LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL SERIES: BOSTON

September 2, 2022

Cameron Smith

Matthew Wolff

The International

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome Cam Smith and Matt Wolff, who had our very first LIV Golf hole-in-one today.

Q. Just wanted to ask you, were you both watching your scores as you go out there or just playing each hole and not knowing how you were standing during the tournament?

MATT WOLFF: Yeah, I'm kind of a leaderboard watcher. I mean, I just kind of always have been. I like to know what I have to do. But it's the first round of the tournament, so I just kind of like to see where I'm at.

Yeah, I mean, obviously it's first round, so it doesn't really mean much.

Q. Did you know how you stood out there?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I'm the same as Wolffy, I'm a bit of a leaderboard watcher. But I think for me today, I was trying to look at the team leaderboard more than anything else. Seeing how the other boys were going, it was nice.

Q. Matt, the first hole-in-one in LIV history. Congrats. The crowd went absolutely nuts for you. Crowd was pretty lively out here today. How did that feel for you, between that moment and just the crowd all day?

MATT WOLFF: Yeah, it's great. Out here, it just feels like everyone is having a really good time. I'm having a really good time. I don't know about you, it's just everyone is having a blast. It was really cool to do that in front of -- on a part of the golf course where there's a lot of fans, and to be the first one to have an ace at LIV Golf is really good, but obviously it's still just first round of the tournament, and got to keep the pedal down.

Other than my ace, I actually played well, so it was cool.

Q. What did you think of the golf course? Obviously you had never played it before this week. What did you think of the golf course?

CAMERON SMITH: I think the golf course is really quite nice. I think over the next couple days as it firms up a little bit, it'll play probably a little bit harder. I think the fairways are generous, but off the fairways they're quite penal.

Yeah, it's a really good test. You have to keep the ball in play, and the greens have a lot of pitch to them, too, so you have to be pretty smart into the greens.

MATT WOLFF: Yeah, I think it's great. I mean, it's mint. It's in perfect, perfect condition. The greens are really good. If you get a ball rolling on line, most of the time it's going to go in. Just like he said, the greens are really sloped, and the fairways are wide, but you've just got to keep the ball in play. I hit a lot of 3-woods out there. I just felt comfortable with that club, and I just made sure to keep it in front of me. But it's been great. Everyone here, all the people at The International have been really welcoming and stuff. I haven't been disappointed by a LIV Golf golf course yet, so keep the streak going.

Q. How does this compare to other golf courses you've played?

MATT WOLFF: A little different.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, a little different. A little different but very much the same if that makes sense. You know, lots of drivers for myself. Wolffy said he hits lots of 3-woods. I don't know how. He hits it miles, though, so he's fine. For me I like to be a bit of an aggressive player, so I see lots of the other stuff but the fairway, but I liked it. I think, like I said, it's a really good test.

Q. Matt, with the ace, is there a different kind of excitement that comes with the fact that you're doing everything the first time? Like there's a lot of opportunity to kind of build history, it's not just another ace or historic ace, but it's literally the first. Is it exciting when you can have that first?

MATT WOLFF: For sure, yeah. Being the first one to do anything is always special, but I know for a fact I'm not going to be the last. There's going to be people that have aces and stuff. The ace was great. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled and stuff, but I'd rather be holding that trophy at the end of the week.

It really helped to put a good round together and keep that momentum going, but I just tried to do my part for myself and my team to post a good number, and that's what I did.

I think having an ace would be cool, but I think winning one of the first events would be even cooler.

Q. Did you buy beer for the clubhouse?

MATT WOLFF: I bought all the media beer, as well, and if the fans can find me, I'll buy them a beer.

Q. Going back to 1:15 today at the first tee, were you aware that LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman was going to drop in by parachute?

CAMERON SMITH: I had heard some whispers, but that stuff frightens me. If I was him, I'd get up there and tell them to go back down. I was expecting it, but I was unsure if he was going to get down or not. Yeah, it was cool. That was something that I haven't experienced before on the first hole. It's just a good way to start a tournament, I think. That was unreal.

Q. Cam, you're so chill out there on the course and you're chill off the course. I saw you eating a sandwich the other day and you were chill. Do you have any advice on how I can not snap my clubs out there on the course?

CAMERON SMITH: Hit better golf shots. (Laughter.)

Q. Matthew, you fell victim to the back-off challenge yesterday. Do you feel like that was the difference to help you loosen up and play well out there today?

MATT WOLFF: No, you guys did absolutely nothing.

No, it's nice having you guys out here. Just keeps it light and everything. But yeah, I mean, I was going to say I think I was probably more nervous over that shot than I was over the ace. So thanks.

Q. When and where can I get my drink?

MATT WOLFF: Gosh, go to the media center. Better start running.

Q. Cam, when you look back at the first round now, how would you describe it for you? It was kind of a wild ride, between 14 and 16, between the two eagles, between the chip-in birdie. You pretty much had everything in a round.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, that round kind of had a bit of everything, very up-and-down. I told Dom after the round, probably wasn't one of my best driving performances there. I was a bit disappointed with how I drove the ball, especially around here. I think I maybe got away with a few that I shouldn't have. So something to work on tomorrow.

You know, putter feels good. The course, like Wolffy said before, the course is in unreal shape, and you get putts going on the right line, they're going in.

Q. And the approach at 16?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, my gap wedge was a little bit worse for wear after that one. I don't know what I'm going to do there, but yeah, that was just a cool shot. I mean, I don't know, it's one of those ones that you think you're going to play, and a bit more often than not, it's not going to turn out very well, and that one turned out pretty good.

Q. Cam, you have your first round in the books here. Golf is golf; you play it the way you play it, but everything outside of the golf that happened today, the crowd, the environment, just describe that now that you've experienced it for the first time.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, that was -- I feel like the crowd out there is almost on top of you with the music. It feels like the course has a bit of a heartbeat. Yeah, it was very different I would say, but something that I really enjoyed, and I can't wait for this to keep going onwards and upwards.