RBC Heritage
Friday, June 19, 2020
Matthew NeSmith
Quick Quotes
Q. Matthew, fantastic second round. You get it to 9 under par headed into the weekend. You started with a double bogey. You turned it around from there, didn't you?
MATTHEW NeSMITH: Yeah, the golf course was right up my alley. I made one bad swing off the 1st tee, but after that, I played really, really nicely. Kind of did everything I did yesterday, just playing fairways and greens and try to make a few putts and just kind of plod your way along this golf course. You can't really take advantage of it. It's a place where you kind of have to play position golf, and I feel like that's what I did today.
Q. Even though this is your first time playing this event as a professional, you certainly played this layout many times, Won here before in other events, and had some special moments here as well, correct?
MATTHEW NeSMITH: Yeah, I got engaged here. I won the Junior Heritage down here. I won the Players Am not far from here. So it's a place I really enjoy coming. My wife and I had spent some time down here just on our own. So it's a place where I feel really comfortable, and I have some good memories.
Q. Matthew, just assess your second round, please.
MATTHEW NeSMITH: Yeah, I played really nicely. I made one bad swing off the 1st tee, but after that, I kind of started to settle in and get more comfortable, made a few good swings on the front, made a couple putts, and started to find a rhythm, and you just do what -- kind of that's my game. Fairways and greens and make some putts, and that's just kind of how I've always done it.
Q. As you said, you have some real good feelings down here, obviously getting engaged here, winning the Players Am and the Junior Heritage. What is it about this area that your game kind of suits?
MATTHEW NeSMITH: I don't know. I drive it decently, and I hit my irons really, really well. This is kind of a place where that kind of formula kind of helps out. So I've just played good golf. I don't know what it is. I have some love for the area and just good feelings and good vibes.
I can't really say -- I mean, that's just the way it works. You feel good about the place. You like the area. You like the places where you eat, you like the people down here, you like the golf course, things just kind of fall into place.
Q. What can you draw on this week as you're in contention, either from your past amateur wins or anything else too, kind of help you along maybe have a focal point going forward?
MATTHEW NeSMITH: Well, it's just like anything. Even when you win as a junior golfer and as an amateur and kind of mini tours, they all feel the same. So I've been around this golf course with a lead. I've won on this golf course. So I just think it's kind of the same as that. They all feel the same. You start to get comfortable, and you just kind of keep doing what you've always done.
Q. Obviously, the news has just come out, you just kind of learned about it. Nick Watney tested positive for COVID-19. Just your initial reaction to that news.
MATTHEW NeSMITH: I mean, I hadn't really seen him. I hope he gets better. I hope he feels better. Other than that, I don't really know anything about it.
Q. And you mentioned this before. The TOUR -- you've gone through tons of processes and all this testing and the social distancing. Does it surprise you that a fellow player has tested positive?
MATTHEW NeSMITH: I don't know. I mean, the TOUR has done everything they possibly can to make sure that we have a safe and a good environment to play in. So I think that just, if we keep doing what we're doing, I think we can minimize everything that's going on.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Rev #1 by #181 at 2020-06-19 21:05:00 GMT
