WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 20, 2002

Matt Gogel

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: We'd like to welcome Matt Gogel, first round victory at the Accenture Match-Play Championship over Darren Clarke, the 2000 Champion.

Matt, if you would not mind getting us started with maybe a little bit about the format of match-play, but also a little bit about your day overall.

MATT GOGEL: Well, it's been a while since I've played some match-play, my amateur days in 1994 is the last time I played a match.

I enjoy it because you still have to really play your own ball, but you also have to play the strategy of your opponent. It's a little bit different. Basically, it comes down to who is putting pretty well that day. Getting off to our first start, we both parred the first two holes, and Darren made finally a birdie putt on No. 3, and I came back and squared the match on the fourth hole, hitting it about four inches from the Cup from 114 yards.

So, from that point, it was just kind of -- I had the honor. I made a few more birdies, he bogeyed the next hole and I made a 12-footer for par. So through the match, I made a lot of putts, made my birdies, made my par saves, and Darren played well. He just didn't get anything to drop.

Q. What did you think about your draw against Darren?

MATT GOGEL: Obviously, Darren has got some history on this course, playing in 2000 and winning it, I think beating Tiger in 36 holes. So, he knows the golf course well and he's obviously played well.

In the same regard, I've played very well recently and, in one day, gosh, anything could happen. I mean, I was very impressed with his game, the way he drives the ball, his iron play. He's got a lot of shots -- obviously, he's 13th in the world. But he didn't make his putts and that left the door open for me.

I think 9 was a momentum swing a little bit in the sense that I still had the honor, and he reached the green in two and left his eagle putt about a foot short and I made a birdie from about 12 feet; so, I didn't give up anything there. So I go to the 10th tee with the honor still and 3-up. So I thought that was kind of a nice way to play the front nine.

Q. Are there any real underdogs in this format?

MATT GOGEL: You know, I wouldn't say -- well, sure, I'm an underdog playing against one of the Top 15 players in the world and the guy who is the defending champion. But it just shows you that the level of the Top-64 players or 100 players in the world, however you want to count down. Steve Stricker won last year, but when you get into a format like this, a guy gets hot, he makes more putts than the other guy, and I know it sounds easy, but you win six matches and you're the champion.

So each match you win, half of the field is being eliminated, and that's not the case in the other events we play in the rest of the year.

Q. There's a demoralizing effect when a guy is making putts on the other guy. Did you notice anything in his demeanor or -- you made a putt at 5, 9, the one at 13; does that wear a guy down?

MATT GOGEL: Absolutely. In fact, you look for that, too. In match-play, like I said, you play off your opponent. You look for frustration. Darren is a better player than me. You know, day-in and day-out he's a better player than me. But the 8th hole, I hit it in there about five feet and he hit it in about 18 feet, and he hit another very nice putt and went by the hole. He dropped his putter and he was frustrated.

To me, you know, you kind of feed off that a little bit and he made my 5-footer for birdie to go to 3-up. Demoralizing, absolutely. But that's match-play, the momentum swing is so apparent.

Q. When you noticed that frustration, is there something that you do in your game, do you try and maybe go for it a little more?

MATT GOGEL: Maybe it relaxes me a little more. I mean, I knew I was going to have a battle. I fully expected to be hitting a tee shot on 18. I thought he was due to make a putt and I thought he was going to make that putt on 17 that caught the lip.

You know, that's just -- it's golf. He's a very good player.

Q. It almost sounds to me like if -- (inaudible)?

MATT GOGEL: I mean, I don't think of it up front, but maybe subconsciously, you kind of feel like, well, if I don't have a whole lot to lose here, if I'm up three or four in the match, I'm playing well; that putts the other guy on the defensive, a guy that's supposed to -- and I'm sure he expected to win today. He won in 2000; I'm sure he expected to win today.

Q. Did you guys talk at all?

MATT GOGEL: Yeah, a little bit. He's a very nice guy. First time I had met him. We talked a little bit.

But he was frustrated, obviously. He had a lot of putts that just went right by the hole, and, of course, I made mine. So, it was kind of business out there in the sense that you're trying to beat the other guy.

Q. How much do you think coming in here as a winner did for your confidence?

MATT GOGEL: You know, probably not much because I think just about every match I'm going to play I'm going to be the underdog, as far as the seeding is concerned.

I'm still -- I'm not awestruck in the sense that I've been out here just long enough, but it's nice to be in a field that has the 60 best players in the world, and it's the first time I've been here.

So in that regard, it's a good feeling. I think it helps a little bit, but these guys have played this match-play event, most of the guys, four times now, or five times; I think this is the fifth year for it. So in that regard, I am not as well experienced as the others.

Q. Some guys really like the underdog kind of role. Is that a role that you like being at, not being expected a lot of necessarily or not being counted on to win?

MATT GOGEL: Well, this is going back to a long time ago, but I won three State Amateurs and lost the finals of my very last match. And I was always the favorite and I liked that role because you have more of an aggressive approach, you have more of an attack approach. You feel like you're the top dog and you should beat these guys. I think that weighs more in your favor than being a guy that, well, maybe I don't deserve to win this match and maybe he really is better than me; you get into the match and you're one or two down, that's what your expectations are. I'd rather be the favorite, because you feel like, "I deserve to beat these guys."

Q. How much have you learned since you've been on the Tour?

MATT GOGEL: From a physical standpoint, I'm a much better driver of the golf ball. That was my Achilles heel when I first got on the PGA TOUR. But like today, the last five holes I was right down the middle of the fairway; winning at Pebble this year, coming down the last five holes, I put it in the fairway every time. So I never hurt myself.

In the year 2000, I missed two or three fairways coming down the stretch.

From the mental side, just a little bit of the experience now -- I have very little experience in this format or against this field, but just being out here long enough, the feeling that you belong.

Q. In sizing up your game, has putting always been a strength?

MATT GOGEL: Putting has always been a strength, but I've always struggled on bermudagreens. Growing up in the Midwest on bentgreens, typically fast, and even poa annua greens, I've always putted well because there's so much lag putting; I put so much feel into it the on bermudagreens, I get lost and I have no confidence. I understand the guys from Florida, they can't stand the bentgreens. And I don't want to go to Florida because I lose my confidence on bermudagreens. Putting has always been my strength and I think when I get on the right type of surfaces, I'm pretty good.

Q. Does that mean you won't play too many tournaments on the Florida Swing?

MATT GOGEL: That's exactly what I mean.

Q. How will you prepare for the Masters?

MATT GOGEL: I'm not in the Masters, but I will play -- at least I'm tentatively planning on playing Bay Hill, but I will play THE PLAYERS Championship. I won't play the first two in Florida. Then I'll be going to the to the Kentucky Derby during the New Orleans tournament because that's on bermuda.

Q. So you take your breaks depending on the greens?

MATT GOGEL: Typically, yeah. I didn't play Hawaii this year. Started up at the Bob Hope.

Q. As a dedicated horse player, are you a big fan?

MATT GOGEL: I love the thoroughbreds. Taking my wife this year to the Derby, you bet. Tried to convince her to go to Santa Anita (ph), but she didn't go for that; got a six-month-old.

Q. Now that you are down to 32 players, what do you think your thought pattern will be for the next match?

MATT GOGEL: Well, beat Steve Lowery. I've played with Steve a few times. He's a pretty aggressive player. Makes a lot of birdies. If he has an off-day and I play like I did today, I have a great chance of beating him; and then you worry about the next match after that. But I know my opponent. I know his game. I know I'm playing pretty well, and if I make some putts and play well tomorrow, I'll have a good chance of beating him.

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