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WGC CADILLAC MATCH PLAYApril 28, 2015Jason DaySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA DOUG MILNE: Like to well with come Jason Day, defending champion of the Cadillac Match Play Championship. I know it's good to not be back to the site you won last year, but back at the event.  Coming off a good week last week in New Orleans, just thoughts about coming back and defending your title. JASON DAY: It's always good to be back at a tournament defending. I haven't seen the course yet and after a long week last week, I was pretty exhausted after what we had to go through last week with all the weather and the stoppages of play. But definitely looking forward to getting out there and seeing the course, what it's like. A lot cooler than last week. There's a bunch of things that we have to consider when we're trying to hit a golf shot out here. And I'm looking forward to seeing how the course reacts and plays. I'm just hoping that it will warm up for the week. Q. Why do you think you've done so well in the match play format? What about match play kind of gets you going? JASON DAY: Yeah, I think it's‑‑ I feel like it's that one‑on‑one format where it's either you play well and win or you don't and you get knocked out. And obviously it's kind of a different format this year where you may be able to lose one and sneak through. But my mindset is still the same thing. I've got to go in here and try to win every match. Looking at my group, I feel like I've got a pretty tough group. Cumulative for the World Rankings, but I don't know what it is, I enjoy this format. I've always enjoyed it as a kid growing up, playing in Australia. And then for some reason when it's just one‑on‑one, I don't have to worry about anyone else, I just have to worry about beating them and just playing the best I could. Obviously when I was playing at Dove Mountain, that course kind of set up for me, because it was a bomber's course. You could take on some corners and cut corners and hit shorter clubs in, whereas some of the guys were taking longer clubs. To be honest, I haven't really looked at the course, what kind of a course we have here, the length, I haven't really seen it. So it's kind of tough to really comment on whatthe strategy is, what I'm going to do. But match play, it's a fun event, it feels like Sunday every round. You're always out there grinding and stressing out over shots. And I think that's kind of what I like. I really enjoy being stressed out and grinding through the win. Q. It's Sunday every round, what do you think Wednesday is going to feel like with the new format? JASON DAY: You know, I don't know. I don't know. It's hard because you know that‑‑ it's just better just to go out and win every match. It's better to do that because‑‑ if you lose one, you can still get knocked out. You guys tie, you can still get knocked out if you play the guy two days prior. That's a way to get knocked out that way. It's still the same. I'm still going to have the same nerves and the same feelings that go through my body, whether it's Dove Mountain with the old format or Harding Park with the new format. I think it's 7 rounds, so it's great you can‑‑ if you can get through 7 rounds and win a tournament. You're only playing seven guys, which is pretty neat, instead of playing the whole field. Q. You said your feelings will be the same, your mindset will be the same, does strategy change at all when you're guaranteed it's not one and done, necessarily? Are you more apt to concede putts those first three rounds, rather than getting in elimination? JASON DAY: No, I think I'll be the same as usual, kind of tough to play against, don't give as many putts as I should. But that's how it is. You're out there to do the job and that's to beat the guy that is across the tee box from you. I mean it's obviously a lot of respect and I'm just doing everything I can to win that match. But no change, no change, I'm still going to try and beat him as much as possible. Q. Do you think there will be more of a tie getting back to this tournament, and guys will be gunning for you as a scout? JASON DAY: You know, to be honest I'm not even worried about it. I just want to be able to‑‑ at the end of the week, I'm 21 and 3, whatever it is. I'm trying to win as many times as I can. My goal is just to see how many times I can win. And I really want to have a great record here and let everyone know that I'm one of the best match play players in the world. If you play me in match play, you're going to have a tough time. I think everyone around themselves is kind of worried about‑‑ is really looking into their group. You look at Rory McIlroy's group, that's a tough, tough group to start out with. And that's just kind of‑‑ with a blind draw, it's kind of neat how they did it, especially on the Golf Channel. I think there were a lot of players sitting there watching it. Because I know that I was. And as soon as my name came up and they started drawing it, you're sitting there going, okay, you're kind of excited to see who you're going to play. But I think everyone is kind of‑‑ just kind of focusing on what they need to do with their group and once they get through that then they start focusing on what do we need to do. Q. A follow on the cut throat competitor that you are in match play. Is that as evident in stroke play? And if not, how do you turn that switch on? JASON DAY: Maybe it should be. I don't know, maybe it should be. For some reason I just‑‑ when it comes to match play, I kind of turn into a different player, I guess. Yeah, I don't know‑‑ I'm still trying to work it out. Because I know that ‑‑ for some reason I know it's just me and that guy, and that's all we're fighting each other and we're trying to beat each other. If I'm in the right mind frame, he's going to have a tough time beating me. Whereas in stroke play it's a little different. I know that like if you lose a hole, you just lose a hole, you're only 1‑down, but if you go out there and make a double or a bogey and he makes a birdie, you know, in stroke play it can be like a one, two, three shot swing. So you're always trying to be conservative but aggressive and be cautious at the same time. But when you play in match play, with my aggressive style of playing can definitely win matches pretty quick. Q. Just following on that, do you feel if last week you were re‑paired between three and four and put with Justin Rose it might have been a different result? JASON DAY: The tournament last week, I think that that may have had a difference. But I ran out of gas, playing 32 holes in 90 degree plus weather and waking up at least four times at 5 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 5 o'clock, that week. And I just ran out of gas. I got to 13, that little short par‑4 around the corner, as soon as I got that that wedge shot‑‑ you know when you feel like you haven't eaten for a while and you start feeling a little shaky, that's exactly how I felt. Everyone knows that feeling, you know. And no matter how much food I could pump into my body and how much I could drink, I kept myself very hydrated. I ate a lot of food out there. But for some reason my body just kind of, just didn't have enough. And unfortunately, it was just 32 holes and that weather was tough. But I feel like if we had some decent weather I think I would have given it a good shot. But I think if my body didn't react the way it reacted, I think I would have given it a good shot, as well. But unfortunately I just ran out of gas. Q. Along the lines of your earlier answer on match play, does it take kind of an edgy personality, do you think, to do well in match play. Johnny Miller thinks historically, the confrontational players, guys like Tiger and Trevino, do well in match play and the nice guys struggle with the format? JASON DAY: It depends, especially on the way I play and if I don't give guys certain putts, like I remember I didn't give Russell Henley a two‑footer or something. And it was so small, and I didn't give him a two‑footer. And he turned around and it was after like‑‑ it wasn't the first time, it was like two or three times I didn't give him a short putt. He turned around and he was getting angry. I could tell that he was kind of getting a little pissed at me. He is the kind of player, now I know he's the kind of player that if you get him pissed he plays good. You better stay away, he started winning some coming home. I ended up just beating him. But you've got to watch who is a confrontational player and who isn't, and kind of watch what their personality is. If you play Tiger and you play him‑‑ if you play Tiger pissed, he plays better. So there's a lot of personality that you have to kind of manage just to see‑‑ it's obviously tough to really kind of see and understand what kind of player they are. But once you do then it's different ways of treating the person to try and make them feel like they're different. Obviously you don't want to piss someone off when he plays good when they're pissed. And vice versa, you don't want to make someone happy when they play best when they're happy. You just go out and do the job and beat them. Q. You beat Henley? JASON DAY: I just beat him. I beat him on the 19th hole, he won the last two or three. Never again with Russell. Q. Did you concede those putts, then? JASON DAY: Yes, I'll probably give him the putts. Q. Along those lines, I always remember there was one match, was it Paul Casey? JASON DAY: Yeah. Q. To me, that was the match that said, okay, this is how Jason plays, you better be ready for this. Do you remember that match? JASON DAY: Yeah, I do. I think it was a par 5, 14th, I think it is, 13? And I made him putt in like a foot putt. It was really small. And then he got up and stared at me. I could sense it, that he was staring at me, because it was like he was burning a laser through me from the side. And then he ended up losing the next two holes and I won. Once again, you're sitting there and you've got to just‑‑ I mean, you're out there, to be honest it's not out of disrespect, because‑‑ to be honest, I always go in there, every match play event I play, I expect to putt in every putt, I expect to do that. Because if you're giving me putts then‑‑ if you're so angry about having a one‑foot, two‑foot, three‑foot putt that you have to putt in, you should just go out there and knock it in easy, not line it up and take your time. And everyone knows that it's match play. You're out there, and like I said, I expect to putt in every putt. I expect you to do the same. And if you're not, then that's just your own fault if you can't control your emotions, as well. It's an exciting time for all of us, really. It's amazing how many times I've walked off the golf course and think, man, that guy doesn't like me anymore (laughter). Q. Not everybody likes putting themselves in that confrontational situation where people might be staring daggers at them. What is that like for you on the course when you know that Paul Casey is, if looks could kill, you'd be toppled over? JASON DAY: Yeah, no, it's okay. I don't mind it. I don't mind going toe‑to‑toe. It's fine. Because I know that after the round, after the round whether I lose or if I win, I'm‑‑ after this tournament I'm going to be the same old me, like I have been in the past. But it's just I'm going to treat them the way I normally treat everyone else the same and just‑‑ I'm normally‑‑ I'm a friendly guy, I feel like. I'm a very happy, friendly guy, and match play is a little different for me. So, yeah, I don't know, when‑‑ I guess you just have to have that in you when you confront people and you have to have that self belief and confidence that it's okay, you can stare at me all you want, it's not going to go away. Q. Are you better when you're happy or angry? JASON DAY: Should I tell you that? (Laughter). You know what, I'm either way. I could‑‑ I think I play best when I'm happy and sometimes I feel like I play best when I'm pissed. So it just depends on the day. I'm up and down like everyone else in this room. Q. Do you keep crib sheets on the mental behavior of the guys you've played over the years? And secondly, has there ever been my lingering bad feelings after a match? JASON DAY: Oh, yeah, there's always bad feelings. Q. Really? JASON DAY: Yeah. Q. Like a week later, the guys didn't talk to you? JASON DAY: I felt like Russell Henley didn't like me for at least six months after that. And once again, if they're doing the same thing to me, like I understand that in match play that's just how it is. You're playing against each other and you're trying to do what you need to do to win the tournament. I don't keep anything‑‑ it's all mental for me when I think about previous players that I played. I remember‑‑ this comes down perfectly to my story about I was playing Brent Snedeker in the finals of the Presidents Cup and we get to the 10th hole at Muirfield and I make him putt a less than three‑foot putt in. And Scotty Vail goes up to my caddie, and he says you know he's the best putter in the world. And he goes ahead and misses it. So that's kind of the thing where you just never know. You know what I mean? If you have just that one lapse in concentration, you miss that putt, it may change the whole day that you're playing. You may be down and it may turn something into when you're playing good. So it changes a whole way when you miss kind of short putts and you start getting behind and you start to pressure a little bit. But it's exciting stuff for everyone to play this kind of format because we only get to play it either once or twice a year, if that. And I think the guys are gearing up for it. I'm not too sure how I'm going to go this week, obviously new course and stuff. I can't think of anyone else that has had any lingering hate for me. Q. Have any good Charley Hoffman stories? JASON DAY: I don't have any good Charley Hoffman stories, other than he beat me in the Deutsche Bank in the last round. Q. Would you make Adam Scott putt a foot? JASON DAY: Of course. You said that, you're like, oh, yeah (laughter). I would make Adam Scott putt a foot putt. I'd make Tiger Woods putt a foot putt. Every now and then, if I'm feeling all right, I'll give them putts. But the majority of the time I'm not the guy that goes, he's never going to give a putt. I do give putts, but it's got to be a certain situation, I think. Q. What's the longest putt you've ever conceded, six, seven inches (laughter)? JASON DAY: I think it's like eight (laughter). Q. In your history of match play has there ever been anybody because of the personal regard you had for that person that made it hard for you to be this way with them on the course? JASON DAY: No, no. I don't think so, no. It's all been the same. It's all been the same. I get along with everyone and everyone feels‑‑ I feel like they get along with me. But once again, I think it's a fun time for everyone. I'm just excited to be here talking to you guys about some of the stories I've had in the past and I'm sure there's some guys that have done the same, as well. It's fun times, really. DOUG MILNE: Jason, we appreciate your time. Good luck this week. JASON DAY: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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