THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 14, 2022

Cameron Smith

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

CAMERON SMITH: It's cool being here in Jacksonville. I live here now. I call this place home and had a lot of fans out there rooting for me today. It was so good of the fans to come out today on Monday and give it their all.

Q. The 17th hole, your 10th birdie, what was your approach on that shot?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I mean, I'd be lying if I didn't push it a little bit. I was trying to hit it over the bunker there and hold it up against the wind.

The wind didn't really do much for maybe three quarters of the shot, and it held it up right there at the end, yeah, that was just awesome.

Q. As you've established yourself as one of the top 10 players in the world, how much confidence do you have in your putting?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I mean, that was probably the big key today, to be honest. It kept me in it. I made plenty of birdies. Had to make a lot of good par putts as well there at the end.

And yeah, it's definitely the strength of my game. And sometimes I maybe lean on it too much, but it's nice to see them go in.

Q. Your mom, Sharon, your sister, Mel, they're here from Australia. The first time in over two and a half years due to the COVID protocols in Australia. What did it mean to you to have them here to witness this?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I mean, I haven't seen them in two years. It's really cool to have them here. My main priority really was just to hang out with them and golf was second for these few weeks.

It's nice to see them and nice to get a win for them.

Q. Cameron Smith, '22 PLAYERS champion. How does that feel?

CAMERON SMITH: It's unreal. A long, hard week and so nice to come out on top. This is one of the big ones. It's nice to get it done.

Q. Huge event, as you say, and to do it in front of your mother, your sister, and your friends after not having seen them for two and a half years, that's a special moment.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah. I mean, they came over last week, and golf really took a back step, I guess. I hadn't seen them for so long and all I wanted to do was hang out with them. It's so cool to get a win for them.

Q. Birdies on your first four holes; talk about that.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, obviously I knew I had to go out there and got off to a bit of a hot start and put some pressure on and was able to do that.

A little slip-up there through the middle of the round and lots of good grinding at the end.

Yeah, nice to get the win.

Q. You make three bogeys in a row, then you birdie the first four holes on the inward nine. You took a total of 10 putts on the inward nine. Take me through the tee ball at 17. I didn't think there was any way you'd aim to the right of that flagstick.

CAMERON SMITH: I'd be lying if I said I was aimed to the right of it. I was just trying to hit it on the right edge of the bunker there and kind of hold it up against the wind.

And the wind wasn't doing much for me the first kind of half of the shot, and finally kicked in there at the end.

Yeah, still had to hole a nice little curler for birdie.

Q. Your decision making on 18?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, probably not the best. Although it was probably the right decision, the shot was pretty poor. I thought it was going to come out a bit soft and a bit tumbly and just come out really good and ran through into the water.

Really held it together there and got up-and-down for bogey.