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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARDMarch 22, 2015Matt EveryORLANDO, FLORIDA Q. Welcome two-time winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Matt Every. Exciting last day. You want to kind of talk about your thoughts on winning two in a row at Bay Hill and we'll have some questions? MATT EVERY: Lasted night when -- did I come in here yesterday. The day before Friday? I think I did come in here yesterday. There was like three people in here. MARK STEVENS: Friday. MATT EVERY: Memorable. I was playing so good. Yesterday when I got done that was the best I hit it in a long time coming in, even going out to, I had a little rough stretch but when I got down, I know how the last round plays here. We had a little wind today. The greens were much firmer so I knew yesterday 4, 5-under didn't go that far. Today, 4, 5-under went a lot further and I just kept plugging along, you know. I did a really good job this week of keeping everything -- just forgetting about the past, good or bad. If I hit a great shot, made birdie, like all right, I'm done with it. Same if I missed one. Proud of the work I've been putting in and I've had a lot of help the last few months and it's been good. MARK STEVENS: Questions. Q. Matt, what were you thinking over that putt on 18? MATT EVERY: I walked up to the green and this guy in the crowd kept like coughing like straight putt, straight putt like that (laughter). I was like this guy is a really dick if he's lying to me (laughter) because it's a pretty important moment. I looked over it pretty hard and I didn't see anything. So I was like it was a great putt to have under pressure, too, because I literally had to get it going, wasn't going to come up short. I put it on a decent line and hung in there I thought it might -- the last three feet I was begging for it to hang and I was like, "Gosh, these are the ones that always lip out. Be so cool to see this one dive in" and it did. Really a cool moment. Q. Matt, how does victory No. 2 feel different from victory No. 1? MATT EVERY: The first one you don't know if it's going to happen because it never happened before and after I've won, after I won that, I mean I've been playing poorly -- I played poorly right after for awhile and then I decided to kind of make some changes, my body and my game and just dedicate it to my early to 30s. This is what's going to happen. I'm going to do it the right way. When it comes, it's going to be awesome. I just found a way today. Today, it was emotional but the first one, you worked your whole life forever. The second one, I worked like six months, you know. Q. First of all, what club on 18? MATT EVERY: 8-iron. Q. Secondly, last year you missed about a 4-footer for par and have to wait. How much more satisfying I guess it is to -- MATT EVERY: I still had to wait but making that putt -- don't get me wrong. You'll take a win however you get it. Anybody that -- I mean anybody says no is lying. But it was cool because you watch tournaments on TV and guys make a 20-footer on the last and everybody goes nuts. It's cool to close one out like that. Q. Being from the area, from Daytona Beach now living up in Jacksonville, how special is it that your wins now back to back wins here come at kind of your home town local event as opposed to somewhere else on Tour? MATT EVERY: It's awesome. A lot of the media -- I had some aunts and uncles, you know, out this week and all of my friends, my little group that I have in Jacksonville, they were all here this week so just a blast. I mean I know they were having fun, too. I heard them all day. Q. I was walking with you yesterday and heard them all enjoying themselves out there. MATT EVERY: Yes. They drink enough for me and them and I don't drink. Q. One guy has made a lot of his putts is Tiger. I'm sure you've seen him do it. Any added significance doing that at a place he's done that a few times? MATT EVERY: Actually told him when he wasn't going to play this week I said, "Don't worry, man, I'll hold it down for you until you get back." It's cool to make one on 18. You always see those replays and stuff. Yeah, it is. Q. You're working with Sean Foley. What has he done to help your game? MATT EVERY: I mean he's provided some clarity. I have a better understanding of why things work the way they do. He's a really good friend, I mean a friend of mine for awhile since we started working together, we've got to spend more time together and he's a really positive person. Kind of rubs off. It's easy to get down on yourself out here. It's the biggest waste of time because nobody really cares. So, he's had a really good impact on me. Q. You said you worked on your game and your body rededicating yourself the last year. Foley has something to do with that. Just in general what are you talking about? MATT EVERY: It was around The Barclays last year, I was just feeling kind of worn out, tired and I had worked with Craig "Bays" before out here. I knew he had a guy dropping out of his slot. "Craig, I'm ready to dedicate myself a hundred percent, let's do it." All right. Next thing you know, Tiger and Sean kind of split-up so it opened up time for Sean and they -- Craig and Sean are really close friends. Actually works out good for all of us because, you know, Sean sees something, says hey, little weak in this area, this is why he does this. Can you work on this with him in the gym, you know. Craig knows the deal. It's been good. When I'm home, a guy, Jeff Frock, and he helps out pretty much everybody that lives in Jacksonville, super guy and lot of fun back there. Q. Matt speaking of having a little bit of help, you were working with Spencer Levin watching you hit balls late at the Valspar. MATT EVERY: I missed -- I mean he's one of my good friends out here. It's funny because when I got done Friday I missed the cut and I usually I just bolt out of town but I stuck around and practiced for a little bit. I wasn't down on myself at all but I think Spencer sensed that. He came over and hung out with me and, you know, just gave me a little quick tip and I really didn't think about it this week but he's been a great friend to me. And that's what friends do, man. Q. How does it feel about going back to Augusta and how will you handle it this time around? MATT EVERY: It feels great. That's the first when Henrik missed that putt that was the No. 1 thing on my mind, like you're already in. That's it. I need to get in (laughter). But, no, it's all the Majors, man. Last year after I won I made everything last year here and my game it peaked -- I played well for awhile, right up to here and after here kind of just declined and there's some huge tournaments, you know, Augusta, Players, I mean just huge events and I didn't have my stuff in any of them. It was pretty frustrating. So, I'm looking forward to this coming up, you know, my game being able to play those events hitting a little better than I was the year before. Last year in China at the HSBC it was embarrassing how bad I hit the ball. It was terrible. I'm playing with these guys who are Top-50 players in the world and I'm thinking I never done this in my life and I'm thinking these guys are probably like, "This guy sucks, how is he here?" But it's cool to be back and kind of heading -- the same direction but it's a different direction at the same time. Q. Matt, you said were you enjoying the struggle of what you were going through and making the swing changes. Did you have an inkling at that time that you were close to where you wanted to be or did this sort of, I don't know, evolve even from that day through the four days? MATT EVERY: Wednesday in the Pro-Am I played great, striped it. I had some good range sessions with Sean. I feel like two months on the range it's been awesome but, you know, I kind of changed my eye line a little bit over the ball. It's a big adjustment. It's a huge adjustment. So, it's been tough for me to take it to the course and this week kind of freed me up a little. I played great all week and just kind of kept snowing-balling. Q. You touched on it a minute ago about comparing what happened to you when you left here last year. You're a different player now you would say from a year ago. What other things do you think you took away that happened last year that will give you some more experience and how to deal with the upcoming couple of three months? MATT EVERY: I have a better idea of where I'm going now. I have a little more structure in my life. You know, before it was kind of just me and there's nothing wrong with that. It works for a lot of people. But it's easy to doubt yourself out here. I probably was guilty of that a little bit. Now, you know, work withing Sean and Craig out here, I have a better understanding of how things work and, you know, it's like going to college but I'm not going to college. I'm just listening and I'm learning and -- you got to be careful how much you take in but hey, I'm here, you know. Q. One, the second shot at 16 and what actually happened on 16? Can you just talk about that for a second? MATT EVERY: What do you mean what happened. 3-putt? Q. Yes. MATT EVERY: I thought something really bad happened then (laughter). Tuesday in the practice round, hit it in the bunker and went for it. In Wednesday in the Pro-Am I hit it in the bunker and went for it. I got there today and had a clean lie. Never a doubt in my mind I was going to go for the green. I hit a great shot right where I was looking, wind off the right, above my feet. I kind of had to protect a little bit and it came out perfect and then the putt, the first one I was sitting there, I was telling myself it doesn't break as much as you think. I've seen this putt before. I still fricking missed it like five feet to the right. The next one, it was just dicey. I didn't feel great over the putter all day, really. Five-footer, downhill, left to right, wind was blowing off the left. Just not an easy putt. I don't think I hit that bad of a putt. I have to see the replay. Kind of set on the lip the whole way. Q. The second question is, you're talking about the fact that you actually seem to need other people. You don't seem like one of those people that would ever actually need someone else. You're pretty confident guy. Did that surprise you? MATT EVERY: No. If Sean watches me hit balls on the range before he might not say a word to me about my golf swing. There's been a few times this year it's happened and I'm fine with that. It's easy to get a little off track out here and it not be noticed, whether that's a line that -- or anything. It's nice to have another set of eyes that understands, you know, how things work. Q. Do you feel like it's a team, though? MATT EVERY: Sean and I and Craig? Q. Yes. MATT EVERY: Yeah, absolutely. And my caddy, too. They put a lot of time in. They devote a lot of time away from their families out here to help guys like me out. So, I don't see how you can't think it's not a little bit of everything. Q. Matt, at the trophy presentation you said these are the only two victories you have for the rest of your career you could be happy. Just talk about the significance, a newborn with the middle name of Palmer, the significance of both wins here at Arnold's tournament. MATT EVERY: It's awesome. I do want to win more tournaments, though (laughter). Scratch that I said that. It's neat to get them both here. I did grow up coming to this tournament, my father would take me over here with his buddies and kind of let me roam around and we would meet up four hours later. I have to go watch Calcalvecchia all 18 and they sit on a hill somewhere and watch -- just drink and watch every group come through. I would like walk around the whole course, meet up after. I'm 12. Q. You were drinking a beer at is the years old? MATT EVERY: No, 13. Q. Just listening to it makes it sound like you won this tournament mainly by making a bunch of putts, having a hot putting week which is not unusual out here. MATT EVERY: I think last year I did that. This year? Q. That's what I meant. Last year. The question is at what point of the victory did you realize you needed a better direction and what kind of search was that last year? Did you go through any equipment stuff? MATT EVERY: After Augusta last year I was really bummed out. I had a great -- felt really good about my game and then I got there and got my butt kicked. I got to get better because I don't want to be a guy who can't compete there. I know that place sets up better for others. But winning the Majors, you can't survive making every 10-footer you look at because you're going to start missing them. So, I wanted to get better, man. Nothing wrong with that. Q. Was that right after Augusta? MATT EVERY: I pretty much knew right after that. Q. Did you do any club tinkering last year? MATT EVERY: Going into Augusta? Q. During the course of the year. MATT EVERY: No. I pretty much had the same stuff in my bag that I won here. Q. I don't know if they do this, if they have you give one club to the tournament, which one are you giving this year? MATT EVERY: Because I don't want it anymore or this one is special, you can have it? The most meaningful. Okay. They were all meaningful. I have a little 2-iron that I can kind of -- little Callaway like got some meat behind it. Super easy to hit and it just keeps me in play out here on holes that might be a little dicey. This year I didn't use it as much because I was feeling better about my driver but that one has probably the one that I would give. Q. Matt, you kind of touched on this but how would you describe your past year, your past play, the area of your game, one word, word we can use? MATT EVERY: Yeah. Well, does today count in that last year? Q. No. MATT EVERY: That changes the word. Just weird. It's a weird game. Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards and I feel like that's what I did. Q. Matt, how much can you give us a figure how much weight you lost, how much stronger you are or something from last year? MATT EVERY: Last year I wasn't in terrible shape here but three years ago, I was like 220, now I'm 185. I've been working hard. I have some good guidance. In Jacksonville it's cool because Billy, myself, who else, Aaron Price, Jonas, Nick Flannigan, we all kind of work out with each other back home and it's competitive. We talk trash to each other in there and it's fun. So, that's helped me out a bunch, too, wanting to go because I enjoy hanging out with those guys and we have a blast doing it. Q. Is there a point today where you thought, "Yeah I'm going to do this, I can win this one again?" Was there a shot or a hole? MATT EVERY: On No. 8, I was playing with Ben Martin. He was about five -- he's about five yards behind me and he hit, I think he hit a 7-iron and the wind was tricky there, you know, it's in but you don't really know how much and if you come up short there it's in the water. He hit one, sounded like he flushed it. I had already made up my mind I was going to hit an 8-iron. It was all over it. It ended up coming up short and wasn't close. That kind of shocked me a little bit. I didn't want to back off my 7 or back off and go to a 7 because I knew I was going to make a better swing with the 8 and I knew if I hit the shot I had envisioned it was going to be all right. I just fricking hit this perfect flat draw 8-iron right through the wind to like two feet and there I was like all right, it's playing tough out here. I got a pretty good look at it. MARK STEVENS: Thanks for your time, Matt. Congratulations. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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