MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 11, 2025

Matt McCarty

Quick Quotes

Q. What was the turnaround after the double bogey-bogey start?

MATT MCCARTY: Yeah, I made good putts on 3 and 4, which helped. But yeah, not the best start. But played well the rest of the day, so it was good.

Q. What worked so well for you the rest of the day?

MATT MCCARTY: I hit the ball a lot better than the first two holes; made some putts. I don't know, just kind of stuck with the game plan. I didn't let myself get too rattled I feel like. Just stayed focused and didn't think about what happened earlier and kind of moved on, and it was good.

Q. Pretty easy to turn that off after the tough start? Just put it behind you?

MATT MCCARTY: No, not easy, but figured it out somehow, yeah.

Q. At some point in your mind, were you thinking 2-over, I might flirt with not making the cut? Did that enter your mind at all?

MATT MCCARTY: Yeah, 100 percent. I didn't really hit a good shot until 6. I think that was our first green of the day. So yeah, definitely.

But no, I mean, I knew -- I hit the ball really well yesterday; didn't make any putts. So I knew I felt better with the putter out there, especially after 3 and 4, and I knew if I got back to the basics and kept it simple I'd be all right.

Q. Did you look up at the leaderboards and see your name up there and think about how cool it is?

MATT MCCARTY: Yeah, it's easier out here than normal. They didn't put me up there until 13 or whatever, so I didn't know. Yeah, just kind of stay focused on my own game and do the best I can and that's all I can do this week.

It's a lot of fun. You get on a roll out here, and obviously this golf course is very difficult if you get out of position, but if you're hitting good shots and giving yourself some good looks, you can make some birdies out here. So it was fun.

Q. Had you ever played here before, practice rounds or anything?

MATT MCCARTY: Me and my dad came in '09 so I was 11 or 12 and I remember it being hilly and good sweet tea and moon pies and everything. But no, I came out the week before THE PLAYERS, spent four days here, so played like a little mock tournament with myself, which was good, because the first day we were out here, it was kind of like this morning, like really soft and a little colder and windy. Good prep.

Then took last week off and got out here Saturday afternoon, so gave myself some time to learn this place.

I feel comfortable around it. I think if you can kind of play smart golf and hit good golf shots you'll be all right.

Q. What did you shoot in the Matt McCarty tournament?

MATT MCCARTY: I don't know, I would have been a lot closer to making the cut than I was after these first two days. But I played some good rounds and some okay rounds for sure.

Q. How well do you think you know this golf course?

MATT MCCARTY: I mean, not as well as most of these guys in the field I feel like, but as well as I've probably known any course this year just from growing up watching it on TV so much, honestly.

You kind of -- there's obviously some new changes every year, but I've been watching this tournament on TV since I was five years old, I think.

Q. You're going to play four rounds in the Masters; what has been the coolest thing you've experienced so far here this week?

MATT MCCARTY: I mean, there's a lot of cool things. I think being out here and just having the roars for you is the coolest part so far. Hopefully we can keep that going on the weekend.

Q. Ever get nervous this week at all, first tee?

MATT MCCARTY: Yeah, 100 percent. I think you've got to kind of just reframe that. I think I've learned over the last few years, reframe that nervousness into excitement. I think those feelings are the same in the body, and if you just tell yourself you're excited, and who's not excited to come out and play in the Masters and who's not nervous to come out and play in the Masters.

There's a big learning curve, but we'll see how we can do the next two days.

Q. You were red hot for so much of last year and then a few down tournaments at the start of this year but then it seems like you maybe found something. Is there anything concrete that led to those ups and downs or is that just golf?

MATT MCCARTY: It's just golf. I started hitting the ball better for sure. I think that's very helpful.

Q. How did you do that?

MATT MCCARTY: Just practice, keep it simple. I think it's tough -- I think last year, I learned how to shoot 7-, 8-under a lot and how to make a lot of birdies, and then you get out here, the courses are tougher, you kind of accept hitting it to 30, 40 feet, two-putting and pars are good.

But there's a lot of adjustments.

I've been a pro for almost four years -- this is my fourth year but only my 15th TOUR event, so I think that's a little crazy that it's at the Masters. But I think I've learned a lot, and excited to be out here and excited to be in this spot going into the next two days.

Q. Is there a different satisfaction playing well on a really tough test? You played well at THE PLAYERS, Valspar, and now here, compared to maybe shooting 8-under at an easier golf course.

MATT MCCARTY: Yeah, I like tough golf courses. I think me and Das can kind of think our way around this place pretty well. And I think maybe not knowing it, I think that's an advantage that we have, and I think that's a way I always kind of grew up -- I never hit it really far.

I was never amazing at anything. I kind of had to think my way around it and gain some shots that way. So this place kind of evens the playing field on that aspect for sure.

Q. Most courses are designed for right-handed golfers. There's a lot of talk about lefties at Augusta. Do you understand why people talk about it?

MATT MCCARTY: I don't know, I think if you look at the lefties, I think that just for the most part, those guys move the ball both ways. I think it's less about being left-handed.

There's obviously some shots, like 12 if you pull it you're going to cover. It's easier to hit a cut probably into the green on 13. But I think you've just got to move the ball both ways and be comfortable with doing that, and I think that was kind of a big part of my prep this week was don't really -- obviously you can go to some stock shots and for me that's a draw, but there's a lot of fades you've got to hit out here, and I think if you're comfortable moving it both ways and hitting it in the right spots with the right shot, I think that's bigger than anything.

Q. Being your first tournament, what was your travel plans? Did you make any solid travel plans, what happened if you didn't make the cut, if you did make the cut? How flexible was all that?

MATT MCCARTY: I'm not in RBC next week, so I was going to take next week off anyway. I probably would have hung out for a couple days, but it's way better to do it this way than just walking around. Who knows. I'm glad I don't have to find out.