PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 9, 2020

Matthew Wolff

Harding Park Golf Club

Flash Quotes

JOHN DEVER: Good afternoon. Welcome to the 2020 PGA Championship here at TPC Harding Park. We are really pleased to be talking to Matthew Wolff. Matthew just posted a 5-under final round 65. He is the first in the clubhouse at 10-under par.

Matthew, two big surges on the golf course for you today, 7 through 10. Maybe talk about that and then birdieing two of your last three holes to land at 10.

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I think 7 through 10 was just the putts falling. I was hitting it -- I've hit it unbelievable this entire week. I think even with making some putts coming down the stretch, I probably lost strokes throughout the week putting, and I hit it, I mean, tremendous, probably the best ball-striking week of my life.

You know, that was really important for me on 7 through 10 because I hit a really bad drive off 7, got a good break, and then hit a nice wedge shot in there and made about an eight-footer. And then on 8 was just probably one of the best shots of the day, 4-iron from 250, just landed it just over the front of that little bowl area, and it chased to about 12 feet. Then another really good 7-iron on 9, and then with the eagle on 10, it really jump started my charge, you know, to do what I did.

I felt like I really didn't make a lot of birdies this week. I really made a lot of pars, and it was nice to see some putts fall because that's what was holding me back. I did what I could, and I'm pleased with where I'm at.

JOHN DEVER: Talk about going to the 18th tee. You're at 9; did you know people were at 10 and what you needed to do or did you just play with your head down.

MATTHEW WOLFF: I told myself not to look at the leaderboard. After I had that good run on 7, 8 and 9 I told myself, you're in this tournament, just keep doing what you're doing, don't look up at the leaderboard, hit every shot and commit to every shot, and whatever happens at the end happens.

It was pretty unbelievable. I kept my head down, and my caddie, Nick Heinen, he was really good. He kept me super calm out there. He was telling me a story walking up the 18th fairway and before I hit the tee shot on 18. I was really calm out there. I feel like -- like I said, I've been hitting it so amazing that I really didn't think of anything else. I just thought about the one swing thought that I had and stuck with it, and it worked out.

JOHN DEVER: So you truly didn't know where you were on the leaderboard until you holed out on 18?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I didn't, no.

JOHN DEVER: Pleasantly surprised?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Actually that's a lie. I took a look when I had the birdie putt because I wanted to know if I have to make it or not because I'd rather do that and know that I have to make something, especially on a putt like that. Maybe before the hole it would have been a little more stressful knowing that I had to birdie. But I saw a bunch of people at 10, and I pretty much told myself -- I put myself in the best spot I could, and the last thing, just tell yourself that you're a great putter, and even though I haven't felt like it this week, I was fortunate to have that last one drop.

Q. What did you think of this golf course as a test in terms of major championship quality? Did it hold up like that for you?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, it was unbelievable. I think looking at the leaderboard, I know there's a lot of people, but it's just a testament to the golf course because no one shot -- right now no one is more than 10, and I think that anywhere around 10-under is an unbelievable test. You get the best players in the world out here and not one of them can shoot more than 10 as of right now. I thought it was set up amazingly. I thought the greens were firm but they never got out of control. The pin locations were tough but fair. There was a couple that were a little dicey, but the rough, it was a little patchy, but it just depended on the lie. I felt like it really rewarded great ball-striking, and luckily I did that this week.

Q. Just to play devil's advocate, there are a lot of long hitters up there including yourself. Could the course be said to be favoring the long hitters too much because the rough wasn't punishing enough or is that the way golf is in general?

MATTHEW WOLFF: No, I think it was set up perfectly, and I'm not just saying that because I'm at the top of the leaderboard. I'm saying that because I hit it left on 9 and I hit a lot of fairways this week, but I hit it left on 9 I think the second round, last hole of the day, and I couldn't go to the green. I had to chip out.

So it really just -- like I said, the rough was a little patchy. I bet if it was a little more consistent, maybe the scores would have changed a little, but in my opinion I think it was set up really good. The longer hitters, if you hit it long and straight, you have a huge advantage out here, but the fairways were not wide. It doesn't matter how far you hit it. If you didn't find the fairways you weren't going to play well, and that's another reason why I thought it was a really good course.

Q. What signs did you see early in the week that told you it was going to be a great ball-striking week?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I'd say the practice session Wednesday afternoon. Monday and Tuesday I really wasn't hitting it good. I was struggling with my driving, had a couple big misses. I don't know, I just really had a bunch of swing thoughts in my head, and luckily my coach George Gankas was out here, he told me that I just needed to bend my knees a little more, which allowed me to rotate better, and from that point on that's the only thing I thought of this week was just rotating, bending my knees and staying within myself and not trying to hit anything crazy hard.

I think that probably like that Wednesday afternoon range session when I just striped it -- I don't think I missed a shot. That gave me a lot of confidence. But the beginning of the week I was struggling a little bit, so it's nice to see that things work out, especially on a stage like this.

Q. You made up some serious ground on what is a hyper-talented leaderboard. Does that give you some confidence, especially if you get a chance to add to it here in an hour or so?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Oh, absolutely. I think that I've hit the ball amazing all week. Like I keep on saying that, but the putter felt a lot better today than it has the last three days, and I gave myself a chance, so that's all I can do. I'm really looking forward to watching the last final few holes. It's going to be really stressful for me, but yeah, I know that I'm probably going to have a very good chance if I end up getting in a playoff and that's all I can do. I did what I could, and hopefully things go my way, and I at least give myself a chance to maybe win.

Q. Both you and Collin Morikawa are tied right now. What has allowed you guys to just come out on Tour and have such success at such an early stage?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I think it's just amateur golf right now. It's so good. In college I was competing against him and Viktor and Scottie, Cameron Champ. I was competing against all those guys.

The best of amateur golf right now, they're going to be the best players in the world. I think that it was rare in the past -- there was a lot of people that were the best and continued to be the best, but there was a lot of people who really didn't flourish in amateur golf, and then once they turned pro they kind of got a lot better and got more confident.

I think it's just the competitiveness between each other is what makes us so successful out here, knowing that when I see him win Workday, that gives me a lot of confidence because I know that we've battled it out and I can beat him, he can beat me, and even if I'm not playing well, I know that I can play good enough to win out here, and I'm sure it's the same thing for me.

It's kind of funny because when I won the 3M last year, he the next week won the Barracuda, and then I came in second at Detroit, made a run at it, and then he won the next week at Workday. I just think we complement each other really well and feed off of each other.

Q. What is it about -- you guys do it differently. What is it about his game you really love?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I love his consistency. I think that when I'm hitting it good, I'm very consistent, as well, and I haven't showed that since I've been a professional golfer, but I'm looking to improve that, and I think I've proved a lot of people wrong and showed that I can be super consistent. But he hits a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. He's an unbelievable iron play, and he's just missed, what, one cut, two wins? It's pretty unbelievable. It's super cool to see him playing well. He's a really good friend of mine, and I'm super happy for him, and I'm sure he's the same way for me. It's cool to be out here doing this with him, and I'm sure we're going to be out here for a long time together.

JOHN DEVER: Matthew, best of luck going forward. Maybe we'll see you back in here in a little bit. Thanks for the good play and your insights today.