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WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 21, 2018

Jordan Spieth

Austin, Texas

Q. It was nice to get this win, especially with what happened last year first day?
JORDAN SPIETH: Did I lose first day last year? I didn't know that was the first round. I thought it was the second.

Yeah, this is -- you have to essentially win every single match to advance. I mean, there will be instances where people will lose matches and advance out of group stage, but it's a win-or-go-home type situation in my mind.

I got the job done today. Neither one of us played well on the front nine. I hit some solid shots there as we got to the middle of the back nine to build the lead up, which took some stress off for sure.

Q. The approaches on 13 and 14, those probably the difference in the match?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I think 13 was the difference in the match. I went with 1-up and then teed off on 13 and hit it left of my line and got a pretty fortunate break for it to carry and hang on the left edge of the fairway with the perfect number in. If that goes in the water then I probably lose the hole and we're back to even. It's a two-hole difference based on where that ball landed and then the shot that I hit in. 13 was pivotal.

14 was just a dagger on top.

Q. (No microphone)?
JORDAN SPIETH: I don't mind it at all. I don't really care either way. Because Augusta, maybe it's just the fact that when we're there practice, there's nobody else on the range. Whatever it is, you almost just feel like you're away from the noise once you get there. It's more the buildup that we try and manage.

So yeah, pretty exciting story lines this year and most of them I'm not involved in. That's fine with me. I don't care either way.

Q. (Inaudible)?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, sure. I have seen both. Again, I don't think either one makes much of a difference to me. Obviously I'd rather have the hype around me, just given that means things went really well prior to that. But you kind of build your own throughout the week, hopefully.

Q. You talked about this format, lets you be more aggressive. Did you find that today?
JORDAN SPIETH: Not to start. I wasn't to start. I had a couple of iffy numbers and some swirly winds. I did not play aggressively. Once I got a couple numbers where I could put really nice, solid swings on, zeroed in at the target with no worry about anything else around, I did just that and it led to three or four birdies from the 8th hole on. You have to go at flag sticks to make birdies here. There's so many different levels and sections to this greens, if you are on the wrong section you have to make a really long putt in order to birdie. So it was nice to hit some in there tight.

Q. Second shot on 1 in the picnic area, where does that rank as far as crazy spots you have been in off the fairway?
JORDAN SPIETH: It wasn't -- I actually got fortunate. I was in a great spot there. I hit a really, really horrible shot off of the mulch. I hit it fat. It needed to be played like a fairway bunker shot-ish. I needed to hit it just crisp or a little bit thin. I played it really poorly. It tied the hole, took away from a 1-up win. I was frustrated coming off of there.

But I have been in some places before, it's not totally unusual. I was even farther off on 16 today. Driver feels really good, though.

Q. Any flashback?
JORDAN SPIETH: No, no flashbacks. I have been driving the ball really well. Just had a couple get off when you couldn't miss left. So a little bit more commitment with the driver as we go forward.

Q. Justin won today. He messed up his putter and had to putt with his sand wedge the last 11 holes. I wondered if you are so close, do you razz him about stuff like that?
JORDAN SPIETH: That adds more pressure to Justin, probably. It takes some off of Luke. Because he's supposed to lose at that point and Justin is supposed to win. Sometimes it's hard to maintain focus, I would imagine. I have never experienced anything like that.

That's the first I've heard about that. I don't think I'll razz him about it, but I think that's fortunate for him.

Q. What about the year he's had the last year and a half?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it's something that hasn't surprised me, knowing the work that he's put in over the last ten years of knowing him. And it's awesome to see how confident he's playing and just how aggressive -- he's playing fearless golf. It's something that we all strive for all the time. It's another thing to actually be doing it and he's doing it right now. It's fun to be a part of and it's fun to chase him in the World Ranking category.

A lot of good young players playing that way. It's part of the story lines leading into the majors this year.

Q. Can you remember when you played well and lost a match?
JORDAN SPIETH: Oh, yeah. I think I shot 12 under in Harding Park and didn't make it out of group stage. I probably shot 4 or 5-under against Lee Westwood and lost. Yeah, there's probably numerous times.

Then there are times where I haven't -- today I was leading and over par for the day at one point. Sometimes that happens too. That's why this tournament, to an extent you can say it has a bit of luck to it. But at the same time, look at the recent winners. They are the guys playing the best going in and they were the best in the world at the time and they won. So you can look at it both ways, I guess.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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