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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2020

Matt Wallace

Cromwell, Connecticut

Q. From when you kind of found out about having to get tested again, how has this last day kind of been?
MATT WALLACE: All right. I wouldn't say it's the end of the world. It hasn't been the best day. But no, everything ran smoothly, got tested this morning, was kind of a scary sort of hour or so to be here on-site, unknown if I had it or not, but then we found out that Dave and I were both negative, so that was a bonus.

And then, yeah, it was just a bonus to get out on the golf course really for me. I said that to Dave on the first hole. It's just nice to know that we're okay and we're just playing golf. I mean, there's much worse things than missing the cut, isn't there, at the moment.

We took every safety precaution we could. We've done that for the last three weeks. We've tested negative again. This is our fourth test, two in the space of four days, five days, and yeah, nothing really else apart from it was quite slow out there.

Q. Obviously Bud Cauley tested negative twice today and decided to withdraw. Did you have any thoughts of that?
MATT WALLACE: No, because he said that he didn't feel good, that he didn't feel well. I can understand why he wouldn't play. I haven't felt better myself. I'm playing with a chance to change my career if I win, so why wouldn't I play. It's black and white for me. I tested negative and I can go play. Just a bit frustrated that maybe -- I don't know what the PGA TOUR might think, but would DJ play on his own? Would Rory play on his own? I probably doubt it, so they could have dropped one of the players back from in front or maybe from behind to go ahead and play with me. Just don't think it was a great move to leave someone out on their own in the middle of the pack.

Q. What was it like playing by yourself?
MATT WALLACE: It was all right. Dave and I had fun. We missed a bunch of putts out there, so that's golf, unfortunately, and that's the way it's going for me at the moment.

Q. Can you go through the timeline of when you found out, how you found out? You talked about what it was like, but can you give more specifics?
MATT WALLACE: Yeah, so this morning I got a phone call at 8:00 from the TOUR saying Denny and bud both feel well, and they've been tested this morning, so they also had to wait two hours to get their results back. So instantly messaged Dave saying is he okay, we need to go up to the golf course to get tested. He said he felt fine. I was feeling fine. So we came straight up at 9:00, got tested.

And then stayed around here but made sure we stayed away from everyone because we knew potentially that something could happen. It took longer than two hours to get my test, took about two and a half hours, two hours, 45 minutes, and by that time it was my preparation time. But the TOUR did everything they could. They kept me out of the warmup area, they kept me out of the clubhouse, so I was just waiting until I got my test back, and then I tested negative and I was able to go and practice and prep.

But yeah, to say the least that some people thought that I may have been positive and they stayed well clear isn't a nice feeling; let's put it that way.

Q. Was the decision to play entirely yours? Did anybody give you a suggestion, hey, maybe sit out? Was it all up to you?
MATT WALLACE: Well, I'll put it to you: Do you think I should have played?

Q. It wouldn't be my decision.
MATT WALLACE: Yeah, but it's up to me, so clearly it's my decision. I mean, it's black and white in my situation. I stayed well clear of them yesterday, no fist bumps, none of that. I've done everything at night that I have done the last three weeks while testing negative, I just got some food, stayed in the hotel room, came up here, got tested, tested negative, Dave tested negative, we're all clean, we went out and played, that's pretty much it for me.

Q. The numbers suggest we're going to have more of these and there are going to be more people that are going to be like you that are going to have to make that decision. Is it hard or even unfair for you to be put in a spot where obviously you think or you've heard that people think you shouldn't have played today.
MATT WALLACE: I didn't know people --

Q. Do you think it's going to be unfair to put somebody like you in that spot going forward?
MATT WALLACE: I don't think I should be in any way a negative here. I don't think I should be put in that spotlight at all. I've done everything else that any other player has done and I've tested negative. I'm in the same boat that they are. It's just the fact that the player partner that I had yesterday felt ill last night with whatever they did from leaving us on the golf course because I'm guessing they tested negative at the start of the week to now, where I'm still negative, as well.

It's a strange one. I completely understand the questions and stuff, but no, I don't believe I should be put in that spotlight at all because I'm the same as everyone else.

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