WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 24, 2023

Billy Horschel

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. You kind of mentioned this yesterday, but I would be curious, is each one of these rounds kind of like a mini tournament for you that's allowed to you sort of build the confidence that maybe wasn't there before?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, every day is that challenge of, hey, can I go out there and build from the day before. Can I go out there and commit to what we've done in practice and commit to making that same golf swing and having that same mentality on the golf course in a real, in a more tense, more pressure situation.

So to be able to succeed on a hole-by-hole basis, on a swing-by-swing basis and just add those good swings up one after another, sort of just puts a lot of confidence in that tank that I have needed for a little bit of time now.

Q. It's hard to answer this, but would you have been able to glean the same amount of confidence if this was just three decent stroke-play rounds?

BILLY HORSCHEL: That's a great question because, maybe I would have been more focused on score and trying to shoot a score and worrying about my position in the golf tournament instead of here, which is the exact, which was the week I needed, was playing one person, focusing on trying to beat that one person on that one hole. And if it doesn't happen, I go to the next hole, regroup and it's another opportunity to win that hole.

So, yeah, I don't know what would have happened if this was stroke-play event. Hopefully I would have seen some of the same stuff I've seen this week. But like I said, knowing that this was a match play that could really dial in my focus, and not worrying about making a score and just trying to beat my opponent on that hole was a key.

Q. You, Kuchar and Jason Day are all in the next round tomorrow. It's interesting to me that you're all sort of similar in that you're on the upswing, but not at your peak, but here you are in match play, you have, all three of you been great at match play and you've done it again. Is it like riding a bike? Is it like some skill that you never forget to come back here and play this format that you love?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, I think it's, when you look at Kuchar and J-Day, J-Day's been making a nice run the last couple years and getting his game a lot closer. I played with him at QBE in December and I was impressed with where his game was. I expected him to have a really solid year this year and do what he's done.

Kuchar has got his game back a couple years ago.

So when you look at all three of us, we, for the most part, Kuchar and I, we're in every hole. We don't give a lot away. And that's something you need to do in match play.

Jason, he's so dangerous because his short game's so good and he putts it so well. It's frustrating. I was watching this morning actually on the coverage and Collin had like 12 feet for birdie at No. 2 and Jason had like a 30-footer for par. Jason makes his par, Collin misses, they go tie. Jason wins the next couple holes or next two or three holes and next thing you know he's got Collin down early. So, yeah, Jason, it's, I think the guys that have been successful in match play I think it just gives us confidence that we can do it again and we love this format.