WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 24, 2021

Cameron Smith

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Nice comeback late in the match. How would you assess the match overall?

CAMERON SMITH: I thought it was pretty solid. Hit a couple in the water, which really kind of let me down, especially through those middle holes there where you can apply some pressure and it was good to come back and get the win there.

Q. When you find yourself in a situation where you're 2-down with three holes to play, is the mentality just to make your own opportunities and be as aggressive as you can, or do you wait a little bit and see if your opponent leaves the door open for you at all?

CAMERON SMITH: I mean, probably getting the honor on that 17th tee is a big thing. I mean, making birdie on 16, that good putt, and then getting the honor there and sticking it close on 17 I think was kind of the tipping point there.

Obviously Lanto didn't have his best stuff the last couple holes, but just hung in there and got the win.

Q. Could you sense him tightening up there? It sort of almost looked obvious that he started to panic a bit.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I mean, I was panicking as well, to be honest. I really wasn't expecting to come down the last hole square, but I knew that if I got him to the last hole I could have a good crack at it.

So, yeah, just kind of, everything fell into place those last three.

Q. Everyone says it feels like a Sunday in that situation.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I mean, it's so weird. We were just saying before, like in the first round of a tournament it's usually kind of a bit of a cruisy day, you're still kind of getting your legs for the rest of the week, and to be put in that situation on a Wednesday, it's not even Thursday yet, is crazy.

Q. You ready for the match play ninja Poults tomorrow? Do you enjoy that challenge of going up against someone who people say is one of the best at this format?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, absolutely. Poults and I get along. I'm sure we're going to have a good time. In the last five or six holes we'll quit talking to each other and it will be on. So, no, I'm looking forward to the challenge tomorrow for sure.

Q. Do you like this format with the pool play or do you prefer a sudden death? Ian said he would rather have the sudden death win or go home format. Which would you favor?

CAMERON SMITH: I never got to play the other format so I really don't have an opinion, to be honest. I think this format's great, but in the fact that everyone kind of gets a second chance in a sense. But, yeah, I really don't have an opinion. Sorry.

Q. Like you said, the suspense on the 18th hole, the last hole, was like, it's like a tournament within a tournament every round, isn't it?

CAMERON SMITH: That's right. It's like coming down the last hole on Sunday and it's just two of you left and you're fighting it out. So it's weird to have that kind of pressure early in the week, for sure.