THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2021

Denny McCarthy

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. I know it's a different time of year and a different course, but does winning up the street a couple years ago have any bearing on your confidence?

DENNY McCARTHY: Yeah, for sure. Definitely some good vibes here in Jacksonville. Obviously winning up in Atlantic Beach. Actually talked about it yesterday, one of my buddies Ben Coles played there yesterday and brought back some good memories for me. Living in Florida the last five, six years, I just am comfortable when I get on Florida grass, even though this is overseed. I had a good week last week. Didn't quite get the result I wanted, but it was nice after kind of a poor West Coast for me.

Just getting a little bit of momentum last week on Bermudagrass, felt good about my game coming into this week, and played a couple solid rounds first two rounds.

Q. There were fewer holes-in-one at No. 3 than any other hole on this course. Why do you think that hole has been so hard to do that?

DENNY McCARTHY: Yeah, it's a small little green. I probably made a hole-in-one on the most gettable pin, if you will. They like to tuck two or three pins up on that back left shelf, so I can see how that's tough to make hole-in-ones on those pins. I just had a really good number today to that pin. It was a perfect 8-iron for me, and just stepped up there and executed the shot. Got a little lucky to go in.

Q. Can you tell us when your last hole-in-one was?

DENNY McCARTHY: So I made my first one ever my fourth year at the University of Virginia, so I was 22 years old when I made my first hole-in-one. It doesn't really count, I made one three months later, second ball, practice round at Chambers Bay, U.S. Open. This is really only my second hole-in-one officially and really my first one in tournament play, so pretty cool.

Q. Obviously this tournament has a reputation for not favoring any particular style of play because of the course. What would it mean to you to have your first win at a place like this, something that's only been done one other time in the history of the tournament?

DENNY McCARTHY: Yeah, obviously it would be amazing. I don't think I can let myself think too far ahead. I got off to a nice start, played two solid rounds. I've just got to continue to do that. Obviously it would be special to be holding the trophy at the end of the week, but I think my game travels well. I feel like I can play any course, and I've done a good job of managing my game the last few days.

Q. Having played this course, this tournament one time before, what was your sort of mental outlook about how you felt about this tournament and your ability to contend on a weekend?

DENNY McCARTHY: Yeah, I love this place. I think it suits my game well. You don't need to be long. I hit a lot of 3-woods and 5-woods off the tee today. I think it's just unique. I'm someone who, I don't see many stock shots, I like to curve it off tees a little bit, and when I need to use my imagination, I think that works to my benefit.

A couple tee shots yesterday and today where I need to -- I'm forced to turn it around trees, like No. 2, a couple other holes where it forces you to carve shots off the tee and carve shots into the green, which I like. It makes you be creative, it makes you be thinking at all times, and I like playing like that.

Q. When did you move to Jupiter, and also you have a lot of famous neighbors. Who do you play with, or do you play a lot with the other TOUR players?

DENNY McCARTHY: Yeah, so I've moved to Jupiter right after I graduated from Virginia, so I've been down there about six years now. I play at Medalist, there's obviously a lot of great players there. I was fortunate enough to play with Tiger for the first time actually shortly after the quarantine period. I think this got posted a year ago or yesterday today that this tournament got canceled and I think I teed it up with Tiger like three weeks after that, so that was pretty cool. Played with Rickie and Justin, J.T. a few times. They play out there, a handful of times. It's just fun to be down there playing games with other pros. I play with Peter Uihlein a good bit. There's a lot of guys that I play with. And I do like to practice but I'm more of a player and I like to go out and play a lot and play some games.

Q. How much does that help you, playing with them all the time?

DENNY McCARTHY: I mean, it helps a ton. Every time you're home in an off week -- I'm such a competitor, so even for a little small money game, I get up to play, and it's good to get those competitive juices flowing in an off week. I feel like when you start playing again, go traveling on the road, you have that feel, even if the putt is worth, whatever it's worth, even if it's not worth that much money, you still get that competitive juices going, so it helps a ton to be able to play with great players at home.

Q. Have you ever taken any money off Tiger or any of those other big --

DENNY McCARTHY: No, I've only played with him once. We just played a fun round. We zipped around in a couple hours, but I did play great that day.

Q. So you led the player movement to Jupiter?

DENNY McCARTHY: I guess you could say that. I don't think so.