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OLYMPIC GAMES RIO 2016: GOLF

August 11, 2016

Matt Kuchar

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Q. How was it out there?
MATT KUCHAR: First tee experience I've gotten pretty used to. The nerves don't get me very many places. Here it was a little different. Teeing off in particular, I think I was the first American to tee off today. To hear my name announced as an Olympian and to go tee off, there were a few more butterflies than I anticipated on the first tee.

Q. Did it feel when you were out there like a normal event?
MATT KUCHAR: Yes, yes, like a normal event. Once you get going, playing with Danny Willett, it was a comforting feeling knowing that when we see a fair bit of him‑‑ I can't pronounce my third's name, but it was more of an international flavour. The kid from China was super nice. It had a bit more of an international flavour just having them in the group. But once the game got going, you kind of get into the feel of things and the routine of things and try to get back to just playing golf like I normally would.

Q. Ryder Cup you played for the U.S.; how is this different for you in any way? How does it feel, or does it?
MATT KUCHAR: It's a tough one to compare. I'm not sure I know really how to compare the two. Here to represent the U.S. with three other guys; however this is just individual. Ryder Cup, team event, typically playing with a partner in the first handful of days.
So if you're‑‑ it's unique, being the first Olympics back in over a hundred years, it's certainly different. But it shares a lot of similarities of having such pride for your country and really wanting to do the best you can for the Americans that are here and for everybody back home, as well.

Q. Is The Ryder Cup on your mind?
MATT KUCHAR: Certainly something I hope to take part in and I hope to help the U.S. win again. But right here, it's pretty easy to be solely focused on the Olympics.

Q. Your impressions of the course and do you feel like it's one where you can take risk where opportunity presents?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, it's got a lot of interesting characteristics there. There's a good blend of long difficult holes along with kind of shorter holes that you can try to take advantage of. So there's certainly a whole variety of different holes here. I'm not sure that it really suits one style of play or not. That is yet to be seen. From what I can tell, everybody that's teeing up has a chance here.

Q. Spot any of the wildlife?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, we saw one of the Alphabarnrats out there (laughter). It was cool. It was a bigger, whiter one than we had seen before. That's the only unique thing. I think it's funny‑‑ I imagine people in Brazil think it's funny that we're oogling over something that's a little more normal to them. We come over, and they would say, it's a squirrel, we have plenty of those.
What are the animals called? Capybara. I guess they are dangerous, so you don't see them as much. I think it must be funny for the locals to see us oogling over something I'm assuming they see a little more frequently.

Q. How much more tougher did the course play when the wind picked up?
MATT KUCHAR: The game just became more challenging. The driving areas are fairly generous but off the driving areas are pretty penalizing. Most guys will probably be able to keep it in the short grass but if the wind does happen to grab a ball, it's a big penalty.

Q. I know there's plenty of incentive for you to be here personally but do you also take it seriously that there's a chance to grow the game here in countries where maybe it's not as big as it is in the United States?
MATT KUCHAR: The beauty of what these games do is the ability to grow it worldwide, but in a lot of international golf, I've seen the game grow through Latin America and South America and internationally seen the game grow. But I think that's usually what the Olympics does is really attract a worldwide audience and hope to gather a lot more interest.

Q. Is there a responsibility at all for some of the top guys to make this a priority every four years, or is that over stating it?
MATT KUCHAR: That's for you guys to think about.

Q. Given the courseis similar to the Sandbelt courses, are you surprised Australia went out and shot 63?
MATT KUCHAR: I don't know if it's hugely similar to the Sandbelt courses, but there were some good scores when I played my practice rounds on Tuesday, Wednesday. I figured there were good scores. Could have come from anywhere.

Q. How good a round was an 8‑under today? I know it was calm this morning.
MATT KUCHAR: 8‑under in still conditions and playing from forward tees, 8‑under would be a very good round.

Q. What's been your best experience maybe non‑golf so far?
MATT KUCHAR: I tell you, the Tuesday night swimming experience was just fantastic. The ten o'clock start wasn't the thing I was most looking forward to (laughter) but once we got there, I tell you, to see Michael Phelps and see Katie Ledecky, and more so Michael Phelps, to see the greatest Olympian ever to claim two more medals, it was just inspiring.
I know he's up to 21 now, but when you see that, you think, I've got a chance. I think you look at him with such admiration, you know, I've got a chance to do what he just did. It's not going to be 21 but I've got a chance to get one. It was really inspiring to see and great to be part of.

Q. Have you met him?
MATT KUCHAR: We spent some time. We were together in China for an event and got to be fairly friendly, but I haven't seen him, spoken to him since I've been here.

Q. Give any advice to him?
MATT KUCHAR: No, he gave us some swim lessons. I didn't give him any golf lessons. It wouldn't be a fair trade.

Q. If you played 18 holes with him, what do you think you would ask him on the course?
MATT KUCHAR: I don't know, we had a lot of fun. We spent a lot of time in China. Loves his golf, so easy to talk about golf and fun to talk about some of the competitors that he swims against. He's an easy guy to be around.

Q. Do you remember what hole your wildlife encounter was?
MATT KUCHAR: I think we were walking to the 13th hole between 12 and 13. I think there's a fence line there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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