SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 29, 2022

Brandon Matthews

Country Club of Jackson

Press Conference

Q. Brandon, how would you assess the round today?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: It was good. The swing coach came in, Dale Gray, earlier this week, and we did a lot of work, and I really liked what we were seeing over the past couple of days.

So, it was a really nice transition into what I was doing to what I ended up doing today. I hit a lot of my spots. Hit it nice all day and made it easy on myself.

Q. What were the big things you worked on with Dale?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: We really worked on flattening out my golf swing a little bit and making it shorter. Just, honestly, things I've been working for a while, and sometimes I kind of revert back.

Just kind of getting back to what we've been working on for a while. Dale is fantastic, so it was great to have him here this week. It was a nice first round out here.

Q. Is it hard with how far you can hit it to kind of be able to dial back sometimes knowing that might be -- that's tough to kind of -- everyone has an ego about something, but is it tough to kind of do that when you know that, hey, I need to hit this fairway, especially with how the rough is out here this week?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: No matter how many times I tell myself, just kind of go at it easier, go at it easier, when you get in competition, it's harder and harder to do it. Having the discipline in order to do so is very important.

I really swung the driver great today. I mean, I think I hit the first six or seven fairways that I pulled it out, so it was really nice to see that, and it feels really good in my hands right now.

Q. Did if feel different being out here as a member?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: It slightly does, but it's funny. You know, the Korn Ferry season just rolls right into this. It's another tournament to me.

I love doing this for a living. I'm fortunate enough to do it for a living. Every day I get to play golf in competition for a living is pretty special to me, and I'm very fortunate to do it.

Q. It was obviously a little colder this morning. I know a couple of other guys talked about having to stay patient because the ball wasn't flying as far. You finished with four birdies on your back nine. Did you kind of have to feel you had to stay patient this morning too?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: I feel like that's, honestly, every round for me, and that's something I've worked really hard on the past few years is understanding that things might not come immediately in the round, even if I'm hitting it great.

Staying patient throughout my entire career is going to be very important. Today I was really proud of myself with the way I hung in there and just really, again, hit a lot of my spots and didn't veer from that. Stayed patient and, obviously, had a few coming in.

Q. You mentioned staying patient. Having to withdraw a couple of weeks ago in Napa, has it been a long couple of weeks trying to get to this tournament trying to get started?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: Yeah, well, listen, everybody has their issues, right? Unfortunately, I have some back issues. It was the first tournament all year that it kind of went on me.

It was one of those things I knew it was a long year. I didn't want to push it because some of the pain I was having was back to when I had the heavy issues back in '17.

I wanted to make sure I wasn't out for a month or two instead of just being out for that event and having a week and a half to rest and get married and do all that good stuff.

First round as a married man. How about that, right, Mrs. Matthews?

Q. Looking ahead, obviously off to an excellent start. What do you think you're going to have to continue doing well to stay at the top of the leaderboard?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: Again, the patience, like you mentioned, is very important, but trusting in what Dale and I worked on earlier, trusting in my short game and putting and the way it has improved over the past few years. Again, just enjoying myself out here. You know what I mean? I can't put too much pressure on myself.

I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world to be able to do this for a living because I love it so much. To have fun over the next three days, not put a ton of pressure on myself and just go out and enjoy it.

Q. When did you get married?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: On Saturday.

Q. Oh, Saturday.

BRANDON MATTHEWS: Yeah, yeah.

Q. Honeymoon is in Jackson, Mississippi?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: Yeah, what she's always dreamed of.

Q. Does it feel any different being on the PGA TOUR as opposed to the Korn Ferry TOUR in terms of preparation and how it feels, or does it feel pretty much the same?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: Obviously, the atmosphere is slightly different, but again, I'm just out here playing golf, doing what I love to do every day, and I'm lucky enough to do it. I just try to keep that perspective in there instead of going out here and getting nervous or anything like that.

There's, honestly, no need for it in the end. I think when I'm playing as good as I know I can play, I can compete at any level, so I'm really excited for the next few days.

Q. Were there any nerves on Saturday?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: Any nerves on Saturday? That's funny. Yeah, I was actually way more nervous on Saturday. That's probably why I don't have any nerves right now.

Yeah, everything went so great. You know, she looked absolutely unbelievable. It was a fantastic day for both of us.

Q. What was the first dance song?

BRANDON MATTHEWS: Oh, come on now. "You & Me," Dave Matthews. Come on now. Had to do that for you, Kev, you know.

Q. You only get one first round as a married man on tour. Nice to have that be a good one.

BRANDON MATTHEWS: 100%. I told her when I walked off, we should have got married sooner.