"If you don't want to be in the limelight or be around crowds and stuff like that, then just don't play any good golf."
Thursday 14 March 2019 13:46, UK
Matt Wallace is determined to enjoy the pressure of playing in his first Players Championship this week.
The 28-year-old is preparing for his first appearance at TPC Sawgrass after a steady start to 2019 which has seen him finish second in Dubai and in a tie for sixth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.
The world No 35, who will play the first two rounds alongside Chris Kirk and Brian Gay, says there is more to come from him and he is looking forward to mixing it with the best in the world.
"The beauty of it is it's not my best stuff. I'd be disappointed if I was playing my best stuff and not winning or giving myself a really good chance," he said.
"I enjoy the challenge [of Sawgrass]. It's tough, but that's what gives it its stature, because you know that at the end of the week, if you've still played well, then you deserve everything you get out of this tournament.
"It's about not being scared to do a lot of good things, not being scared to play - to try and compete at the highest level.
"I always have this philosophy that if you don't want to be in the limelight or be around crowds and stuff like that, then just don't play any good golf.
"If you want to win and you want to do some good stuff, you're going to have that. It's going to come with playing good golf. So I try and take that all in and enjoy all that.
"This is what we practice for. I'm a rookie here, and I'm 35th in the world. Not many people can say they've done that before, and that's pretty special.
"To play against the best players in the world is exactly what I have tried to do for many, many years. It will be very special."
