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VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 8, 2016

Matt Kuchar

Palm Harbor, Florida

MATT KUCHAR

DAVE SENKO: We'd like to welcome Matt Kuchar to the Valspar Championship Media Center. Matt, maybe get us started. This is, I believe, the 8th time you've played here at Innisbrook.

What's enjoyable about coming here to this course, at least for you, over these years?

MATT KUCHAR: I can remember a couple years ago actually watching this tournament on TV and making a mental note to myself saying that that is a really good golf course, I need to get back and play.

I remember playing as a kid in one of the AJJ events and I remember playing it maybe early, early on. Once I started getting into Doral and the World Golf Championship, I think it might have slipped in my schedule. I can remember watching it on TV going, "I really need to get back there."

The course is a challenging, yet really good golf course. I remember watching it thinking, you really had to drive the ball well and then came back and the feelings from watching it were correct, it was a course that I did enjoy that I think suits my game well and I'm not sure my results, I think I've had some decent results.

DAVE SENKO: Two Top-10s here.

MATT KUCHAR: I certainly have enjoyed my time. I enjoy the golf course, I enjoy staying on property. It's a great week.

DAVE SENKO: How is your game coming in here? I know you were T-28 last week and you had a Top-10 at Northern Trust.

MATT KUCHAR: I feel really good about my golf game. I was bummed last week to have the one bad day on day 2, I shot plus-6. Other than that, I played some really nice golf.

I feel like I'm in very good control of what I'm doing. This is as good as I've felt in awhile as far as how I'm playing in all facets. I feel like I'm striking it well. I know what I'm doing and feel good around the greens and on the greens.

It's been a nice, nice bit of time the last couple of weeks of feeling very comfortable and confident with my game again.

DAVE SENKO: Questions.

Q. You talked about at Sea Island you were not far off. Do you feel a little closer even now and what are some things you are seeing that's around the corner?
MATT KUCHAR: I do feel good. I had some work with Chris O'Connell in L.A. and feel like we got into some things that just started clicking and it's just funny how the strike of the golf ball seems like such a simple thing but when you do it just right, it's different, it's special, and it's hard to think, a professional golfer you may hit some good shots and may look like they're repetitive shots but when the strike is just off, it leaves you with a different sensation than when it's really clean and solid.

Feels that way now. I feel like I'm in really good control, taking some of the curve out of the shots, where my typical shot is a fade and at some points when the strikes aren't as good it turns into a bigger fade. When I'm hitting it really well it's tighter, less curve on the ball, which is happening now.

Mechanically, I don't remember that well at Sea Island what I was focused on but I remember feeling like I was close and just needed to tighten some things up and through the off-season and then the last visit with Chris out in L.A. I think I've been able to tighten some of those things up.

I was pretty pleased with the 8th at L.A. I hadn't -- I don't think I've had great results in L.A. I love the golf course but don't think I've had great results. That was nice.

Then really bummed because even on Friday last week I felt like I was playing well and I added them up and I shot 6-over par and it seemed like every little break that could go bad went bad and you hate to do that at an event like the World Golf Championship, you want to take advantage and have a good result. I knew a plus-6 was taking me away from a good result. It was a shame.

Part of golf and I was had to bounce back and have a nice weekend, shot 2-under on the weekend and then felt good.

Q. Matt, with Augusta right around the corner and obviously several big events leading up to it, how important is this time of year for you, said you're playing great golf right now but to get everything together and something you can use to propel yourself for what's to come?
MATT KUCHAR: I think a lot of people start talking this time of year about prep for Augusta and certainly everybody wants to be playing well that week.

I'm a believer that good golf leads to more good golf. I'm a believer in focusing on the present and trying to play your very best this week and the better your result is this week, the better that will lead to next week and the week after and down the road and to Augusta.

I'm certainly not a fan of throwing in random shots to say you're preparing for Augusta. I'd like to prepare and play well here and feel like the better I can perform here the better that it will lead to my playing well down the weeks coming up at Augusta.

Q. Is this course conducive at all to getting accustomed to Augusta? Are there any similarities here?
MATT KUCHAR: Hard to say guys would come here to prepare for Augusta as far as similarities but they put on a championship event, it's a championship golf course. Really, really difficult holes and some demanding shots.

Pretty amazing from Florida the elevations changes that exist around this golf course. I'm always amazed and enjoy playing this course. I'm a fan of Florida courses but you throw in some nice elevation changes and it just adds to the feeling here.

Q. What's the type of player that tends to win out here? What do you have to do out here?
MATT KUCHAR: Well, we saw a really good driver of the golf ball is a premium out here. It's a lot of tight, demanding driving holes, lot of tree-lined fairways, lot of little doglegs that exist where you've got to work the ball.

I'm not sure the list of past champions always say that but I always feel driving the ball is really critical here.

Q. What's your short list of ball striker tracts? This has the reputation as a great ball striker tract.
What's your short list on to your?

MATT KUCHAR: Hilton Head and Colonial are the two that are up there. Those are the two that seem uniquely inherently different in a tight, tree-lined doglegs where you have to work the ball both ways, both right to left and left to right.

Don't seem like a wide open, bomber's big golf course. Seems like kind of the old, little more of old school style with the tight, tree-lined fairways.

Q. Besides the fact that he's really good, what's one reason you think Jordan has had so much success at Augusta, only lost to one guy in two years.
What about that course suits him?

MATT KUCHAR: It's quite amazing. What he's done is impressive, not just Augusta but I think you look at his track record on Tour, been quite amazing, the number of wins he had last year.

To do that you have to be consistent in all facets of your game and I think you take a guy as a small microcosm of that life or year on the PGA TOUR to be and it requires no weaknesses.

I think Jordan has proved there aren't any real weaknesses in his game. Certainly he's risen to the occasion at great times.

But I think the only thing I could put my finger on is not having a weakness and just that consistency he's shown on Tour, he's done that through four rounds or eight rounds in the last two years and just continues to play quality shot after quality shot.

DAVE SENKO: Okay. Everyone all set? Thank you Matt.

MATT KUCHAR: Thanks for coming.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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