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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 15, 2015

Matt Jones

Kohler, Wisconsin, USA

Q. Your best position in a Major. Talk about that.
MATT JONES: I played great. I putted really well. My speed on the greens has been really good, which is huge for me when I putt. Just to know I can hit my putts and be comfortable on the distances they're going to go. But, yeah, the way I've got up and down for pars and some of the birdies I've made have been great.

Q. Earlier this week you told us how excited you were to have your brother here too. How is this week matching up to your expectations?
MATT JONES: Yeah, it's fantastic right now. I wish he would have made the cut. I would have liked to help him a little more. He made a few little mental errors out here, but that's expected for him since he hasn't played many golf tournaments, especially at this level.

For me, it's amazing to be in the lead at a Major. I've been in the lead on a Tour event, but a Major's a different story. But I'm going to have fun with it, and I'm pretty relaxed on the golf course. I'm sure I'll be nervous on the first tee, but playing with Jason will be great and Cole. I always have fun with Cole, so that will be a fun time.

Q. That's got to help keeping it relaxed and light with the two Aussies?
MATT JONES: I haven't played with Jason for years. I can't tell you when I last played with him. But I seen a lot of him on TV lately. He's playing pretty well. So it will be good for me to just sit back and watch him play and we'll just have some fun together and try to keep each other relaxed.

Q. Did you feel a week like this coming?
MATT JONES: It's hard to say if you ever feel a week like this coming. You're a golfer, so you expect weeks like this. But I mean I had some good weeks this year, and I've had bad weeks and that's the nature of the game. We're always going to have good and bad weeks. I'm a streaky player, I know that. I'm trying to get better at that part of my game.

But I'm just managing my golf ball better this week than I probably have in previous years on TOUR and I'm putting well this week.

Q. Just back on your brother, he's obviously been very supportive?
MATT JONES: Oh, yeah, he's very supportive my whole career, ever since I was 17, 18. And I would skip school, he would pick me up, he would miss work and we would go out and play. He's always been there. We have done a lot of stuff together golf-wise. To have him here this week was great.

Q. What about this period now between having to go back out again? Will you just try to go get some rest or what?
MATT JONES: I will go home, play with my kids, I'll watch some golf on TV just to see where the pins are, see how the greens are reacting, see if I can see some breaks in putts and stuff. But I'll go home, relax with the family and the friends and come back out ready to go.

Q. Is there anything about this course that you feel that particularly suits your game?
MATT JONES: No, I'm comfortable on the tee shots which is probably the most important thing out here. If you can get it in play off the tee, you've got a really good chance to score out here. And I haven't missed too many fairways, I don't think. I missed a few early on in the second round, but I managed to get through that. But if you can keep it in play off the tee, you can definitely get access to the golf course.

Q. You are at the very top of the leaderboard. What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge for you?
MATT JONES: Just managing my golf game, keeping the ball, hitting the ball how I want, controlling my ball flight, trajectory. I mean, I'm not sure, I've never been in this situation, so I can't say what's going to be the hardest thing for me to do.

In the end of the day, it's just me out there playing golf, trying to be as best as I can. And that's the way I'm going to look at it.

Q. How long have you known Jason Day and describe your relationship?
MATT JONES: I've known Jason probably since 2005 or 2006 whenever we were on the with WEB.COM together. Jason is a great guy, very nice guy. We haven't done a lot together. We see each other at the golf course, that's about it. But he's an awesome guy. He's a very good Australian guy.

Q. You didn't know him until you got to the States?
MATT JONES: I heard of him growing up. I heard he was the next Adam Scott or that's how they termed it back in Australia. But I think he's sitting his own mark now. Compared to Adam. But, no, he's just a great player.

Q. Is there a hole today or any key for you in your round?
MATT JONES: I would say probably the par on the par-5 on my back nine, No. 5, I think it is. I just hit a tee shot in the bunker, and then I hit a sand wedge out of the bunker, which ended up in the long stuff. And then I made a six-foot par putt which was huge just to keep it going. You never want to give a shot back on a par-5, and that one probably kept me going. And then birdieing the next was great, having a good up-and-down on 7.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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