WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 27, 2021

Victor Perez

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes & Flash Interview

Q. Long day, but two wins moving on to the semi-finals. Assess the day as a whole.

VICTOR PEREZ: Obviously very happy. I think this morning was probably the best golf that I've played all week. It was definitely an element to where I was comfortable playing against Bubba, we have known each other since the challenge TOUR, I think we have a good friendship, it was kind of a match that I felt like more comfortable than the previous three and I felt like I played my best golf this morning.

This afternoon obviously it just becomes a long day, you are up pretty early, you have a short break and you have to, you sit, which might not be the greatest thing, you get a little bit sluggish and then you have to get back and obviously Sergio is such a great match player, nothing is going to be given to you and obviously very pleased to get on to Sunday.

Q. You have done a lot of things on bigger stages recently, PLAYERS immediately comes to mind. Going against Sergio was there an intimidation factor at all, it didn't seem like it?

VICTOR PEREZ: I was fortunate enough that it took me a little bit under his wing, which when I first got over here last year when golf restarted in June I for to play some practice rounds with him at Colonial and RBC and some of those tournaments where he made me feel a little bit more comfortable over here. I think for me coming over I have some people that I know, but not much and it was actually really nice of him to allow me to get comfortable on this stage on the PGA TOUR and so I think, yeah, in a sense I was pretty much it was a little bit lucky that it was him, it will be somebody else tomorrow and a lot of good shot are going to need to be hit to move on to the final.

Q. Would you have been at New Mexico when Victor made his run at this event.

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, if that was 2014, yeah I graduated in 2015. Yeah.

Q. Do you remember that at all?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, I remember I think it was crazy the way it happened I think he made it to the final and then obviously those two shots against Jason and he's laughing on the green and there's the element, I mean it's almost too bad that he didn't quite close it because it would have been incredible of a story but it gave us the belief in France that it was possible. I think he got all the way to the top-15 in the world and played in the Ryder Cup and obviously done great thing in World Match Play and bigger tournaments. It gave us the belief that it was possible back then and obviously I'm very pleased to be where I am today.

Q. You mentioned Sergio had actually given you specific match play advice. Is there anything that he gave you that was useful this week or that will be useful going forward?

VICTOR PEREZ: I don't know if there's anything in particular, I think it's more the mentality that they have to fight for every hole and play every hole the best that you can and really not try to give anything away, just, even if you're out of position -- I think a good hole was 5 for example -- he hits it in there about four and a half, five feet for birdie and I'm in the left side bunker, he's clearly has the advantage, but just try to hit that bunker shot the best you can inside of him and make him earn it. Even though you most likely are going to lose the hole don't just give it to him don't hit it to 8 feet and miss your putt, make him feel like he has to earn every point. I think that's something that he's been able to do really well and that's why he's a tough competitor in match play.

Q. Victor had a lot of success in the Ryder Cup in 2014, what does the Ryder Cup Ryder Cup mean to you, is it something that maybe now you start to think about a little bit?

VICTOR PEREZ: I mean it's still further down the road, I think none of the Majors have been played yet, there's so many points still on the line, I think playing good golf will take care of everything and I'm just trying to get some rest and focus on tomorrow.

Q. When you were a kid in France was that on your radar, like would you watch the Ryder Cup, was that something you paid attention to?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, of course, I think that obviously I've been into golf obviously from a young age and been watching those tournaments and the Ryder Cup is something that Europeans take a lot of pride in and obviously you want to try to be a part of it.

Q. Were you there in 2018 at the Ryder Cup?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, I was.

Q. How did you get to New Mexico from France for college?

VICTOR PEREZ: Obviously I was lucky to have an American coach in France that I've started working with when I was 14 years old and it's something that he put on my radar quite early that it would give me the opportunity to compete against the collegiate athletes that are basically the upcoming players and you see it left and right these days with the likes of Colin Morikawa Matt Wolff and Viktor Hovland that have won and have won Majors and huge tournaments and it was an opportunity to buy myself a little bit of time. I think sometimes at 17, 18 years old when you graduate high school it's quite difficult to feel like you're ready and you're thrown in this big world with guys that have been here for 10, 15 years and it can be quite intimidating. And I think it gave me a chance to level myself and learn a lot and grow as a player and as a person and get, but again giving a little bit of time before I turn pro.

Q. What do you remember about the Ryder Cup, I'm guessing you were there as a fan. What did you do?

VICTOR PEREZ: I just watched, I thought the energy was crazy, I think the course, I played that course a bunch because that's where we used to play junior tournaments and the energy is just great around the place and I mean obviously it was a perfect finish for the Europeans, winning the Ryder Cup there, it was just great energy.

Q. Was there anything that you remember like were you there on Sunday for the celebration?

VICTOR PEREZ: I wasn't. Yeah, I was there, we had to, once -- I don't know who made, I think Sergio might have had the winning point on 13 or 14 and I think once the Ryder Cup was won we left.

Q. Sergio said that he knew you were going to be a tough out, you guys played practice rounds together, you talked to him about match play, what were you able to do to out Sergio Sergio?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, I don't know, it's difficult to say. I think I was just, I think we were both pretty gassed, it showed. I don't think it was the prettiest golf I think it was about hitting as many greens as possible, giving myself opportunities and really not giving any holes. I think Sergio's a tough enough opponent you don't want to give him too many. I think I was fortunate to get 6, I felt like he hit the shot left, it was barely out of bound, I felt like that was a fortunate break. Obviously he made a good save on 7, but I felt like I had somewhat control of the match and, yeah, turning on the back side I just knew that I just needed to make some pars. I think 12 and 13 are two like holes where it could go either way, like generally somebody's going to go 4, 3 and he didn't execute on those two shots and I was able to just cruise in with two pars and get a win and a halve, which was big and then the birdie on 15 to seal it was great.

Q. This may be a difficult question to ask, but this is your first championship, what were you expecting when you arrived here and have you exceeded it?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, obviously I think it's the benefit of not knowing, sometimes ignorance is a good thing in golf, not really knowing what's coming, not knowing the 36-hole day, you come out you try to play your best. Was really happy yesterday to not have to go through a playoff, which would have been obviously very difficult no matter who it was, but going into that one-hole playoff to try to make it through to the bracket, but, yeah, obviously it sometimes it is a good thing and I feel like I'm going to keep on riding it.

Q. You continue to rise on the world stage, especially over the last year. How come let me a golfer are you now compared to maybe a year ago?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, I think it's about getting better at what I do. I think golf can be a funny game, sometimes, you always want to improve but it's -- sometimes you try to improve and actually get a little worse because you don't see the improvement straight away, so I'm a big believer in trying to get better at what you're already good at and just my trainer has this funny line he says, Just kind of sharpening your sword. Don't try to change your sword, just try to keep doing what you're doing and do it a little bit better. And I think that's what I've been very disciplined on doing, try to just maintain my game, I think for the longest time I was in between fades and draws and I really committed to hitting just mostly fades off the tee, especially with the driver and accept that some holes don't fit and just build on that.