Q. When you get off to the start you did, you still played well on the back nine. I think you were 1-under for your last nine holes, but do you feel like there was any kind of lapse whatsoever on its back?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: No. I mean, there was on that tee shot on 11 but everything else was pretty clean, just wasn't making birdies. I birdied 12 and then, to his eagle, and he just started making birdies. And that's exactly what happened yesterday with Sergio, but I fought through it.
And the biggest mistake today was 17, just 3-putting. Just can't do that in this kind of tournament, this kind of match play and this situation. But thankfully got out of it and moving on.
Q. The alternative would be to not get off to the start you did, but you're 4-up through 7 holes. Is it hard to I don't want to say stay focused, but certainly there's a part of you that plays defensively maybe?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: No, I just got to commit to my shots and keep doing what I'm doing. It doesn't mean I'm going to make all my putts. I was hitting it really well. I was making a bunch of putts. And for the rest of that round it's not like I'm going to get mad at myself and start playing to the middle of the greens. I'm going to still hit my shots.
But he just hit some better shots. All of his iron shots were, didn't leave the flag stick, and it's a little nervy when you see it in the air and you might be 20 feet away. So just glad I got through. That's the name of this game right here.
Q. No. 5, can you walk us through?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: No. 5?
Q. The hole out, the eagle.
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I hit a good drive, and Jason hit a great chip, actually thought it might have went in as well, and it was one of those chip shots where I thought I could land it a little shorter and then I walked up, knew that it was pitched into me, and hit it exactly how I wanted. I mean, I've had, at Riviera I had those two chips that I made that immediately after I hit it I thought they were going in. This was with the same one and it's nice to have those feelings.
Q. On 17 when you hit that putt did you know right away that it had gotten away from you?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, it was terrible. I mean, I've hit probably three putts this week that anyone could have hit better. But you know what, 2's better than 1 -- or 1's better than 2 and hopefully it's zero for the rest of the week.
Q. Have you ever played Abe?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: We played last week the first two days at Valspar. But I know he's a good player, he makes a lot of putts, he's a great lag putter and once again just can't give away any mistakes out there.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports