THE MODERATOR: Simon, 3-under today for you. How would you summarize your opening round?
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, really happy. Started on 10, and I played really good on the back nine. Holed some nice putts, as well. I had three in a row on 11, 12, 13 which got me going, and a couple other chances.
But the course wasn't playing -- it's obviously softer this morning, so you had opportunities, but you still had to hit it in the right spots on the green. You miss the green in the wrong spot, you can make bogey easily.
Then yeah, the front nine was a little bit trickier. The buggy ride up to the first, my back didn't like it, and I struggled a bit on the front nine with my back. I'm going to get a bit of treatment now. But I got it round and nice to birdie the par-3, 7th, which was great.
Q. The keys from practice to today, maybe softer, but kind of the keys to this golf course do you think? What worked for you better?
SIMON KHAN: I think, yeah, off the tee -- it's controlling it a bit from -- whereas Monday, firmness in the greens was -- your landing spots changed today, so you had to really have control into the greens. It's a second-shot course. It's quite generous. Good driving holes, but it's quite generous off the tee, but if you've got good control of your iron shots and distance control with that, it's a good second-shot course. You've got to work it into certain pins and be in the right spot in the fairway. So position really off the tee -- there's a couple holes where distance does help.
But the par-5s are quite tricky to go into anyway, so you're sometimes a bit better off with a wedge in your hand with the angles to the greens. It sort of suited me today. I got it around a little bit gingerly with my back on the front nine, but I'm happy.
Q. You're starting in contention in a major. Is that a new feeling? Is that something that you embrace? Does it make any difference for you?
SIMON KHAN: No, not really, no. I love coming over here. Had some good PGA Championships in the past on the main Tour and enjoyed my last couple of PGAs.
On our tour in Europe, we play a lot of three-round events, like Champions Tour, so it's nice to play a four-round tournament as well, actually. I quite enjoy that. It's that old feeling of being on the Tour again and you work your way into it, and it feels a bit less of a sprint. I enjoy that aspect of it.
Obviously a great golf course, fantastic. That brings the scoring up a little bit, so I quite enjoy the tougher tests.
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