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PGA Tour: Justin Thomas Speaks To The Media Prior To Making 6th Start at The Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Justin Thomas of the United States plays a shot during a practice round prior to The PLAYERS Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 10, 2020 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional and FedEx Cup number two Justin Thomas addresses the media ahead of The Players Championship, speaking on the May to March change, building his schedule for the year and being paired with friends.

PGA Tour: Justin Thomas previews The Players Championship ahead of making his 6th start on Thursday

AMANDA HERRINGTON: We’d like to welcome Justin Thomas to the interview room here at THE PLAYERS Championship. Justin is making his sixth start at THE PLAYERS Championship, comes into the week No. 2 in the FedExCup standings on the strength of two wins this season. Justin, get your thoughts on coming into the week here.

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it’s a place I love. I love the golf course. I think it’s just a very well-designed course, tee to green, forces you to work it both ways off the tee and into the green, and obviously it’s an extremely deep field with all the top players here, so it’s a tournament that when I first came here, I felt like I could have some success at this place, and yeah, came out and practiced yesterday. It seems to be in pristine shape as usual, so I’m excited to get out there today on the course and see how it is.

Q. You’ve had some really good low rounds here and some not so good. When you play well out here, what are you doing right, and when you don’t play so well, what’s kind of been your stumbling blocks out here?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I think honestly, I think it’s a testament to a well-designed course. You look at, obviously Mexico is very different or Riviera, but every day you have those 64 to 67s and you have some 78s, and like that just doesn’t happen every week.

I think it’s because this place rewards good golf and penalizes bad golf. I would think that — I mean, obviously it depends on the weather and you can get some cold, windy and some firm weeks in March, but some of my high numbers have been in May mostly. When it gets firm like that, it puts even more of a premium on hitting the fairway, and those days where I had some high numbers, I was not playing well, and I didn’t really have any control of my ball versus when I was playing well. If you get the ball in the fairway you have a lot of wedges and 9-irons into these greens, and I feel like that’s a strength of my game. I just have been able to take advantage of that a couple times when I’ve been hitting it well.

It’s a place where you can get it going, you just kind of have to stay patient and wait for your spots.

The Players Championship Tee Times and Leaderboard

Q. We always get this mentality that’s kind of like win or nothing else, and I’m just curious if you ever finished like in a top 10 that wasn’t a win but that was a satisfying week for you. Can you get satisfaction out of a non-win top 10, for instance?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Absolutely. I mean, we all say that and we all think that, but it’s not reality. We’re not going to win every week. We’re not going to win — I don’t know the percentages of the top players’ wins in their career, but I can’t imagine that anybody except for one person is above 10 or 15 percent. You have to be realistic in senses like that.

I mean, a week like Phoenix this year for me was huge. I did not play very well. I was not driving it well. My irons were very average. I got it around the course very well and ended up — I had a good Sunday. We got it going a little bit, and ended up finishing third, and I think weeks like that are sometimes more confidence boosting than anything else because realistically I could have won that tournament if I just could have got something going remotely the first couple days, but I just could never — I was never hitting it well enough to make that five, six birdies in a nine-hole stretch or whatever it was. I’d make a couple and then I’d just make some more pars on some easy holes. I just could never get momentum going.

But for not playing very well and not hitting it very well, I think I made four bogeys over four days so managed my game well and got it around that course well. I’d take the win, but sometimes it’s just as confidence boosting.

Q. With the change back to March and the fairways being softer, do you think we’re going to see someone shoot a 62 here? The 63s have both been in March, I believe.
JUSTIN THOMAS: I think Colt Knost shot 63 here when it was in May. I think you can. The thing about it being in March, I’ve never experienced it, I mean, I’ve heard some horror stories from guys in the past of you get in Jacksonville this time of year you can get some cold, cold days, you can get a strong north wind where we’re hitting 6-, 7-, 8-iron on 17. I would imagine if that’s the case then you won’t be seeing any. But if you get weather like it looks like it could be this week, generally one or two of the days they’re going to have the pins set up a little bit easier, someone could get hot and do it. You can do it on any golf course, I think when you give us the soft conditions it’s definitely going to be more likely, but at the end of the day 10-under par, that’s a low score no matter where you’re playing. But I definitely think that it is doable.

Q. It seems like just a blink ago you were considered one of the young guns out here. I want your thoughts on this current crop of young players that come out here and they not only think they can win, they expect to win.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Am I officially out? Am I thrown out of the young —

Q. Yeah, you’re out.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Damn, that’s rough. (Laughter.)

No, it’s impressive, and I think it’s cool what the TOUR is doing this week is pairing Viktor, Matt and Collin together. The fact that those three guys have won already is unbelievable. I don’t think — they probably don’t even realize how impressive it is.

But they also understand how talented they are, and we do, too, and they’re going to be out here for a long time.

You can’t compare their group versus our group or another group or whatever it is. You just kind of have to respect what’s coming out, and they’re unbelievable players, they’re very, very mature for being thrown into the spotlight. I think that’s something that goes very under-mentioned and underrated is that it’s easy to forget that they’re 21, 22 years old, I think at least, and they’re handling all this very well because they’re very much in the spotlight just like any of us are. They’re still playing some pretty good golf and being comfortable out here.

I think they’re going to continue to do great things, and it’s great to have them out here.

Q. This question is from a Chinese fan, so obviously you’re one of their favorites. He wants to know before your round if you’re not mentally ready, what do you do to snap yourself out of it?
JUSTIN THOMAS: There’s plenty of times. You wake up some days and some mornings and you just don’t have it, you’re tired, you don’t feel well. I don’t have a good warmup or whatever it might be. I think those days I rely on my caddie Jimmy. He knows if I’m not feeling well. We know each other so well to where we can figure out just by being around each other for 20 minutes if the other one isn’t in it that day. I’ll just tell him walking to the tee, Hey, man, I need you today, I don’t quite feel well or I don’t have it and we need to stay extra patient today, and we might talk through things a little bit more. Yeah, I don’t know, he does a great job in situations like that, and we’ve actually had some pretty good rounds doing that.

Q. You referred to it a little bit ago about the top 5s and how that top 3 was a positive moment for you. When you look at Rory right now and the run he’s on with all these top 5s, which is pretty remarkable, how do you view that stretch because obviously he’s frustrated he hasn’t won yet, which I’m sure you would be, as well, but where do you weigh that on the positive side versus the negative side, not closing them out when he’s had chances?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I think you definitely have to look at it as a positive. The thing about it is you keep — when you’re as talented as Rory is, you keep putting yourself there, it’s going to happen eventually, and he has the capability to do what he’s done a couple times where he might win four events in six weeks or win a couple in a row. I know he knows that, I know we all know that, and he’s playing some unbelievable golf, but he’s just — it’s cool because I respect Rory as much as I like him. I just respect what he does because he works really hard. He takes it extremely seriously. I mean, I would say, along with myself, he is someone that I see practicing more than anybody else. We put a lot of work in.

I think he had some times there where he was expecting more of himself and he wasn’t sure what he had to do, and he just kind of had to dig it out of the dirt and kind of just get back to the basics and just, not start over, but be like, I need to be me, I need to be Rory McIlroy and get myself back to what made me great, and he’s obviously doing that, and the wins will come.

Q. The guy to chase in the FedExCup at the moment is Sungjae Im. What are your thoughts on him?
JUSTIN THOMAS: He’s unbelievable. I remember the first time I played with him at the CJ Cup, it was really windy, as is often is there, and the way he was hitting his drives, we’d have this huge crosswind and he would hit this little low bullet hold and when it would be the other way he would do the same thing, we’d have a downwind into the green he’d throw an iron straight up into the air. I’ve never seen somebody that young with so many shots. I know it took me a while to learn all those and feel comfortable doing them in a golf tournament, for one, but he obviously is very comfortable doing it, and he definitely plays enough to get comfortable with it in a tournament. It’s impressive. I think every person that I know that has played with him for the first time walks off and is like, wow, he’s good. He knows what he’s doing. He can make his way around a golf course, and yeah, I don’t think we’re — anybody who’s played with him, I don’t think we’re surprised that he’s won, and I’m sure he’s going to win a lot more times.

Q. Regarding the grouping with you and Jordan and Rickie, how hard or easy is it to turn off the friendship when you start off the first tee and get competitive like you need to be? What’s that dynamic like to play with two such close friends?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it can be tough, but I’ve had some really good rounds with some great friends. You definitely have to find the, I guess, the happy medium of we’re going to talk between shots, and it’s just a matter of, okay, when do I cut that off and I need to get back into my focus, because I have a lot of times that I hit it up there close and I’m kind of counting my putt, it’s like a four-footer and I’m kind of laughing and joking around with the guys on the green and next thing you know it’s my turn to putt, I’m not focused and I miss it. I’m walking off the green going, how many times do I have to do to this learn that I’ve got to stop doing it. But because of that I obviously have learned, and I know that I have to take it into consideration.

We’re going to have fun. I mean, not any more fun than we would with anybody else. We just happen to be some group of guys that are really good friends and hang out quite a bit and we’re out here competing trying to win a golf tournament.

We’re all going to be trying to play as well as we can and beat each other, but in between shots just kind of yuk it up and have some fun.

Q. How hard is it to build your entire schedule for the year, and is it subject to change ever? And also, what did you do the last couple weeks?
JUSTIN THOMAS: In terms of scheduling, it can be tough. I feel like it’s going to take a couple years to kind of figure out. The Florida Swing is very difficult for me at least living here. It’s like there’s so many tournaments I want to play, and there’s so many tournaments I feel like are good for me, but at the end of the day, I need to do what’s best for me, and I need to do what’s going to make sure that my body is in the best shape throughout the year, going to be fresh and ready for the majors, and most importantly fresh and ready for the FedExCup Playoffs, because I felt like last year was kind of strange because obviously I didn’t want to miss a month, month and a half with the wrist injury, but come the Playoffs time, everyone is tired and I’m ready to go. I took a month, month and a half off, and I’m like, all right, let’s do it, let’s keep playing.

I almost learned a little bit from that because it’s like, I don’t need to play. Yeah, sitting at home and watching the Honda and watching Bay Hill and being like, I know that I can do this and I’ve had success at Honda and Bay Hill is a tough course, ball striker’s course, I know that I can compete there. But I can sit at home every week and do that.

I probably did watch more golf than I have in a while because of just how — not entertaining but just how good the golf courses we’re playing. I thought it was enjoyable to watch. I guess that answers the question, I did watch a lot of golf.

It does take a little bit to figure out the scheduling. But no, I took it easy. I didn’t do very much at all. I wanted to get some rest for these next three events coming up in a row, and one of my best friends from high school got married this past weekend in Louisville, so I went home Thursday, got to see my friends and my family that I don’t get to see very often and spend a nice fun weekend with them and then came back Sunday morning and went out and played with dad Sunday afternoon and then came here yesterday.

Q. It’s been kind of an odd start to the year in terms of winning Kapalua, missing the cut at Sony, being there at Phoenix, missing the cut at LA, being there in Mexico. What’s going on?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I hope that trend doesn’t continue now that you say that.

No, Sony was weird. The conditions were so brutal. I don’t know if it just took a lot out of me winning in Kapalua or what it was, but I played poorly, but I didn’t — I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole at Sony. I had a hard time putting in that wind, and the golf course was so different than any year I’ve ever played it where, honestly, I feel like it almost hurt me playing there — not that five times is that many — but playing there as many times as I have, because I’m used to, when you hit it in the rough on No. 1, you’re trying to land it 15 yards short of that green on the right and run it up there. Whereas, you’re in the rough, straight downwind, you had to fly it in the middle of the green because it was so soft that the ball was just going to basically plug where it was. I think it took me about 20-something holes to figure that out, and by that point it was a little too late and didn’t matter.

But in LA I just drove it bad, and when you drive it bad out there, you’re pretty much behind the 8-ball, and I could never get the ball close enough to the hole to make any birdies.

I actually played all right on Friday. I played good enough to post a score well enough to make the cut, but I just played so poorly on Thursday that I didn’t really have much. Just kind of been a little bit of up and down.

Q. Secondly, have you or any of your people sat down or talked with the Premier Golf League, and when do you have to make a decision if there’s one to be made?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don’t know, in terms of the decision. I’ve tried to keep it as far away from me as possible because I’m focused on playing out here and taking whatever week I have next, focusing on that as opposed to focusing on whatever it is. We haven’t really talked about it. I mean, it’s just something that kind of gets brought up quickly, and I kind of let them handle it. Like I said, that’s not my part. I’m out here to try to get ready to play on the PGA TOUR, and that’s my main focus right now, and once that opportunity ever presents itself to actually sit down and talk about it, then we can.

Q. Davis Riley is having a great start to the year on the Korn Ferry TOUR. Can you speak to your relationship with him and following his progress and what stands out to you and impresses you with his game?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, Davis is a stud, man. He’s one of the guys when I’d go back and visit the guys at school, I just hit it off with him so well. He kind of reminds me a lot of myself. He’s a good player, but he’s laid back, he’s easy going. He’s a great teammate. Got along with all the guys. I just really, really like him. I do. I kind of wanted to take him under my wing a little bit and try to help him as much as I could, whether he wanted the help or not, just present it to him that I’m here to help if he wants. He’s impressive. I mean, there’s a handful of guys or a group of guys I feel like in college and amateur golf, there’s obviously going to be a lot of kids that come out and are very successful, but he’s someone that you sit and watch hit balls, and it’s like, that’s a different sound than everybody makes, it’s a different ball flight than everybody makes and he just needs to stay focused and keep doing what he’s doing. Whatever he’s doing right now is working pretty well and hopefully he’ll have continued success and we’ll have a lot of years out here together.

Q. From this point on until through the TOUR Championship, the schedule seems a little unrelenting. You’re never more than a few weeks away from a really big event. How do you go about compartmentalizing to avoid burning out from THE PLAYERS through the TOUR Championship?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it’s a good question, but I think I just try to take everything I’ve learned over the past five years from it. It’s like, I don’t play more than three in a row. Nobody, including my caddie, wants me to ever play four in a row. It just doesn’t bode for a good Justin. Not fun to be around. Using the Mondays through Wednesdays how I need to use them and using the off weeks how I need to use them, and I feel like I’m definitely young enough and do the proper training to where I should not get burnt out. Certainly there’s going to be weeks where maybe you’re a little bit more excited when you get to the course or tee it up on Thursday than others, but that’s why I do what I do. I came out here and I wanted to play professional golf so I could be playing all these tournaments and playing from THE PLAYERS to the TOUR Championship. There’s definitely — it definitely beats the alternative of not having to worry about burning out, that’s for sure. That’s what I do all of my work on the off weeks and training for, so that doesn’t happen.

Q. Speaking to your pairing, the spring break reunion tour this week, can you just talk about that pairing, and can that be advantageous playing with buddies? Is that something that can be a help during a tournament, first two rounds of a tournament?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it’ll be a good time. We’ve had a lot of rounds of golf together, probably more fun rounds than competitive rounds. I don’t know. At the end of the day, we’re going to play well because of us, not because of the people we’re with. I mean, there’s obviously times where you’ll have everyone in the group is 4- or 5-under, you can kind of feed off each other. Sometimes the group is a little bit flat. But at the end of the day, if we all get off to a good start, then we might play well. It’s not like I’m going to play great today because I played with Jordan and Rick. I would like to hope that I have a little bit more confidence in myself, that I’m a good enough player to play without them. But that being said, it is nice knowing — I was going to say it’s not like I can really catch up with them. I pretty much know everything about them already, and vice versa, but it’s just — I like their caddies, I like their families. It’s easy for us. It’s something we’re very, very accustomed to.

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

March 11, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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PGA Tour: Joel Dahmen Speaks on Current Status of His Game Following Arnold Palmer Invitational

JEJU, SOUTH KOREA - OCTOBER 18: Joel Dahmen of the United States plays a shot on the 3rd hole during the second round of the CJ Cup @Nine Bridges at the Club a Nine Bridges on October 18, 2019 in Jeju, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

PGA Professional Joel Dahmen Speaks to the media following his final round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and what he is doing in preparation for The Players Championship

Q. How would you describe the four days this week here at Bay Hill?
JOEL DAHMEN: Crazy time. I don’t know if I’ve played a tougher four days. The rough is crazy long this week. The greens got really firm and fast. The way the wind’s blowing right now it’s crazy. So I’m so happy I’m done. I got to watch those leaders struggle a little bit coming in.

Q. What does it do to you mentally and physically?
JOEL DAHMEN: I’m exhausted. Yeah, like we were going over it I’m probably going to celebrate a little bit with a top 5 or whatever this could be, maybe an Open Championship spot, maybe I’m not going to celebrate, but I think maybe just lay on the couch after this one. It’s exhausting and I’m happy I’m done.

Q. What do you learn about your game from a week like this heading into the PLAYERS?
JOEL DAHMEN: I can scramble better than I thought I could. My putting stats maybe aren’t so great, but today I made a ton of par putts that mattered and that was huge for me. I can play with the big boys and hope to do it a bit more often.

Q. How much do you enjoy a test like this where it’s really hard and here you lapped the field?
JOEL DAHMEN: I think it’s awesome. I wish there was a few more weeks like this. I don’t want every week like this, because it’s tough. But, yeah, I certainly enjoy it. I like playing the bounce a little bit more, playing the ground, which is more fun, you can’t just fly it and spin it anywhere. So it makes you think a lot more, so I think I’m pretty good at that part of the game, so I certainly enjoy it. I’m going to enjoy watching those guys on TV now.

Orlando, Florida

March 8, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard
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PGA Tour: Danny Lee Speaks to the Media About Open Championship Qualification Following Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 08: Danny Lee of New Zealand plays a shot on the second hole during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 08, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Danny Lee speaks to the media following the closing round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in which he finished in fifth place, good enough to earn a spot in this year’s Open Championship

PGA Tour: Danny Lee speaks on earning spot in the 2020 Open Championship

Q. Are you going to play the golf course before The Open Championship?
DANNY LEE: Yeah, I’ll try to go there the week before in advance, I guess, yeah, and put in some rounds.

Q. You’ve played The Open Championship twice and what was it about that that’s different from different Majors?
DANNY LEE: First of all, the tee time. I’ll never get used to 3 o’clock or 4 o’clock in the afternoon tee times and finish at like 9 or 8. I’m never used to that. And just the conditions and firmness of the area. I’m a very aggressive player and it seems like whenever I play the links golf course very aggressive it just bites me back. So this year I’ll play a little bit more smart, I guess.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

Q. Talk about the challenging week here.
DANNY LEE: Oh, it was. Saturday, Sunday was brutal. The wind and the firmness of the greens seems like when you think it can’t get any faster it just got faster and faster. Whenever I had a downhill putt I just couldn’t hit it soft enough. And but I still tried really hard to put myself in the position to catch up to the leader. And I really thought if I beat Sungjae today I probably had an idea that I had a pretty good chance to winning this event or come really close to finishing top 3 or something. But it was still a good round.

My goal before I teed off today was try to not finish over par for the round. So I accomplished that goal and it was very challenging this week.

Q. Thoughts on qualifying for The Open Championship?
DANNY LEE: I’m really pretty pumped up and I get another swing at a major and I’m going to just go over there and enjoy it.

Orlando, Florida

March 9, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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PGA Tour: Bryson DeChambeau Recaps T4 Finish at 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 08: Bryson DeChambeau of the United States checks his yardage book on the second green during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 08, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Bryson Dechambeau speaks with the media following the conclusion of the final round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in which he finished in solo 4th place, 3 strokes behind the winner.

PGA Tour: Bryson DeChambeau talks Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship Prep

Q. Gutsy shot out of the rough there at 18. I said on the air this 13-footer’s not going to be short. It was dead in the heart, the big upper cut when it went in. How much fun was that finish for you?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Well, you know, I was trying to hit it in the fairway, obviously, and that was my goal. Unfortunately, I blocked it right. Just lost, in the last few holes today, there was a few holes where it just went right on me and I wasn’t really totally comfortable with the driver like I was the first three days. And I was lucky enough to get a really good lie in the right rough and I said, You know, what, I can go for it. And I was trying to go over the green into the rough and try and chip it or something like that. And I absolutely blocked the heck out of it. It came out a little dead, and I’m like, This is going in the water. And luckily it bounced a yard over and rolled up there perfectly and had a 13-footer and I took advantage of the good situation.

Q. A couple notes. There’s only been five birdies yesterday and today at 18. You got two of them. You’re the first player to post an under par round today. How difficult was it again today?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Oh, man, I mean, this definitely tested every aspect of your game and you had to be driving it well. I think I drove it pretty well this week, besides a couple holes out here today. And for me that’s a true testament of how hard I’ve been working on my driving to get it right, and then iron play is getting slowly better, and putting, I’m still not there with. I had two 3-putts today and that really was the deciding factor for the total round of shooting a deep one out there today. But at the same point in time, I’m going to take a lot of good positives away from this and go into the PLAYERS with some great momentum.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

Q. Your confidence level, state of your game as you go to the PLAYERS this coming week.
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: We’re going to work on some wedging stuff. I didn’t wedge it my best this week. Had a couple oopsies on the first couple rounds. And the putter, doing something pretty unique with the putter next week. Hopefully it will come in and we’ll have it ready and that will get me up to another level.

Q. Excellent way to cap off a challenging week. If we can get some comments.
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Challenging is an understatement. It was difficult. Everybody out here, I think struggled in some facet or another, and you just had to overcome some of those obstacles. And I was able to get a couple good breaks coming down the stretch and played some really good golf and rolled it really well. When the opportunities presented itself, I took advantage as much as possible and had a couple lucky putts go in. I’m happy about that.

Q. When you take a look at the leaderboard not a lot of Americans are on there, top of the leaderboard, but you’re there. What’s been, do you think there’s an issue right now with kind of the —
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I don’t know. I don’t think it’s an issue. I think it’s just a different style of play. And personally, for me, I’m all about having a fair test. If you look at a situation and you go, Okay, how do you test — let’s just take this for example. Who is the smartest person in the world? How do you make a test for that, right? Well, you certainly don’t give them a test that’s 2 plus 2. And you certainly don’t give them something that we don’t understand yet, like how — what is gravity? So we need to have a fair test out there and I think that’s what we’re kind of struggling with a little bit. I think a lot of players struggled with that out there today, that just, there was some holes you just couldn’t hold greens. Like on 15 I hit a wedge shot from the intermediate or the first cut, and it bounced in the first half of the green and rolled all the way over the back. There was no way of stopping it. So at some point the physics stop working and I don’t think it’s a true test of who is better. You have to get a little lucky out there and I was fortunate enough to get lucky out there on the back nine. I was pleased with the way I held my attitude and I was able to be positive out there and just keep executing good shots.

Q. Did you kind of, you guys, the Americans, kind of talk about how just how the game’s kind of evolved? I mean, it’s always been kind of a global game but lately you seem to have more Europeans, like Sungjae Im and these younger Koreans. Do you guys kind of talk about just kind of how the game’s kind of grown, how you kind of get like the Americans involved a little bit more?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I think we’re still involved. You look at the top-10 in the world, there’s still quite a bit of Americans in there. And the style of golf is sometimes difficult. If you got, if you have Europeans out there that have been playing links-style golf, this is more like links-style golf, so they’re going to be more comfortable out there. And for me I do like links-style golf, so I was able to play well out there today. But to get Americans back on the leaderboard I think is just a coincidental thing, I think we’re just as good.

Q. Do you go to Sawgrass next week looking for a bit of respite after these days or do you think it’s going to be much the same another sort of torture test?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I hope it’s not a torture test. We have had some grueling tests over the last couple weeks at least the guys from Honda they told me it was brutal. And for me I hope it’s a good test, I hope it’s a fair test.

Q. How big was that shot on 18?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Oh, I totally blocked it. I thought it wasn’t going to get over. Look, I was a yard over the first cut and you got a wind that’s doing this, you just, you don’t know. It was complete luck and I’m happy it got over and I’m happy I was able to take advantage of the situation.

Orlando, Florida

March 8, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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PGA Tour: Matthew Fitzpatrick Recaps Top 10 Finish at The Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 05: Matthew Fitzpatrick of England lines up a putt on the sixth green during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 05, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick addresses the media following his top 10 finish at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational about his thoughts on his performance as well as 2020 Players Championship preparations

PGA Tour: Matthew Fitzpatrick finishes top 10 at 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Q. (No microphone.)
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Glad to be in. But for today like the first seven holes I had it on a string and then all of a sudden I just seemed to lose every feeling I had in my irons. So it was then it was just a grind, as Billy tells me just to batten down the hatches. And just try and, literally, it felt like, just get it around, just advance the ball and then get it closer and then try and hole a putt.

Q. (No Microphone.)
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: I don’t know. It was tougher, like it was also tougher, to be honest. Once we got to 8, well, once we got to 6 as well, it started picking up. And then 8 was sort of howling across and then down a little and into a little, it was in between. And, yeah, it was just tough around sort of the middle, really.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

Q. Did you think after 16, though, the birdie at 16 did you think about a number?
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, well, I mean, I thought if I could just, I knew I needed to par 17 and then obviously if I could sneak a putt on 18. But I mean, I felt if I’m 2-under might have a chance, obviously a distant chance, but, yeah, anyway.

Q. Can you compare this weekend to anything that you’ve been through outside of perhaps the Majors?
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Oh, not outside the Majors, I was going to say Shinnecock. But it was — yeah, I can’t think of anywhere else that was sort of played like as hard as this, really. But I mean, like I was speaking to Derek all the time, I’m all for it like this. Like I would so much rather play it like this every week where it’s a battle and you got to go work hard and grind instead of wide open fairways, no wind and just, 65, you move down as well, you know.

Q. Do you need to do any work before the start of the PLAYERS?
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: A lot, yeah (laughing.) No, no, my driving feels great, putting was miles better today, short game was solid. Just if I can start just giving myself a few more chances and, yeah, I think — but, I mean, from where I was after two rounds and three rounds, I’m delighted with where I am. So, yeah, overall looking at the result it’s a fantastic week, obviously the process of getting there wasn’t ideal, but, yeah, great week overall.

Orlando, Florida

March 9, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka Revisits Disappointing T47 Finish at The Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 05: Brooks Koepka of the United States reacts on the 11th green during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 05, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Brooks Koepka speaks with the media following a disappointing performance at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational in which he managed to shoot under par in only one round, leading to a T47 finish

PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka talks to the media following conclusion of The Arnold Palmer Invitational

Q. How would you quantify the difference between today and yesterday just condition-wise?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Condition-wise it’s a lot easier today. Today’s definitely way more gettable. It was starting to pick up there on 16, 17, 18, but it wasn’t, I mean, it’s not nearly as bad as it was yesterday. Yesterday was probably one of the harder rounds I think, definitely in the top 10 you played, I played out here.

Q. How did you play today compared to yesterday?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Still shi*t. Still sh*t. Putting better.

Q. You probably can’t say that on the podium.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, fine me.

I found something with my putting, so my putting, the touch is back. I feel very confident with that. But still close on the swing, sometimes it’s there and then sometimes it’s not.

Q. What did you find?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Just putting? Just a little bit maybe rhythm, I think. My speed’s been terrible, that’s why, I don’t know, I’ve 3-putted every — you saw it on 1, it just wasn’t — I felt good yesterday. I felt good leaving the golf course putting and then 1 just a little hiccup there. But I mean, other than that I felt my pace and line were pretty good, which I haven’t seen some putts go in, like 16 like that putt hasn’t been going in so it’s nice to see a few of them drop. And I’m pleased the way I’m putting it, short game’s good. I just need to figure out the long game.

Q. Do you like this idea of what you’ve got going schedule-wise, playing week after week?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Not really. No, to tell you the truth. I mean, I would never play more than three weeks in a row. But obviously sometimes things happen and the only way I see getting through this is playing. That’s my way of trying to grind and work it out and figure it out. I mean, every year we have come — I don’t know how far back, to 2016 all the way through the Match Play has been terrible. So I don’t know what it is about these first three months of the year but I struggle quite a bit.

Q. Is there any concern of playing golf out there when you don’t want to be out there? Is your head not there?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I want to be out there. I definitely want to be out there. I mean, listen, after I’ve played here I’ve gone to Nona and gone and beat balls until it was dark. We were hitting, Rickie had the camera phone out and was shining it about 2 feet above the ground just to, the depth perception gets off when it’s so dark. And every day we’re grinding, practicing, trying to figure it out and eventually all the hard work’s going to pay off, it’s just a matter of how quick it’s going to turn.

Q. Do you remember much about Innisbrook, Valspar?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I played it, I think once out here on TOUR but I played it, I mean, growing up in Florida we played a bunch of tournaments on it. Junior amateur stuff. So I’ve played it quite a bit. I know it. It’s a tough golf course. That’s also why I wanted to play this week. I thought it was going to be tougher. Scoring is not going to be very high or very low, I guess, and that’s kind of one of the reasons why I wanted to play. I felt like — I play my best golf on tough courses, so I thought maybe I would find it there.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

Q. Do you take something away from the week that you build on? Other than the putting part, are there things you can just see?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Listen, it’s coming together piece by piece. So the way I see it, the putting hasn’t quite been there, the touch hasn’t been there, but now that I found that, I found a little bit of rhythm there, just build on that. I think I’m very pleased with short game, very pleased. And that was kind of the part that’s been, that felt really far away, where this week it was kind of a flip-flop. Long game, I don’t know, it feels so unorthodox and, but it will come. It’s only a matter of time.

Q. Can you make a lot out of little sparks when have you a run of golf like this?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s amazing. I’ve been through a spell like this and I remember, I can’t remember if it was 2017, I think it was, at Match Play, and I, one swing and it was like, boom, off and running. You find that one feeling and sometimes that’s why I think it’s important to play or to get out there. You can stand on the range all day and do it, but when you get out there and start playing is when — I don’t want to say it was messing around today, but it was more of just trying to feel shots and feel different things and, okay, is this working, is this not. Not so much an experiment but kind of, if that makes sense, just to see if different shot shapes, what, am I hitting a little controlled fade, my little fairway finder, it’s a lower fade. High draw. Trying to figure out what shot shape feels good and go with that.

Q. Can you remember what shot it was?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It was during a practice round. I think it was the year — I don’t know what year I made it, maybe ’15 during the quarters or something like that. I just remember in the practice round, was it 16, the par-5? I remember that on the tee, just it clicking, whatever it was, and just found it and built a pretty good year off it. I think it was ’17, I don’t know. But, yeah, it’s amazing. Just one swing sometimes.

Q. How important is it getting back to No. 1 in the world for you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, yeah, it’s important, you would like to, but if you play like this, you got a long way to go.

Q. All the talk about distance, roll backs, all that stuff. What do the last two weeks say, given the scores and the difficulty about that whole belief?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Listen, they can roll the ball back all they want the long hitters are still going to be the long hitters. The way I see it, I remember Nicklaus hit a, I don’t remember what year it was, but he drove the green at St. Andrews at 18. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. So how much further has the ball gone?

Q. But the difficulty down here I mean was it —
BROOKS KOEPKA: What I’m saying is, if he was able to drive the green, yeah, he probably got a good bounce and it rolled on, but still at the end of the day, I mean, we’re on that back tee with no wind and pounding drivers and still come up a little short. So I don’t think the issue of rolling the ball back — I think long hitters are going to be still long and the short hitters, you know, no disrespect to guys like Fred Funk or stuff like that, but you don’t, guys don’t have a hundred mile an hour club speed anymore, everybody’s got a 120. So obviously it’s going to go further. They roll the ball back, I think if you want to grow the game you’re not going to be able to grow the game. I mean that’s, as a little kid, trying to be interested in the game, that’s all you want to do. The reason I started playing was because you see it go 60 yards, 70 yards and, wow, this is cool I’m actually hitting it far. Because you watch your parents or you watch your friends or whatever it might be, they’re bombing it out there and as a little kid you want to feel like you’re hitting it far. But if you’re only hitting it 30 yards it’s not very fun.

Orlando, Florida

March 8, 2020

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PGA Tour: Marc Leishman Recaps Slow Start and Near Comeback at The Arnold palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 08: Marc Leishman of Australia plays his shot from the eighth tee during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 08, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Marc Leishman addresses the media following a slow start but big weekend charge to come up just 1 stroke short behind champion Tyrell Hatton.

PGA Tour: Marc Leishman speaks with the media following final round of 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational and runner-up finish

Q. It was a little tough start but you battled. You gave yourself a chance coming down the end. Just not quite enough. But it had to be tough out there today.
MARC LEISHMAN: It was tough again. It wasn’t the start I was after today and I fought really hard. Made some — well, I birdied the par-5s on the back nine and that’s what you got to do around here. So, yeah, a little bit disappointed, but it was a strong week. Signs are good for next week. Tyrell played good, did what he needed to do and on a really, really tough golf course. So it was a fun week.

Q. You move both into the top 10 in FedExCup points and the Wyndham rewards, continuing good solid play this season, you’re playing awfully well. You’ve got to feel good about that.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I think I got a 1st, 2nd, and a 3rd, now, so try to add to that win column. It’s been a good start to the year. Obviously, the win at Torrey Pines was good and to be in the top 10 this early in year is nice. It’s nice not having to play catchup. So hoping I can have a big week next week and get back into the winner’s circle.

Q. You weren’t giving up. You came back pretty hard.
MARC LEISHMAN: No, I never give up. I said to Matty — we were walking down 16, I said, Of all the courses on the PGA TOUR, this is the last one you’d pick if you had a two-shot lead your three to go. So Tyrell never gave up. He did what he needed to do there at the end. Great par on 18 particularly. That’s a brutal hole, tough pin placement, you have to really hold your shot. So yeah, made it interesting. Would have been nice if that putt would have dropped on 17. I felt pretty good when I hit it. Not to be. But happy with the week. With really tough conditions, I played probably as good as I played for quite awhile. So and it was good to play well under pressure there too at the end. So, yeah, happy with the week and all credit to Tyrell.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

Q. What do you lean towards more at the moment, the disappointment or sort of excited that you played so well with such a big window coming up?
MARC LEISHMAN: I think both. Obviously anytime you have a chance to win you want to pull it off and win. You don’t get too many chances. So, yes, I’m disappointed, but I’m just happy that I — I’m happy I played well. It felt like a U.S. Open out there. Fast greens, long rough, narrow fairways, and big crowd, big vocal crowds. So it was a lot of fun. Obviously, I would have liked to have won but that was a fun day, a fun week.

Q. How much do you relish this sort of challenge as opposed to weeks when it’s 18- or 20-under par trying to win?
MARC LEISHMAN: I enjoy both, but this, I just love the — I love when you, if you shoot par it’s a good score. But it’s also fun shooting real low numbers. So I enjoy all sorts of golf, but this is a really big mental test. And going into the PLAYERS next week in a good place mentally and with the major season coming up as well. Yeah, so good signs. Going to take some positives out of this. Happy to put four pretty good rounds together and try and do the same thing at PLAYERS next week.

Q. (Question about playing Sawgrass.)
MARC LEISHMAN: Not really, to be honest. I think I missed the last few cuts there. I think I’m due for a good week there. That’s why I’m going there. But my game’s in a good spot. I feel great with the putter. Hoping next week can be my week there. I only had one top 10 there in 10 or 11 events. So it hasn’t a happy hunting ground for me, but we’ll try and change that.

Orlando, Florida

March 8, 2020

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PGA Tour: Rory McIlroy Talks Coming Up Just Short Of a Victory Yet Again at Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 08: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the third tee during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 08, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Rory McIlroy addresses the media following his final round 76 at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational in which he failed yet again to capture a victory but earns his 5th consecutive top 5 finish in 2020.

PGA Tour: Rory McIlroy earns fifth consecutive top five finish with final round 76 at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Q. Just some comments on the day and the conditions of the course over the weekend.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I mean, obviously, tough weekend. I guess for me today two bad, two loose shots sort of cost me. The third shot on 6 and then the tee shot on 9. I made two doubles there. Obviously, played the rest of the holes in even par and if I hadn’t have done that I would have had a good chance. But, yeah, it was tough. Look, I stood up here yesterday saying that the key tomorrow was to keep the big numbers off your card and I made two of those today and that’s what cost me.

Q. Last year sort of similar situation. Afterwards you said, Hey, the great thing about golf is you get back on the horse and play again the next week and obviously that’s what happened, the next week you won?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it’s very, there’s a lot of similarities between the start of this year and the start of last year. A lot of chances not converting, but knowing that the game’s pretty much there. So just keep knocking on the door and go up to Ponte Vedra tomorrow and work on a few things. And, yeah, get back at it again.

Q. Knowing what happened last year, being in a similar situation, does it almost make it easier or is it still very aggravating to you?
RORY MCILROY: I mean, it’s aggravating but at the same time like I just have to keep telling myself the game’s there. It’s not as if I’m walking off the course and — I didn’t have my best stuff again over the weekend, but neither did anyone in these really tough conditions. The two, I guess the two doubles that I made today sort of, I don’t know, it’s, I think if I am going to keep getting myself into contention like I am, I just need to sort of stop making those big numbers. And if I can do that, hopefully the course next week’s a little more benign, a few more chances, and sort of play the style of golf that I want to play. I was very defensive out there and that’s sort of what you had to do this week and hopefully next week we get a chance to be a little more aggressive.

Q. Seems like people expect you to win every week because you’re No. 1 in the world. Can you talk about the expectations of that and how hard it is to win out here?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I mean, I expect myself — I mean, I’m doing what I expect myself to do every week, which is giving myself a chance. I give myself a chance most weeks and the more weeks than not it’s not going to happen. That’s just the way golf is. I mean, I think my win percentage on TOUR is like 10 percent and I think that’s pretty high for anyone not being Tiger Woods. So, yeah, it’s one of those things. Like, I’ve had chances and I wish I had converted one of them over the last few weeks, but I’m still in good form. I’m playing some good golf. And hopefully if I just keep putting myself in those positions, it’s only a matter of time.

Q. How do the conditions compare today versus yesterday? Better? Worse?
RORY MCILROY: Similar. A different wind direction. I didn’t expect the wind to be up as much as it was. It was just as windy today as it was yesterday. The greens are firm, fairways are firm. So, yeah, I mean just a really tough weekend.

Q. What do you most need to improve upon before Augusta?
RORY MCILROY: Before Augusta? Driving it well. I mean, maybe just my mid-range putting, that’s sort of between 12 and 20 feet. I’m holing out — I missed a couple this week — but I’m holing out pretty well for the most part, but just giving myself a lot of chances between that sort of 12- and 20-foot range and not converting that many of them. So that’s pretty much it.

Q. You’re allowed to say nothing.
RORY MCILROY: No, no, there’s not nothing, there’s always something.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

Q. Did you think the bunker shot at 6 was okay when you hit it?
RORY MCILROY: I did, yeah. Actually, it was okay, I played it the way I wanted to. It came out a little hot, but I thought, I thought it was still going to hang on to the back edge. Obviously just trickled over into the hazard, so…

Q. It’s a thin margin.
RORY MCILROY: It is, yeah. That’s the thing out here, it’s just very, very fine lines.

Orlando, Florida

March 8, 2020

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PGA Tour: Graeme McDowell Talks Opening Round 65 at Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 05: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the 17th tee during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 05, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Major champion and Orlando native Graeme McDowell speaks with the media following an opening round 65 good for a tie for 5th place at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational

PGA Tour: Graeme McDowell speaks to the media following opening round of The Arnold Palmer Invitational

Q. Some birdies on the card, a couple bogies, the putt you made at 18, I know your mouth was wide open when it went in, I was calling it as it went in, I’m thinking, oh, man, it did a 360. 140 feet worth of puts today. Tell us about the round.
GRAEME MCDOWELL: I putted well. I putted very well. Seeing the greens well, feeling really good on the greens. The surfaces are fantastic this week. There’s not a lot of grain on them at all. They’re not up to speed yet, obviously, with the wind forecast today, I assume the maintenance crew decided that they were going to try to take the sting out of them a little bit. I’m fully expecting these greens to be pretty firm and pretty fast come the weekend here. But, listen, pleasing to putt like that. The save on 15 was probably the most important save of the day. I hit a 4-iron in there over the back, kind of knifed my bunker shot, put it in the front bunker and hit a phenomenal drop shot. I made a 20-footer for 5. It’s putts like that that really turn good rounds into great rounds and the putter certain served me well today.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

Q. The guys who finished in the morning who looked at the afternoon forecast thought, Oh, this is not going to be good for those guys. But we have seen some good numbers, including yours.
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Yeah, we were lucky to get two and a half, three hours where it really wasn’t blowing particularly strong. But eventually it did arrive and it made those last five or six holes quite tricky. And the golf course remains playable, because I think there’s a lot of cross winds. There’s not a lot of into-the-teeth type shots. 9 is probably, 9 and 15 are probably the two standout really difficult holes on the course, and the rest are just kind of playable.

So we’re going to see a completely different wind direction tomorrow, so it’s going to be interesting. I always like that because I feel like guys put a game plan together and then when the wind switches game plans are out the window, so you have to be smart and have a great caddie and be able to think on your feet.

Q. You call Orlando home now you’re a restauranteur, a dad more than once, a husband, major champion. First time you played here was 2005 and you finished second. What does this tournament and the legend of Mr. Palmer mean to you and this Orlando community?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Yeah, I think this tournament continues to grow as far as what it means to me. I think having both my kids in the Winnie Palmer Hospital, to be an ambassador to this tournament the year after Mr. Palmer passed away, having two seconds here, having my family here. Like all of the above really makes this a special event for me. It’s a golf course I feel comfortable on, which is very nice. And, listen, love to, dearly love to have this one on the resume. But the most important thing this week is Mr. Palmer’s legacy, just taking that extra second to be a great role model, to be a great professional and living up to the standards that he really, that he laid out for us all.

Orlando, Florida

March 5, 2020

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PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational Leader Matt Every Speaks With the Media Following Round 1

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 05: Matt Every of the United States reacts after his birdie during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 05, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Two-time Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Matt Every addresses the media following an opening round 65, taking a one stroke overnight lead over Rory McIlroy.

PGA Tour: Matt Every addresses the media after capturing overnight lead at 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Matt Every to the interview room. Matt, great playing out there. What was clicking for you so well?

MATT EVERY: Everything, really. I just played pretty good. At the start of the day, I just didn’t want to shoot myself out of the tournament with the weather the way it was, but I got off to a good start. The putter actually was a little shaky. It’s always a little shaky, but it was a little shaky to start. I didn’t really make anything and then I made a nice par save on 14 and then I started making some putts after that, and it just worked out. It was a good day for me.

2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Leaderboard

THE MODERATOR: You’ve obviously had a lot of success here in the past. What about this course kind of suits your eye?

MATT EVERY: I don’t really — I actually think it’s probably a drawer’s course, but I’m more of a — I like to work it left-to-right. I think, if anything, it kind of forces me off the tee to — there’s a lot of holes here where it’s iron off the tee and so I’m going to be hitting out of the fairway and my strength is probably my irons. So, and maybe it gives me more opportunities. I don’t know, but something.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up for some questions here.

Q. So when did you kind of know it was your day? I mean, on the front nine you made, like, three putts that were, like, bombs.
MATT EVERY: Yeah. Well, I’m not apologizing for that. Probably on the second hole, I made a really long one and I wasn’t — those are just luck, especially when it’s windy out and these greens are pretty crusty already. You’re just, they’re, I mean, you know, I think it was probably like a 40- or 50-footer that broke 6 feet and the wind’s blowing and I’m just trying to get down in two. Things like that happen when you have good days and — probably on No. 2.

Q. What’s the key to, like, your mentality, just to kind of build on this? And I know you’ve had your share of struggles. How do you just keep it moving forward?
MATT EVERY: Well, my short-term memory isn’t very good, so that is a strength sometimes. And I just, I don’t know, I’ll be all right. I mean, either way it’s crazy how much this game can affect like your life — or not your life but just the way you, maybe your mindset or whatever. But it’s going to be all right either way no matter what I shoot tomorrow. But I think I’m going to be all right this week. I’m hitting it really good. We’ll see. It’s only Thursday — it’s Thursday though, I know, and there’s a lot of golf left.

Q. What kind of frame of mind did you leave Honda in? And knowing you’re coming here, did it help?
MATT EVERY: Probably a little bit. I left Honda — I actually flew up to see my coach on Saturday after Honda. Something was off and I bent my irons, like, two degrees upright, a little change in my swing, and I was back, and, you know, it was night and day. And then all week here it’s been really good on the course and on the range and those days don’t really, those days don’t count, but it did translate over and that’s nice to see.

Q. When you first came to Bay Hill however many years ago, was it a course that you always kind of felt fit your game or did it take some time?
MATT EVERY: No, like, well, when I first came here, my dad used to bring me here. I never really thought about playing it. But yeah, even before I won I probably played here a few times before it and I don’t think I like lit the world on fire here. It wasn’t — I might have had like a 30th or something, but it’s — I don’t know what it is. It just works out here sometimes.

Q. The record will show that you were 20 shots better than the last round of golf you played on the PGA TOUR. What do you think of that?
MATT EVERY: I think it’s, I think it’s awesome. I wouldn’t read too much into that last round.

Q. A little skewed —
MATT EVERY: Yeah, I mean there was a hole last week, where, the way I was hitting it, I could have just — yeah, I wouldn’t read too much into it.

Q. I mean, there’s one hole you made an 11. Just curious, what happened on that? Were you just —
MATT EVERY: No, so, okay, I’ll tell you what happened. It was a back left pin. I was already going to miss the cut. It was — the wind was off the right. I had been having problems all week holding the wind and I’m, and I normally can hold the wind. And I’m not going to learn anything by skanking one out to the right and bailing out. I know I can do that. So I wasn’t leaving that tee until I hit the shot I wanted and I flushed every one of them, like, exactly in the same spot in the water. And then finally I hit one that held it. But, yeah, that’s just —

Q. You hit, what, a 4-iron?
MATT EVERY: I hit four 5-irons and then one 4-iron.

Q. What took you four shots to go to the 4?
MATT EVERY: I think I had like two balls left and it was, I just didn’t want to have to deal with that talking about, you know, it’s just — I was ready to get out of there.

Q. But you finished.
MATT EVERY: I did, yeah.

Q. This is going to sound like a really vague question, but what’s your attitude like?
MATT EVERY: Right now?

Q. Yeah. Is it good?
MATT EVERY: It’s all right. My year hasn’t been great. I’ve had some back issues all year, really. The warm weather helps big time. It sucks having those. You know it’s there in the back of your head and some days are better than others, but.

Q. Is it low back?
MATT EVERY: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But my attitude’s pretty good, though. Like, as a whole this year, it’s been really good. I think it’s good all the time now. I mean, I get angry but who doesn’t get angry?

Q. I don’t want to take anything away from your round but when you teed up this morning, probably Rory is in the clubhouse at 6-under. What is it like when you see a guy like the world No. 1 on top of the leaderboard and like years ago we always used to see Tiger on the top of the leaderboard. Is there an extra incentive in teeing up when you see a guy like Rory up there to try and match that score?
MATT EVERY: Well, when I teed it up today, I was, I swear, I was just trying not to shoot myself out of the tournament. It was — and that’s just the truth. It was pumping and it’s not easy. But clipped Rory by one today.

Q. You had bogey-free today. You were bogey-free, I saw, at Spyglass during Pebble Beach. Do you feel like your game has started to turn the corner in a way?
MATT EVERY: Well, I always feel like my good stuff has been really, is really, really good. There’s just no, like, middle ground with me, though. That’s the problem. It’s, like, either ragged or really good. I don’t know if I’ll ever be like Mr. Consistent out here. I don’t know if I have that in me. Like, I don’t know if I have the mental makeup to do that. It’s just not really who I am. I don’t know. But, yeah, I feel good about my game right now.

Q. Do you still think of this as your home game or is PLAYERS or —
MATT EVERY: Well, probably here. I mean, I moved. I live in Jacksonville now, but I’ve had way more success here than TPC, that’s for sure. And here it feels like — like, TPC is the TOUR’s thing. This feels like, I don’t know, just feels different. There’s a ton of guys. You know what I’m saying? I guess there’s a ton of guys that live in Orlando it too, but there’s not a lot of guys that are from Florida. Like, a lot of guys move here, but I don’t know. Stop thinking so hard.

Q. I need to be more like you.
What was the best shot of the day?

MATT EVERY: 16. I caught a really big gust. It started to like really gust on the tee. I probably should have backed off and I hit a really good drive, but it just got clobbered and I had like 220-something into the hole, and I hit a 3-wood. It was straight into the wind and I hit a really good 3-wood to probably, like, 12 feet. That was the best one, I thought.

Q. Were you pissed when you missed the putt?
MATT EVERY: I expected to miss it, to be honest.

Q. Why?
MATT EVERY: Just because that’s what I do. I miss those.

Q. But it’s still interesting and I’m kind of rehashing here, but you haven’t really, since Dallas probably, I would have to look it up, which was a really nice run, done anything and then you show up and boom, 65. Should we expect it because it’s Matt Every at Bay Hill?
MATT EVERY: No, see, I don’t think that either, though. That’s too much thinking for me to do right now.

Q. I over did it too, apparently. And lastly, just kind of in house cleaning, are you at — where are you with any type of a TUE coming off the thing from last year? Are you at peace with that? Have you sorted that out? What have you got going?
MATT EVERY: Well, I think actually after Dallas, you know, that was, it’s not like — when that stuff comes out it’s not like it just happens right then. That had been going on for awhile. And it was probably in the back of my mind a little bit and affected my game a little. I have applied for one and I’ve been denied. I might a play again. I don’t know yet.

Q. Do you know why you were denied?
MATT EVERY: It’s not FDA approved. There’s a lot of reasons, I’m sure. Oh, I know. Xanax is way safer to take than THC, so that’s, that’s probably one of the reasons. But — that was a joke. But it’s not — look, I am at peace with it. I don’t, it doesn’t bother me at all. Well, I change my mind. Actually, no, that’s wrong. It bothers me that it’s even an issue out here at all. I think it doesn’t do anybody any favors that it’s even on the list for a prohibited substances. You could fail for heroin and marijuana and the penalty is the same. If anyone wants to make the argument that that is performance enhancing, they have never done it before. I promise it’s not. It’s just — I don’t know. It’s just — I think, I think it would be really cool if — I know the NHL has taken some steps and a couple other, the MLB has, the — what, the NFL just had their, what do you call it?

Q. CBA.
MATT EVERY: Yeah. And they have talked about it. I think it would be cool if we were proactive about it and made some changes. I, you know, anxiety is a real thing and the way I treat it — like, I know I treat it the healthiest way possible for my body. And but WADA doesn’t think so and the TOUR goes by what WADA says. So it’s really silly, to be honest. It’s really silly. Now I’m kind of fired up about it, so I’m going to stop talking now.

Q. A little bit along those lines, one by one states — it’s becoming legalized in states now —
MATT EVERY: Right.

Q. — so is that part of what you’re, it’s kind of part of the point you’re making, is it not?
MATT EVERY: A little bit. I think it’s — look, I don’t want — I’m not in this for attention. I don’t want to have social media, like, this is, it’s about me, to be honest. I don’t — yeah, it’s decriminalized in, like, 41 states, I think. I don’t want to be a spokesperson for it. I’m not into that. I also, you know, I’ve tried other, other options, CBD oil, whatever. Snake oil. I mean, CBD oil. Whatever. So I know what works for me. You know, I’ve had to dial back a little bit, but it is what it is.

Q. Is there anything you can — you know, what do you do, I guess, not being able to do what you want to do? You know what I mean?
MATT EVERY: Sure. So there’s levels — well geez, this got, this took, took a turn (Laughing.)

So, there’s levels — here’s the other thing that’s weird. The cutoff for THC is 150 nanograms. So you could have, you know, let’s just — we’ll use me. If I get tested and I have, and I’m at 145, good to go. If I’m at 155, I’m a drug abuser. That’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Matt, thanks for the time, we’ll wrap it up. Great playing today.

Orlando, Florida

March 5, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports