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WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

August 31, 2018

Chris Kirk

Austin, Texas

Q. Thoughts?
CHRIS KIRK: It was definitely a tough day out there, blustery wind that seemed to change directions a whole lot. And intensity a whole lot. The golf course is very firm. And pretty difficult pins. I was very thankful to get out, take advantage of two lob wedge and gap wedge on the first two holes and make some birdies, and a few more there towards the end of the front nine, a lot of good shots. A few that were not quite as good on the back nine, and hung in, and made some good birdies, and some pars, and ended up with a solid day.

Q. Is it a better option to have success on a golf course, or is does it boil down to your game is in a good spot right now?
CHRIS KIRK: It's both. Yeah, we all have our courses that we like, and maybe aren't our favorites. And courses that we have good records on and bad records on. And this is a course I definitely feel comfortable on. Most of the greens for me I feel like I read these greens pretty well. Last week I couldn't have read the greens any worse I didn't feel like. But it's just the way it goes.

But I've played -- if not spectacularly this year, it's been a pretty solid year. My putting stats haven't been the best they've ever been in my career. But the rest, driving accuracy, greens in regulation, all that stuff has been as good as any I've had in my career. Days like today where I made a good many putts, that's what's been the difference this year -- of a solid year to maybe having two or three wins and being top-10 in the FedExCup.

Q. The wind picked up. Did it pick up as the round went along? Were you fortunate to start early before it picked up too much?
CHRIS KIRK: It picked up on about the second hole. I did birdie the first hole, so -- but I think on No. 2 there's that little pot bunker on the right-hand side that we generally can carry and I was even with about the front edge of it, it was blowing straight into the wind on No. 2.

No. 3, par-3, kind of straight down, and I landed the ball two steps on the green and it went over. A lot of that. A lot of guys are going to be frustrated this afternoon I'm sure with the firmness and trying to pick the wind. But there's still a decent score to be had out there.

Q. Where does making it to East Lake count for you, personally?
CHRIS KIRK: It's huge. I think most guys would put that right up there with a win. Usually it takes a win to get there, but occasionally you see guys that play solid enough and play well enough to make their -- to be honest with you, I'm disappointed in my first seven years on Tour, I only made it there one time. I've played consistently well most years, but only had that one big year. And now I've made it to the third one, six out of seven. But that's a huge -- I think if you're the type of person that sits down and writes down goals at the beginning of the year that's going to be one of your top two or three for everybody on this Tour.

Q. You talked about reading greens, the difference between last week and this week, is it more of a matter of just comfort factor on these greens or other factors that are involved in the difference?
CHRIS KIRK: Apart from -- I remember I finished second at Pebble Beach one year, it's my only top-50 finish in that tournament and I just made everything. And I wish I somehow had any clue what I did that week. I'm still using the same putter right now that I used that week. But, I don't know, I just have had a pretty horrible track record on poa annua and I don't know, it's purely reading the greens, and I just don't see it as well as I do bent or Bermuda. At least I feel good on two out of the three surfaces we play.

Q. When you're sitting on the bubble, how do you guard against playing too conservative just trying to protect it?
CHRIS KIRK: I don't know, I've had enough times where I was close and made it or close and didn't make it. But you look back on those experiences and just learn that all you can do is just play.

I'm not going to alter my game plan whether I'm trying to win a tournament or whether I'm trying to barely make it in next week or move up in the top-30. I map out how I play every course to make the best possible score on average. And so you just play.

I think it also goes with -- I may or may not be quite a veteran out here, I still feel like a young guy out here, and probably statistically not, but you just play. I've been a pro for 11 years, we do this every week, and you just play. That sounds dumb and simple, but I've experienced a lot of different scenarios, and all you can do is just try to birdie the next hole.

Q. You mentioned the big year you had. What's changed since then, what hasn't quite happened?
CHRIS KIRK: As I said earlier, statistically I have not putted that well this year somewhere around 100th or so in the putting stats. And I was top-20 or so that year. But every other part of my game this year -- the last couple of years haven't been quite as good, but this year my swing, ball-striking feels as good as it ever has in my career.

The game is a little different than it was around my rookie year. I think my rookie year I remember I averaged 291, and 45th on Tour in driving distance, this year 291, and I'm 155th in driving distance. So it is changing. And the driver and the ball don't go any further than they did eight years ago. That's the thing that everybody is missing that, the driver and the ball don't go any different than eight years ago. Guys are making it go further. All the stuff people wanting to change the rule and change the ball and change the stuff, it doesn't matter. Guys are -- you saw that thing that Dustin posted where he flew 290 with Jack Nicklaus' Persimmon wood. Oh, yeah, Jack hit it 300 back then. No. If it was -- on these fairways that were firm with a little help from the wind, sure. I hit a 3-wood 330 today. But it's just conditions. It will be interesting to see how that all plays out.

Q. (No microphone.)
CHRIS KIRK: I think it has something to do with that and something to do with obviously he kind of started the whole fitness thing. And just the analytics of we're seeing it in baseball, too, I'm a big basketball fan. You're seeing people, I think Verlander said something about the ball being juiced. It's like they're hitting on Trackmans now, just like we do. All these guys have figured out launch angle, spin rate, they're hitting home runs. The ball is not different. The bat is not different. Guys are going to get better at every sport. Every professional sport, it doesn't matter, guys continue to get better, that's just the way it goes. And I don't see where did why everyone has such an issue with that.

Q. Is it just because you grew up on Bermuda?
CHRIS KIRK: The course I grew up, bent and Bermuda, there's not a lot of -- a huge difference. I don't really know what -- I've seen guys putt really well on poa annua, I've watched, and I don't know what they're doing differently than what I'm doing. It's definitely something that generally guys that grow up on it putt really well on it and generally guys that don't, don't. There are obviously exceptions to that rule, but that's pretty typical.

Q. You said you don't like to alter your game plan. Which part of your game plan do you not want to alter?
CHRIS KIRK: What do I not want to change? Nothing. I try to hit it down the fairway and hit my irons as close as possible and try to make the putt. I don't know, that's about it -- that's the game plan.

Q. (No microphone.)
CHRIS KIRK: Yeah, I occasionally seek advice.

Q. Do you get unsolicited advice, from your next door neighbor on down?
CHRIS KIRK: No, not really. I think there's some guys that deal with that out here, but I think that the way I go about my practice and the people that are around me, like I think -- I think I've done a good job of letting people know that they shouldn't approach me if I don't want them to. I don't know how you would describe that. I guess I'm good at just walking past people and not making eye contact. That may have something to do with that.

Q. Do you feel pressure to hit the ball harder or get stronger?
CHRIS KIRK: No, I work out and I have a physical therapy trainer that travels with me. I do my best to try to stay in shape. But the things that I would have to change to hit the ball drastically further than I do now, it would not be worth it.

Q. Why you do not want to make eye contact with the people?
CHRIS KIRK: Why don't I like to make eye contact? It's just when I'm working, I'm out there practicing. Off the golf course I feel like I'm a reasonably social person. But when I'm out there practicing on the range, I think people that are inside the ropes, other teachers, other equipment reps, whatever it is, I think they just kind of know they should probably leave me alone.

Q. It is distractions?
CHRIS KIRK: Definitely can be.

Q. Does it the beard have something to do with your game plan?
CHRIS KIRK: It does, but I can't tell you why.

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