Media Center Interviews
April 3, 2025
First Round Interview with Keith Mitchell
Q. Keith, you still wearing Sid Mashburn?
KEITH MITCHELL: Yes, sir.
Q. You are?
KEITH MITCHELL: Yes, sir.
Q. What's the outfit situation on a hot day like this?
KEITH MITCHELL: I didn't think we were going to be out there that long so I thought maybe it was going to be fine. Morning rounds are usually pretty good, but typical stuff really. Terrible answer, sorry.
Q. Bogey free out there today, your best round at TPC San Antonio despite never finishing worse than 26th. What was the difference out there today?
KEITH MITCHELL: I hit a lot of good drives and I was able to hit some cut shots into the in with my wedges and that really helps the ball stop on these greens. So I actually tried to work the ball with my wedges, which sounds crazy but it worked on a few pins on the right trying to get them to stop quicker.
Q. Fourth in putting today and 4/4 in scrambling. Are you working on anything specific in your short game?
KEITH MITCHELL: In putting, trying to do less, trying to work on my speed, trying to do a little bit less and react as best I can. The better I do that, the better I putt, but sometimes it's hard when you've got grain, line, speed and you're kind of trying to add it up all together and just trying to react. There's a fine balance out there. Some putts I probably didn't do a very good job of that and some putts I just walked up, hit a great putt and it went in.
Q. Keith, first off, take us through the eagle, the approach shot on the eighth hole. What did you do on that approach shot that set you up for the eagle putt?
KEITH MITCHELL: I was I can't remember the exact yardage to the flag, I didn't even look at it. I was just trying to get to front, I think it was 270something to the front edge. I was a little bit downwind, my ball's in the first cut so I had a little bit of grass behind it. I figured if I hit it good it could at least cover the front and then kind of roll out to the base of the slope.
I hit it really solid. Probably a little bit of grass behind the ball which took some spin off, so like a little bit of a flyer. So it flew actually farther deep in the green, bounced up to the slope. And that pin is tough even with a wedge, it's tough from around the green, so the fact that I got the ball to stop up there, I wouldn't call it on accident, it was where I was aiming, but the fact that it just ended up being there is very fortunate.
Q. And then on the 17th hole, your first shot went into the bunker, then the second shot went to the left rough. What adjustment did you make on your chip shot that set you up for the putt to save par on the 17th?
KEITH MITCHELL: I was in between driver and 3wood off that hole and the wind was kind of switching back and forth, down and into. If it was down, I was going to hit driver, try to get on the front of the green. If it was into, I was probably going to lay back.
Ended up laying back, hit a terrible shot up to the bunker and really had nothing, and fortunately hit a good chip and a good putt to save par.
Q. And so how did you feel out on the course today? This is, what, your third appearance at the Texas Open?
KEITH MITCHELL: My game's been trending. I'd like to put some solid rounds together, hopefully it's this week. I feel like my scores have been showing at least in the first couple rounds lately that my game's where it needs to be and just going to try to stack 'em all up this week.
Q. And what do you need to do to maintain the good start you've had today and to maintain that consistency throughout the next three rounds?
KEITH MITCHELL: Keep hitting fairways, keep hitting good shots close to the flag and hopefully those putts keep falling.
Q. The way that the conditions shifted from kind of dark, kind of cloudy to where we are right now just when you're making that what adjustments do you make when the conditions change like that?
KEITH MITCHELL: You ball goes a little bit farther when it warms up like that. And really the wind kind of died down so we were able to pick a little bit more precise spots into the greens to the flags, kind of know where the ball's gonna be. If the wind's up, you want to give yourself a little bit of variance in there to try to maybe get it to the center, so when I had some wedges and the wind died, I was able to be a little bit more aggressive.
Q. Keith, any picks for the Final Four?
KEITH MITCHELL: Dawgs aren't in it, so...
