SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN

October 10, 2020

Matthew Wolff

TPC Summerlin

Quick Quotes

Q. No way you can be disappointed with a 61, and yet -- and yet -- you were inches away from shooting 59, hanging putts on te edge of both 17 and 18. What are your thoughts?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I was really pleased with today. Started off really slow. Felt like my swing was coming together, but on the front nine I was still kind of looking for something and found it kind of starting on 10 really, and the it just kind of took off from there.

Missed few coming down the stretch, but like I said, I put myself in a really good spot for the final day tomorrow. Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with my ball striking and how everything has come together.

Q. Talk me through the three eagles.

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I made a three on a par-5, a two on a par-4, and then a two on another par-4.

Q. I understand all that, but tell me about the hole-out on 11 to begin with.

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I had about 118 and the ball is going far here, so I took lob wedge, my 62 degree, which right now is probably -- I can probably get like a little over 120 out of it. It was just a smooth one and one hop. I think skipped past the hole and spun back in, so really nice to jump start the back nine.

And then par-5 was really another great drive and then a perfect number on the second shot. Hit my hybrid way up in to the air and then rolled in a putt for that.

Then the 3-wood on 15 was probably one of the best shots of the day.

Q. And another 15-footer that you rolled down from your third eagle. The putts on 16, 17 and 18, to me, looked like every one of them was going in. Were you satisfied? Did you hit them the way you wanted to and they just didn't break correctly?

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, you can't really get too aggressive on 16 for eagle. I thought Matt left his quite a bit short and it got there, and I knew that if I tried to get a little too aggressive I could have a three, four-footer coming back.

I thought it I made it about two feet out and it kind of just snapped a little harder than I thought. Every single one of those putts I hit it right where I wanted to and got the speed right. Felt like I hit it on my line; just didn't go in.

The greens are pretty tricky out here. Still could putt a little better, but like I said, I was really happy with where the ball striking it as, and I'm sure the putts will drop tomorrow.

Q. Sensational back nine; 28, highlighted by three eagles in a five-hole stretch. After the hole-out on 11, how did you carry that momentum through the rest of your back nine?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I felt like my swing was -- I'm rotating a little better, and that was kind of the thing that I needed to start hitting my shots a little more on line and just feel a lot more comfortable over each shot.

Yeah, the hole-out on 11, you never expect to hole-out, but when it happens, kind of just puts you in a really good mindset.

I was a little frustrated on the front nine. Felt like I hit a lot of good putts and a lot of good shots and only shot 2-under, especially with how low the scores were. I felt like I was falling kind of back.

Then with those three eagles it kind of just propelled me to the top.

Q. Was 11 the turning point in your round where you started to think, Okay, I'm getting some momentum; I can go low these last six, seven holes?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I think this course just you have so many birdie opportunities if you hit the ball in the fairway. It's not long. The pins were in pretty favorable spots.

I just told myself to give myself as many looks as I can and the putts would fall. Even though it seems like some of them didn't, I hit the ball really well.

I think it was more the wedge shot on 10 really was the turning point. That really felt like it was a little different swing, but different in a good way. I flagged it on 10 and then 11 I holed out. And from then on I felt like I didn't hit it outside 15 feet pretty much the rest of the way.

So I was really happy with how my game is trending and the things I've been working on and put myself in a good spot.

Q. So eagles on 11, 13, and 15, you birdie 16. Did you start crunching the numbers at all thinking, Okay, I'm now 9-under; couple left. What would I have to do to break 60?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I think because I went so low on the back nine I really didn't. Because I thought back and I was like, I only shot 2-under on the front. If you only shoot 2-under on the front you feel like you never have a chance to shoot 59.

I think after I missed that putt on 17, the one that I thought just kind of broke right and didn't go in, I kind of realized -- I thought back and I go, Dang, if that putt would've went in, all I would've had to do is birdie 18 to shoot 59.

It didn't creep if until then, but I gave myself as many good looks as I could and just wasn't meant to be. Like I said, I'm sure I'll get that opportunity again and my game is feeling really good.

Q. Did you by any chance have to get over the U.S. Open, coming so close?

MATTHEW WOLFF: No, not at all. I mean, yeah, maybe like ten minutes after I finished up was a little brutal, but I felt like that was honestly more of a learning experience and more confidence.

There were a lot of putts I had out there today coming down the stretch, and even to make the cut, it's just -- everything just seems a little simpler because of the stage I was on at the U.S. Open. Nothing gets bigger than that.

Come out to this tournament, not that this isn't a great tournament and not that any PGA TOUR event is less important than the next, but I feel definitely a lot more calm when I'm playing these sort of events because I know that it's not quite a major.

Q. Just got one for you. I understand you were there when as a kid when Zach Johnson...

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah.

Q. Just give us a few memories of that for two weeks away.

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I don't remember much. I think it was when I was like 12 or 11 years old so it was a long time ago. But I do -- I was there when he holed out, and it was pretty spectacular. The crowds went crazy.

And just to do it like on the 18th hole after hitting it in the water was pretty -- you know, it was -- obviously you couldn't ask for more than that.

But, yeah, I can't really remember much, but I've played that course 1000 times. I have a bunch of friends that were members there growing up, and I was fortunate enough that they brought me out.

I'm really looking forward to going home and seeing some family and friends and playing pretty much a home course for me.

Q. I'm going to guess you were disappointed that Zach beat Tiger as a 12 year old.

MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I mean, everyone wanted Tiger to win at that time. I think I'm more appreciative of just like clutch moments, good shots, and he deserved to win. He battled to the end and he came out on top.

I really like Zach. Back then did I and now I still do.

Q. So you weren't one of the sort of kids that would've cried?

MATTHEW WOLFF: No, I wasn't that into golf when I was 12. I was still playing baseball and basketball and all those other sports, too.

Q. What was your best shot today?

MATTHEW WOLFF: I mean, the wedge shot that I holed out on 11 was obviously really good.

Q. I know but --

MATTHEW WOLFF: I would say that drivable 15, that 3-wood. Because I hit it really high, and to carry it that far and land it soft enough to keep it on the front part of the green, because that 3-wood, if it would've came out a little flatter it would've went past.

And so just to hit it exactly how I wanted to, I knew the wind was off the left and how it fell a little right in there, I knew you can't miss that pin. If you miss it right you're pretty much not getting up and down unless you make a putt.

That was probably the best shot of the day.