MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2026

Jose Maria Olazabal

Quick Quotes

Q. Pretty good start to the day. Can you talk us through the round and after 12 what happened -- or 13, rather?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: We all know what happened on 13. I started really well. I made a few putts, a few saves, and I got the round going.

I mean, the only headache was 15, to be honest. I felt I didn't mis-hit the shot, to be honest. I think a couple more yards, it would have been perfect, but it's one of those things. I mean, you know, Augusta is like that. Five feet can make a huge difference.

It was just a pity, but the rest of the round was pretty solid. I'm really pleased. I mean, I will take 2-over par every day over here.

Q. Was there some conversation after the round about your practice swing on the second hole for your second shot? I think on TV they were saying you might have clipped a branch or something. Was there any conversation about that?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No, I didn't notice anything, no.

Q. So no conversation?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No.

Q. You were talking about your irons, your work before the round. How did it work?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Well, I hit a few good ones. I missed a couple. I missed the one on 12. I missed the one on 17 -- sorry, on 16. I mean, the way I felt early in the week, you know, I hit the ball pretty well, to be honest.

I don't hit all that many irons onto the greens. I hit a wood on one, a wood on three -- I'm sorry -- on five, on seven, 11. You know, 17, 18. So I don't hit all that many irons, at least with my second shot onto par-4s.

It was a good round. I mean, I'm pretty happy with it. If somebody would have told me I was going to shoot 2-over par at the beginning of the week the first round, I would have take it.

Q. What do you keep in mind mentally when you play against someone as long as Aldrich?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I mean, you just have to stay focused on your game. You cannot be distracted about that. You know, we have a job to do. You have to apply your game, simple as that. I mean, stay focused on what you have to do.

Obviously you enjoy and you mesmerized when you see the ball fly that far for that long, but obviously, you know, you have to stay focused on the job at hand.

Q. Is he the longest you've ever played with?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Probably, yeah. Yeah, probably.

Q. It was such an incredible chip-in display. I was wondering, what's kind of the key to just understanding these greens, getting up and down the way you did today?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Well, I've been playing this golf course 37 years. You know, that helps, to be honest. You know, my short game was really nice today. It has to be in order to put a decent score, because I'm going to miss a lot of greens hitting woods onto the greens. As hard as the greens are, I know I'm going to miss a lot of greens.

So, first of all, you have to think about what will be the best side to miss, which side will give you the best chances to up-and-down, and you play from there.

Q. It seems like a lot of guys, especially these days they like hitting chip shots where they really ramp up the spin, and you always seem to hit chip shots that kind of have a nice release towards the hole. I'm curious what goes into that.

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Well, I've chipped like that all my life. You know, if I have the option, I will take that one, you know, out of the two, but you know, it depends on the shot you have to hit. Again, you know, I'm not going to hit a flop shot if I do have plenty of green to work with. That's my nature. I try to use it the best I can.

Q. Historically you have not been a great starter here. Not that you've had bad scores, but just nothing until I think -- I think you actually shot 74 when you won one year.

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Yes, true. Yeah, the first year I won, I shot 74 the first day, and I was really pissed off, you know, because I came to the tournament thinking that my game was all right, and that was it. I was so upset with myself that I didn't even go to the driving range. I went straight home, and that was it.

Then, you know, the rest of the three days obviously I managed to play a little better.

Q. Do you like to feel your way into the tournament?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I guess everybody is like that pretty much. I don't think anybody is standing on the first tee thinking, I'm going to birdie the first four, five holes, especially around here.

You know, I mean, you have to -- a major is a long week. It's four days of a lot of tension, adrenaline, pressure, and you have to -- you know, you have to stay calm and collected. I think that will be the best approach.

Q. We were looking at the leaderboard early this morning.

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: And everybody was in shock, yeah.

Q. Yeah. So I was wondering if you looked yourself at least to got a smile out of it?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Of course, yes, I look at the leaderboard. I saw myself 2-under par, and for a little while I said to myself, hey, I'm leading the Masters. There you go.

You know, it's one of those things, yeah. Obviously it was fun.