Q. What were you able to do after the slow start to kind of steady the ship and obviously had that great back nine that you had today?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I mean, I said to Dan kind of after seven or eight holes really, I didn't feel like I'd hit that many bad shots. The shot on 1, it's not a great tee shot, but it's not like it's out of play. Obviously kind of behind the 8-ball with the second shot, and half decent chip, missed that. 3, second shot, not horrendous, not the end of the world. Obviously on that hole it makes it a difficult up-and-down, missed that. Then you feel like you're behind the 8-ball pretty quickly and kind of scrambling and you're looking for shots and then you've got 4, the tough par-3 to face, as well.
Again, the bogeys that I made today, I didn't feel like I kind of hit it off the planet and I was scrambling and stuff. I just felt that they were holes that I didn't really make my par on, and I felt like I was making good enough swings to make a turnaround on the back nine. Obviously some nice momentum with the hole-outs on 14 and 15.
Q. What did you feel like you did best after holing 9 on?
MATT FITZPATRICK: I felt like I drove the ball pretty well. 18, 16, 15, 13, 12, those holes, you've got chances if you hit the fairway. You have chances if you hit the fairway.
I think it's easy to kind of scramble around off the tee and you're sort of behind the few trees and whatnot. I was pleased the way I hit the ball off the tee coming in. Obviously then just some good putting on that back nine to take advantage of it.
Q. Do you believe in momentum? Do you feel that's a thing in your career?
MATT FITZPATRICK: It's funny, I remember having a conversation with Phil Kenyon that effectively momentum doesn't actually exist. It's probably psychological, isn't it.
I guess that is momentum, when you're feeling good with the putter, when you're feeling good with the driver, with your irons, you make a birdie, you hit it close, the next hole, you've got the same number you hit that to, you're feeling comfortable; that's the momentum, isn't it, I guess.
I feel like it can always change in one shot. Yeah, you've got to be on the ball at all times. Yeah, there's definitely something in it.
Q. Are there any courses on TOUR that you feel more comfortable at than here?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Not that I can think of really. Not that I can think of. I really like Phoenix. Phoenix is probably a good one actually. I feel very comfortable there. Yeah, I think it all depends on how you're playing. I remember playing all these different courses in years gone by when you've not played well, and I seem to remember saying to my dad one year, I had missed the cut here, and I was like, this course doesn't suit my game, when I was probably a little bit angry. But it's a course that I love.
It was just a little bit of a lash-out at the time, I think.
Q. Now you would say it does suit your game?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, obviously it would be stupid to say it doesn't. But I think it's not just that; I think it's easy to play a golf course when you enjoy it, when you like it, when you love the challenge or you love certain holes. I think it's harder to play a golf course where it doesn't necessarily fit you, whether it's a dogleg right and it feels uncomfortable to hit a cut or whatever. I think when that happens, it makes it more difficult to enjoy a golf course for sure.
Q. You talked about all the improvements you've made to your game over the past year and what you've worked on. How do you think the you of 2025 would be handling this position?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Probably just more nervous. I got myself in this position kind of fairly quickly. I was the last group off maybe on the Saturday at the PGA last year, so that's only a month later than here last year. I was definitely more nervous, and obviously between now and then, I've managed to have two wins and been in this position and been in contention. Even just being with my psychologist, telling him feelings and thoughts and stuff, it's been good because it's new again. It's probably different for Scottie and Rory, who are in these positions a lot of the weeks of the year and in contention and in the mix.
But the more you do it, I wouldn't say it ever gets any easier, but it might feel a little bit better, more comfortable, I guess.
Q. You had a pretty pro-Spieth crowd in your playoff win. Are you expecting the same with your playing partner Scottie tomorrow, and how are you prepared to tackle that?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, yeah, 100 percent. We're in America, so I wouldn't expect any different. Yeah, they've got to support their guy, and that's totally fine.
As long as they don't shout in my backswing, then they can do whatever they want. But I have a lot of people that support me this week, as well, and just looking forward to it. Scottie is a great guy, and looking forward to playing with him tomorrow.
Q. You mentioned getting behind the 8-ball early and turning it around. How much pride do you take in that, and is it a different type of pride than if you go out and make nine birdies and it's a satisfying round, but how is the satisfaction different in turning it around?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's always satisfying when you can turn it around, particularly if you have not played that well and you are struggling a little bit and not scoring as well as you want.
I think obviously it would have been nicer to go out with nine birdies, like you say, and kind of be plenty clear, but to be in the position I am tonight, obviously it's something that you'd snatch your hand off, so it's not like I can ever be disappointed. Even if I was one clear, it's still such a successful day, and I like to think a lot of the time of, well, even if I was two behind going into tomorrow you'd snatch your hand off at that on Wednesday night.
I guess it's all about perspective, and I've obviously put myself in a nice position, and hopefully can kick on tomorrow.
Q. What's it like having your parents here and being able to hug them after a nice round of golf?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's awesome. I love it. To have my wife here, my parents, and just spend some good quality time with them, it's a place that we love, obviously, and it just makes the week a lot more enjoyable, a lot more relaxing, as well.
Q. There's a picture of you with your dad that you've posted --
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah. I don't even know how old I was, probably about seven or eight. Yeah, it's pretty funny.
Q. What is it going to be like knowing you're going to be a dad and being able to share those types of memories as a dad?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's so exciting, obviously. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before. This is my first child. Yeah, just super excited for it. Super excited. I was talking to Ryan Fox a couple weeks ago and he was saying for nine months that you're like, yeah, I'm going to be a dad or whatever and it's kind of the "oh, shit" moment when you're on the way to the hospital and the baby is on the way. Obviously not had that yet, but all being well, in three months we'll have a healthy baby so we'll see.
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