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CAREERBUILDER CHALLENGE

January 16, 2018

Hudson Swafford

La Quinta, California

JACK RYAN: We would like to welcome Hudson Swafford the defending champion here at the CareerBuilder. That was your first career victory last year. What did that do for your and your confidence?

HUDSON SWAFFORD: It did everything. It just kind of solidified to myself that I know I can win. Proved to myself that I can win out here. Like I said last year, they don't really give them away. To some people it seems like they might give them away, Dustin and Tiger and Spieth in a couple years, but it's extremely hard to win out here. So getting over that hump and winning, just kind of just gives you that self confidence saying that you know you can win again.

JACK RYAN: You made six starts this year, six made cuts. What do you need to do this week to contend and possibly repeat as champion?

HUDSON SWAFFORD: Just need to get the putter a little hotter. Starting to hit the ball pretty well, just last few weeks the putter just hasn't been as warm as it normally is. At this time last year the putter was really a weapon. But I'm doing the right things, made a new equipment change, just getting comfortable with that, but, no, just go out, have fun and just see of a couple putts fall I'll be right back where I was last year.

JACK RYAN: Last year with that win in part came your best career finish in the FedExCup, 38th. What would it mean to you this year to get over the hump and get into the TOUR Championship?

HUDSON SWAFFORD: Yeah, that's a huge goal. I feel like my game's more consistent, I feel like all around game's better, so the goal is definitely kind of Top-20 in the FedExCup. Definitely making it to Atlanta, sets up your whole next year, gives you a lot more freedom, you can definitely set your schedule at the beginning of the year. So that's kind of the target and kind of what I'm looking for.

JACK RYAN: We'll open it up for questions.

Q. Your first title defense. Did it feel different walking on to this golf course this week?
HUDSON SWAFFORD: I thought it would, but, no, it doesn't. It's still another work week, I'm just going to show up and play well. So I've got good memories here, I've seen a lot of good rounds around these two golf courses, whether it was last year or the year before, at Q-School a number of years back. So I'm comfortable on these golf courses, they can be a little intimidating with a few shots, but I know I stepped up to the plate and hit a lot of good shots around here. But yeah everybody keeps saying, champ, defending champ, it's good to hear. It just kind of reiterates what happened last year. It brings a smile to my face, but at the same time I know what I did last year and I was working very hard and you got to work hard for those W's.

Q. If there was one memory that you could pluck out of all those memories from last year, is there one thing that stands out to you other than dodging the rain drops?
HUDSON SWAFFORD: Yeah, dodging rain drops in the desert I would say for a couple days would be the biggest memory. That's why we are here, we're trying to escape the rain, but unfortunately last year the weather didn't cooperate. But not one memory, but I would say the two shots on 16 and 17 were probably the two biggest memories. The 4-iron from 236 that went to about 12 feet on 16 was very, that was a very comforting shot because there's not lot of room for error there. And then the great 8-iron, three quarter 8-iron I hit on 17 to about six inches, that was, those were probably the game changer for me per se.

Q. That's a nice smile you have when you talk about that 4-iron.
HUDSON SWAFFORD: Yeah, no, it was nice. Around that green is very difficult, it doesn't matter where you miss, there's not really any room for error. Obviously the left bunker's dead. Right's better, but you're chipping straight down hill, you're not going to really chip it close, I don't think. Get in the rough, the green's pretty firm. So there's just really no room for error, I stepped up and made a great shot. And then 17 that island green there's not much room for error there and stepped up and hit another great shot. But I would say that span of about 15 minutes is probably my best memory.

Q. You're a stablemate of Patton Kizzire's, what, when you see him play the way he's played, what has gone into that from your perspective and what are your impressions of what he's been doing?
HUDSON SWAFFORD: Just confidence. The guy's got a great short game. I would say his only weakness is maybe hitting fairways, but he's been driving it great lately. He's very confident in what he's doing, so it's been fun to watch. I'm very happy for him. I know if I can beat him at home then I'll probably be doing all right out here.

Q. The two courses other than the Stadium Course and the Stadium Course also when the conditions are benign can kind of be had, but do you feel like you really need to go low on La Quinta and the Nicklaus Course in order to contend in this week?
HUDSON SWAFFORD: Yes and no. You just have to play solid golf. Last year I think I shot 65, 65 on those golf courses, you need to go low on at least one, I think. I think you just need to just play solid golf. I don't think you need to go out and you have to shoot for a 62 or 63, but I think you just need to play solid golf all week to have a chance. A lot of 4- and 5-unders, give yourself a chance on the back nine on Sunday, I think. You never know what will happen here. You got to -- and it's a good mix on the back nine between getting, being able to get to No. 16, having some short holes, some wedge holes, having some long holes, some mid irons coming in to 15, 10's not the -- 10's a pretty intimidating hole, but it can play short. If you step up and hit some good shots and you've shot 4- or 5-under the last few days and maybe a couple under on the front nine on the stadium you're definitely going to have a chance on the back nine, I think.

Q. Putting obviously is always critical to success, but is there any element of the game that you think these courses, that you really need to play well at to score on these courses?
HUDSON SWAFFORD: I think you need to hit your irons well here. I think you need to give yourself as many birdie opportunities as possible. Putting is a big part of this event, but the greens are a little tricky to read with the over seed, so I think that iron play is huge here, I think giving yourself as many birdie opportunities as possible is easier said than done, that's kind of like at every golf course, but if you give yourself a number of birdie chances and opportunities, time after time, you're not having to kind of maybe stress and short side yourself getting up-and-down for some of them par, that helps out a lot. You do have a little wiggle room for missing a few putts here and there.

Q. You mentioned the equipment change. What was the transition like for you going to new gear and is there any sort of trepidation making a change like that coming off a season where you won?
HUDSON SWAFFORD: Absolutely. I mean, if you change anything, I don't care whether it's even if you're with the same company -- I played a TaylorMade driver for a number of years -- and I mean even getting a new driver, it's just tough to get into a new driver. So there's definitely those hurdles, but I loved kind of what I've been doing in the testing that I've done with the Callaway. Guys have been incredible to work with. Love the new irons. Really think the new irons are a lot better than what I was doing in previous years. The iron/ball combo has been great. The driver has been pretty solid so far. I'm not going to sit here and say that it's crazy, that my driving stats are going to improve dramatically, but it hasn't been like something that's really held me back. So it's just getting comfortable, just playing, getting more reps with it. It's been amazing work with the Callaway guys and I really think they got a bunch of good stuff out there, so it hasn't been terrible.

Q. When you won here you had been on a streak of, I think it was 18 or 19 straight made cuts, but there weren't a lot of top-10s in that. After you won here you started missing some cuts, but you also started putting up more top-10s. Was that just a function of not worrying about the cut anymore or your game was different?
HUDSON SWAFFORD: Yeah, a hundred percent. I think my short game's gotten a lot better, kind of turned it into a weapon. I was just getting more comfortable, making a bunch of cuts and then I never really thought about the cut, I don't really think about the cuts that much anymore as compared to maybe as a rookie or even a second year. It's just, how to get in contention, how to set yourself up Thursday and Friday to get in contention on the back nine on Sunday more is kind of my thought process and my planning that goes into it. Yeah, I kind of struggled after the win a little bit, nothing with the win, it was just kind of struggled, I kind of struggled on the West Coast poa, that's, I've done that my whole career so fortunately this year I get to take a few of those events off.

Q. You mentioned you were taking some time off.
HUDSON SWAFFORD: Yeah, it's good to start back on some Bermuda. So I probably played maybe a little too much in the middle of the year when I was kind of struggling, fortunately with the win you can take off a little more time and just kind of rest. And there's just a stretch of golf courses that I like more towards the middle of the summer early summer that I feel like I have an advantage over a lot of people and I feel very confident on, so, yeah, I'm just kind of putting my focus on the golf courses that I've had success, that have I played well, so I'm kind of looking forward to that this year.

JACK RYAN: All right, thanks, Hudson, best of luck this week.

HUDSON SWAFFORD: Appreciate it. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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