WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 26, 2021

Tommy Fleetwood

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. A little bit more than maybe you wanted there down the stretch of the match, but just your thoughts on advancing to the round of 16?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, yeah, at the end of the day the result is what matters, advancing is what matters. Take all the positives from that.

I think after -- I got up early and I was playing really solid and then it turned really scrappy on the back nine, and Bryson played more solid on the back nine, and I just -- great putt on 16 really after missing one on 15. I hit a really good putt that missed. 18, bit of a roller coaster, but just to give myself a chance and have the chance and hit a great putt like that, it's nice to have done it, I'd have just rather it been over earlier.

Q. Talk about the second shot on 18 there, what kind of lie you had.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, I could hit the ball, which was lucky, it was just the direction that might have been the problem. But I knew I could hit the ball so I could find a way into that, and then I was just working out sort of angles or which way I can get it to go or anything. It came out way better than I thought it would.

It helps when you can ground your club in a hazard now, just having an idea of sort of what the ground is like. But still, I had no idea it would be like that.

And then I had a chance of a flop shot. I had a decent lie. Actually that was a very impressive shot, give myself a chance for a putt, Bryson missed, and knock it in and yeah, bit of a strange way to get a par on 18, but enough is enough.

Q. Can you take momentum off of what you call a scrappy par like that? I know you'd rather do it the conventional way --

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, I just think in match play the result on the day is all that matters, I guess, and you don't know what you're going to show up with tomorrow. Yesterday I played some absolutely fantastic stuff, wasn't quite as happy with my putting. Today I didn't play as well but I was really, really solid around the greens and made some nice putts. Just different days.

I think that's the beauty of the tournament in a way. I'm sure there's plenty of guys that over three rounds would have a better score than me right now, but some of them will be going home and I'm advancing. That's just how the event works out. You have to do enough on the day against your opponent and then move on, and so far so good for me, and I get to tee it up tomorrow.

Q. When Ian snapped the sign, it seemed like you were the only one that wasn't laughing. Have you seen him do that before; is that why you weren't laughing?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: No, I just know how clumsy he is, so I was expecting it, to be honest. He's not got the lightest touch. Like as soon as he touched it I think it snapped and it was done then. We can sort of reimburse the tournament for a new walking sign.

Q. When you're playing someone like Bryson who's so long off the tee, are there unique opportunities because it's match play to tactically nullify the advantage or at least mitigate it just a little bit?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I don't know. At the end of the day you only have your game and that's all you can do. I think -- I didn't really give up that much of an advantage, his distance, holes like -- I guess holes where he maybe could have made a difference on -- the 1st he couldn't reach today, so that was kind of nullified, the 5th was kind of similar, 18 he could, and the par-5s are generally reachable really. So I think, yeah, his distance -- it does make a difference matter what, he's hitting a shorter club in and all of that. But again, like you just know -- I think for some people it can make it more challenging knowing that he's probably going to have some more opportunities if he hits it well, but at the end of the day your game is all you've got, and that's what you go with and see if it's good enough on the day.

Q. I guess I was thinking specifically of watching you against Bryson and then Poulter against Rory where sometimes --

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I'm longer than Poulter.

Q. Yes, I know that.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I guess I was thinking because you're shooting first on the approach, there's a way to put pressure on that wouldn't be present in stroke play.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Well, yeah, I think so. I think definitely if your iron play is dialed in, you have a chance to definitely slot one in there beforehand and then add a little bit of pressure, and like I say, it's just so important to be so self-focused off the tee and know that's your game and build your score or beat your opponent in the way that you can. Poulter is an absolute master at it, probably one of the greatest match players you could ever find. People like him are very good to watch and see how they do things, and yeah, like I say, so far so good for me. We'll see how it goes over the weekend.

Q. I think you play Dylan in the next round. Have you played against him before?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I've never played him in match play. I've played him a few times, known him from amateur days, as well. So yeah, I know Dylan really, really well. He lives here and he's obviously got good vibes here. So again, you've got 18 holes of match play to see what you can do. But your opponent is kind of irrelevant really. You just have to do enough to beat him and do what you can do in order to do that, whether it's Dylan or Bryson or Rory or Poulter. All you've got is what you've got on the day and see how it goes.