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SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 13, 2019

Matt Kuchar

Honolulu, Hawaii

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started with Matt Kuchar, our 2019 Sony Open in Hawaii champion. Matt, you made it interesting out there the first few holes but cruised to a nice 4-shot win there.

Congratulations on your second victory of the season.

MATT KUCHAR: Thank you very much. It was not the start I wanted by any means, but I knew I was playing good golf. I was pretty disappointed to give up a few shots, particularly the three-putt on 4, and with the wedge in my hands making bogey on 5. Thought, Man, that was just not at all the start I was looking for.

Knew I was playing good golf; knew if I stayed the course, continued just plotting along and not letting that get the best of me, that some good stuff was going to happen. Started playing really good golf. Didn't see any putts fall until the 9th, and I think that was that's just a crucial turning point for me. Making that putt on 9, stay within one of Andrew, and then played some great golf from then.

THE MODERATOR: And before questions, your second season on TOUR with multiple wins. No. 2 in the FedExCup. Really set up well for the rest of the season.

MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, I'm tickled, thrilled to have won two events this early in the year. To have won two out of three starts on the PGA TOUR is mind boggling to me. Yeah, to set up the year, absolutely sets up the year to be in great position for the FedExCup. There is a lot of year left and a lot of great things that are out there to be done.

THE MODERATOR: Questions. Start with Doug.

Q. You talked a lot about being with Chris right before he went off to Vegas. Curious, when you left, when your season ended, could you have imagined two wins by the time you left the islands?
MATT KUCHAR: No. I was pretty frustrated. I was definitely disappointed, frustrated. Yeah, I didn't make BMW, Ryder Cup. There were some big things that I missed out on. I was very frustrated.

I didn't ever give up hope. I think the frustrating thing was I felt like I was doing some good things and just not seeing results. That sometimes is hard to take, when you think you're on the right course and the right path and not seeing results, to stick the course. Sybi has been great at helping me stick the course and Chris has been great. So nice to see it turn around.

Q. I think you turned to Woody on the 18th and pointed out rainbow. You looked a little surprised by it.
MATT KUCHAR: It was too cool to have a rainbow appear on the 18th hole. I had never had a tournament with a three-shot lead going into 18 where you kind of feel like just it was my tournament and could really enjoy the 18th hole.

Still not easy shots; the tee shot is not easy. You kind of want to continue to execute and hit good shots, but with a three-shot lead I felt awfully comfortable playing 18, particularly after hitting the second shot up on the green knowing I had it wrapped up.

So to see a rainbow out there was a special kind of magical moment.

THE MODERATOR: Also with Davis Love meeting you out there as well.

MATT KUCHAR: It was definitely synchronicity there to have Davis meet me. Davis has been a great friend, someone I look up to. To have him out there was amazing timing. Really cool to have him hang out and be there.

Q. (No microphone.)
MATT KUCHAR: No. We're sharing that one.

Q. And then after the stumble early in the round did you give yourself a pep talk? I know you talked about you felt like your game was in a good spot, but...
MATT KUCHAR: No, I knew I was playing good. Even though I missed a few shots early, I knew I was still playing really well. There wasn't any pep talk. It was just kind of stay the course. I knew I was going to right the ship. I knew I was playing well enough.

Still felt like I was in good enough control of what I was going to do that I was going to make some birdies. I was in a battle. Andrew was playing really good, steady golf. Didn't look like he was every going to give one away, and just seemed to always have chances.

There was a time where I was kind of excited to be in the battle and not just have the lead. You know, start at two and get to four early and just kind of coast and have a six-shot lead. I kind of looked at the situation and said, All right, you've got a battle on your hands. Let's see what you can do now.

He played really good, steady golf. I was so pleased to be able to come through and make a few birdies, particularly 15 and 16. To increase that lead felt great. I thought back to the tournament in Mexico where I stumbled coming in a little bit. I had a bogey maybe on 14 and 15, and then ran a putt by on -- left one short on 16; ran a putt by on 17. Just didn't look as solid and steady as I would've hoped.

Awfully pleased to come down to the wire and execute better than I did in Mexico.

Q. You had quite a fan following out there today. Surprising at all or normal for you?
MATT KUCHAR: It was fantastic. People here have been great to me. Whether it's the locals, members, I feel like I've got a great relationship with this island. It was so fun to have so much support out there.

I knew it was kind of a tough thing for people to not be home watching football, so thankful to have so many people out coming to the golf tournament supporting me. It was really -- it makes you feel good and I think helps you. Helps get a little more out of you as well.

Q. You mentioned Ryder Cup and BMW earlier. Were those motivating factors for you? Secondly, when you were in that dry spell, four years without a within out here, is it tough sometimes to get the motivation?
MATT KUCHAR: No, I love playing golf. I think I love the hard about it. I love how hard it is. Golf is addictive that way, in that if you're not playing well you can't wait to figure it out and make it better, fix it.

If you're playing well, shoot, it's great, it's awesome. You want it to never end. You want to just keep playing. It's a cycle of whether it's good or bad that you kind of have this quest to continue to play, to improve, to fix, to whatever it is.

So I was frustrated, but still along the quest of trying to get better.

Q. You've been close here a number of times. How much did that walk up 18 mean to you being able to finish it this time?
MATT KUCHAR: It was really special. That was my first time really getting to enjoy the stroll up 18. I think most of my wins have come the 18th had to execute, had to par, birdie, whatever it may be on 18. Still, the tournament was in limbo.

To be able to know the tournament was wrapped up, enjoy that walk, it was special. Can't tell you how much I think of Waialae Golf Club. Fantastic club, fantastic golf courses. I've always enjoyed and had so much respect for this place.

I'll thrilled to have my photo go up in the champions' wall in the grill area.

Q. Matt, can a 40-year-old Matt Kuchar do what a 40-year-old Vijay Singh did?
MATT KUCHAR: I would certainly like to. He set a great example. Certainly showed that is possible. A number of guys showed that it is possible. It's nice to know that. It's not like you hit 40 and you have to go away. There are guys that have done great. Certainly I'm off to a way better start than I would've expected. Feels good. I hope to continue did.

Q. Just given the theme of the tour getting younger and younger, is it good to just even make a statement, that we've got plenty left in us yet?
MATT KUCHAR: I'm not sure I'm into making statements, but it is interesting to see how young the tour has gotten. I think it's an exciting time to be part of the tour to see all these young players come out and do great things.

But thankfully golf requires so many different things to be going right. It's not just power game, a putting game. There are so many facets to the game that it allows people to play for a long time and play competitively and play great for a long time.

I am grateful that the game requires so many different facets to it. It's not just a long-drive contest.

Q. (No microphone.)
MATT KUCHAR: 15 was big; 16 I felt like a three-shot lead, two to go, knowing how good I was playing, I felt like if I get this putt to go in, tournament is mine. This is my tournament to win or lose at that point.

It was awesome to see it go in. I don't know how to describe it. Had to hole-out of the bunker on Hilton Head where normally I don't show a lot of the emotion. I kind of enjoy the moment but not get overly high or overly low out there. I knew that putt on 16 was kind of the nail in the coffin.

That was a great feeling to see the putt go in.

THE MODERATOR: Let's go to one of our junior reporters, Tyler.

Q. What advice would you give to junior golfers like myself?
MATT KUCHAR: Well, I've got a couple front row down here that are just like you, Tyler. It's have fun. If you wanting to far in the game golf you've got to love doing it. If it's work for you it's probably not going to be something you're going to go a long way with.

Golf is a fun game, and I encourage my boys and encourage you to enjoy it as much as you can. And listen to your mom and dad.

Q. You mentioned a battle with Andrew. Was there a point on the back nine where you almost approached it like a match play type of situation?
MATT KUCHAR: Felt a bit that way. Felt a bit like it was a tournament between he and I for first. When he hit the poor drive on 14 and then shot it in the bunker and ended of making bogey -- he had kind of hung tough. There were a couple chances I thought he might slip and made some good putts and continued hitting good shots.

But he played the one hole poorly on 14 and kind of gave me a bit of breathing room. That was just a one-shot lead, but like, All right, I'm in control now. To be able to go ahead and come through with the birdies on 15, 16, it was a bit of that match play feeling. I think we had a two-shot gap behind us where we sat.

Felt like it was kind of down -- it was down to just he and I.

Q. (No microphone.)
MATT KUCHAR: Yes, it had, and that is such a great reward to go to Kapalua. It's a special, special place, special week. I think any time you win, it sneaks up on you, but it always pops in, Oh, yeah going back to Kapalua. We're thrilled. We know that we're going. We're spending two extra weeks in Hawaii for vacation. We love it here. To know we'll be back in Kapalua and for Sony is a great feeling.

Q. (No microphone.)
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah.

Q. Did you hear the spectators on 18 say, oh, yeah, you're back in Kapalua again?
MATT KUCHAR: Absolutely. Absolutely, yeah.

Q. I didn't know if you heard them. So much noise out there.
MATT KUCHAR: Trust me, getting in the field at Kapalua is just a real treat, a real reward, and one I look forward to every year I qualify.

Q. (No microphone.)
MATT KUCHAR: It's great.

THE MODERATOR: Matt, also mentioned with winning Sony you were presented AIBO, one of their robotic dogs. Talk a little bit about that. I think your boys on the front row are pretty excited.

MATT KUCHAR: Man, am I the perfect customer for AIBO. I think it's going to be a great addition to the family. We are going to have some fun wit AIBO. We really need a piece of artificial intelligence and robotics combined. I know we talk about getting a real dog, but AIBO is going to have to be our little real dog for the time being.

THE MODERATOR: All right, anything else? Thanks for your time.

MATT KUCHAR: Thanks you guys for being out here.

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