Media Center Interviews

April 21, 2018

Third Round Interview with Trey Mullinax

Q. Wow, incredible performance, Trey Mullinax. Played your last five holes 6 under, course record 62. How much would you like to right now go out and play that final round?

TREY MULLINAX: That'd be great. If they'll let me sign for it tomorrow, I'll take it. No, today was a great day. I've been playing -- everything's been getting better each day from the first day to now so look forward to playing tomorrow.

Q. You're first on the PGA TOUR on putts from 20 to 25 feet, but this week your magic number has been inside 10 feet, you're 42 of 44. What is it about these greens that you like?

TREY MULLINAX: They just kind of remind me of greens from home. My caddie, David, has been reading them really well. We trusted each other on our reads and I've been hitting good putts. Been working hard on putting on the weeks off that I've had so it's good to see some results, and David's been reading them great.

Q. You have a top-10 so far this season at Valspar but chasing your first PGA TOUR title. It is the obvious question to ask, how will the nerves be tomorrow?

TREY MULLINAX: I'm sure you'll be nervous. Hopefully we'll see how the rest of the day goes for these guys. To have a chance to win or just go play good golf is what I came here for, so that's what I'm going to go to.

Q. I'm sure all your Alabama boys will be pulling for you, Roll Tide

TREY MULLINAX: Roll Tide, thank you.

Q. Trey Mullinax has broken the course record with a round of 62 with a fantastic finish, two eagles and two birdies in the last five holes. Where does that rank in the best rounds of your life? I'm hoping you're going to say the best.

TREY MULLINAX: It's probably one of the best rounds I've ever had. To go out there and shoot 62 on a hard golf course is really good.

Q. 74-68-62, what's been the difference in your play the last couple days to the first day?

TREY MULLINAX: The first day I just didn't hit it great. I scrambled pretty well, shot a good 1 2 over, to be honest with you. Me and my caddie were talking about it and it was a good round to keep me -- to make the cut and keep the momentum going. And yesterday I hit it a little bit better, got some putts to fall, and today I did everything pretty well. Since No. 11 I did everything really well.

Q. A chip-in here at 16, describe this one for me.

TREY MULLINAX: So it was just a little bit down the hill. All you had to do was just land it just past that little light grass spot. My caddie told me just read it like a putt, so I tried to just read it like a putt and it went in.

Q. 137th for you on the FedExCup last year in your rookie season. Where does that leave you status wise? You can't play in everything, I assume.

TREY MULLINAX: No, I have conditional status so you play in tournaments you get in. Usually if it goes deep it gets into my category. So it's been fun to play in the events I have. I've been working really hard trying to improve from last year. Last year was really big for me and getting some experience out here, so just looking forward to keeping it going.

Q. You signed off in some style with this eagle at 18. How clutch was this?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, that was a good putt here. It was a really good 3-iron I hit in there. We had about 255 to the hole and we were trying to land it just short like we did and it bounced right up and went in the hole.

Q. How excited about the possibilities tomorrow, you're obviously very much in contention to win?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, in contention to win is huge. We're excited about going out and playing good golf. I can't control what any of those other guys are doing, I'm just going to try to go out and do the best I can.

Q. Are you as relaxed as you seem?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah. I mean, it's just golf. It's fun, it's what I do and I love it and excited about playing.

Q. The course record holder with that 62, I asked you if you were aware of it and how well you were playing, and what did you say to your caddie when you made the putt on 18?

TREY MULLINAX: I said, "I think that might be the course record." he said, "If it's not, you still played pretty good."

Q. 62 was pretty good. Let's start off with taking a look at some of your highlights after that eagle on 14, this one just off the green on 16?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, just a left-to-right putt pretty much. We tried to just hit it like a putt and get it started on the green. My caddie, David, has been reading everything pretty well; he did a pretty good job on that one.

Q. Then you go on to birdie 17 and then you're looking at your second eagle of the back nine here on 18?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, this was a left-to-right putt up the hill. I hit a great 3-iron in to hold the green and hold on the front, got it to drop and it was awesome.

Q. What's pretty amazing is you started this week 2 over par, now your find yourself with not only the course record but now the lead on this leaderboard. What was the big turnaround for you and how are you feeling as you try to win for the first time on the PGA TOUR?

TREY MULLINAX: We try to just get better every day. On Thursday, to be honest with you, it was a good 2 over. We grinded really hard and we knew that every shot counts. This is a hard golf course, the wind was blowing. So we went to the range and we tried to get some stuff going.

Yesterday I hit a little bit better, got away with some loose shots, was able to save it with my short game. And today I hit it pretty well all day. Had some good up-and-downs, chipped a few in and made some putts.

Q. Trey, tell me about your inward nine at 29.

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, played really well, hit a lot of really good shots on the back nine. Me and my caddie, David, after we bogeyed 11 we said, hey, man, we've got seven holes to play some really good golf, it sets up good to my eye. He said let's just focus in here and hit some really good shots coming down the stretch. So we did that, hit some good shots, got some chips to fall and got some putts to fall and that usually helps.

Q. Amazing what a chip-in or two will do for you. You did it on 14 and 16?

TREY MULLINAX: I did, yeah. The one on 14 was nice. I was just right there short of the green, hit two good shots to get there and the chip shot went in dead center.

Then the one on 16, me and my caddie were talking. He's like, man, I think just read it like a putt; once it gets on the ground and starts rolling, it's going to roll like a putt. So we tried to just read it like we would a putt and it went in.

Q. I noticed on your approach shot on 18 it looked like you were contemplating a couple different clubs. Is that because of the stance, the ball was above your feet in the rough there?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, it was a little bit above my feet so I thought it might draw a little off the lie. My caddie, David, put a really good number in my hand. You've hit this shot a million times, just hit it right at the left green-side bunker and if it cuts and holds up with it, it's perfect. So I did just that, hit a little cut up there and it landed right into the hill, bounced up and had a 15-footer for eagle.

Q. Did you know that that putt was for the course record?

TREY MULLINAX: I did not know it was for the course record. At the end I looked at my caddie and I said, "I think that might be the course record," and he said, "No matter what, you still played pretty good." It was a good outcome.

Q. Curious, how many course records do you have?

TREY MULLINAX: I don't think very many, if any. No, to have a course record here on a hard golf course is pretty cool.

Q. You kind of had to cool your heels a little bit, you only had a couple of starts since Pebble Beach because of your status?

TREY MULLINAX: Yes, sir.

Q. So what do you do during that stretch when you're not able to get into tournaments?

TREY MULLINAX: Just go home and practice. It's great to hang out with my family. It's been nice, to be honest. Obviously I would like to play a little more, but the tournaments I get in, I'm really excited, I'm excited about playing golf. I've loved every start I've gotten and I'm very thankful to be in the position I'm in.

Q. So you don't worry about getting rest or anything?

TREY MULLINAX: No, you never really lose how to play golf. It's just tournament golf, right? So you just go out and get back in the swing of things and just another day on the golf course.

Q. So was there a moment in this round where you felt like, all right, this could be something really special?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, when I chipped in on 14 for eagle to get to 6 under for the day, I knew I was kind of playing pretty well, I was making some good swings and knew that I could maybe get one or two coming in on 17 and 18. So to get the chip-in on 16 was nice.

Q. And you talked about you and your caddie having that conversation after 18. Was there a lot of talk back and forth during the round?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, me and my caddie have a great relationship and we love having fun on the golf course and we try to just have a really good attitude. I think that's mostly is what's changed from last year to this year is just attitude, just enjoying what I do. At the end of the day I'm playing golf and so there's nothing to complain about, so just enjoy what I'm doing.

Q. I'm not sure people see a 62 when they start a round, but did you feel like there was something coming on that you were going to go low at some point?

TREY MULLINAX: Yeah, I knew I was playing well, I knew everything was getting better. Thursday I didn't hit it great, Friday I hit it better, made some putts, and today I hit it really well and got some stuff to fall.

Obviously I don't think you ever walk onto a tee and think 62, but I thought I had some low rounds in me. I thought I was rolling the ball well and felt really good with my irons on the range this morning, so got some stuff to happen.

Q. You're in the field next week?

TREY MULLINAX: Yes, sir, Zurich.