WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 26, 2021

Matt Kuchar

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Just assess your win over Kevin Kisner.

MATT KUCHAR: I knew it was going to be a battle. I fortunately got up on him nicely early on in the match and certainly expected Kisner to make a comeback, which he did.

Those final few holes I felt like he gave me one there on 13 spinning the wedge off the green. Felt like I kind of let one go there with a chance to close it out on 16, and surprisingly Kis kind of didn't characteristically make the putts he normally makes. So I think that was the difference in the match.

I had a few go in, and then that last one on 17, that putt felt like it took all of 60 seconds before it toppled in the hole. I was so sure that thing was coming up short, and to see it topple in was awfully exciting just to be able to finish the match in that manner.

Q. Was it good to feel that pressure heading to the knockout stage?

MATT KUCHAR: Listen, match play there's pressure it feels like every hole. Every hole feels like a big deal with a lot riding on every hole. Truly coming down, knowing that this is to make it out of the pool play, make it into the Sweet 16, it's a big deal.

To get a little bit of revenge on Kisner from '19's final, it certainly felt good.

Q. Do you feel that confidence building in your game as you move into the weekend, into the knockout stages?

MATT KUCHAR: Listen, everybody from here on in you can count on being on good form. I think everybody is going to have some confidence going, everybody is going to be feeling good. Certainly my game has had a nice turnaround.

I owe a big debt of gratitude and thanks to Chris O'Connell. We've put a lot of work in and it's finally turned the corner and going well. I'm starting to feel good about the way I'm hitting it again, and I know that everybody else in the Sweet 16 is going to be playing some good golf.

It's going to take some quality golf to move on in this tournament.

Q. You've obviously had a lot of success, not just in the pool format but the knockout format. Is there a little secret that you have to match play, especially in the knockout stages?

MATT KUCHAR: I wish I could tell you one. There is not. Match play has certainly been really good to me. I don't know if there's any secret. I don't really have any advice. I don't feel like I change my game plan much from stroke play. I just try not to give any holes away is kind of the secret formula if there was one.

Q. Kind of a broad general question about match play and your philosophy. What's your philosophy when giving putts and also when having putts conceded to you?

MATT KUCHAR: I don't think there's a golden rule. I think some of it depends on the opponent. You play a guy like Kevin Kisner, the give range may be a little bigger than other guys. You just know he's not going to miss from kind of anywhere inside of four feet.

There are some guys where you want to see them putt every two-footer. There's no magic formula or no game that's played. It's just kind of you get a feel on the match and the opponent what's comfortable to concede and what's not.

Q. When you're kind of being given putts, do you want to hear that verbal confirmation? You don't want to assume anything?

MATT KUCHAR: Oh, yeah, I think everybody does a pretty good job of being very clear, that's good or not good. I think it's one of those things, everybody is quite clear about conceding putts.