Q. Overall pleased about the round today; what was most pleasing?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: I just stayed in it. I can't say I drove it great or amazing and hit the ball amazing, but I really just took advantage of when I did hit good shots. I putted really nicely. Also just I didn't try fighting it too much. I knew it wasn't quite exactly how I was hitting it, and you just make due. It was obviously nice to make a couple chip-ins or a little 5-wood off the green and a chip-in on 4 and 5 to just keep the momentum going.
Yeah, when I did hit it good off the tee I was able to put them close and make a lot of birdies today.
Q. Tomorrow gusts up to 30 possibly. What's it like playing here in that high of a wind, a place where you have to also put it in the air, you've got an island green, et cetera?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I remember I think it was the year J.T. won. Earlier in that week, I mean, it was blowing. I assume it's going to be, we might see gusts of what we did back then. You just have to control your golf ball.
On a course like this, the way I played today and the way I hit it, it could be the complete opposite and I could have easily shot 1- or 2-over, just being in the right spots and the wrong spots and not making up-and-downs.
So you just have to have control of your golf ball. Similar to last week, thick rough, greens are receptive, but with that it makes it almost just as hard because you're spinning wedges, wind into you, you could rip back an 8-iron and be short-sided. So it's just a lot of control with the spin tomorrow.
Q. Different course, different conditions, all that kind of stuff, but just in terms of what you're feeling right now, do you feel similar at all to last week as you've vaulted into contention?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I think last week kind of through two days I felt like maybe I was hitting it a little better. But it's, I mean it's right there. I saw a lot of good shots today. But it's just how do I tighten things up a little bit. I'm not asking for perfect, but it's just knowing that the conditions are going to be like that tomorrow, you want to have a little bit more control. But it feels good. Short game's feeling good after today, and just got to keep doing what I'm doing.
Q. Is Sunday last week in your mind in terms of motivation for tomorrow, or do you have to put it away?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Look, I don't have to get motivated for this week. You show up and you know what the goal is, right. But I've kind of looked at it Monday, Tuesday, figured out what do I need to do different, what do I do the same to put myself in that position, and just things go your way, right, and you just make it happen.
Q. Where the pin is on 17 today beneath the slope there, are you thinking about trying to hole it? Are you thinking about controlling your spin, because you can rip it off of there?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Definitely not thinking about holing it until the ball lands safely on the green behind the hole. But it's one where if you're going to have a good chance of making a 1, like that's the hole. I wanted it after J.J. holed it. I mean, it looked really good today, but, you know, I'll take a 2 there any day.
Q. Is controlling your spin with that slope hard? There are years where it rips off and goes into the water. Is that a difficult thing?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I mean, it was nice that the wind wasn't -- it wasn't really into us, so it was kind of just off the right. So I don't know with the wind -- seems like it's picking up a little bit. I don't know how it's going to play later today.
But when it's into you and that front pin, that's when you float one up and it just rips off the green and you see a lot more in the water.
It was a little easier today, there was five miles per hour at most when we played it.
Q. When you look at Rory and the sustained success he's had for quite a long time, almost never misses cuts, he's kind of in contention all the time, what's your impression of that? How impressed are you in that as you try to --
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Longevity is a huge thing, and not just longevity but consistency, and he's a model of that. I remember when I turned pro in 2019, he was top-fiving, top-tenning every single week, something what we saw Scottie do last year into this year, the past two years, I guess. But to do that over his entire career essentially is incredible. It's what you strive to do and just continue to keep working hard at it.
Q. As somebody who's won a couple of majors and in contention a lot as well, how difficult is that to sustain? Do people realize how just maybe mentally exhausting that can be?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I mean, maybe not mentally exhausting, but I mean, look, it's just, you have to learn how to win on TOUR. Any level, junior golf, amateur, college golf, whatever, you have to learn how to win. Just because you do it once doesn't mean you can do it again.
I kind of looked back and realized it's hard. But that's why I love this game and that's why it's so difficult and fun at the same time is you just dig your head deeper and you just keep figuring it out and hope you just end up on top on Sunday. Thankfully, we have a lot of weeks, but you want it to be just right there.
Q. Only four starts to win; how did you learn so quickly?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Just be good at golf. Put the ball in the hole.
Q. The 5-wood chip, do you practice that? What went into deciding that that was the right play?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, that's kind of been my play on courses like this where I'm kind of going up slopes, and yeah, for me I could have easily putted it, but it's just something that I felt very comfortable with and might have had a little bit of speed, but it's all right.
Then I just want to add one more thing. I might bite my tongue after saying this, but to the Brandel Chamblees, to the Paul McGinleys, to the Rocco Mediates of the world, I don't regret anything I said. You know, it might have been a little bit harsh that I don't owe anyone, but I don't owe anyone.
I respect the fans. I'm very thankful for them. I'm grateful. It makes me emotional, but it's just -- it hurts to hear people say this, and especially you guys, because I finished the round and I went to go sign for 10 minutes, 15 minutes for all the people after. Not a single person from media went to go follow me because, I don't know. But that's me.
So for people to be calling me out is -- it's interesting. It just, it doesn't show anything. I mean, look, I get what you guys are saying. But I was there. I was signing for every single person right after the round, whether they wanted it or not. I finished second. They could care less. But yeah, I'm going to leave it at that, all right? So thank you guys.
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