ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 7, 2024

Hideki Matsuyama

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. Before the round, it looked like you were struggling with your back, were you close to withdrawing at all?

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: My back was not feeling perfect, but I was kind of hitting, kind of protecting myself, so, but I feel like I was able to keep the momentum from the previous tournament, so I think that really helped.

Q. What kind of expectations did you have today?

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: No expectation for today's round, but I was able to keep the good round going all day. With no wind, and Bay Hill, that's pretty rare, so I think that really helped today.

Q. The double hit chip, what happened and did you have to ask if that was a penalty or not?

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: It wasn't like a difficult lie or anything, just hit it in the air. I was like, Oh, shoot, it hit. I wasn't sure if that was a penalty or not, but I asked the caddie, and he mentioned it's not a penalty, so I was able to keep my game going.

Q. Is that the first time your back has acted up in a while?

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: It happened maybe like two years ago. It didn't get worse since then. But my leg is a little numb right now, so it's really not the perfect condition.