BLACK DESERT CHAMPIONSHIP

October 13, 2024

Matt McCarty

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Everyone, we would like to welcome the 2024 Black Desert Championship winner, Matt McCarty. Captured your first PGA TOUR victory in just your third start and second as a member. Tell me how you're feeling.

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I feel good. I don't know. It's been an unbelievable last few months for me. But just to like kind of play well today, that's all I wanted to do, give myself a chance. I knew it was going to be tough and a lot of different -- more emotion, more nerves than it's been out there.

But, yeah, I'm really proud of how I was able to handle myself out there today, and honestly this whole week. I had a lot of fun.

Q. What were those nerves like on the first tee and how did they compare to any on the Korn Ferry TOUR?

MATT McCARTY: I actually felt okay starting the round today. I think a lot of my other ones on the Korn Ferry it's kind of been early and gone away; today it just kept building. I felt like kind of on the back nine each hole just seemed a little tougher.

I guess that was the difference. But, I mean, birdied the first hole. That kind of helped calm me down a little bit. But really just tried to hit -- make good swings and one shot at a time and keep it as simple as possible.

That's what I feel like I've been doing lately and it's been working, and was able to do that again today.

Q. Yesterday was a surprise to see your dad on the first tee; then today to see your mom and Madi. When did you see them?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I saw Madi on 16 after I made the putt, so it was nice. It was really, really cool to see her and my mom. Yeah, it was awesome.

Big surprise for sure. Yeah, it's really cool to have her here for sure. I'm happy she game.

Q. Congratulations. To be part of such a historic thing for the state of Utah and growing up in a way down the street, the desert in Arizona, how did the course weigh into your game? How do you feel in terms of any differences for the final round and how this course laid out for you?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I thought it was pinned really tough today, which kind of was helpful I guess to have a couple-shot lead. You know, it was really tough to make birdies out there, especially with the wind picking up.

So I tried not to get overly aggressive and just tried to hit a lot of greens, you know, kind of two putt around, especially after making a couple birdies on the front nine.

But, yeah, just desert golf. Super comfortable environment, the dry heat. I was dying in Mississippi last week in the humidity. Felt nice. Barely broke a sweat out here.

Yeah, I don't know. It's just cool. And the views and the place is awesome. Honestly too, being the first time that the tournament has been here, like I've never seen any of those courses, so kind of level playing field with all these guys that have been out here for so long.

Kind of told myself that at the beginning of the week and just prep as normal. We played fairly aggressive around this place I think all week. Just kind of stuck with our game plan today, which I think was helpful.

You know, it was good.

Q. I think in college you were often around the lead but I don't think you've won a ton of tournaments. Is there going to be a moment coming up in the next day or so where you look back and go, oh, my gosh, I think it's four wins in ten starts? Like this is all happened quickly. Are you thinking you're going to have a pinch-yourself-moment here?

MATT McCARTY: I feel like just sitting here this is it, too. Yeah, I only won once in college. I won like another am event, you know couple mini tour state open stuff when I turned pro.

Up until this year it had been -- I won my sophomore year in college and didn't win anything for a couple three years and kind of the same until this year.

Yeah, it's been just trying to stay patient and like it's really hard to win golf tournaments. Keep telling yourself that and all you can do is really put yourself in contention and see what happens.

You learn a lot from those. People always say learning how to win. I think it's like learning how to just play in contention and get yourself there more often. Winning sometimes just seems like it kind of happens, especially lately.

Q. Coach Larkin at Santa Clara was saying you needed to get a little bit longer off the tee; you were accurate. How do you do that and then how do you sharpen up your putting? I think you've done that at the same time.

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, honestly my first year on Korn Ferry it was somewhat of a disadvantage like how far I was hitting it, so I made that a big focus the last couple years. Honestly just I was kind of a late bloomer, so just filling out a little bit more, eating more. Started there.

Working out. Started using the Stack System year and a half ago, so speed training stuff. But just putting more of an emphasis on it. I wanted to do it in a way where I feel like I wasn't losing accuracy and didn't want to change my swing.

I've had the same coach, Dave Williams, since I was 12. He's awesome and we talk talked about it. He's a very old school guy. I don't have a different driver swing than my iron swing. I feel like everything is the same. To be able to gain distance while also keeping it like that it helps me honestly to swing the club freer and play better under pressure I think, too.

Yeah, it's been nice. Just to kind of see that hard work pay off and actually feel like I can take advantage of some of these holes out here for sure.

Q. With the putting, Dev said you guys figured something out in Colorado.

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I think a lot of putting, green reading is a big aspect of it, so being really committed, too. I think in the past I've been teetering on kind of committing to a line and speed and everything.

Just being more accepting now when I do miss putts of being okay with it as well. I think it's easy to do that on the full swing sometimes, but the results are right there when you're putting.

It's tough to like miss a putt and kind of get down a little bit. But, yeah, just a lot of -- just staying calm over the ball and just very focused on kind of my intent for the stroke and the line that I want to hit it on.

Q. Congratulations. Down the stretch there were a few guys within two strokes and you got to 14 and decided to drive the green and go for eagle. Was that a move to be a little bit aggressive and put it out of reach? What was the thought process there?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I don't think it was ever going to be out of reach for me today honestly. But, I don't know. We played that hole that same way all week. I think that kind of speaks to what I said earlier. We did the same thing on 5. Tried to drive it every day; made eagle the first day.

Kind of did that. I didn't want -- I wasn't hitting my wedges that great today. It was a comfortable shot for me hitting a 3-wood, a nice number. If I hit it well I knew it was enough. Hit it to that same spot yesterday with pretty much the same wind.

Kind of other factors were leading towards that decision. I never thought about hitting anything else to be honest.

Q. You've said before when people ask you when you started playing golf you don't know what to say because you've been in the game since you can remember. What would you say to younger you about what was to come in your golf journey?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I don't think younger me would believe it. I don't know. I think just staying true to what you do and patient, just having fun. Like I feel like I've kind of done that throughout my whole life with this game.

Like high school had a lot of good buddies. College we had a great team at Santa Clara. We've had great fun the whole way, and the last three years as a professional, too. The same thing, just really enjoying it. It's tough out here at points to do that.

If you struggle a little bit or think you're not playing as well as you can, like it's tough to get down yourself when it becomes a job. Just remind yourself we're lucky to be out here and I'm just having fun with it, so it's great.

Q. When you got to 12 and you bogeyed 12 the lead was down to one. Were there any nerves at all at that point before you hit the tee at 14?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I don't know if I -- I think I noticed that on -- yeah, I didn't notice it at the point I guess. But I just tried not to like think about kind of what other people were doing, especially with 18.

I told myself that, you know, somebody is going to get to 21, 22 and just kind of keep the pedal down honestly is what I thought worst case scenario.

Obviously walking up, making that birdie putt on 16 was huge. Kind of being able to three-putt that on 17 gave me a little freedom.

Walking to the green on 18 it was really nice to be able to four-, five-putt that, whatever it was.

Q. What was it like walking down 18 with that massive crowd behind you? Did you even look around at all and see all the people that were at your back?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I tried to keep my head down for the most part all day. The fans out here were awesome. I had a good group following. I don't know, a lot of support in that aspect.

Just tried to kind of keep my head down, stay focused. Once I hit that shot, you know, there on the green, like I turned around and I think grabbed a water and saw everybody walking behind. It was pretty cool.

I was able to let myself relax a little bit at that point. It was a lot of fun. I feel like I had a similar situation on my first win in Springfield and wasn't really able to do that.

It was nice to enjoy the last 200 yards today a little bit more for sure.

Q. They say you have to learn how to win on TOUR; is that true with what you experienced this year? Was there a moment the flip switched and you got it? Have you learned to how to win?

MATT McCARTY: I think learning how to win is just playing better golf, hitting better shots, to be honest. I don't know. I think it's just is saying.

But, yeah, I guess it kind of when it rains it pours right now for me, too. So it's been good. This week I kind of told myself if I can win out there on the Korn Ferry you can win out here. If you're playing good golf out there, the competition is so good and so tough, and I think that me doing that this week kind of speaks to the level of competition out there and how good all these guys are.

You know, maybe giving some more guys out there opportunities to come up here when they're playing well might be something that should happen moving forward. Yeah, there is just so many guys that can play really good golf. I think it's different out here for sure. It's tough.

There is a lot of guys that I have grown up playing and -- or I've grown up watching and it's really cool to play against them. Good golf is good golf I think.

Q. You played really well up in northern Utah on the Korn Ferry couple months ago; also had a couple good college finishes in Provo. Anything about good vibes in Utah?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I think Utah is good vibes. I don't know, kind of figured out how to play at elevation a little bit this year in Denver to be honest. I think growing up in Scottsdale I was always kind of comfortable with it. Sometimes over thought it a little too much with percentages and everything and more so just get my numbers early in the week and just go from there.

Like if you hit one hard, still goes a little farther. If you take it off...

So it's all relative. Yeah, it's just, I don't know, just kind of desert vibes is good for me.

Q. With this win you just earned 500 FedEx points and you'll be playing in Las Vegas next week. How does this change your fall?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, we'll see. I'm going to need a break at some point. That was my goal at the beginning of the week, top 10 and get into Vegas and be able to play that. It's a cool event. Tried Mondaying for it a bunch and never made it, so it'll be fun.

Yeah, I don't know. We'll see. Next year is going to look a little different now I think too. Hopefully give myself a little bit of an off-season. Honestly just kind of keep playing good golf and see what can happen, too. I don't know, too soon to tell.

Q. In Colorado in July you had a three-stroke lead after 54 holes. Weren't able to get it done and got it done the next week. Wondering, did you take anything from that week in Colorado that has springboarded you into this run you're on right now?

MATT McCARTY: Yeah, I think the biggest thing I took is lost of confidence from that week, even though it sounds weird. Just to put myself in that position out there. On that course I wasn't super comfortable. That my first made-cut. I think I set their 54-hole record.

The last round I hit it fine. I just didn't putt well. Was a little tentative and I think just understanding that tightness and being tentative doesn't lead to good golf shots is honestly the biggest thing I learned.

It's helped me have more freedom the last few months when I'm playing, so...

THE MODERATOR: Matt, again, congratulations and thank you for the time.

MATT McCARTY: Yeah. Thank you.