Q. Justin, quick start. Some peaks and valleys along the way. How would you characterize round one for you here?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I played really well, I did. I hit a lot of really quality golf shots, hit a lot of quality putts that just didn't go in. The only really truly bad putt I hit today was 14. I just hit it too hard. I was playing break for softer speed and I rammed it. But I hit a lot of good putts I feel like that could and should have gone in and hit a lot of quality golf shots.
The wind was gusting all over the place out there and although I know I easily could have shot 4, 5, 6, 7 shots better, 2-under is fine after the first day.
Q. We talked yesterday about a little break, resetting after the Masters. How quickly can you get back in the rhythm even though it was just two weeks of competitive golf?
JUSTIN THOMAS: An eagle, birdie start helps. I was thinking walking down 1 that it felt weird, the first tee shot, it felt odd, just kind of hitting a competitive golf shot again, knowing that wherever I hit it off the tee is where I have to play it on the next shot, no matter what.
And so it was good. It was good to -- the fans were, there was a lot of them out there, they were pretty loud and rowdy and it's nice, it's starting to feel a little bit normal again.
Q. You alluded to a lot of positives from this round. What if anything do you try to fine tune before tomorrow?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I'm going to go hit some putts. Like I said, I felt like I hit a lot of really quality putts, good putts, a couple maybe had a little bit more speed. The greens are bumpy in the afternoon, you're going to get that any time you're in the afternoon wave, they're always going to be a little bit bumpier than the morning. But really just kind of go see a couple go in the hole and try and get some positive vibes. That putt on 18 was nice because I felt like I deserved to earn that after a lot of lipouts today.
Q. How has the birthday been?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It's been good. I woke up and played with my dog and had a smoothie and came out here. But that's a pretty normal birthday on the PGA TOUR just playing golf.
Q. What did you hit on the par-3?
JUSTIN THOMAS: 5-iron. Hit a nice kind of, not like a really low, but just tried to get a good flight on it and hold it up against the right-to-left wind and that was probably the best shot I hit today.
Q. Is this like you're going to be putting until dark?
JUSTIN THOMAS: No, no, probably just putt for five or ten minutes. I putted really well today, I started the ball where I wanted, I felt like I was rolling it pretty well, it just, they just weren't going in.
So I just want to go see a couple go in and see if there's anything that maybe fundamentally or anything that might be wrong to why I was missing them, but, no, I mean, I hit plenty of good putts out there.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports