MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2026

Ryan Fox

Quick Quotes

Q. Based on what you've experienced already this week, how do you think Amen Corner is going to be playing?

RYAN FOX: Pretty hard, I think. I played the first time on Sunday, and it's firmed up a lot in the last two days, and obviously we're going to have some nice weather for the rest of the week. I think the Masters are going to be able to do whatever they want with the golf course and I think they're going to want to make it firm and fast for us, and when it gets firm and fast, it makes the tee shots on 10 and 11 a little bit easier, but 12 is a hard shot, especially with a firm green.

Looks like we're going to have that wind that's kind of variable. When we were coming in today, it felt like we played the last seven holes pretty much into the wind. It just kept switching a little bit, and again, that makes this golf course really, really hard as well. So I think it'll be tricky for us this week.

Q. When you have a wind that's unpredictable, and it usually is, but when you have it to this degree, talk about at least the tee shot on 12 and then what you have to do on 13 to be able to go after that hole.

RYAN FOX: Yeah. 12 is such a hard shot anyway, and then when the breeze is swirling, a little bit in and a little bit down with a 8-, 9-iron pitching wedge can make a massive difference. That's like 8 to 10 yards, depending on if you get a gust or not. And bunker long is no good. Bushes long is even worst, and water is probably the worst of the lot. Like it's pretty easy to make that mistake. It's a hard shot to pick.

And third in, kind of same thing. It's hard to tell down that little corner of the golf course when you're back in between the trees, and obviously the greens are a bit more exposed depending on the wind direction. It's really hard to pick what it's doing there.

Today we hit the second shot, felt like it was in, get up to the green, it felt like it was down again. Again, that makes a big difference picking a club down there. You've just gotta kind of commit to it and hope you get it right, basically.

Q. Since they moved the tee back on 13, that becomes even more of an secluded spot. There's really no cameras, no patrons. It's just kind of on its own --

RYAN FOX: Yeah. It's really cool. I never played it before the change. I think it's changed the complexion of the hole, from what I understand. I remember seeing guys hit a bunch of 3-woods down there and trying to hook stuff around the corner. And now it feels like, for the most part, unless it plays down, you can kind of hit a straight shot with driver, and that leaves you a longer second shot. Probably the tee shot might be a touch easier.

It's strange when -- it's cool, but the rest of the golf course is so busy, and then you get back into 12 and it's just so peaceful. And then obviously you walk up that hill on 13, and there is literally no one around, other than the group you're playing with.

It's a strange feeling in a major, but it's a really cool part of the event, and it's nice to just kind of gather your thoughts there a little bit before it gets crazy again on that Back 9.

Q. Are there certain shots here on this course that you think you have to be the most dialed in for mentally because of the difficulty of the shot?

RYAN FOX: Yeah. I'd be here all day if I had to go through it. We just spoke about 12. 12 is definitely one.

The second shot or third shot on 15, that wedge shot. Well, the second shot as well, that can make you look silly really, really quickly.

A couple on the front nine will do the same. 6, with the breeze swirling down there, you've really gotta commit to your shot. Especially if the breeze is swirling a little bit, you can be made to look silly around here really quickly.

There are some places you really don't want to miss it around the greens, and you've really gotta pick your yardage, pick your club, commit to it and kind of hope you get it right.

Q. On those more difficult holes that you make first shots that you have to really hone in on, are there certain techniques that you sort of lean into, whether its just breathing or certain positive mantras that you might say to yourself?

RYAN FOX: I think breathing is definitely one. I mean, for me, I try to get as much into the shot as what I can. So it's not just, hey, it's this yardage and I need to hit it here. It's, okay, this is the shot I need to hit, be really specific on my target, on my flight and kind of just really try to zone in and have as little thoughts going on as possible outside of target and shot.

It kind of gets that way when you come down the stretch. You can't really think about anything else. If you're in contention or something, you're just going, okay, this is the shot I want to hit.

And there's a lot of shots around here that make you do that, regardless whether it's the first hole on Thursday or coming down the Back 9 on Sunday.

Q. Whether it's NBA, MLB, any type of sports league, there's always a moment for a player's first time to say, hey, welcome to the play. What was your welcome to the Masters?

RYAN FOX: The one I felt actually wasn't at the Masters. It was a couple weeks before my first one. I came out here, I got to play with a member, and we stayed overnight and did a tour around the golf course. We did a drive around the back of the golf course, came out on 13 tee, and I asked if we could walk down to 12 green.

And we walked down to 12 green, and I just remember looking at it like I'd never even seen it on TV. It's the first time I'd set foot on the golf course, and I just looked around and go, wow, this is a lot smaller than I thought it was. And then looked and the flag on 12 was blowing basically straight back to the tee box, and the flag on 11 was blowing straight down the green the opposite direction.

I was like, oh, this is why this hole is so hard. That was where I felt like I finally got the intricacies of Augusta, just standing there, not having to hit the shot even, just being there. And obviously I got to play it the next day for the first time, and yeah, it's a really hard shot to hit in the tournament. And that was like my, yeah, this is Augusta. This is of what this golf course is all about.

Q. How is your game feeling?

RYAN FOX: It's close. I was obviously in really good form there for a while and then got struck down by some kidney stones. I wanted to come back and play Houston. Body probably wasn't in great shape for that, but just wanted some tournaments under the belt. I certainly didn't want four weeks off before teeing it up this week.

And been working really hard the last 10 days or so to try to find it again. And it's really close. Kind of hoping to come out on Thursday and get the competitive juices flowing again, get the excitement of getting to play the Masters.

I don't know -- nice to be here. I don't know if it'll be the last one I ever play, but just try to soak that up and enjoy it, and hopefully that gets the vibes, the confidence going. And I feel like I'm a couple of really good shots away in a tournament from feeling like it's right there.