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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 13, 2019

Matt Wallace

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Q. Talk about this being your first PLAYERS Championship. What's the impression you've had this coming year on Monday?
MATT WALLACE: Special, isn't it. They've done a lot of work to the course, and I remember playing it back in 2011 on a college tournament, and it was dormant, so it's completely different to how I've played it before. But it's really cool. I enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge. It's tough, but that's what gives it its stature, because you know that at the end of the week, if you've still played well, then you deserve everything you get out of this tournament.

Q. Coming to this tournament with some form after last weekend, you must be happy with your game?
MATT WALLACE: Very happy. The beauty of it is it's not my best stuff. I'd be disappointed if I'm playing my best stuff and not winning or giving myself a really good chance. Last week was really nice to be able to take the positives from what was a disappointing finish where I actually gave myself, with two holes to go, finished birdie-birdie and I'm in the playoff. So that was cool to do at the start of the year, to get those juices flowing like that over here in my second event on the PGA TOUR. It was cool.

Q. Talk about your meteoric rise into the World Ranking, top 50 player in the world now since winning back in India. When you look back at the past 12 months, what has been working well for you in your opinion that has seen you shoot right up the World Rankings?
MATT WALLACE: I think it's a combination of a lot of things. You know, I can't just put it down to one attribute in my golf game. I mean, your golf has to be good to be a top 50 player in the world. That's just it. That's standard. All the players here at THE PLAYERS are very good players. But it's doing everything; it's doing the work off the golf course, having the right team around you, doing things that are going to make you a better golfer, and mindset, you know, not being scared to do a lot of good things, not being scared to play -- to try and compete at the highest level.

I always have this philosophy that if you don't want to be in the limelight or be around crowds and stuff like that, then just don't play any good golf. If you want to win and you want to do some good stuff, you're going to have that. It's going to come with playing good golf. So I try and take that all in and enjoy all that.

Q. This week all the top players in the world are all in the field. As an up-and-coming player, is this what you play for?
MATT WALLACE: This is what we practice for. I'm a rookie here, and I'm 35th in the world. Not many people can say they've done that before, and that's pretty special. And to play against the best players in the world is exactly what I have tried to do for many, many years before getting to this spot, and we're here now, and we're playing in my first Players, and it will be very special tomorrow.

Q. You picked up some FedExCup points from your high finish last week. Is it part of your short-term goals to try and gain some status on the PGA TOUR?
MATT WALLACE: I think that will just be an outcome of playing some good stuff whilst I'm over here. I've got obviously WGCs and majors to play in, as well. It will go towards that. I'm not sure how many more full PGA TOUR events we'll play this year because I've got a goal that I want to better my ranking from last year on the Race to Dubai.

I want to be known as a global golfer. I want to play all tours, like I've done my whole career. I've grown up doing that. I have no short-term goals of actually just coming over here and playing on the PGA TOUR. It's just the beauty of playing some good stuff that you get to pick and choose where you want to play.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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