BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

August 21, 2022

Aaron Wise

Wilmington Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How stressful was it out there today?

AARON WISE: Well, it wasn't stressful until about the last three holes. I looked up on 16 after I made the double, and I saw I was projected 30th, and then I left about a 10-footer hanging on the edge. So I kind of assumed honestly that I had fallen out and that I needed to birdie 17 or 18 to get back in.

Then I hit a great fairway bunker shot on 18. We were walking up to the green, and I looked at my caddie and I'm like, I think we need birdie, right? He's like no, it still says 30; if you two-putt I think you're in. Luckily I was able to two-putt it and got in there and they said I'm confirmed in the top 30, so I'm super excited.

Q. This will be your second trip to the TOUR Championship; what does it mean as far as your season goes that you've made it that far and you've got into East Lake?

AARON WISE: Yeah, it means a lot. It's tough to be in the top 30 on this TOUR for a year. It's an honor. It takes a lot of hard work. It takes a lot of good golf. Especially the first time I made it I had a win, which I feel like really helps you. This time I did it without a win. So it's kind of even more sweet to be in that elite field without having a win this year.

Q. What's that show about where your game is and how it's matured that you did it this year without a victory?

AARON WISE: Yeah, game has been really good. I feel like this is the end of my fifth year out here, and I really feel like I've grown a lot since my rookie year when I made it there. I feel like week to week I play way more consistent. Like I said, I just had that win that year that really helped me.

But overall the game feels really good, and East Lake is a course that I feel like actually fits me really well, so I'm excited to be able to go there and see how far up the FedExCup I can move.

Q. What have those areas of growth been?

AARON WISE: Everything. You know, I went through a stint where I putted horrible, and that was kind of middle of last season. Through that, honestly, I started hitting the ball like the best I've ever hit it. Then obviously I switched to the long putter and I feel like I've gotten my putting back to where it's a benefit to me, but now I still kind of have the ball-striking I had.

Two years ago I moved down to Florida, and I feel like that's helped my short game a ton, chipping on Bermudagrass versus living in Vegas before. It's pretty amazing when you look at it, all the little things that add up, but I just truly feel like where I'm at now is in such a better place than where I was two or three years ago.

Q. This is a time of reflection. Just the past year, the fact that you've made it to the TOUR Championship, how proud of yourself and what you've been able to accomplish all season?

AARON WISE: Yeah, very proud. It's a tough thing to do out here. There's only 30 people that make it and there's a lot of good players out here. It's something that I really look forward to, like I said, doing it without a win is even more special to me. Hopefully next week can be the win. I would take that as my first win for the year. But we'll see. It's a super special thing, and I feel like I've played really solid all year, and I'm just happy I didn't mess it up coming in there.