Q. How do you feel like you handled the difficult conditions early to shoot 4-under today?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, it was good. It's a lot easier to handle these conditions when I feel like I'm hitting the ball well. Driving it really well again today. Setting myself up for a lot of good looks.
My irons weren't quite as sharp. I had a tough time kind of gauging the distances. I hit a lot of greens and was able to make some easy birdies.
Q. We've talked about your swing for the last couple months. How you said you weren't really happy with it. What's been the biggest change for you in your swing that's gotten you back to where you kind of feel like you're hitting the shots you want to see?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I mean, to kind of keep it short it's basically trying to feel like I'm getting more extension in my golf swing. Like I was getting really crowded and my head was moving a little bit too far forward. It was just not really lending to good golf shots.
So right now it's just kind of going back to feeling like I'm staying back a little bit more and extending. Right now I'm really seeing those kind of cut shots come back and a lot of good consistent shots.
Q. When you see conditions like today do you feel like, maybe not an advantage, but you grew up in Norway, and Oklahoma can get chilly as well. Do you feel like you have an advantage playing these type of conditions?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah I spent the last two weeks in Oklahoma and we had some really cold weather. I mean, we were playing golf in 30-degree weather. It was windy. So you got to put on a bunch of layers. If you can hit it well with a bunch of layers on and know where the ball's going, I think that's good practice for when you play in tournaments when you get similar conditions.
But the Norwegian tie, like when it gets really cold we don't even play. We just sit inside. So that's a little bit different. But it helps to hit the ball well and that's the number one thing.
Q. Lastly, Pebble Beach tomorrow. What do you feel like you have to do well around Pebble to hopefully continue the ascent up the leaderboard?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Just got to keep hitting it like I have been. Hopefully try to get the ball a little bit closer. I need to start to see some putts go in. I haven't made a whole lot. The greens especially here at Monterey, they got a little bouncy towards the end there. So just got to know that. But it would be nice to roll in a few.
Q. You got to be one of the few who prepared for this by playing in 30 degrees with wind.
VIKTOR HOVLAND: I would like to think so, yeah. Yeah.
Q. But do you feel like that really sharpens your game? That's an unusual way to do it.
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I wouldn't say it's ideal, but if the choice is between not playing and going out there and playing, I think it's pretty cool. If you can go out there and shoot a good score and it's really tough, I think that should give you more confidence. As opposed to playing a course and it's perfect weather and no wind. It's like, okay, I shot a good score, but I kind of faked it around there. Whereas, when the weather's like that you got to stripe it.
Q. It feel like you haven't played in this event much.
VIKTOR HOVLAND: No.
Q. What brought you here -- and it's obviously very different than a lot of TOUR events. What's this experience been like?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: It's been a lot of fun. I played here three years ago so in 2020. Can't believe it's gone by that quick, but it has. Yeah, I'm excited to come back. These courses are so much fun to play. Even though the weather can get a little dicey.
I wasn't going to play this week, I was thinking about playing Torrey last week. But last minute I just didn't quite feel like my game was quite there. So I just added this one instead.
Q. Pebble is much different in February than it was when you were here for the U.S. Amateur.
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, a little bit different. It's a little bit softer and, yeah, not quite as thick rough. But it's still Pebble.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports