MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 10, 2026

Aldrich Potgieter

Quick Quotes

Q. A better round, I presume, for you. How did you feel?

ALDRICH POTGIETER: Yeah, no, it felt good. We kind of discovered what went wrong yesterday. Kind of just found the problem and got rid of it, so it was good.

Q. What was the problem?

ALDRICH POTGIETER: Unfortunately, my driver broke yesterday morning about ten minutes before the tee time. I put in the backup head, and we were playing a round with weights all week trying to work on some stuff. I was really happy with my original driver, and I put the backup in, and couldn't hit a fairway out there.

We found out yesterday I had different weights in. So it was just an error that we made and kind of cost me a lot, but yeah, we learned from it. We fixed it, so it was a lot better today.

Q. How did you fix it? On the driving range?

ALDRICH POTGIETER: We put the weights that were supposed to be in there, and yeah, back to hitting it straight.

Q. Second Masters. The results -- I think your results were a little bit better the first time, but do you feel that you got more out of it this time around?

ALDRICH POTGIETER: Yeah, I think looking at that last round it was a bit more of what I thought the week was going to look like a bit more. I think probably just erase that first round out of my memory, and I think if we can come back, clean up a few areas before we get back out here again, we'll be good.

Q. Do you think you'll be back here often? You're hoping.

ALDRICH POTGIETER: Yeah, hopefully we'll stay inside that top 15 move this year and be back again?

Q. What's it like playing with somebody like Olazabel that's ancient compared to you, but he's probably got a lot of experience

ALDRICH POTGIETER: He's got one of the best short games that I've played with. Even at the age of 60, it's incredible. I think that's kind of why this sport is so good and how it's special.

I mean, he played great. He had some unfortunate breaks today that kind of put him back a little bit, but watching him play yesterday it was really special.

Q. What are you going to do now?

ALDRICH POTGIETER: Probably watch some golf on TV on the weekend, but I got my whole family out here, all the cousins and uncles. We'll just enjoy the time with them, ask then they fly back on Monday back to South Africa, and then we'll go to RBC. Still looking forward to an elevated next event next week, so we'll try and get the game ready for that.

Q. What are your expectations for the rest of the year?

ALDRICH POTGIETER: Yeah, I think moving forward in a lot of good areas of the game. I think physically, mentally I've got a big team that started with me this year. I've got a physio, a trainer, putting coach. So there's a lot of new stuff added into the team this year, so I think if we can kind of get a way to work all in sync, I think that will just improve slowly over time and get more consistency out of it.

Q. South Africa has been shooting under the radar at the majors for the last five, six years. Why do you think is that? There's a lot of young players that are doing well on the individual tours. It seems at the majors to not go to the top 10 very often.

ALDRICH POTGIETER: Yeah, it's big. These weeks are huge. I think there's a level of experience like especially this week. You've got to know this golf course inside and out, and I think that just plays a big advantage into the week as well.

So I think these moments are really big, and we've got to learn to kind of put ourselves in those big moments, and it helps putting yourself in contention on the PGA TOUR or on the European Tour all the time and kind of -- but this is just a big step up to that as well.

So I think it just comes down to preparation, and it's all just mental as well, I think. So we've got the game and the players to be able to compete, I think. We've just got to put those small blocks together.

Q. Do you think that's going to happen kind of in the next few years?

ALDRICH POTGIETER: Yeah, I mean, it was unfortunate to see some guys go to LIV, and obviously some south African players went that route, so I that I that's why there's not as many out here as it was five or six years ago.

I think there's a couple of good bunch of kids, or young players, I would say, coming through now. Hopefully in the next two or three years we'll have some names up there.

Q. Do you find the expectations that I think South Africans, people like Gary Player. Jesus, have you seen this -- he's so good. Does that weigh a bit on you?

ALDRICH POTGIETER: No, I think it's more of a compliment. I take it that way. It's kind of -- when you step on that tee, I think all that vanishes anyway, and you're trying to do the job and hit the shot in front of you.

It's nice to have the family out here and play with Gary player this week as well, but I wouldn't say the expectations are up there to come out and try and win and run away with a trophy. I think it's just trying to learn the best we can. Not even if it's on the golf course. If it's just how to prep for a week or whatever it is, yeah.