Q. Viktor, how would you assess your round?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I got off to a pretty nice start with birdies on 3 and 5 and hit a really bad drive on 6, hit it in the water there. But it was huge for momentum that I was able to make a putt for bogey and went straight back with birdieing the next three. So I kind of got right back into it. And then obviously it started blowing like 25 out there, and it was a completely different beast. Missed two short putts -- missed the one on 10. I thought I hit a really good shot in there, but make a bogey there, and then almost made a spectacular par on 11. Didn't want to make the putt there, either. And No. 12 was playing as hard as it could be playing. Missed a short one there for birdie.
But I did a really good job of just kind of staying in it, staying patient, and ended up making a nice birdie on the next hole and then an incredible eagle on 14. That was nice to finish that way.
Q. Let's talk about that eagle on 14. Obviously going for it paid off. How would you kind of assess playing that hole and hitting driver? Was there ever a question that you would go for it?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: I was thinking about it. But with the wind being kind of down off the right, which sets up perfectly for me because I can kind of hit my high cut up against the wind, I really was just trying to hit it in that front left bunker really and trying to hit a little cut off of that. Unfortunately I kind of pushed it a little bit, started it kind of at the pin and it started cutting, so I was a little worried I was going to cut it in the water, but with the wind holding up against it, it ended up being pretty good.
Q. I heard you got word over the radio that it lipped out; was that true
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Well Shay, my caddie, he thought it hit the pin or something. What did you ask again?
Q. I heard you heard you might have been told over the radio that --
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, Shay thought it had hit the pin, but it looked like it landed kind of directly on the line from the tee and the hole, and obviously that green slopes pretty hard left to right. I knew it didn't hit the hole, or else I was going to make me a little angry, got robbed for a hole-in-one there.
Q. Speaking of driving, is it kind of nice to know that through this weekend into next weekend you don't have to drive your car anywhere?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Honestly, I kind of miss it. It's only a 10-minute drive from where I'm saying, so I like just mentally to get in the car, play a couple songs and have kind of a 25-minute drive just to get ready, I guess.
Q. Have you enjoyed the long travel you've had driving your car all around the country during this start back?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, it just makes like -- as golfers you're just so used to seeing the airport and staying at the hotel, so it kind of makes this trip a little bit more memorable, I guess, to kind of associate each different week by the things I've seen on the road, how I got there. I like it, yeah.
Q. Obviously in a very good position heading into the weekend. What's one big key for you to hopefully keep yourself in contention and get yourself closer to win No. 2?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I hit a couple bad drives out there. I hit a lot of good ones, but I don't really feel like I've got as good of control of the driver as I should, spraying a couple out to the right, and sometimes I try to compensate for that, and they just go dead left. Need to work on that a little bit. But I'm hitting a lot of good iron shots and making a couple nice putts, as well. I think I just need to play very basic, boring golf.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports