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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2020

Matthew Wolff

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Q. Did the pairing help at all?
MATTHEW WOLFF: Absolutely, yeah.

Q. In what way? Just lighter or just --
MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I mean, just level of comfort out there. I said I feel like I've said that level of comfort a thousand times this week, but, yeah, it's just we had laughs out there. We always we just want to beat up on each other, but at the same time when you see the people that you've played so many rounds of golf with and you see them at THE PLAYERS, you don't really think it's The PLAYERS anymore, you're just like this is just another round of golf with my buddies. But then it kicked in and then I saw -- I realized it was THE PLAYERS and I had to bring my game. But I was pretty happy with today and had a good time.

Q. Can you give us a quick personality comparison, how you three are alike and how are you different?
MATTHEW WOLFF: Oh, yeah, I'm definitely the most immature. Yeah, I mean, I need to be mature when I -- you know, or I am when I need to be, but I just like to have a good time out there. Collin, I would say Collin's probably the most mature and then Viktor is like the in-between that like thinks he's really smart but really isn't. So no, but it's a good time out there. I feel like our personalities are pretty similar and we all like to joke around and have a good time, but when we need to be serious we can be. So it's a good vibe out there with them.

Q. The shot on 11, what was that second shot, that lie like, and what did you have to go through, that decision-making process?
MATTHEW WOLFF: So it was kind of on the edge of like the pine straw and the rough, and I knew 4-iron would get out and I was going to aim -- take it like at the bunkers left of the green, but it was 230 to the front and I was like, well, it might be kind of a hard shot if it doesn't come out hot or I pull it or anything like that. So I decided to take 2-iron because I still felt like I could get it up, and it actually came out just how I wanted to. I didn't feel like I hit it that solid, but it came out and I saw when it was flying it was going to be all right, and it actually got a pretty good break by hitting into that upslope and kind of staying as far right as it did because to get it there was -- it literally had to hit the upslope and just trundle over. But, yeah, that was a good break or a bad break off the tee and then a good break on the second shot.

Q. Did you feel nervous at all on that shot?
MATTHEW WOLFF: When there's water it never feels a hundred percent safe, but I felt like I picked a good line and I was -- you just have to trust those decisions you make. I feel like that's one thing that I struggled with in the past is just stepping up on a tee and trying to force myself to hit driver or to pick a club on a par-3 that I just don't feel a hundred percent confident with, and I told myself and my caddie this week, I'm just going to -- whatever shot I feel comfortable with, that's the shot I'm going to take. I would rather make a committed swing with the wrong club than an uncommitted swing with the right club.

Q. Was it tough to focus out there with what was going on in the world?
MATTHEW WOLFF: I just like to focus on my round. I don't really like to think about outside distractions or anything like that. It was nice having the fans out there today and I played well so I fed off of them a little. But, no, I don't really focus on anything or outside of golf when I'm on the course.

Q. Did you shake hands on 18?
MATTHEW WOLFF: I think on 1 we did, on 18 we just gave fist pumps.

Q. 17 looked like were you and Nick laughing after the ball landed a little bit? It took that big kick left.
MATTHEW WOLFF: Oh, yeah, yeah, we just -- I mean it was just, I pushed it a little bit and then when it spun it kind of spun left and I just really wasn't expecting it to be that close because I was in between gap and sand and I thought 144 with a sand wedge was pretty ridiculous but then I ended up hitting it, and when there's so much adrenaline, I mean, the ball's going so far and I was just laughing because it seems like we were kind of in between clubs a lot today, so finally got one to come out how we wanted to and luckily I made the birdie.

Q. What's your normal sand wedge carry?
MATTHEW WOLFF: Usually around like 128 to 130. But the last 17 and 18 were both downwind and adrenaline was pumping a little bit trying to post a good number, so I felt like short on both of 17 and 18 was the place to go so even if I didn't get that whole number that I wanted to out of it would still be a fine two-putt or give myself a chance, and the last thing I want to do is go over 18 green to that back pin or hit it in the water on 17.

Q. It looked like you were laughing on the way to 17 as well. Is that something you were just -- was that your way to deal with whatever pressure it was?
MATTHEW WOLFF: No, I just, I was just joking with Viktor, we were walking down and I thought I hit mine real good. I thought I hit mine stiff, and I didn't realize I hit mine that far past, and when Viktor hit it, he got a louder roar because obviously it was a lot closer, but I didn't know that, so I was just like, wow, I guess they just don't like me anymore, something like that. But it turns out it, the fans knew what they were talking about more than I did.

But I was just laughing because yeah, they roared pretty loud for Viktor, but I was happy. I hit a good shot. I felt like we all hit really good shots on 17, first PLAYERS, 17, the stage was pretty big so I felt like we could handle the pressure.

Q. How much does it bother you that you bogeyed the last and they beat you by one?
MATTHEW WOLFF: It really doesn't. I think at the end of the week that's what's more important. If I'm raising the trophy and I beat them by one, I would rather have that than beat them by one today. But, yeah, giving one back at the end never feels good at the end of the day, but I feel like I battled hard out there and got a lot out of my round, so I'm definitely not taking any negatives going into tomorrow, especially with an early tee time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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