MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2026

Jackson Herrington

Quick Quotes

Q. Jackson, 237 days ago you got to the semifinals at the U.S. Amateur to guarantee your spot here in the field. This morning, what was your warmup like and your preparation to actually play a competitive round in the Masters?

JACKSON HERRINGTON: Yeah, I had a little trouble going to sleep last night, but I eventually got bed around 10:00. Yeah, got up a little early, did some physio, got a little stretch in. I tried to spend as much time with my family as I could before the round.

Then got out there with the lights on so that was pretty cool. I asked Derek if he thought the lights would be there on Monday at the college event.

Yeah, it was -- to be out there that early and just before anyone was there, just hear the birds chirp, that was pretty cool.

Yeah, I wasn't terribly nervous until I heard my name called on the first tee. Then I was like oh, this is actually happening.

Yeah, I been told kind of how -- what to expect and how they were going to be a little faster than I thought, a little firmer. I didn't think they were faster than I anticipated but had some firmness to them.

Q. You warmed up for countless rounds in junior golf, amateur golf, college golf in Tennessee. What was the most challenging part of this warmup session?

JACKSON HERRINGTON: Making sure I don't go too fast, calming myself down, staying in my routine. I know if I pick up the pace a little bit it's not good, so I just try to stay calm and just focus on what was happening, staying present, and then focus on the first tee shot later.

But snuck up on me fast. Yeah, heck of a day.

Q. Obviously had good crowds here for the practice rounds but nothing like the first round. What was that like going through Amen Corner, which you went through very well I might add? What was that like going through those historic spots on the golf course, walking across Hogan Bridge, Nelson Bridge, 16? What was that like in a competitive round versus practice rounds?

JACKSON HERRINGTON: Completely different. It was pretty cool. I told Derek, even though I was 3-over standing on 12 tee that I was one for one on No. 12, so that was awesome.

Yeah, I was just trying to keep it lighthearted out there. We were just having a good time talking. But first time we were playing to go through those at one of under is pretty special.

Hate I missed that putt on 15, but walking over those bridges is pretty cool.

Q. Long way to go before the first round is complete, before we get an idea where you stand on the leaderboard. Are there certain things that you definitely want to go kind of tidy up to get ready for tomorrow?

JACKSON HERRINGTON: I think I'm going to do a little bit of putting. Not going to do too much. I don't want to wear myself out. I know if I tinker a few things, get tighter here and there, I got no problem shooting under par.

So I'm pretty confident I'll be here on Sunday, so I think I'm just going to do a little bit of warmup, go eat, and go rip some lips this afternoon. I know that.

Q. Plans for tonight?

JACKSON HERRINGTON: Yeah, doing a little fishing and probably eating a steak if you can imagine.

Q. This is my not-shocked face?

JACKSON HERRINGTON: Yeah.

Q. So far on the course are there any shots or holes that you've faced so far that you got lock in a little bit more mentally to take care of them, whether it's the difficulty of the shot or anything of that nature?

JACKSON HERRINGTON: I think for me I really had to lock in on the first tee shot. That was a little more nerve-wracking than I anticipated.

After that, the one I didn't expect to come up on me was three approach shot. I mean, I was 40 yards away and hit best shot I could. Landed like four feet on the green and still had 20.

There is that one. I think it was 11. That one is always tough. Just making sure you kind of hit it to the middle of the green. You don't want to push too far back there. So that one. 12 is pretty nerve-wracking. You want to hit that green.

The one I was just telling a couple of these guys, 13 was kind of when I realized this is getting pretty firm. I had front left flag. I wanted to send one down on the right just to have the width of the green as an angle. 40 yards and hit it 20 feet short and I had 15 feet behind it, so even though I spun it as much as I could.

So that was kind of the first time I was like, okay, I see how it's going to be. I hit some really good shots out there and some not great shots. I learned from it and I'll do better tomorrow.

Q. A lot of guys when they come into certain environments I'll say for example the NBA, here is my welcome-to-the NBA moment.

JACKSON HERRINGTON: Right.

Q. You realize this is a little bit different than you thought, a little more difficult, the real deal. Have you had a welcome-to-the-Masters moment yet?

JACKSON HERRINGTON: Yeah, when I smoked the tree on hole one on my second shot. I thought it was pretty funny. I either had to chip out sideways or I could hit the gap that I had. I went for the gap, hit the tree, and went exactly where I was going to pitch out to.

Worked out, but I think that was pretty funny. Just kind of didn't expect it. I felt pretty confident in my shot. Yeah, that was pretty awesome.

But can't forget the up and down I had on No. 2. That was pretty good. Yeah, those first two holes were quite the opposite of each other, I know that.