Q. Was there anything different about today's round?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: I feel like it tested my patience a little bit more than it did yesterday. Obviously I came out a little bit hotter yesterday than I did today. But we didn't try to force anything. We stayed very disciplined, me and Joe, to our targets, and ended up finishing birdie-birdie, which was kind of a bonus on those two holes, but obviously very pleased with the way we've been playing.
Q. Seemed like down the stretch you hit some shots pretty close. The iron game on point today?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, I think so. All we're trying to do on this golf course is -- fairways and greens adds up. That's what we're trying to do, give ourselves plenty of looks all the time. If you happen to sneak one in closer, that's great. But yeah, obviously did that the last couple of holes, and makes me excited about the weekend.
Q. A lot of attention on Scottie this week being emotionally drained from such a big win. What's it like for you?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, I'd like to think that I'm young and I'm able to handle it.
Q. You are young.
LUDVIG ÅBERG: But obviously last week was a lot, and it was a lot going through my mind. You can't really relax playing Augusta National in those conditions.
So I think naturally I'm going to be a little bit tired, a little bit fatigued, but we've got two more rounds to go, and my focus is right here.
Q. Were you excited to start the week?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Oh, definitely. Once I saw the golf course, this is one of the tournaments I've seen on TV for a very long time, and the golf course is very iconic, and this kind of golf makes me excited. It's a little bit more placing, a little bit more strategy, I guess. So I was really excited about that challenge.
Q. Reaching the par-5s is not a big deal to you guys except that second shot on 15. How awkward is that and how good was it to hit that shot?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, it was funny because yesterday I played with a 2-iron, and today I played with a 7-wood just because of that hole. Obviously that 2-iron is not going to cover those trees. It's not going to get over the trees, but the 7-wood will.
We put it in the bag because of that, and it was funny enough we got a good number, and Joe was like, just hit it.
Q. What was the number?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: I think it was about 230 something meters to the pin, so I tried to hit a good 7-wood and ended up just covering the bunker and rolling on the green.
Q. Did you have the 7-wood in the bag yesterday?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: No, I played a 2-iron yesterday. I switched the 2-iron and the 7-wood.
Q. With the iron play, the statistics would show that there's been a bump from last year to this year. Do you feel like you've refined that?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, obviously I feel like I'm swinging it a little bit better technically. I'm able to hit a few more shots than I was last year. But I also think -- a course like this where all you're trying to do is hit the center of the green most times, and if you get a good look, that's great. But I think it also comes down to not really trying to force anything, just trying to keep hitting good shots. I feel like I'm swinging it the way -- very close to the way I want to.
Q. We forget sometimes that these courses are all new to you. If you go back to let's say June, what was the one course that kind of gave you fits in terms of understanding it, getting to know it quickly?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: That was the hardest?
Q. Yeah.
LUDVIG ÅBERG: The hardest golf course -- I mean, there's a few of them. I think a few we played last year, I remember Wentworth was very tricky that we played last year. There was just a lot to it. And then Augusta National is one that --
Q. I was going to say that doesn't count.
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, maybe that doesn't count. I trust my team. I trust Joe. He's been around a lot. He's been helping me tremendously with those things.
Q. You mentioned a lot over the last couple weeks about Joe and how much he's helped you. How big of an asset is he on the bag as you're learning some of these golf courses for the first time?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, he means a lot. Obviously he's been there. He has the experience. He's seen a lot of things, and he's seen a lot of these golf courses in different conditions and different winds. That's going to make it easier for me. It's going to help us navigate the golf courses a little bit easier.
But yeah, plus he's a fun dude to be around, and we're having a good time.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports