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WGC DELL MATCH PLAY

March 27, 2016

Jason Day

Austin, Texas

CHRIS REIMER: Welcome and congratulations. 2016 Dell Match Play champion, Jason Day. 9th PGA Tour and second win at this event, also some bonuses, getting to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings. All in all a great week. Your opening comments on being the champion here.

JASON DAY: I definitely love this format. I've had some pretty good finishes in this format.

I've really enjoyed coming to Austin. The members of this Austin Country Club have been -- it's been fantastic to play. Hats off to them for letting us come to Austin Country Club and take over for a week. The patience they have is great. Jordan and his whole staff have done a fantastic job with really getting this tournament underway.

It's been tough. We've gone from Dove Mountain to TPC up in San Francisco and down here, so they've moved around a lot. But the logistics have been pretty smooth thus far.

I'm very, very pleased to be the champion again. It was an interesting week, to say the least. Not even thinking about playing Thursday after Wednesday with a tweaked back on 15th tee, and then getting to No. 1 on Saturday and then winning on Sunday. It was a very, very strange week. But glad to be in it and glad to gut it through and get the win.

Q. You owe a little bit to your massage therapist for getting your back into shape. Talk about that a little bit.
JASON DAY: Yeah, unfortunately my trainer is in South Africa, so we're using Bubba Watson's therapist, Brian Smith. Our whole team, James Bradley, who is our doc on our team, he's from Pittsburg, he's the Steeler's doc, and then Cornell Driessen, who is my trainer, they've all been in communication throughout the whole week, making sure we're taking the right steps towards getting me back and playing.

With regards to therapy, it's been nonstop, really. I mean I'm getting therapy before my rounds, after my rounds, in between my rounds, trying to make sure that I'm just relaxing everything that I can through my back to get that locking feeling kind of out of my system. As the week went on, it got better and better. I'm very pleased with how it went today.

Q. Does it boggle your mind what you did without even the one practice round?
JASON DAY: You know what, I was trying to go the full seven rounds without seeing 17 and 18, because I had no idea what they looked like.

So I walked seven holes on Tuesday. I had to do an outing for RBC on Monday, so I just walked seven holes. Something flew in my eye and I couldn't see out of it, got it flushed out and I only walked seven holes.

For the rest of the week, after I played the first round I was kind of playing blind once I got to 8. But I've got all the trust in the world with what Cole is doing on the bag and where he's putting me out there. He's given me the right direction out there and he always has. But we've communicated well this week and goes to show with how many birdies that we made this week. We hit it good from tee to green, not so much on the weekend, but the chipping and putting was definitely a plus. I've never felt so comfortable on the greens. And these greens were rolling true.

Q. Six wins in 13 starts, back-to-back, world No. 1, you've never gone to Augusta with this sort of form, you must be just frothing?
JASON DAY: Yeah, I am, I really am looking forward -- frothing -- I don't have rabies (laughter).

I am looking forward to it. I know it's one tournament that I've always wanted to win. It's one tournament that I've always wanted to put the jacket on and go back every year. So the motivation and the want there is -- there's no problem. I think the biggest thing to me is to get the rest and recovery coming into this week. Take the first part of this coming week off, go down Thursday, start prepping Friday and go through that whole stage of getting ready for the tournament.

It's been good momentum for me, confidence-wise, over the last two weeks. I can't get comfortable with how I'm playing right now, I can't get lazy, because I've got to understand that what I'm doing is working. So I've got to keep working on the things that have caused me to win over the last two weeks and keep doing that and then stay focused and hopefully put on the green jacket.

But it is going to be a tough one. It's great to hopefully go there as No. 1. And it's something I'm definitely going to be embracing. It will be fun to walk through the gates as No. 1 in the world.

Q. Earlier this week you said that the difference in the last few years there was you sort of got caught up in it a bit, you wanted it too much, and you wanted to make sure you were staying under the harp. How much harder is that given what's happened?
JASON DAY: I've got to understand there's going to be a lot of hype. There's going to be a lot of hype around Jordan, there's going to be a lot of hype around Rory, because he could finish his career Grand Slam. There's going to be a lot of hype around myself going in there as No. 1 in the world. Embrace it. Understand that there's going to be some hype there. But I know the feeling of trying too hard. So I have to go in there and focus on a lot of things, do everything that I can, but don't try too hard and don't try and shoot 7-under in the tournament by doing that.

I've done it the last couple of years and I really want to try and get back to good form around that golf course, and that's what I'm trying to focus on.

Q. I apologize if this question doesn't make you foam at the mouth. What club did you hit on 12 in the morning?
JASON DAY: 2-iron.

Q. It was a good shot.
JASON DAY: Thanks.

Q. Was there any concern in the air?
JASON DAY: Well, so I was trying to hit a 4-iron to the front right corner and just chip up the green. And then once the wind kind of started -- it started gusting pretty hard. Once the wind started gusting up, I said I'm going to change and go for the 2-iron and go for the green. In my head I was saying that. I pulled it a little bit, but that's why you give yourself some room, some leeway when you're aiming a little bit for the right. I was aiming for the right side of the green and I pulled it a little bit and it worked out fantastic.

But that was one of those -- I think the morning's round was probably one of the hardest rounds I've had to go through in match play format, to try and get through.

Rory was difficult because from tee to green he doesn't miss any shots. Even if he does miss one slightly, he's always back on top of it and hitting a great shot the next time. But I think if he definitely would have had a few more putts go in early, it would have been very difficult to catch him.

Q. Just as a quick follow-up, kind of a doubler part, I'm curious why you played the chip you did on 18 the way you did instead of just taking it more at the hole. And secondly, coming off of what you just said, what was the hardest challenge for you going out in the afternoon after such a draining match?
JASON DAY: Yeah, with 18, it was either I could go at it, like directly at the hole, or I could bank it off that hill. I chipped it a little bit too far, so I tried to -- I was trying to land it on the fringe, just over the sprinkler head. It landed on the green and rolled over. But with regards to if I didn't -- I just wanted to give myself a putt. I knew if I could give myself a putt, I'd hole it. That's what my mindset was.

If I chipped it at the hole, I felt like it was going to be in the same spot regardless if I went up and banked it. But with how draining it was this morning, it's been a very, very tiring week. But I would have been very, very disappointed and frustrated with myself if I didn't get the win because I've come so far. You're playing seven rounds of golf and you've worked so much, to finish second would be very disappointing.

So getting in the finals was great, even though it was draining. Knowing that my mindset going into the final 18 was if I have to play 20 holes, I have to play 20 holes. If I have to play 32 holes -- it didn't matter how many holes I had to play I was -- however many holes I had to play to get the job done, I was going to do it. So that's the mindset that I took into the final 18.

I just really felt every time Louis stood up to the golf ball, I was expecting the best scenario from him, expecting him to hit it on the fairway, hit it on the green near the hole. So that kept me going and pushing me forward because I knew if he's hitting good shots, I have to hit good shots, as well.

Q. You said the other day, Thursday was actually warming up, you were actually doubtful. You weren't sure. Did anybody on the team try to talk you out of playing?
JASON DAY: Yeah.

Q. Did anybody tell you you could make this worse?
JASON DAY: It's just hard to see if it's worse, if it was going to be better or worse without looking at the MRI or going and getting an MRI and seeing what's really going on.

Yeah, I mean three of them tried to talk me out of it -- actually four. Four of my team tried to talk me out of it. I'm like just don't worry about it.

This week and Augusta, you've got to focus on trying to get healthy and come back strong. I'm glad I didn't listen. I feel good now, but I'm glad I was able to kind of stick it out because sometimes when you get in those situations you kind of mentally check out. When I was warming up, I was on the border of checking out. If I'm mentally checked out, I was going to go, okay, my back is sore. Come off a great week last week, everyone will know I'm injured and then I can just take the rest of the week off. But I didn't want to do that because I knew if I could get through seven guys, I could get to the trophy.

Q. When there was that doubt, why did you not listen?
JASON DAY: I wanted to win. I just want to win. I wanted to win so bad that I felt with how I was playing, if I kept playing the way I was doing, I would be holding the trophy at the end of the week and that's what kept me going.

Q. What was more significant in your mind going to Augusta - being world No. 1 or having won a major championship already? What would give you more confidence?
JASON DAY: That's a tough one. I think being a major champion, knowing what I had to do to get through that major. But it's all been a fantastic journey up until now. Yeah, I would say the Major Championship, especially at Whistling, the way I played in the final round. Branden Grace early and then Rosie was up there and then Jordan Spieth came in late. The mental hurdle I had to jump over to get that major and knowing what it feels like to win a major championship with a lot of people watching and expecting you to play well. Yeah, I think that's probably the biggest thing.

Q. Is the offset wanting too much?
JASON DAY: Yeah, the experience that I've had over the last couple of years kind of -- and the way I think now is totally different to how I used to think last year when I was standing at Augusta and at that point. So I think it's going to be a little bit of a different mindset going into Augusta week.

Q. With your back, did you have an MRI this week or you have one scheduled for the coming week?
JASON DAY: No, I don't. But I did have one this week, and I'll probably -- I'll sit down, and after tonight I'll probably talk to everyone. My trainer is coming in Tuesday from South Africa. It's very easy for us to get in and get a T-3 Tesla MRI scan if we need to.

Q. What are your plans between now and the Masters?
JASON DAY: Try and rest up as much as possible. The last two weeks have been very tough mentally and physically. So try and rest up Monday through Thursday, but also stay on top of my protocols and all that, those little things that I've been talking about this week, making sure that I'm fit and healthy coming into Augusta week.

Q. I know your official biographer outlined your most recent successes. Unless it's the mental part, what do you bring into Augusta this year that you haven't in the past with regards to a game?
JASON DAY: I think there's a little bit more belief in my ability that I can get a job done, especially from the second half of last year and even more so over the last two weeks. So there's that.

But I said the mindset is different. Knowing that I've been in the heat of the battle, especially more so recently and understanding what that feels like, because everyone knows when you're standing there on Sunday at Augusta it's quiet and you're in your own little world. You have to be able to stay in your own world. You have to be able to focus on what you need to do to get the job done. And if you don't have the best stuff, then find a way to get it done. And that's kind of the mindset that you have to take into it because there's a lot of things that can happen on the backside of Augusta.

I'm really going to enjoy it, because I'm going to have a lot of fun there this year. And I feel like I'm going to play well. But once again, I just have to focus on what I normally do.

Q. One thing about this afternoon, Louis said there really wasn't a turning point. But I think if you look at it, maybe early on at 3 and 4 there seemed to be a turning point, what were your thoughts on it?
JASON DAY: No, I don't feel like there's so much a turning point. Louis made a par on the first, and ended up I made bogey. He just made a bit of a narrow on 3 with the tee shot and unfortunately hit it in the water on the second. For me there, I needed to get it on the green, give myself a chance to say, okay, well, you know, you've got no chance of winning this hole, I'm going to two-putt anyway, so we'll go to the next hole.

Getting the birdie on 3, and then hitting the great shot on 4, even though he hit a great shot in there.

I think more so the turning point, if you want to talk about a turning point, 6 and 7. Getting up and down on 6, getting up and down on 7, those were easy ones to not get up and down. And 8. I missed 8. 8 was really good, too. But 6, 7 and 8 were probably what kept me moving in the right direction.

If I bogeyed those holes, he could have won it with a par on 6. He missed, obviously, and bogeyed 7. But he could have won it with a par on 8, as well. So that's the turning point.

Q. How many hours did you spend in therapy this week? How much did that disrupt your normal tournament week routine?
JASON DAY: An hour before, an hour after, 30 minutes in between the rounds. I did 30 minutes before this -- I don't know. It's a lot. It felt like a lot. It was, I want to say, close to ten hours or something like that, with the practice rounds, as well. So close to around there. It was a lot. I mean, I needed a lot of work done just to try -- I don't know if anyone's got back problems in here, but if you've got back problems you understand what goes into trying to get you up right and walking again, and let alone -- I think every golfer has a disk problem.

Talking to Rory today, he said that his -- he had a disk problem. And talking to some other guys, talking about disk problems, and Louis has had disk problems. Everyone has disk problems. You put us in flexion and try and swing a club at 120 miles an hour, and you have more than a million swings in your career, sooner or later it's going to do something.

So, yeah, the therapy worked, from Brian, this week. And the communication between the team and kind of everyone on page and knowing exactly how my body is reacting, we all did a fantastic job with that.

Q. Compare the feeling winning this in 2014, first win in a long time, tight match, to winning now after a good stretch, bigger margin, the differences?
JASON DAY: A lot more draining the first year. This year I'm still a little drained, but going off I think I'm working off a lot of adrenaline right now. But if the match today against Louis went to 18, then I would say this would be a lot more draining and harder.

2014, it was kind of a freak of nature how that came around. I three-putted the last hole and then Victor started getting up and down out of a cactus. So I'm glad that there's no cactus here in Texas.

CHRIS REIMER: There's a few of them.

JASON DAY: But not on this golf course, fortunately. It was great to be able to win this for the second time.

I feel like I'm a great match play player. I'm always trying to stick in it and stay in the game. And you've got to fight until it's over, even if you've lost or you're won, you still have to fight no matter what. And I think that's the biggest thing for me and my edge that I get from is always staying in the fight.

Q. Four wins now by Australians on the PGA Tour, and the European Tour said it's now six wins this season by Australians. I think since you won the Farmers in February last year, it's 35 wins around the world for a small country. How much credit can you take and what does it say about Australian golf at the moment?
JASON DAY: I mean I could take a little bit, right?

Watching Scotty play the way he did in 2013, getting to No. 1, was a big inspiration to me. Seeing him -- he was one of my favorite golfers growing up, obviously including Tiger Woods. But Adam Scott was up there. And watching him win, got me working harder and being able to do that.

Once you see an Aussie do it, then you want to do it and then it's kind of like a chain reaction. We all know each other, the guys that have won, and you're talking about it. The guys that have won, we all know each other and we all see it each week. We always read about it, who has won the tournament on Sunday, and we want to do that, as well. So that's kind of where we get the inspiration from.

Q. Louis said he got to go to the rodeo this week. I was curious if you got to go to experience anything in Austin or did you back hold you back?
JASON DAY: I want to do something. I've gone from the hotel to the golf course, from the hotel to the golf course, every day. Like I haven't even walked around the block of the hotel yet. I've literally gone in the hotel and gone straight up and been hanging out with family.

So we'll probably have a nice little dinner somewhere and celebrate. But I've heard fantastic things about Austin. And I look forward to trying to exploring that tonight.

Q. It probably wasn't 17 or 18, but did you have a favorite hole playing the course this week?
JASON DAY: I enjoyed 12 and 13. I loved that combination of par-4 -- par 5 and then reachable par-4. I loved that side down near the river. I think it's such a beautiful landscape. It's a beautiful setting. Not saying that the other side isn't beautiful, it is. It's got its own unique way of playing. You're in amongst cliffs on the front side and on the backside, it's open and kind of links.

This week was a great -- they set it up great. They did a fantastic job with the golf course. It was a great match play golf course with regards to being able to go at greens and being able to have drivable par-4s, and making it exciting not only for us, but for fans, as well. I'm looking forward to coming back here and defending the title next year.

Q. When you win a tournament, do you do anything special with the earnings to treat yourself?
JASON DAY: Well, we're going to have a burger and a Coke tonight. A milkshake, that's it. No, no, no. We don't do anything.

Last week, what did I do? I got on a plane straightaway and went to Houston. I had the pleasure of looking at Bud Martin for the whole flight.

No, not really. You know, money and the fame and everything comes second to winning. It is so much fun winning golf tournaments. Whatever comes with it, the bonus, it's just a bonus to me. Obviously I love taking it, but just enjoying the competition and winning golf tournaments, I get the most enjoyment out of that and that's why I love playing the game of golf.

Q. In your opinion is match play a marathon, a sprint or both? And secondly, you praised the golf course, talk about the fans in Austin and how well they received you?
JASON DAY: It's a combination of marathon and a sprint because you have to pace yourself for the whole week, but you have to stay in it. If you don't stay in it then you go home early. So it's a sprint during the day. Everything is really quick and you have to capitalize on opportunities and if you don't then you're going home.

But on top of it, you have to pace yourself through the whole week and be patient and make sure your rest and recovery is huge and hydration and nutrition is big. If you come out a little sluggish the next day, you start making mental errors and then you go on. So that is a little bit of both.

Playing in Austin, being in Austin for the first time it was great. I mean, the fans were fantastic. They were very respectful out there. And I think they were very happy to have the game of golf and professional golf in the city. I think this is the first time we've been here. Yeah, I think they thoroughly enjoyed it. There were a lot of people there this morning with myself and Rory playing. And I've enjoyed playing in front of them.

Q. I know it's hard to compare because of the slopes at Augusta, but you had a lot of undulating lies this week, does that help you prepare for Augusta a little bit?
JASON DAY: Yeah, it definitely gets me seeing the lines. Some of the lines you take on some of the putts you're hitting -- I remember it was the back of the 4th, par-3, I think, and I hit a putt and it had like ten feet of break. There's not many golf courses where you get putts like that. When you're going into Augusta, you want to be able to see those lines. Because you're not really used to seeing lines like that. You're not used to hitting it 10, 20 feet away from the cup and it rolling down towards and maybe going in. So you have to get used to it. So it was good to be able to come here and win the tournament, but also be able to hit putts and chip shots to where you're feeling like it is like Augusta, even though it obviously isn't.

CHRIS REIMER: Congratulations, Jason.

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