SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 3, 2021

Nick Watney

Country Club of Jackson

Quick Quotes

Q. Was this as good as you felt, I overheard you sailing you putted great is this as good as you felt pretty much all through the bag for awhile?

NICK WATNEY: Oh, yeah, for sure. But the most satisfying part of it is just how I was mentally. I was able to keep it kind of one shot and not get too wrapped up in where I was or I was this many behind or whatever and that's probably the most satisfying part because I think the mental unlocks everything else. So I'm still I'm super excited and I think this proves to myself that what I'm working on is the right thing and so we'll see what happens today, but no matter what, I'm very, very pleased with my game.

Q. You're 40 now and a lot of times when people hit those big round numbers they have the big talk with themselves. What have you been sort of telling yourself or working on, like what are you working on with your game?

NICK WATNEY: Well, I'm working on a lot of things, I don't know if we have that much time, but I'm back with Butch, I love him, and so I'm working on my swing with him. I'm working on my mental game just trying to be really, really honest and authentic with myself. Yesterday on 16 I made a bad swing, I was kind of instructing myself what to do instead of just trying to hit the shot, trying to react. So yeah, I hadn't thought of it like I had a conversation because I was 40, but it was definitely necessary. And this is why I play golf, to be nervous and pull it off. Like I said, who knows, guys are shooting so low out there, who knows if it's going to have any chance, but I'm very excited and happy.

Q. When did you go back to Butch and how long were you apart?

NICK WATNEY: Went back to Butch, I've seen him, I was with him for a long time and then we, there was never a bad split or anything we just kind of parted ways and then back with him as of, gosh, it's weird because this is next year, 2022 season, but it was probably last July maybe, July of this season, 2021. So, yeah, I think so.

Q. Really two or three months ago.

NICK WATNEY: Yeah. He's seen me hit a lot of balls over a lot of years, so we kind of reconvened and he's amazing and so far so good.

Q. The nine-year gap between now and when you won last, you were injured, a lot of that was injuries?

NICK WATNEY: Not a lot of it. I sat out 2016. But it was, yeah, there was definitely some lean times, especially last year, but I mean that's, I'm not trying to think about that any more, I'm trying to continue to get better and this was a great step this week and, yeah, I'm ready.

Q. You're pretty much in everything you want to be in as a top-50 career money guy, right?

NICK WATNEY: Yeah, that was, man, amazing kind of lifeline almost and it was like I finished the season and kind of had an uptick in some decent finishes at the end there, but I was in such a deep hole from the whole season, to have that was incredible and so, yeah, this was the plan, use that, because I was literally number 50, and then play well and off we go. So, so far so good.