PGA Championship

PGA Championship Wednesday, May 19, 2021 Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Collin Morikawa Press Conference COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I definitely think I can compete here. Obviously my ball-striking helps, and I feel THE MODERATOR: Good morning, and welcome back to comfortable with a 6-iron or 5-iron in my hands. the 2021 PGA Championship here at the Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. We are absolutely thrilled But you have to control your golf ball. Out here with the to be joined by our defending champion, Mr. Collin wind no matter what it is, it's going to be blowing over 10 all Morikawa, and welcome to what is your second PGA day everywhere, you just have to control your golf ball, so it Championship. doesn't matter if you're 150 yards or you're 200 yards, you have to be able to know where you're going to land certain Collin, you spent some time here just a little more than a shots, where you're going to miss them. month ago, came in for a great media day and got to experience the Ocean Course for the first time. Was it this There's certain spots out here even with the paspalum windy that day, and maybe what are your impressions of grass it might be nice to have a good lie but if it gets a little the wind you've experienced here this week, baked out in the afternoon it's going to play a little harder. You have to be kind of cognizant of where you're hitting COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I think I got lucky during the your shots, and I think that kind of favors what I do. I really media day. It was actually windier and it was the opposite strategically think through how I'm going to play all 18 wind. We had the wind that we might actually see on holes. Sunday, which is I think really beneficial for me just to see the course in a different way. Q. You say your game is trending nicely. What are some things you're seeing in your game you've kind of In my head I was ready to play 10 through 13 just nearly been waiting to see? impossible hitting 4-irons and 5-woods into the greens, and I think I've hit 9-iron into a few of those greens this week so COLLIN MORIKAWA: I think just putting everything far. together. You tweak little things here and there, and I was able to take three weeks off. I was really fortunate to do Overall I think that's what this golf course is going to test, that before heading into this week. And when you get a it's going to test your ability to adapt and then be ready for break like that, you kind of set your clubs away for a little change. You're going to have nine holes that are into and bit and then you go back and you get in the groove of nine holes that are against, and how are you going to be things. able to figure out how to just stay patient and play some great golf. And then I was able to get my coach, Rick, out there in Vegas before this week, and we just got little things. We But it was great to see the golf course a month before just tinkered a little bit, figured out what we need to do, get in to kind of see the layout and just get a little more the routines. comfortable with how the course is going to play, but overall like I feel really good. Game is trending in a great But it's such a great game because you think about what direction, and I've just been really trying to go out and play you did really well in other tournaments, and it's so hard to golf, and I think that's the best thing you can do coming into actually remember what you did well. You actually think a major. you did this well, but it might be something else. It might be something in your head, well, you thought that you just Q. Along those same lines, everyone is talking about have to figure out. It's us just trying to figure out what how long this golf course is, but can a mid-length worked and what didn't. We figured out a few things, and it player compete here, and if so, how? feels really good. 107542-1-1003 2021-05-19 13:23:00 GMT Page 1 of 5 Coming into this week we're not really working too much. have control over my ball, and some people in the wind, Obviously you have a pretty windy range, the chipping who knows what it's going to be like. green is not huge, but we're not really working too much, we're just trying to go out there and play golf and get So it obviously takes out another portion of the field comfortable, like I said, on the golf course. because out here with crosswinds, with breezes that are going to be into you, first two days I think are going to be Q. So it's harder to remember the good shots; are pretty similar, Saturday is going to be different, Sunday is there pieces of the TOUR this year where you going to be different. How do you not get stuck in these remember that tee shot at 16 at Harding? practice rounds because I think what we've had Monday through today have all been the same. We've all had this COLLIN MORIKAWA: No, it's not remembering the good kind of east wind, so how are you going to be able to adjust shots, it's remembering the process to get there. Because when the days are a little different with a 4-iron, with a there's more than just us stepping up and hitting a good 6-iron, whatever it may be, so when I have a 4-iron in my shot and saying -- obviously I remember the feeling I hit on handy feel comfortable hitting those shots. 16, I remember those feelings. Q. I'm curious, over the last day or so we've heard But I can't just think about that feeling and go hit 60 good some tales from you guys about 17 and how daunting shots out on the golf course. There's a process to get that is, obviously particularly with this wind. I'm there, that pre-shot routine, everything that's involved. curious what your impression of 17 is. You said you There's just so much more that people don't realize that go hit 5-wood in yesterday. How much of a factor could into hitting a shot. that hole be down the stretch on Sunday if it's a tight leaderboard? You're talking with your caddie, how do you talk with them, how do you get on the same page. There's just little things COLLIN MORIKAWA: That's a huge deciding hole. that like no one will ever pick up on. It's just something that There's nowhere to bail. I think when I played that hole I know that you tweak a little bit here and there and you during media day, it was straight downwind and I was like, I just feel a little better for the week. don't know how we're going to play this downwind or into the wind. I wish they built like a full stadium and you Q. What are some of the clubs that you're hitting into wouldn't have any wind. the closing five holes with this wind direction? But it's going to be a huge hole because no matter where COLLIN MORIKAWA: Let's see. 14, I hit 5-wood. 15 you put the tees you still might be hitting 7-iron, 6-iron and yesterday, what did I hit? I hit 5-iron. 16, I hit it in the right there's nowhere to bail. Usually you have somewhere just rough off the drive and I had 8-iron in for my third, which to kind of play away from the hazard, but it's hard to play was nice. 17, I hit a 5-wood. 18, I hit 4-iron. So long short left because you still have water, you still have wind, irons. and you only have about 15, 20 yards. Are you just playing center of the green? Are you playing at the bunker? It all Q. Do you think that gives you an advantage depends on the wind. considering you are statistically the best iron player on the PGA TOUR? Do you think that gives you an I think coming down on Sunday, even on Saturday, how advantage over the rest of the field? people are going to have momentum is those last couple holes are going to be huge. I'll take four 3s right now and COLLIN MORIKAWA: Well, I think everyone is going to get away with that because pars are going to be your friend have a long iron in. Doesn't matter where we play. I guess those last couple holes. if the tees are moved up you're going to have a little less, but what helps me is that I can control my ball flight, and I But I look forward to it.

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