WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 26, 2021

Mackenzie Hughes

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Just your thoughts on advancing to the round of 16?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, very thrilled. I knew today was probably going to be the hardest match mentally, just to kind of get through, knowing that a win was going to get me through or a tie, so I thought about that a lot during the day, and just tried to bring myself back to the shot in front of me. Talor I knew was going to be really tough, and he made it hard there down the stretch, and fortunately I came out on top.

Q. Did you feel like you needed that, something that came down all the way to 18 just to get you prepared for the next couple days?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, my caddie and I said that it was probably not a bad thing that we had to play 17 and 18 and see those holes. Maybe I saw too much of 18 today, but all in all, yeah, it was good to be tested and be pushed to the brink like that and have to hit some good shots down the stretch.

Q. When you came into this week, did you have the confidence in yourself that you could advance out of this pool?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: You know, I saw the draw, and to be honest I felt like it was going to be really tough with Webb and Paul and Talor, even Talor playing great the last few weeks. I knew I had my hands full, but 18 holes is more of a sprint than a marathon, and I felt good coming off the Honda. I mean, I finished like 30th or 35th there, but I felt like I was turning the corner with my game, feeling like it was trending in the right direction. I'm excited to come here and play a different format, and so far, so good.

Q. Any kind of weird emotional letdown when you know a tie is good enough and you achieved the tie?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: A little bit. Maybe a slight edge is taken off there. I think on 17 there I had a putt to close it out, and I don't know what would have happened if I really needed that putt. I mean, obviously I needed it to win, but I had done the job, so maybe a little bit of a letdown, and the last couple holes didn't play out the way I would have liked, but advancing is all that matters.

Q. Have you scouted out your next opponent yet?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, I just talked to an official and I have no idea who it is. They don't know who it is yet, so I'll wait and see and we'll figure it out from there.