Q. How would you characterize that round?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Good play, good breaks, took advantage of them, is probably the best way to describe it. I feel like I played well, had some good breaks and took advantage of them.
Q. Is there something this week with your putting? You're 94th in strokes gained putting this year. This week so far you're second. Is there anything you've worked on or is it just golf?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I had a really good conversation with Phil Kenyon this week at the start of the week. I was frustrated and disappointed with my putting last week. It's easy to say, but if you putt anything like last week and then get in the mix the way that I hit the ball, so come here not with high confidence with the putter and felt like we needed to really look into things and have a thought about what's going to be different this week. Is it technically, is it reading.
We touched on a few things and just feel like it's given me a little bit more freedom, more than anything. With that obviously becomes more flow to the stroke, more flow to the routine. That's sort of normally when I putt better.
Q. Do you feel like the greens that Davis did in the restoration are a little more subtle?
MATT FITZPATRICK: I'm biased; I've obviously putted so well. I felt like before they were so subtle it was difficult to see any breaks. I feel like now maybe -- I don't know exactly what he's done, but I feel like there's arguably a little bit more break in some of them, so it at least gives you a clearer picture of some of your reads.
I think they did a great job. There's always a worry with particularly my favorite golf course, so when you hear the words "redo," you get a little bit nervous, but they've done an incredible job.
Q. I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about the 14th hole. Describe that hole and the completion.
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, didn't quite do what we anticipated. Felt like the shot I hit wasn't great but it wasn't that bad, and then yeah, it's obviously nice to get those breaks. You need those in golf. It's not always going to go your way for 72 holes. Nice to get the break and then nice to take advantage of it.
Q. I know you came here to vacation as a kid. Did you ever play here on those vacations?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I only played twice. I only played twice. I can't remember what ages. Yeah, obviously a long time ago now, but yeah, it was always enjoyable.
Q. Would you have played with your brother?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Just my dad.
Q. What was it like seeing your brother win - I know you tweeted about it - on DP a few weeks ago?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it was awesome. I was in bed at home, but just so happened to wake up in the middle of the night and looked at the scores, and he was one behind with four to play, so I figured I'd turn it on. It was pitch black in my room, and I'm with my phone kind of looking, not to wake my wife and whatnot.
It was cool to follow those last four holes.
Q. Do you follow that DP top 10, and what would it mean to --
MATT FITZPATRICK: Totally. I know what it's all about. My brother knows what it's all about. It was definitely his goal at the start of the year. So far he's had a great start to get into that.
Q. I know you missed the putt, but what club did you hit on 8?
MATT FITZPATRICK: 7-iron.
Q. That was at least through 10 or 11 holes some really good golf for the both of you. It almost looked like a Tuesday money game. Did it feel like that?
MATT FITZPATRICK: It felt comfortable. Yeah, it felt comfortable. It felt like get it in the fairway and I felt like I'd give myself a chance. I feel like my approach play has been good this year. It was just a continuation of that, really.
Q. I know you told us in '23 when you won here, but a little bit about how you and your family used to come here when you were growing up and how you had this love affair with Harbour Town long before you became a professional golfer. Could you recount that just a little bit for us?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, we just used to come -- we probably came three or four times, I think, when I was younger. A couple of times came to watch the tournament. I don't think it was the Heritage -- I don't think it was the RBC Heritage at this point; I think it was maybe Verizon one year. Yeah, just really, really good memories.
I remember I think I ended up getting a golf ball from Boo Weekley. Yeah, I just remember I stood around the putting green and hoping by chance I could get on to the putting green somehow but obviously it was never going to happen.
Q. How does a family from England wind up picking Hilton Head to go on vacation instead of going someplace closer?
MATT FITZPATRICK: I played nine holes with Keegan the other day, and he asked me that. I'm pretty sure my dad was -- it was the early days of the internet, so I think he just literally, it was like Googled tennis, golf, good weather basically, and Florida was a fortune at that time, so here was a great spot. Golf was really great price. Obviously it's a lovely area.
Q. How old were you the first time you came here?
MATT FITZPATRICK: I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell you.
Q. Roughly?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Nine, ten.
Q. Did you have a chance before this week to play the course since they did all the restoration?
MATT FITZPATRICK: No, I haven't.
Q. Can you give me your impressions of what you saw and does it remind you of the course you remember from way back when?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's not changed much, it's just subtleties on the green. But I think they've done a great job. I said already today, you hear the word "redo," you always get a little bit worried when it's a golf course you enjoy. Yeah, it's kind of nice to play the golf course and there's not much of a change.
Q. Should we assume anything from the fact that you shot 17-under to win and you're 14-under already?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, we'll see. I don't know if 17 is going to be enough this year, but you never know. The wind picks up this afternoon, it's not easy, so we'll see.
Q. Are you playing better now than you were then? Would that be fair to say?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, technically. Probably yeah.
Q. In what ways?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Probably just a bit more confidence in my own game, own ability, I would say, more than anything. Yeah, I feel probably more comfortable. I have a bit more idea of what's coming off the club here now.
Q. Have you talked about the bounce at 14 yet?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah. 40 people have asked me already. No, I'm kidding. Only one person. Yeah, it was lucky, there's no two ways about it. Sometimes you need that in a week, and it's nice to get it, and then even nicer to take advantage of it, obviously.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports