I knew on TV, but you don't realize like that is a great place to say a little prayer. You can collect your thoughts and try and get your heart rate down a little bit.

I would say, yeah, it's a really cool spot, and, yeah, that little back nook on 13 there is a nice spot to take a deep breath and get ready for the final stretch of golf.

Q. Collect your thoughts and get ready, right?

SAMUEL STEVENS: You, absolutely.

Q. Do you have a favorite memory of a shot you've seen hit on any of those three holes?

SAMUEL STEVENS: Man, obviously seen the chip-in -- was that Larry Mize that chipped in. I wasn't alive then but that's a pretty cool shot.

Q. Is that a shot you just go try and toss a ball there?

SAMUEL STEVENS: Yeah, hit it three or four times today. The Phil shot. I don't know if it it's the second shot on 13 counts an Amen Corner technically but the shot from the pine straw that Phil hit.

Yeah, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. Yeah, hopefully I can hit a few good ones out there this week.

Q. Not from the pine straw, right?

SAMUEL STEVENS: Hopefully from the fairway, yeah.