WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 24, 2023

Matt Kuchar

Austin Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How much was the record on your mind, if at all, Matt?

MATT KUCHAR: Crossed my mind last night after I missed that six-footer to win the match. It's something -- coming in here, I had no idea. I had to be told. Certainly very cool.

The point of this tournament is to keep winning matches, and I wanted to win this match to be able to move on to the 16s.

So that was the main focus. Certainly getting a chance to tie any record of Tiger's is an amazing thing.

That's something I still find it hard to comprehend that I'm saying that, that I tied one of his records. So I'm hugely proud, pleased. There's 300 more records, I'm sure, to go, but it's a fun one to be able to say you've kind of got something you tied Tiger with.

Q. Do you trade text messages or messages with Tiger at all? I'm curious.

MATT KUCHAR: No. If tomorrow goes well, I might, though. (Laughter).

Q. We have in the back here, do you remember who your first win in this tournament was against?

MATT KUCHAR: No, I'm impressed there is a book, though.

Q. There is a book. We joked we're going to go through all 36 matches. It's Anthony Kim. That's kind of funny.

MATT KUCHAR: How about that? Anthony Kim, wow.

Q. When you have a moment like this, it's a great achievement on one hand and puts sort of maybe a little career perspective too. Do you ever step back and go, now I can think about what my legacy is? I'm at the age I can think about the grand arch of my career.

MATT KUCHAR: Don't do much reflecting on legacy or things of that nature. I'm not sure how many wins this is to tie Tiger's.

Q. 36.

MATT KUCHAR: 36. It's a good go. Certainly been doing it for a long time and doing it well for a long time to be able to have that many wins, to have the same as Tiger in match play record.

It's a nice kind of feather in the cap to think about, yeah, it's been good golf for a long time. So it's something I'm certainly proud of.

Q. Will you miss this event, I guess, would be the question? Given the success you've clearly had in it.

MATT KUCHAR: I will. I will for sure. I think these events are great. 72 holes of stroke play every week sometimes runs together a bit. I miss the old International at Castle Pines. I miss the Stableford format. I think it was fun to mix it up.

Match play, I certainly love, as you would guess with a good record, something unique, something different to do. Yeah, I'm bummed this is the final year for it.

Q. If I told you you're not allowed to pick the championship match against Hunter Mahan, but do you have a favorite match going back in memory? Is there one that stands out as particularly satisfying?

MATT KUCHAR: Had a good one with Bubba Watson, I think maybe the year prior. I think maybe that was like a third place match.

Let's see. Just entertaining two completely different types of games. That one I remember, but going through the rest -- yeah, those final one, you get in the final it really stands out.

And then I've got a final loss, which I'd like to forget.

Those are the ones that stand out, the ones at the finale.

Q. Going back to 2021, the last one you played in, the list of players you beat, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Kevin Kisner, guys that play really well. What kind of confidence does it give you knowing you did it against the best?

MATT KUCHAR: It takes skill to win matches, and it also takes luck, and I've been a part of both of those. You need a guy who kind of cuts you some slack every now and then give you a hole or two or miss a putt at one time.

I've realized that sometimes good or great golf loses matches. It's a tricky one. I certainly feel like -- listen, I've got a great record. This format's been great for me. But I know very well tomorrow I could go out and play great golf and get beat tomorrow.

I certainly like my chances. I like the way I'm playing. But I know far too well in this format you can play great golf and be on the wrong side of it.

Q. A quick one on your year. Right now do you see your game on the upswing?

MATT KUCHAR: I'm very, very pleased, very excited about it. I've got kind of this week and next week with long shot hopes of getting back into the Masters. That's certainly a big goal of mine.

But yeah, I feel good about the state of my game and certainly looking forward to whatever's on the calendar coming up. I'm excited to get there.