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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2017

Matt Kuchar

Augusta, Georgia

Q. When you hear the roars in there and they're, "Kuch," something really cool has happened. Talk about 16.
MATT KUCHAR: What a thrill. It's funny, that hole has given me problems in the past. I typically play a fade and to that left pin I seem to be on the right side more often than not with a very challenging 2‑putt. And I said this year, go ahead and release it, don't worry about the water, and just flushed a shot that went straight at it and it looked great the whole way.
I still would like to see the highlights, I would like to see if I got the Bridgestone B kind of lined up just right before it trickled in. I haven't seen the whole thing.
But it certainly was such a thrill and you kind of have the build‑up, which is so much fun, the anticipation, and it more often than not the ball slides by and guys get real excited and then a little "awww," gets released. And when they flipped out it was just kind of pandemonium on the tee box and what a thrill.

Q. You had a great second nine, and that was the exclamation point. But talk about the earlier holes that got you to this great point.
MATT KUCHAR: Sure, man, it's a 72‑hole tournament. First hole Thursday means as much as No. 16 on Sunday. It's every bit as important.
I played awfully steady rounds the first two rounds. It was awfully hard with those winds blowing the way they were. And then a good round yesterday and then kept plugging around today.
I felt like I played very, very solid golf for four rounds of golf. As it looks, it looks like I've come up a couple short, but as a whole for the week I'm awfully pleased.

Q. You might not. You're three behind as you stand here, obviously the leaders are still on the course. What will you do to stay ready? Where will you go?
MATT KUCHAR: Oh, I'll probably watch on TV. I'll probably ‑‑ I'm not only a player, but certainly a fan as well, and anxious to see how these guys handle the incoming holes. Good chances for birdies, but certainly chances for mistakes as well. And I'll be watching with a lot of interest.

Q. Why the kid behind the green? Did you know him?
MATT KUCHAR: No, no, I didn't know him at all. I think you see kids of a certain age and you know that a memento will be special to them.
The cool part of our job is making a kid's day. And we have an opportunity to do that quite often. With that hole‑in‑one, I've got enough hole‑in‑one balls. I've got, you know, I don't save them, and so I figured this would make a kid's day and make a kid's year. It's one of the neat things that we can do. As opposed to adults. Most adults pay their kids as well and you can make their day, but nothing like seeing a smile come over a kid's day.

Q. A kid wearing a Sam Snead hat kind of catch your attention?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, he was kind of one kid, sitting in the front row, and had the Sam Snead hat on and I said, that's the kid I'm giving it to.

Q. How many is it hole‑in‑ones now on TOUR?
MATT KUCHAR: I'm not sure. I think I had one in China last year. I think during PGA TOUR events maybe three or four.

Q. What was the number and what was the debate on the club, if anything?
MATT KUCHAR: No debate. It was a good 7‑iron. I want to say it was about a 180 yard shot. Wind was helping. It was just a good 7. As I told the guys earlier, that hole location is very accessible, but it's given me trouble in the past with it. I tend to play a fade and I always seem to be on the right side of the green with a terribly hard 2‑putt. And I've kind of straightened out my ball flight a little bit, was hitting it great this week, and thought that if I was able to release it as hard as I could and not worry about the water. And it came off perfect. That one, when I hit it, I thought, this is going to be good. Certainly didn't think it was in the hole good, but certainly it was going to be a good shot when I hit it.

Q. One bogey all week on the back nine. How good is that?
MATT KUCHAR: That's really good. That's really good. Certainly the way 11 played those first two days, just immensely hard. To make one bogey just those first two days on the back nine was great and to keep you going over the weekend was some good golfing for sure.

Q. What did you write on the golf ball?
MATT KUCHAR: Just signed my name.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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