WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 24, 2023

Lucas Herbert

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Lucas, great play today. Big fist pump there when you made that putt. What did you kind of let out there?

LUCAS HERBERT: I think it was just a, yeah. I don't think it was anything. Nothing too crazy or specific.

Look, that was like I needed to obviously get a half point today to get through, and that secured at least a half point. That was the biggest thing there. When you're 4-up through 8 and the lead is slowly just being eaten and you're 1-up, like you want to get yourself in a position where you can't lose.

Just to turn the momentum like that with that putt, yeah, I think maybe winning in Dubai I yelled pretty hard, but that was probably the second loudest yell I've ever made after holing a putt.

Q. At any point today did you kind of think about last year at all, what kind of transpired in the match play here?

LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, I thought about it all day, what happened last year, but from a perspective of trying to build and change from the mistakes I made last year.

Obviously 12 months on I'm a different golfer and I've learned a lot. I try to make the changes from what I did last year, what I did wrong, implement them into this year's strategy, obviously being 2-0 going into the third match.

To be honest, if I had of lost again I wouldn't have been mad, because I did what I needed to do today to get the best out of myself. Yeah, last year was definitely on my mind, but I felt like I could turn around and make it a different result this time around.

Q. You showed great courage to bounce back from what happened to you at THE PLAYERS. How have you done that?

LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, obviously a pretty tough week and a pretty embarrassing week really. Didn't really want to be there much on Friday because I felt like I was looking pretty silly.

Obviously you go away for a few days and take stock in what happened. Look, I had a lot going on that week. I kind of had a neck injury that I was playing with and just a lot going on in life that just didn't make it any easier.

Kind of got a lot of those things in order off the golf course. Obviously took a few days off and just kind of felt like I tried to bounce back. But I still turned up here feeling like I needed to get some confidence back in my game.

I wouldn't have been surprised at the start of the week if you'd told me I lost all three matches. Didn't have a lot of confidence obviously with that result.

To go and play the way I did and I feel like I'm the person I was two months ago again with the confidence in my game again, and just kind of ready to tackle these bigger events and step into the spotlight rather than stepping away from it.

Q. Rory next.

LUCAS HERBERT: I'm sure that won't be an easy match. I'm sure. Look, it's going to be a lot of fun. I've only played with Rory once. I played with him on Saturday in Phoenix. Probably the biggest crowd you'll ever play with Rory in the same group with, I would imagine so.

It's going to be fun. He's a great player. If he turns up with his A game I think I'm in a lot of trouble. But if he doesn't, I'm looking for the fight.

I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a fun challenge all the way.

Q. If he brings his A game, do you think that might raise your game even though you say you might not have the total confidence in your game?

LUCAS HERBERT: I would hope so, but I mean, I don't think anyone in the world beats Rory if he turns up with his A game tomorrow. I don't care whether it's me or a 15 handicapper down the road or Jon Rahm. He's just that good.

So, I need him to help me out a little bit. But yeah, if I play like I did today, it could be a good match.

Q. What exactly did you learn from last year from here?

LUCAS HERBERT: Just a lot of the mindset things going into that third match. I just think -- I think I probably wanted to win too much on Friday.

Within the group, it felt like I'd beaten the two hardest players to beat. Takumi, great player, but he didn't feel like the guy I had to worry about in the group. It was basically the same situation today. Ben was the lowest seeded player in our group, the worst player in our group theoretically, so theoretically the worst match.

I just had to make sure that -- you know, I treated him like he's Rory tomorrow. He's a great player. He made five birdies on me on the back nine. He's a phenomenal player. I think if I hadn't turned up with the right mindset and didn't think it was going to be an easy win, I don't think I could stand in the fire like I did on that back nine.