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HYUNDAI TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONSJanuary 11, 2015Hideki MatsuyamaKAPALUA, HAWAII THE MODERATOR: Consecutive 66. Great couple of rounds. Just talk about being in position to win tomorrow and how things went today. HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Today I was able to have some opportunities to make some putts, and I made a lot of putts today, so it was a good round today. THE MODERATOR: And talk about kind of being ready to come to the final round tomorrow with a lead or share of the lead. HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: If I can play tomorrow like I did yesterday and today, I think I'll have a chance. I think obviously that's going to be difficult to do. I hope to be relaxed and be able to play my golf tomorrow. Q. Have you ever played a course like this, in Japan or anywhere in the world? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Obviously I haven't played a golf course that has so much undulation, up‑and‑downs and where the views are so beautiful. So yeah, this is the first time playing something like this. Q. Usually this golf course takes some knowledge to do really well and be at the top of the leaderboard. Have you surprised yourself at all this week? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I'm not that surprised. Obviously this is my first time here, so I don't know if the wind this week has been hard or it's been light wind. I'm not sure. But if the wind can stay like this, I think I'll be okay tomorrow. Q. How was it difference in the first two days? Does it make it harder or easier, today's wind? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: You know, it was a different wind today, and including the practice rounds, it was the first time I experienced this direction of wind, today. And so‑‑ but I think I was fortunate that it was a light wind to start out the day, and so I was able to kind of get used to the wind and play my round today. Q. What was the club selection different on let's say 17 today compared to yesterday? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Same. Same. Q. Do you have much experience in playing in the wind? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: You know, I don't have much experience. Even at the British Open the last few times that I've been there, they say that this is light compared to all the other British Opens, so no, I don't have much experience. Q. Why do you like it here? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I don't know. Q. Do you like the course? Do you like playing it? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I like the views and so I like the course. Q. You shared the lead at Colonial last year. What did you learn from having to share the lead going into the final round that will apply tomorrow? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: You know, I think I'm playing better golf now than I was back then. Back then, you know, if I made a bogey, I think I let it affect me. But I think I'm a little bit more relaxed now, and so I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Q. Wind has been fairly light for this course this week. Do you hope that continues tomorrow? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Obviously if there's no wind, then a lot of guys are going to have good scores, and so I think that's tough to say. Q. Your only time playing in Hawaii was Sony Open. Did you ever watch this tournament on television? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I think I remember watching Tiger and Els in a playoff. I watched that on TV. Q. So you knew what to expect in terms of terrain, different from Sony. HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Yes. Q. Your preparation for coming into this week, was there anything special, and what were your expectations coming into the week? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: You know, after I played in Tiger's tournament, I practiced really hard after that one week, and then I took some time off with the new years, and so coming into this week I thought, you know, kind of get back into the golf and be able to, as I play, get ready for the season, and that's where I am today. Q. What's his ideal of a perfect day when he's not playing golf? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: There's not that many days that I'm not playing golf, and so I don't know. Q. Have you done any Maui type of things, like go to the ocean, wind surf, anything like that, surfing, paddling? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: I can't swim, so I can't do that. Q. There have been a lot of talented players that have come to the PGA TOUR from Japan. If you were to win, that would be two wins at 22 years old. What would that mean to folks back home? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: After winning the Memorial, I gained some confidence, and I thought that would translate into playing better after that, and you know, I really didn't get another chance to win, and so now I'm here, I have a chance, and so I want to be able to use that experience I had at the Memorial and hopefully have a good day tomorrow. Q. Just curious, when you won the Asian Amateur and stayed in college, how much did you work on your strength, on your physique during your time as an amateur before you turned pro, as much as the actual golf itself? HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: You know, after I played in the Asian amateur and stayed in school, I looked at all the players that's playing in the States, and you can tell that they're a lot bigger than the players in Japan, and so first I wanted to get bigger, and so I‑‑ not just the training, but I started eating more so that I could get bigger, and so that's what I concentrated on. Q. Me too. (Laughs). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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