THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 14, 2024

Matt Fitzpatrick

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. Scores are low today, but is this course ever easy?

MATT FITZPATRICK: No. I was just saying, I mean, I don't think you get on any hole and breathe a sigh of relief, like I've got a bit of a breather here, maybe a wide fairway or easy second shot. I just feel like every hole has got something that can catch you out.

Q. Can you take us through the eagle on 16?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, wasn't aiming there, pushed it, got lucky. There you go.

Q. What was the key to today's round?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Just drove it well, drove it like I feel like I can drive it. That obviously puts me in a great position to hit solid golf shots from there, and putted well, as well, which has been something that's been a bit on and off this year, as well. To me it felt a bit more like my old self, drove the ball well, putted well, and that's kind of always been the key to when I've played well really.

Q. How long have you not felt like your old self?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Since February of last year probably. There's a longer story to it, but yeah, just my -- just a mistake that no one knew about, and that's what caused the issue.

Q. Swing-wise?

MATT FITZPATRICK: In the club. Yeah, in the club. There was a weight in the grip, which we did some testing with in February last year, and never took it out.

Q. When did you take it out?

MATT FITZPATRICK: This February, Phoenix.

Q. For a test you put a weight in a club and forgot to remove it for a year?

MATT FITZPATRICK: We were doing some testing to match up -- I put weight in the grip of my irons, and it was successful for three, four weeks, and we thought, okay, well, let's match it up with the driver, because I felt there was a bit of an indifference there. So we did, and then for whatever reason just forgot that it was ever in there. Yeah, took it out week of Phoenix, and yeah, it's been -- driver has felt completely different.

Q. So it was only the driver where you wanted it out?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Only the driver, yeah, and we took it out of the irons, as well, but we took it out of the irons a good while ago, like probably March time.

Q. How did you rediscover it or remember it --

MATT FITZPATRICK: Driver testing, and I got a -- I needed a re-grip of the driver. The grip was so worn, it was like a training grip. Got it regripped at home. The guy that did it -- I'm on the limit of how long my driver is. He put a little bit too much tape on, so it just bulked up the length, so it was too long. They said, it's too long. I took it to Titleist, they regripped it for me and they're like, oh, you know there's a weight in there, and I almost had a heart attack.

Q. How heavy of a weight?

MATT FITZPATRICK: 4 grams.

Q. How does that 4 grams play in your swing?

MATT FITZPATRICK: More face rotation, more kick from the shift, so left is the popular miss.

Q. Did anyone get fired?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Absolutely not, no. It's just as much my fault as everyone else, so no chance.

Q. What is that feeling like where you're like, it's been a year of this?

MATT FITZPATRICK: Well, yeah, it basically -- my driving kind of got worse from pretty much after Harbour Town, and we were going back and forth. We were just very confused swing-wise, did all sorts. Turns out, take the weight out of the top of the driver, and I think since Phoenix is when I've taken it out, I've driven it a lot better.

Q. Did you have the weight in when you won Harbour Town?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I had it in when I won Harbour Town and won the Dunhill.

Q. So it was okay for a while?

MATT FITZPATRICK: I wouldn't say it was okay. Maybe I'd have won four times if I had it out.

Q. Did it make sense afterwards, that now you understand why --

MATT FITZPATRICK: 100 percent. Because as soon as I came out and hit the next day, it felt night and day. I could hit it as hard as I want and it wouldn't go left. Previously, I felt like I hit it hard and it would just go straight left.