Q. Great round.
SAM BURNS: Thank you.
Q. No bogeys, three birdies. How does it feel?
SAM BURNS: I feel like I've played a really solid round. Felt like I was patient. Tried to just take what the golf course was giving me. Felt like I hit a lot of quality shots and hit some good putts that I made, hit some good putts that I didn't.
Yeah, really solid.
Q. Played with Rory. A lot of attention. A lot of things going on around you. How do you stay focused and do your thing?
SAM BURNS: Well, I mean, ultimately I'm playing the golf course. You know, I can't control anything anyone else does. I can only control myself, and so that's kind of what the mentality we took today. Just focus on our process and go out there and compete.
Q. Do you feel like going through that helped you, coming through that helps you in this situation?
SAM BURNS: Yeah, I mean, I think it's -- yeah. Yes. I think I played a lot of really good golf that week. Ultimately I felt like, you know, leaving there I wanted to takeaway the positives, and you know, put myself in that position and have a chance to win. I was really proud of that.
Q. Is there anything bigger here at the Masters? Is there a different feel here at all?
SAM BURNS: Yeah, I mean, I think it's unique in the sense that when you look around, everyone is engaged, everyone is standing, looking at you and not pointing a phone at you. I think there's a great appreciation for that. I think everyone feels that, right, even the patrons feel that too.
Us players really love that. So I think there's a young eveningness to it that we really like. Of course, yeah, it's the master, right? As a kid you grew up dreaming of playing Augusta National, much less playing the Masters tournament.
Yeah, just to be out here is a dream come true for me.
Q. One of the things we hear a lot is how much experience matters here when you play three, four, five, six, times. Have you felt that?
SAM BURNS: Yeah, I think so. I feel like especially in your preparation. It's not as taxing as it was maybe the first couple of years when you feel like you have to hit a million different putts and chips, and you don't feel like there's enough time in the day to get everything done.
You know, now when I show up I have a good idea of how the golf course is going to feel and play. They usually change a couple of things here and there that we'll pick up on, but ultimately, you kind of have a pretty good idea of how the golf course is going to kind of flow.
Q. Is there like a shot today that you are particularly proud of or really made a difference in your round?
SAM BURNS: I mean, I feel like the 5-iron I hit on 15 was a really good shot. The ball laid above my feet and trying to kind of hold it up against that lie. Unfortunate not to get that ball up and down. I hit a pretty nice pitch.
Yeah, I think that was a good shot. That's a tough approach coming in there with how firm that green is playing.
Q. Is there any ability while you're playing too look around, and the course is empty and behind you and Rory...
SAM BURNS: It's cool. Right, it is. Especially when you get back there on 12, 12 green and 13 tee. It's so quiet. It's just such a different feel from the rest of the golf course.
But, yeah, kind of turned around and seeing no one, that's a cool feeling.
Q. How do you approach the challenge tomorrow, and how much do you enjoy that process?
SAM BURNS: I love it. This is what we practice for and work so hard for, and I think kind of back to my point earlier, you know, I'm going to go out tomorrow and just try to execute. I can't control anything anyone else does. I can only control how I carry myself, my attitude, and those are the things I'm going to focus on.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports