WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 28, 2021

Billy Horschel

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All week you were playing the golf course not the opponent. Today you got 20, 30 mile per hour plus as far as wind goes. How difficult was this golf course to play?

BILLY HORSCHEL: It was a challenge. It was a lot of fun. I mean, when you play in wind like this you just got to understand you're going to hit good shots and not get rewarded for it.

Yeah, it was a challenge today. It wasn't one of those days you go out can make a lot birdies. Sort of had to grind it out and understand pars were good scores. I did a good job of that. Victor made a couple bogeys.

Like I said, I didn't play anything special. I just played solid golf and let Victor make a few mistakes.

Q. Walk me through the strategy under these conditions in trying to attack this golf course.

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, I think you're trying to keep the ball out of the air, really trying to not allow the wind to take over the golf ball. So trying not to hit a lot of full, hard golf shots. I think I did a really good job on No. 6 of keeping the ball down on my third shot. Just didn't expect it to hook, you know.

So, yeah, that was just a bad shot on 6. You're just trying to keep it in play and not let the wind take it into spots you don't want it to.

Q. We're watching the shot right now at 6. That brings up attitude. You laughed at yourself. Didn't get down on yourself. How important is a positive attitude in golf, especially here in match play?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I think everyone knows I'm a pretty positive guy. Sure, I get emotional, I kick myself in the butt, but it never affects me on the next golf shot. I always think something good is coming.

On that shot, it was literally the bad club. Should've hit 7-iron and I was trying to hit a chippy, chippy 6 and I just hit it fat. I've done it before and I'll probably do it again in my career.

So it was one of those things you just move on and try to hit a better shot next time.

Q. One thing finally: We talked after your match yesterday afternoon that you went on a family vacation, left the golf clubs at home. Did some tubing, fishing with your kids. How much did that reboot you and refresh you coming into this championship?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I think mentally it was the key. I played really well at Concession; felt good about my game, and go to Bay Hill and PLAYERS and play really bad.

So it was just a great mental reboot to spend time with family, my kids, my aunt and uncle, my cousins and their kids. It was just nice. I don't think we've been on a family vacation I don't think ever because of me that didn't have clubs involved. So everyone had a great time, and I'm sure there will be more of this after seeing the success I've had this week.

Q. What did you do so well to be able to come out on top and get to the championship match?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I think I just stayed patient, understood the conditions were tough, not going to be a lot of birdies. I didn't feel comfortable with my golf swing and I didn't hit a lot of, I would say, quality shots in my opinion.

But I hit enough decent shots to give myself chances to make easy pars, and that was the main goal, realizing that birdies are tough, and if someone was going to go out and shoot 5-under in conditions like this today, you just applaud them.

Q. When you're not comfortable with the swing in these conditions what's the biggest key for you mentally?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I think for me when I'm not swinging well I can always go with like a little three quarter golf shot, and that's something I've always done really well in my career. I think my teacher Todd Henderson would love me to hit more of those shots on a regular basis.

I felt comfortable enough to hit three quarter shots, control it in the wind, take a couple extra clubs. I just did a good job of that and keeping the ball out of the air so the wind wouldn't -- if I did miss hit it it wasn't going to take it too far off line.

Q. Now until championship match what will you do to reset?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Going to go hit some balls. I want to feel a little bit more comfortable with my swing. I don't think it's too far off, but I want to get the feeling I need to have to what feels like a good golf swing again, grab a bite to eat, and go have a fun 18 holes again.