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PGA Tour: Dustin Johnson Talks 2020 AT&T Pro-Am and Recent R&A Distance Report

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Dustin Johnson of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the fourth hole during a practice round prior to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Monterey Peninsula Country Club on February 05, 2020 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Dustin Johnson speaks about making his first start since the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am touching on subjects such as the potential conception of a new premiere golf league.

PGA Tour: Dustin Johnson addresses the media prior to the AT&T Pro-Am

Leaderboard & Tee Times: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

JACK RYAN: We would like to welcome Dustin Johnson to the interview room here at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Dustin’s a two-time champion making his 13th start at the event. Dustin, if we could just get an opening comment on your return to Pebble Beach.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I always look forward to coming to this event. It’s one of my favorite events we play all year. I like all the golf courses. This year they’re probably in the best shape I’ve ever seen them. It looks like we’re going to have a little bit better weather than last year, so that’s a plus. But, yeah, it’s a lot of fun, I enjoy playing here, got a good partner, so we have a good time.

JACK RYAN: You’re making your first start since the Sentry Tournament of Champions where you finished T-7. How would you assess the state of your game right now?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It’s pretty good. I had a nice week last week. Obviously, I played on the European Tour last week. But, you know, really solid event and yeah, this will be my second event this year, so. But it’s a place where I’ve had a lot of success. I feel like the game’s in really good form and I’m really looking forward to this week.

JACK RYAN: We’ll take some questions, please.

Q. So you played here as a rookie in 2008, I think, right? That would have been your first year. Did you like it right away, because it’s not suited for some people in terms of patience or what have you.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I did. I enjoyed it.

Q. Why?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I just like the golf courses. I think they all set up pretty well for me and I’ve liked them ever since the first time I played here. And, yeah, I enjoy the event. It’s different, but I’ve had a lot of fun. I’ve had, obviously, it helps having a good Am partner, too, that you enjoy being around because you do spend a lot of time together out there during the week.

Q. Did you play with –you’ve had —
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Joe Rice.

Q. Joe Rice.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Who I played with for a few years, yeah.

Q. And then you kicked him out and got Wayne?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: We got, yeah, I got Wayne. I got stuck with Wayne, so… could be worse.

Q. Long hitter that you are, was curious if you had read or heard anything about the USGA, R & A report on distance, first of all, just to ask if you saw it.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I saw the e-mail and then I looked at how long it was and I did not read it. I mean, to be honest, I really did. I looked at it and it was like 18 pages or something and I said, yeah, I didn’t even try to read it.

Q. Longer than you hit it. But you kind of know what the gist is, basically, right?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I didn’t read any of it.

Q. Well, they’re essentially saying that the ball goes too far. Does it really matter? Whatever you did — my point being, whatever you did to the golf ball, if you let it keep going or if you dialed it back, like Jack Nicklaus says, 10 percent, 20 percent, whatever, would the longest hitters still be the longest hitters?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I don’t see that changing. And to be honest, it’s not like the scores are lower than they used to be or they’re any different, if you look at the scores, or at least from what I could tell. It’s all conditions, really. If you look at, if a course is firm and fast and it has rough, it plays hard, doesn’t matter what course it is. If it’s soft, we’re going to shoot pretty low. It’s just general, kind of the general look at things. But I mean, I don’t think it goes too far and I don’t think we make this game too easy, or it sure is not easy for me.

Q. Could you just update us on the state of your game, the areas that you’re pleased with, the areas that you think you need more work on?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Right now I feel pretty good throughout the bag. I mean, obviously, the short game and putting can always be better. But for the most part, I feel like the game’s in pretty good form right now. Yeah, I haven’t played a whole lot, but the events have I played in, I felt like I was pretty sharp. Hawaii, which was my first kind of stroke play event since the TOUR Championship was, I felt like I hit it really good, hit a lot of good shots, I did everything pretty well, just a little rusty mentally more than anything. But now that I feel like I’m kind of getting back into the swing of things, I felt like I did a good job last week, even though it was very tough conditions, especially on the weekend.

Q. I know you’ve been asked this before, but is there anything about the experience of playing — what is it about the experience of playing with Wayne that you think maybe benefits you?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, we get along very well. Obviously, the rounds are long here, we’re playing foursomes and there’s two Ams in every group, so you’re out there for a long time. So to have someone that keeps you relaxed and you have a good time and it seems like we’re laughing pretty much all day, it definitely helps and it helps for the time. And obviously, we enjoy being around each other, so that makes it for a lot of fun.

Q. Last summer you, your season did not end as you probably would have liked. What was it like going through, probably was your biggest slump of your career?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I don’t know. I never really thought about it too much, to be honest. I was, obviously, I had surgery in the off-season, so the only thing I can look back at is I blame it on my knee hurting.

Q. What do you think about Commissioner Monahan playing in the pro-am this week?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think it’s great. I think it’s — he’s playing with his dad, which is really cool. I actually had breakfast with him this morning, so it was, he was excited. He said his dad’s very excited, so. But I think it’s good. I like seeing him play.

Q. Speaking of Jay, did he ask if you read his memo? It was only two pages. I’m just curious.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I did get through that one.

Q. What did you think? Let me redirect the question. What do you know or have you been contacted by the people doing the Premier Golf League and have you given it any consideration?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I’ve definitely — I’ve heard about it a little bit. I kind of, I know the gist of things. But, I mean, obviously it’s a good, you know, they have some ideas, whether it’s going to work or not, who knows. I’m happy playing on the PGA TOUR though.

Q. The inquisition is just starting here, if you know what I mean.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: We could do this afterwards if you would like, Doug.

Q. No, we’re fine. Do you think you’re compensated well or do you think you can be compensated more? I’m talking about strictly TOUR earnings, not so much endorsements.
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I mean, I do just fine.

Q. Your memo would be like two sentences, wouldn’t it?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It would get the point across though.

JACK RYAN: All right. Well, thank you, Dustin and best of luck this week.

Pebble Beach, California

February 5, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Team USA

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson Talks Defending Title at 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 02: Phil Mickelson of the United States of America tees off on the 17th hole during Day 4 of the Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club on February 02, 2020 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional and defending AT&T Pro-Am champion Phil Mickelson addresses the media prior to beginning his 2020 title defense and touches on the recent and highly debated R&A distance report.

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson speaks with the media prior to 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

JOHN BUSH: We’ll get started. We would like to welcome our defending champion into the interview room, Phil Mickelson. Making his 4th start at this event and he’s a five-time winner. Phil, if we get comments on being back at Pebble Beach.

PHIL MICKELSON: Good morning, guys. And I love being back here and it looks like it’s going to be a little bit different style of play and golf that we’re used to where the courses are much firmer and faster. We’re not going to get any rain it looks like this week, so it’s going to be an exciting week I think and should be fun.

JOHN BUSH: Talk to us a little bit about the state of your game coming in.

PHIL MICKELSON: So I had a good week last week where I finally got some results and started to score a little bit better. I didn’t get off to the greatest start on the AmEx or Farmers, but I felt like I was playing well, but you wasn’t scoring well, I wasn’t thinking very well through the round and visualizing and all that stuff and that seemed to get a lot better last week and I’m hoping to build on that.

JOHN BUSH: Pretty cool deal this week. As we all know, you play with the silver coin from your grandfather here at Pebble Beach. All of the amateurs this year are getting a replica coin from the tournament. Just talk a little bit about how that whole process started and your thoughts on that.

PHIL MICKELSON: So it’s, this place here in Monterey, Pebble Beach has been a very special place to our family because my grandfather was one of the original caddies in the caddie yard. And he had to quit school in fourth grade to help work and support the family. And he always felt poor and he would carry around this silver dollar here that I have. It’s from 1900, it’s an old Morgan head silver dollar that he would leave in his pocket. He would reach in and touch whenever he felt poor and it made him feel like he had money. And so he often times would go to bed hungry and not eat because he wouldn’t spend it. He just wanted to always feel like he had it. And so our family’s come a long ways as we look back at him caddieing here for 35 cents a loop to now winning seven figure checks and having my brother with me and so forth and what this great game of golf has given our family for the last couple generations. So we’re very appreciative. The fact that the tournament made a replica of kind of showcasing my five wins in the same size and shape as the Morgan head silver dollar is pretty special. I have one with me. I’ll probably carry both because I think they’re kind of cool and it reminds me that I’ve had some success here. But my grandfather’s coin means a lot to me because it just shows how far we have come as a family.

JOHN BUSH: Open it up to questions.

Leaderboard & Tee Times: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

Q. Nobody wants to ask the first question, so you know how that goes. Do you feel like you have momentum coming off the Saudi Arabia?
PHIL MICKELSON: I feel like the area that I was struggling in is better. So I have felt coming into this year that a lot of the physical areas of my game have been addressed. I was really excited about how I was playing. And then I get on the golf course and I start not seeing what I want to have happen but more what I don’t want to have happen. And the same thing started last week where the pro-am, I hit 12 out of 14 fairways and the very first hole I missed the fairway with a 2-iron and the second hole I hit driver right in the middle of the lake and make double. And my inability to kind of control my thoughts was getting the best of me the first few weeks. And I was able to identify the problem and then fix it and start to control my thoughts a little bit better, control my visualization, and I hit a lot of good shots thereafter.

Q. Different subject, but you definitely need to, I think, weigh in on it because you like to hit bombs.
PHIL MICKELSON: I do.

Mickelson addresses USGA & R&A distance report

Q. The distance report that the USGA and R & A came out with, what’s your reaction to it and do you think that there is, A, a possibility of them, the two governing bodies, doing something or B, the PGA TOUR reacting in some way to either reign in the ball or make sure it isn’t reined in.
PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, I don’t know. I didn’t really read anything tangible from the report. I only saw that they were, they didn’t want each generation to continue getting longer and longer. I also don’t feel that you should punish the athletes for getting better. I don’t think that we have had massive equipment changes. We have just had athletes that have been able to take advantage of the equipment more so than in the past. And I hate to see that discourage. You look at what Bryson has done getting in the gym, getting after it, lifting weights, and hitting bombs, and now he’s — now you’re talking about trying to roll it back because he’s made himself a better athlete. So I don’t know if I agree with that. But I also don’t really understand the whole scope of how it affects the game and how it affects agronomy and golf courses and so forth, so I’m not sure I’m the best one to really comment on it. I just know from the small little bubble of the PGA TOUR, I hit a seeing the athletes be punished or discouraged from continuing to work and get better.

Q. Back to that first topic. I would think for you someone who has pulled off so many high-risk shots over the years that you see fairway and not trees and green and not water, how do you get into negative thinking, if that’s the right phrase, and what did you do to fix it?
PHIL MICKELSON: So it happens to all of us and you see it often times with guys that are playing great the first three rounds and then the final round they shoot something in the mid-70s and they just aren’t able to recapture their thoughts and they start letting thoughts about what they don’t want to have happen creep in and not be able to redirect their thoughts to what they want to have happen. And certainly because I’ve played poorly now for the last year it was becoming more and more of a challenge. But once I identified it, because I’ve already fixed the physical aspects and I’m hitting the ball really, really well, it’s been much easier to gain control of that. So it’s a process. Like, winning and playing well is a process and I feel like last year was a big step in my process to getting back to playing my best.

Q. I have two questions, actually. First, you talked about your grandfather and obviously every year it’s an issue here on players on TOUR coming here and the quality of the field. You’ve always embraced this event. Is it because of the family connection, because you played well here, why has this been a no-brainer for you?
PHIL MICKELSON: So early in my career I did miss it a few times, but as I got older I realized what an important event this is in developing kind of a relationship with a lot of the decision makers and key players in the game of golf and developing these kind of emotional connection that leads to better decisions as far as supporting the game. It gets companies and CEO’s more inclined to support the game of golf. It creates a relationship and fan experience between players and celebrities and so forth. And I think that this week, along with the AmEx, the two events in all of sports that allow amateurs to play alongside the professionals in the actual competition, is a unique experience that needs to be taken advantage of. Now, it’s also not for everybody. So I understand when guys don’t want to do it, it’s not for everybody. A lot of guys feel like look I only have so many number of weeks a year to compete and it is a, it’s difficult for me to play my best when I’m interacting with a lot of people and so forth. So some people, it’s just not for, and I respect their decision. But for me I’ve always enjoyed it and actually have played some of my best golf when I’m partnered with very interesting players. And I’ve been partnered the last few years, I’ve had a chance to play alongside Jimmy Dunne in the same group. And there’s nobody that I view more as an American hero than Jimmy Dunne for what he did in dedicating profits from his company for the next two years following the 911 tragedy, whereby every other company in the World Trade Center followed suit. I think he’s led by example. There’s nobody that I look up to or respect more in this entire country than Jimmy Dunne and for me to have these days with him, to ask questions and spend time with him, is what brings out some of the my best golf, because I’m having so much fun.

Q. Unrelated question. I know you’ve been asked before, but turning 50 this year and state of your game, you mentioned sort of getting over the poor play from last year. What’s realistic? What can you do at age 50, which historically not many players have won or done well on this TOUR at that age.
PHIL MICKELSON: So I, what I believe, I still need to show. Like, I believe I can play at an extremely high level, I just need to show it. Physically, I’m swinging the club better, more on plane, striking it more solid, hitting the ball longer, swinging the club faster than I have in many, many years. But there’s a lot more to winning than just hitting bombs, and I’m trying to put all those pieces together and I’m enjoying the challenge. So I don’t know if I can answer that directly. I would rather just show what I believe is possible and have a great year.

Q. How has what you consider hitting bombs changed? What was the distance or what did you consider a bomb back when you first came out here versus what it is today?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don’t know if it really compares to back when I first came out. The way I view it is to — you can win on the PGA TOUR not hitting the ball long. You can out-putt, you can out-strike, you can have great weeks and win golf tournaments without being the longest guy or without overpowering a golf course, but you cannot dominate the sport without speed. You might be able to do it for a year or two, but you can’t out-perform everyone consistently without clubhead speed, because there’s no substitute for speed in this game. It allows you to put more spin on the ball, it allows you to hit the ball longer, make carries come in higher and softer into the greens. It allows you to do more with a golf ball than if you don’t have speed and the best players in the world are going to have to have speed. So there’s no substitute.

There is a point, in my opinion, of diminishing return at about 182 mile an hour ball speed, which is going to equate to about 122 mile an hour clubhead speed. You usually have about a 1.5 smash factor, 150 percent energy transfer. It’s a little bit less the faster you swing the ball. But 182 mile an hour ball speed with a driver, you start going faster than that, you start losing a little bit of control and it almost has a diminishing return and that’s why, that’s, you’ll find all the top guys right in that area. I was struggling to get 170. I was struggling to get to 170 mile an hour ball speed. For me to hit 182, 183 now is, I can do it at will. So that doesn’t hold me back. Now what’s holding me back are some of the other areas. Maybe my iron play hasn’t been as great, my putting hasn’t been as great, maybe my accuracy could be better. Well, that’s not maybe, that could be. But the those areas I’m also addressing, but if I didn’t have the speed to start with, it wouldn’t even give me a fair chance. So hitting bombs is flying the ball 315 and getting 182 ball speed with ideal launch conditions.

Q. And when would you say you made such a concerted effort to keep up with these younger guys that were hitting it longer than you?
PHIL MICKELSON: Why did —

Q. No, when.
PHIL MICKELSON: A couple years ago. It took me probably a year before I overnight had five, six miles an hour more clubhead speed. You know, I was struggling to swing 115. I think that was kind of my average clubhead speed. Now it’s easily over 120. If I need to get to 122, 123 I can at will. And that’s an important part for me to feel like I’m not at a disadvantage before I even tee off. Now I still have to go do all the other parts, and that’s been a challenge too, but I couldn’t start until I had the speed.

Q. Following up on your sort of athletes versus technology and difference, how much farther do you hit the ball at 49 than you did at 21, 22 and how would you quantify how much is athleticism and how much is the technology?
PHIL MICKELSON: So my numbers might be fractionally off, but in 1993 or 1994 I was 25th in driving distance at 269 and in 2003 I was 25th in distance at 299, so there’s a 30-yard difference there. And I’ve jumped up a little bit in the last few years from 2003. I’m averaging just over 300, I don’t know, 303, 307, something like that. And that is equating to just training and swinging the club faster. I’ve always been right around 25th in distance, give or take, and I’m back to that area, I would say. But in that jump, I would say a big, a majority of that jump was that golf ball when we went from the wound ball to the solid core. That was a big deal because what happened was the longer guys with more speed, the stronger guys, would swing that wound ball and it would just over spin. It would spin 34-, 3,500 RPM. It’s not that the ball came off slower, it just had so much drag in the spin. And when we created that solid core technology we were able to reduce the spin and increase the launch and also perimeter weight the ball, so that made a big difference too because it wasn’t curving as much and that allowed guys to hit it the same speed off the face, but get rid of 12- to 1,500 RPM’s of spin and reduce the drag and get the ball to fly right through the air. That’s been the biggest difference.

Q. Also related to the project report, there was a suggestion to study the possibility of a local rule which would allow tournaments to use equipment that, where the ball wouldn’t go as far and the clubs wouldn’t go as far. Any reaction to how that, what you think of that?
PHIL MICKELSON: I think the best players will still find ways to win. They might not do it by overpowering the golf course with driver, but they will find ways to do it with their iron play or what have you. I think the best players will always kind of find a way to win and do what it takes. I struggle with some of our governing bodies. I struggle with it because we’re the only sport, we’re the only professional sport in the world that is governed by a group of amateurs, and that leads to some questionable directions that we go down. I wish that we had people that are involved in the sport professionally to be in charge a little bit more.

Q. Looking back, can you recall, when you left here on Monday having won, what was your outlook for the rest of the year and when did it kind of start going, did you feel that it started kind of going south on you?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, after I won last year, I knew I was going to go out and just crush the rest of the year, and the rest of the year crushed me. Kind of reversed it. I did not play well, I didn’t play up to my level of expectation, and it just kind of snowballed and got worse. But this is a different year and I’ve had a great off season and a lot of good things have happened in the last three, four months and I’m very excited for the year. I know that I didn’t get, the first two weeks didn’t go as planned, but the rest of the year is going to be very good.

Q. What happened last year? Why did you get crushed?
PHIL MICKELSON: Just the ups and downs of a career and play and I just kind of lost some focus and direction and now I have it back.

Q. Whether it’s later this year, three years from now, seven years from now, do you have any interest in the Champions Tour? How do you view that long-term?
PHIL MICKELSON: So a lot of the guys on the Champions Tour are friends of mine, people I really enjoy being around. I appreciate all that they did for me starting. When I started out my career, they were just ahead of me, and guys I really enjoy being around. If I — I don’t want to hurt the Champions Tour in any way and if not playing the Champions Tour is going to hurt it, I’ll play a couple of events. I’ll probably play one, two or three events a year because I want to support it, I want it to be successful, I don’t want to hurt it or be detrimental to it in any way. But I feel like to be successful on a TOUR you have to commit entirely to that one TOUR. So if it’s either going to be the PGA TOUR or the Champions Tour, I don’t see me oscillating back and forth, and, until I’m ready to go one or the other. And I’m not saying I’m not going to play the Champions Tour right now. I’m just saying that I believe the next six months are going to be really good and encouraging for me to play out here because this motivates me to compete against the best players in the world. That drives me to get in the gym, it drives me to work hard on the range, it drives me to spend time on the putting green. And I’m not sure I would have the same passion and drive to be my best on the Champions Tour, but I have it out here and so right now it’s starting to bring out the best in me and I want to play out here.

Q. Building off that, the first tournament you would be eligible for would be the U.S. Senior Open the week after the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Any interest in playing there and would winning a U.S. Senior Open bring a certain level of satisfaction to you?
PHIL MICKELSON: None whatsoever. No.

Q. For playing it or satisfaction?
PHIL MICKELSON: Both.

Q. Kind of along those lines, you had such a long stretch of all the cups and qualifying for them without being a pick for a long time. How much pride or how much of you does not want to need want to rely on an exemption for the U.S. Open this year?
PHIL MICKELSON: I won’t accept it. So I am either going to get in the field on my own or I’ll have to try to qualify. I’m not going to take a special exemption.

Q. Why not? You would probably be eligible for at least a couple of them, I would think, just given what you’ve done in the game. Why wouldn’t you?
PHIL MICKELSON: I just won’t.

Q. I would ask a follow-up, if I had one, but… Please? What’s, is it a, you know, a conflict with the USGA or is it just strictly pride or what?
PHIL MICKELSON: No, I just — they have never been an organization that likes to give out exemptions, special exemptions. I don’t want a special exemption. I think I’ll get in the tournament. If I get in, I deserve to be there. If I don’t, I don’t. I don’t want a sympathy spot. If I am good enough to make it and qualify, then I need to earn my spot there.

Q. Do you see it as a sympathy spot or a reward for greatness over a long time, which they have done, whether it was?
PHIL MICKELSON: I see it as the former and I don’t want that.

Q. You see it as sympathy. Okay. Last time you qualified was Cherry Hills? I feel like it was — I feel like there was a qualifier at Denver somewhere. Didn’t you get hosed on having to come back the next morning when you were probably about 21?
PHIL MICKELSON: That year was Baltusrol, I think in ’93, where I lost in a playoff maybe.

Q. Yeah. A three-for-one spot or something?
PHIL MICKELSON: Something like that, in Ohio, and I didn’t qualify there. And I think I’ve been in every one since and I don’t know if I qualified, had to qualify in ’94 or not. That was at Oakmont. I thought I might have just gotten in there after.

Q. I kept thinking there was a story where you had to come back on the next morning to finish the playoff.
PHIL MICKELSON: That was in ’93, I believe.

Q. Some guy holed a 40-foot putt —
PHIL MICKELSON: That’s it, yeah.

Q. With a rooster tail.
PHIL MICKELSON: That’s it in ’93. I think that was the last one I missed.

Q. It’s probably a bad memory, but it was a funny story when you told it.
PHIL MICKELSON: No, it happens. I think — look, you learn a lot more out of failure than you do your successes and that was, I learned a lot from that experience and I’m fortunate, it also drove me to not have to qualify for that tournament. I don’t think I’ve had to qualify for it since. I think ’94 — I won twice in ’93, so I think that got me in somehow. Money List or maybe top-30 on the Money List got in —

Q. They used to reward winning back then.
PHIL MICKELSON: — something like that, yeah.

JOHN BUSH: Phil Mickelson, thank you for your time. Best of luck.

PHIL MICKELSON: Thank you.

Pebble Beach, California

February 5, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
Team USA

PGA Tour: Patrick Cantlay Speaks on Career Start Number 4 at AT&T Pro-Am

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 18: Patrick Cantlay of The United States plays a bunker shot for his third shot on the first during Day Three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 18, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Patrick Cantlay speaks to the media ahead of the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach about his history at the event.

PGA Tour: Patrick Cantlay addresses the media prior to round one of the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

JOHN BUSH: We’ll get started. We would like to welcome Patrick Cantlay into the interview room. He’s making his fourth career start at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Patrick, if we can get some thoughts on being back here at Pebble Beach.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I like it here. It was my first top-10 finish as a pro here, I think in 2013, and then came back here and started my, I guess comeback, you would say, here and made the cut, which was an accomplishment for me at the time. So I really like the golf courses this week and it’s always nice to play in California, so I’m excited to be here.

JOHN BUSH: All right. We haven’t seen you since a 4th place finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Just talk a little bit about what you’ve been up to since that point, the state of your game, and how things are going.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, so went over to Abu Dhabi and played there and have been in California practicing. Got some new sponsors and everything’s going good. Just getting ready for the new year. I love playing on the West Coast, so play this week and play L.A. next week, and everything’s gearing up for the Majors and once the season starts to get going in April. So game feels good, played well in Hawaii, and I like it in California, so I’m excited for the next two weeks here.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Let’s go into questions.

Q. Can you talk a little bit more about that first event back after being away so long, playing here and what that felt like and why here. I mean, it’s cold, it’s not exactly the most conducive place for a guy with a, coming back from a back problem.
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well, the reason to come back here, I think it was, one, I was coming back on a medical and didn’t obviously have great priority to get into events, so it was one of the few events that I was going to get into on the West Coast. But I had had some success here before and I like the golf courses, so that kind of outweighed the cold weather. And it was actually, it was brutal weather that year. It was rainy and there were delays. But it feels like once every three years the weather’s really nice, once every three years the weather’s really bad, and one of the other years it’s kind of marginal. So it looks like it’s going to be sunny and pretty here this week. So I just like the golf courses. I think they suit my game. And Pebble Beach is one of my favorites, whether it’s in competition or just practice rounds.

Tee Times: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

Q. Did you play here very much at all before you turned professional? Was this a place you came to and played much?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I didn’t. I played one round with my dad here maybe when I was about 12. But I would hear stories about all the guys that were older than me play the California Amateur here, but by the time I was old enough to play it, it wasn’t here anymore, so…

Q. Nice timing, right?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, that would have been great.

Q. Anything you remember about that round with your dad that sticks out?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I remember it being really foggy. And I was probably too young, my dad probably still beat up on me that day. He was a good player.

Q. I would have been curious when you came back here in 2017 what your expectations were in terms of how long it would take you to get back to where you thought you should be, and that led to kind of a different kind of thinking of what do expectations even mean? Is there a difference between practical expectations and far out expectations?
PATRICK CANTLAY: In a weird way it was an accomplishment to finish a golf tournament, just because I hadn’t played in one for so long. So on one hand, I was just happy to have played a whole golf tournament and not had any serious pain. And then on the other hand, I was happy to have made the cut just because when you’re out for that long, of course it’s reasonable to have doubts about your game or how you’re going to hold up. It had been over three years since I had played an actual tournament. I think I played a U.S. Open qualifier, but not, like, a four-round tournament. So coming away from the week I was happy to have made the cut. I think I finished around 45th or 50th or something like that.

Q. 48th.
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted and I felt like I could have played better, but I was happy about making the cut and playing as well as I did and it gave me confidence going forward that I hadn’t really lost much and I was still the player that I used to be.

Q. You’re definitely in the running for the Olympics, you’re definitely in the running for the Ryder Cup. Is it too early for you to be thinking about those or are they on your mind?
PATRICK CANTLAY: There’s so many big events between now and those two events, and I think the way to get there is to focus on all of the events between now and then. And those would be big honors and they’re definitely big things that I would like to do and they’re goals of mine, to make those teams. I think Olympics would be really fun. And after Presidents Cup I can’t wait to play a Ryder Cup because I’m sure it will be — all the great things about the Presidents Cup will be even more amplified during a Ryder Cup, so I’m very much looking forward to that. But it’s not, because the way you qualify is through playing well in the big tournaments, just makes sense to have all your emphasis on those and look at the Olympics or look at the Ryder Cup as a potential bonus or reward for playing well.

Q. How would you describe your level of satisfaction with what you’ve accomplished since your comeback?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I think after the first year I was very satisfied with making the TOUR Championship with a limited schedule and making a TOUR Championship with really, no really goals or expectations to make the TOUR Championship at the start of the year. Like, I wanted to play really well and obviously get my real card after coming back from a medical, that was a goal, and competing at tournaments to win. But it didn’t really occur to me to have a goal to make the TOUR Championship or something like that. So after that week, after finishing the year as well as I did, looking back, I was pretty satisfied. And then I would say since then I don’t really associate the rest of the two years of golf after that with a comeback. That first year felt like kind of a comeback and then after that I felt really confident and comfortable playing out on TOUR and I didn’t really associate the next two years with a comeback, more a resumption of just me playing tournament golf.

So with that being said, looking back on it, I’ve played really well the last three years since I’ve come back, really consistently, had some chances to win, won a couple events, and qualified for the Presidents Cup team and played well there and that was really fun and really exciting. So I would say all in all, it’s been good. And I feel like now I’ve seen all the golf courses multiple times in multiple weather conditions for two or three years now, which I think is an advantage, and I’m excited to go back to all those places that I like to play with the experience that I have now and the confidence that I have now and see what I can do.

Q. How important do you think distance is in your success?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well I think it would be ignorant not to look at people that play well and say distance isn’t a big issue or a big component of all the good players’ games. So, yeah, it’s definitely a huge component of me playing well. And I’m hitting it a lot farther than I did when came back and probably hitting it farther relative to other players than when I first turned pro. And I think part of that is putting an emphasis on it and part of that is just maturing and getting older. But, yeah, I mean, it’s a huge part of the game and to ignore that or to say it’s not that big of a deal, I think would be a mistake because guys are hitting it farther and the golf courses are suited for that.

Q. Do you think distance is a problem in golf?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Not for the amateur player. I think all the equipment and all the stuff is great for the amateur golfer and can’t get any, it can’t, the ball can’t go too far for a 10 handicap. So in general I would say no, some golf courses on TOUR, yes, but most golf courses on TOUR, no. If I were to play Cypress Point this week, yeah, it would be a problem at Cypress point because there’s a lot of holes that you can’t hit driver or a lot of holes that other guys would hit driver, 7-iron and I’m hitting driver and a sand wedge or driver and a gap wedge. But for the majority of golf courses we play out here on TOUR I would say no.

Q. You mentioned all the big events that you’re going to play before the Olympics or Ryder Cup and of course first major’s two months away. Wondering what your mindset is going into Augusta this year, given the fact that you came close last year, you had a chance and does that change your mindset I guess about how you now look at the tournament knowing that you got your self in the lead and at least gave yourself a chance?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Right, well, until I played the weekend last year I hadn’t shot any really low scores at Augusta and then I shot pretty two good scores on the weekend, especially on Saturday. So I think any time you put in good rounds like that at a golf course that you’re going to come back to it shows you that you can do it and it shows you kind of how to do it and gives you confirmation that your game plan or the shots that you see on that particular golf course work. I really like the golf course and I think it is obvious that you need some rounds out there and some experience out there to play it as best as possible. So having success there last year and knowing that I can play the golf course really well and liking the golf course, I like the golf course, I think it suits my game, I think will only bode well for me in the future, especially this year.

Q. When something like that’s over, how much do you think back on the tee shot on 16, after the tournament’s over.
PATRICK CANTLAY: I mean obviously I think about it, any tournament you would play and you hit a shot that you wouldn’t have rather hit, you think about it. I think what’s interesting about that hole in particular is it’s just the opposite of what you see. So you would rather be short sided in the bunker or you would rather be rather even pull it long left of the green than you would hit it where I hit it, even though it doesn’t look like that. And I think I knew that, I just made a bad swing. But the fact that I know it and I still did it makes it maybe a little bit more painful, but that’s kind of the nature of the golf course. So, yeah, I mean of course I would have liked to have hit it to this far (Indicating) and gone to the 17th tee. But there will be plenty more years for that.

Q. I’m sure you would have. I think what I’m curious about is, when you’ve come close to winning a tournament, how often do certain shots linger once the tournament’s over and did you find that Augusta that it maybe lasted longer or stronger, just because what have it is?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think that inherently playing a big event like that you think about what would have, what would have, could have happened more than say another regular tournament. But looking back on it, if I would have played halfway decent Thursday, Friday, and had the weekend that I had, I would have won by a lot. So I played really well on the weekend, I played really well Saturday and the first 15 holes of Sunday to give myself an opportunity and sitting at home at dinner on Friday night no one would have thought I even had a chance at all and so the experience that I gained from it is invaluable going forward and as long as you draw on the positives from it and don’t linger too long on the negatives but learn from them, I think you’re best off going forward.

Q. So do you think more about 16 and 17 or Thursday and Friday?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well, brain-wise it’s really hard to think of all of the mistakes you made Thursday and Friday because there were so many, but it’s easy to say, yeah, that’s the easiest hole location on 16, you should make a birdie and go to the 17th hole and that maybe might have put me in a playoff or something. Yeah, it’s easy to say that because all the work that it took to get there Saturday and the first part of Sunday makes you think like that. But it’s hard to think of it in terms of pieces of the tournament. I think all the shots I hit over four days, it added up to like whatever it added up to, 11-under or 10-under or whatever it added up to. You got to look at it as a whole instead of focusing on little bits and pieces because you can drive yourself crazy one way or the other. You wouldn’t talk to somebody who made eagle on 15 on Friday but missed the cut by two and say, Did you really, like did you when, coming away from the tournament, did you think about how good you played the 15th hole if you eagled it Thursday and Friday, but you missed the cut. So I don’t think you should do that the other way if you mess up a hole or hit a bad shot on Sunday.

Q. Have you ever surfed and if not why not?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I have surfed. I try everything once, twice if you like it. But I didn’t like it, I wasn’t very good at it and for me to keep doing things that I’m not very good at takes a lot of will power. And surfing-wise, just the whole process of it, you got to buy the board, find somebody that knows how to surf, go out there, the California water’s really cold, put your wet suit on, wax your surf board up, go out there, maybe you don’t catch any waves, for me I could try to catch as many waves as possible, I’ll keep falling over, maybe not even get up. So I never got into it. My dad played golf, he never surfed.

Q. So you went and chipped and putted instead?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Chipped and putted, yeah.

Q. Did you do any other sports as a kid?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Basketball and baseball.

Q. Were you any good?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I was good enough to make the all star team and pitch and play short stop when I was about eight or 10 and by the time I was 13 I was playing right field, so I figured it was my time to exit.

Q. What happened?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I wasn’t getting bigger or faster, I was probably biggest compared to everybody else when I was about 10 years old. By the time I was 13 or 14 I was one of the smallest kids, and the kids were a lot bigger and stronger and growing mustaches. And I was like 5′-3″ and instead of hitting doubles, I was lining it out to the second baseman, and I didn’t have a chance. I was slow — and basketball was even worse. I could shoot and that was about it.

JOHN BUSH: But the golf thing has worked out pretty well for you. Patrick, thanks for your time.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Thank you.

Pebble Beach, California

February 4, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Team Ireland

PGA Tour: Graeme McDowell Recaps Victory Last Week and Previews 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 02: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland poses with the trophy during Day 4 of the Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club on February 02, 2020 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PGA Tour and European Tour professional Graeme McDowell revisits last week’s victory in Saudi Arabia and also previews the upcoming AT&T Pro-Am.

PGA Tour: Graeme McDowell previews the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Graeme McDowell to the interview room here at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Graeme, great win last week. How satisfying was it to travel over here coming off a win and then going to a place like Pebble Beach where you’ve had so much success in the past?

GRAEME MCDOWELL: Yeah, absolutely. Long journey coming here but when the sun shines there’s no better place in the golfing planet to be. I love this event, this and the Dunhill Links, any time the weather’s half decent, they’re some of my favorite weeks of the year. I play with a buddy here this week and we rent a nice house. And it’s a fun week, but at the same time, obviously, here to try and continue to play well. Feel like the game is certainly trending in the right direction, and obviously, would love to have a nice week this week. But the win last week was important at a lot of levels, just to get me back up the rankings, get me back in a couple of the WGC events, which is really important, the major championships, and get me back in the right direction again. So very pleasing. Ticked a lot of boxes and hopefully I can use it as a springboard to kick on for a big year, big season ahead.

Tee Times: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

THE MODERATOR: Of course, this is the 10-year anniversary of your win at the 2010 U.S. Open. What is your favorite memory looking back at that victory.

GRAEME MCDOWELL: Yeah, it will be 10 years in June. Lots of great memories that week, of course, but probably coming up the last and just having that two putts from 25 feet to win a U.S. Open. You visualize that as a kid standing on the putting green and then all of a sudden you’re like, Well, yeah, I’ve got two to win a major championship here. So just special memories. And obviously, kick started a pretty amazing five or six years of my career and can’t believe it’s going to be 10 years in June, but a lot of good stuff’s happened. Excited to be kicking back up into the top-50 in the world. And one of my big goals is get myself back up in the top-20 and have a chance to experience that back nine at a major championship again with a chance to win. So that’s really the goals for the next three or four years. And like I say, last week has really given me that little bit of a boost, given me an opportunity to get in back of some of the big fields, which is where I want to be.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up for questions.

Q. I want to clarify something first. I’ve never heard of anyone standing on a green as a kid in twilight saying, I’ve got two putts for the win. You’re supposed to, like, make this for the U.S. Open, aren’t you?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Oh, yeah.

Q. Did you ever say, Look, I just got to lag this down there to 2 feet?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: You’re really getting hung up on the details there. Yeah, that’s true. It’s a valid point, this one, yeah.

Q. Let’s move on.
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Put it this way, I’m glad I had two (laughing). And I think my last thought before I hit the first putt was, Well, at least if I 3-putt, I’m in a playoff. So that took the pressure off me.

Q. You mentioned top-50 and the importance of that a minute ago. I’m curious from, let’s say, a couple years ago when you’re in the 120 range, how far does 50 look when you’re there?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: It feels unbelievably far away. It really does. I think I was in the top-50 in the world for, I don’t know, five, six years. And when you’re on the outside looking in — when you’re not in those WGCs and the major, the WGCs especially, they nearly have a self-perpetuating World Ranking cycle, making money for both tours, when you’re on the outside looking in, yeah, it feels an awfully long way away. So top-50 was a big goal coming into this year. I don’t want to say — I achieved it faster than I expected, but 47, we need to establish ourselves inside of that, you know, you could be one week away from falling back outside of that. So obviously establishing myself back inside of that top-50, which is getting up into the top-30, top-20, that’s what I really want. But I think this will pretty much get me in Mexico in a couple weeks time, pretty much guaranteed World Match Play, which is really important to me, and I think Memphis as well. So just to be back in those, I think I’ll appreciate them a lot more this time around. I think all those years where you just, it’s expected, maybe you don’t appreciate what it is and what they are and how important they are at the time. So I always felt like if I ever got the opportunity again I was really going to appreciate it and not, never take it for granted and prepare well and make sure I continue to work hard, because you just don’t know when this is going to go away. I think that’s probably the biggest thing the last three or four years was just realizing that you’re not invincible and that this sport is very fickle and it will go away some day. I think I tasted that little bit of mortality probably this time last year and I realized that I needed to, if I ever got the chance again, that I was going to work hard and do the best that I possibly could with that opportunity.

Q. Could you explain why you think players don’t come here when they have the opportunity to spend, like you’re going to spend three days, I think it’s with Brown, isn’t that the guy?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Yes.

Q. Why would you not come to this when you have those opportunities?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: I really feel like a lot of players look at this event as a little bit of, you know, it’s an unnecessary distraction having to play with another amateur, or another pro and another amateur. I feel like I have always looked at this as an opportunity — I’ve always enjoyed the format, going back to my early days in the Dunhill links, I played, I think one of my first AT&T’s I played with Ray Romano, speaking about distractions. I played with him and Kevin James. I think he was shooting a HBO documentary that week on trying to make the cut and we ended up getting beat in a card playoff for him to make the cut. I’ve always enjoyed the distraction. I like the idea of that it’s not just about my golf ball, that I’m reading my partner’s putts and worried about where his shots are, and I’m nearly getting, not totally immersed in yourself in a team event, but it just takes the pressure off the individual. And if you can relax and enjoy it, your own ball nearly takes care of itself and you do better than you expect.

But when you look at the list of people that are here this week, I mean, it’s some of the most high-profile CEOs in America. You get a chance to meet potential sponsors, great friendships with people that I stay in contact with a lot. Just really important people. I mean, it’s weird to come into an event when you’re potentially not the most important person there, you’re certainly not the wealthiest person in your group by a long stretch, you know. So you’re surrounded by successful people and it’s a great opportunity to meet other successful people in other spaces. And listen, I get why guys don’t like this event from the point of view it’s six-hour rounds, the weather can be a little dodgy here, for sure, and like I say, there’s a lot of distractions here. So you look at a guy like Phil who has won here what, five times? He gets it, and has certainly hasn’t struggled corporately in his career, and I think a lot of that is down to the way he’s able to embrace a week like this and take it for what it is. It’s an important opportunity to connect with people, some of the most important people in business. So thankfully I’ve always enjoyed it. I enjoy that side of the game, I enjoy the relaxed atmosphere this week. And obviously, my kind of relationship with this part of the world is fun and I love the walk. There’s no better walk in golf than the 4th tee at Pebble out to that 10th green. It doesn’t get much better, especially when the sun shines like today.

Q. Getting back to Fergie a little bit on that. Now you’re at 47, how far away does 20 and 30 look?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Feels a little closer. But making those big leaps, when you start getting up to the business end, requires big finishes in big events. But the fact you start getting into the WGCs, you start creating opportunities for a lot of big chunky World Ranking points, wins in Punta Cana, don’t really have those chunky World Ranking points that you’re looking for as opposed to, like, a top-5 in a WGC or that. So it becomes doable. It becomes achievable again. And I’m certainly, last week didn’t have that emotional feel that maybe my win in the Dominican last year had. The win in the Dominican last year was, it was about my employment status, you know? It was about having a job to go to here in the States for the next couple years. The win last week was more about this is the journey that I’m on to get back to where I want to be and it just felt like a rung in the ladder. It was, obviously it was an important victory, but it felt kind of like I was ready for it and certainly ready to take those next steps, hopefully back up into the, onto the big stage again and give myself a chance to get in the back nine at an important event again soon.

Q. You spoke in Hawaii about getting away from a little higher launch for a wee bit of distance to getting back to G-Mac kind of golf. When did the light come on?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: You know, we talked about it. I started working with Kevin Kirk back in August last year. I think the event in Medinah was my first week with him. And there’s no doubt, I started to hit the ball very high, for me. I’ve always been a guy who never struggled to hit it low and I always struggled to kind of flight it from 200, 250 yards. In the search for a little bit of distance, my attack angle with my driver went from about 2 degrees down to about 2 or 3 degrees up, so I changed my attack angle by nearly 5 degrees, which is a lot, and I drove the ball really well for a period but then it really started to affect the way I was hitting my irons. I was hitting my irons so high and I really could not keep the ball down very well at all. So my good wind game had kind of disappeared a little bit. I was struggling to flight those balls back down into the breeze. So one of the first remits I had for Kevin when I started working with him was I wanted to get my the ball flight back, I wanted to start flighting the ball down again. And that’s probably one of the most significant changes that he’s made with me is really getting my flight back down. He’s got me teeing my driver back down a lot lower than I was. I always teed the driver very low. I would go for fitting sessions with these equipment companies with drivers and they would be like, Have you ever tried teeing it up a little higher? And I’m like, You’re about the 85th person that has said that to me. But, no, I like teeing it low. But everything’s high launch, low spin, so let’s tee it up and hit it four on the up and spin it low. So I tried that for a while and, like I say, I drove it okay, but it affected everything. So I’ve got that ball teed low again, I’m squeezing it back out there. Like, Honolulu, for example, I really flighted my irons fantastically. And last week in some windy conditions that really stood me in good stead again and I’m back driving the ball a little bit more like me. It’s not particularly long, but it’s in the middle of the fairway and it’s pretty playable and it’s nice to be kind of cheering back into the way I used to play a little bit more, rather than trying to play a game with which I’m really not that familiar. So I’ve got the flight under control which is very pleasing.

Q. When we talked in January at Kapalua, you talked about attitude a lot, about how a quote from Drew Brees had an impact on you and how Kevin’s changed your attitude a little bit. But you talk about these technical things, I’m curious, that certainly helps your attitude when you see the ball going where you want it to and whatever, but it’s the chicken-and-egg thing. What was first? Was your attitude altered first or was the golf swing producing shots that changed your attitude?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: I think that’s a fair question, for sure. No, it has to be golf ball first, attitude second. You can’t think your way out of a really bad swing. If you’re just not swinging it good, it doesn’t matter how good your head is. You’re just not going to be able to think your way around a golf course when you’re not hitting it good, simple as that. So, yeah, golf ball back under control first, and then sort of plug a really, really good attitude on top of that and put it all together a little bit. So, yeah, it’s easy to think good and have a great attitude when the ball’s going in the general direction you’re aiming it. When it’s not, that’s when the toys come out of the pram a little bit.

Q. Have you had time to think about how your schedule now could change or will change?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: There’s a few question marks still. Augusta is still a big question mark for me. I had a little look at it, certainly changes up a little bit. I think if I play Mexico, I think Honda is going to have to suffer, which is an event I haven’t missed in 10 years. But you just can’t play every week, unfortunately. And Dominican, I can’t go and defend down there. So World Match Play problems, which is a great problem to have, but one part of me is disappointed that I can’t go down there and do the right thing and defend my title, even though part of me was hoping I was going to have a problem. But, so, yeah, it’s certainly a little bit of a change. Augusta I think is the Monday after Match Play, so I’ll have to be top-50 by then. So we’ll see what happens there, but very, very excited with some of the new additions to the schedule for the next six months. We’ll see what happens.

Q. Given that you had kind of turned the corner with the victory in March, what was it between then and August that led you to just feel like you needed to try something new with a different coach and what was it that made you choose Kevin?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: It was probably a little bit of the inconsistency in my play from about just pre-Pebble, a couple weeks before Pebble I was just having some good rounds and was having some average rounds and just wasn’t really happy with the general consistency of the way I was hitting the ball, down to the ball flight stuff I was talking about. Even at Pebble, at the U.S. Open, I remember hitting a few shots and in my mind I’m just like, man I just cannot keep the ball down here, this is not good. I had this left shot going on around The Open Championship time at Portrush, I just had this left and I could not get it fixed at all. So it was, yeah, it was general inconsistencies. At the end of 2017 I toyed with the idea of getting an American-based coach. It really boils down to the fact that Pete Cowan has been by my side for the last 14, 15 years and he still is part of the team, but since I fell outside of the top-50 I just really wasn’t getting a chance to see Pete enough. Pete does most of the WGC’s, all the majors, all the big stuff and I really just wasn’t having enough time to see him. And then I wasn’t really able to get it fixed over the summer what was going on and I was like, right, now’s the time. I just asked around and I got some ideas from people who they thought the smart guys are out there, coaching guys were. And I interviewed a couple of guys and I just settled on Kevin. I just liked his attitude, I liked the sort of energy that he brings to what he does. I liked the way his guys swing it. Patrick Reed, Johnny Vegas, both got great technique, great golf swings. He’s been a breath of fresh air, he really has. Like I say, Pete’s still a huge part of what I’m doing and Kevin’s actually worked under Pete quite a lot, studied under Pete so he speaks the same language. So I really didn’t feel like it was a massive deviation from what I had been doing, which was important to me. Like I say, he’s brought a lot of simple stuff into my practice, just better practice, more organized practice and I really, he’s just brought some really good stuff to the team, which has been I really feel like it’s been massively important for me for the last five months.

Q. Length isn’t everything, but how much harder is it to win in this era for a player like yourself for a player like Webb Simpson, who also won in the same weekend as you, would you say?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: How much harder is it to win? It really depends. Golf-course related of course. Thankfully, there’s still Hilton Head’s and Hilton Head’s and —

Q. Pebbles?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Pebble, there you go. Thanks. Yeah, I mean, you know, it’s funny, I look at a golf course like Phoenix last week, I haven’t been to Phoenix since 2006 because JB Holmes won back-to-back there and I thought, well that’s the end of this place for me. And I spoke to Adam Long today and I played a bit of golf with Adam the last few months and he’s a good kid and I just said, he finished 8th I think in Phoenix last week and I said, Can we, as in the mere mortals, can we get around Phoenix. And he said, yeah, it was firm and fast and he felt like you could still play around there. I looked at the leaderboard and I feel like all I saw was Tony Finau and J.B. Holmes and Wyndham Clark guys that I know all hammer the ball. Thankfully, there still is more to golf than hitting it 350, but there’s certain golf courses that you feel like you are two shots behind per round standing on the first tee because guys are going to be getting on 5’s that you can’t get on and you just you’ve got to do it a different way. But I don’t know, I mean, I think a guy like Webb — Webb’s long, I mean, he’s not a short hitter, he’s just short relatively speaking to the — it used to be there was only three or four uber long guys, now there’s like 34 of them. So it’s just, there’s just more guys hitting it a long way. But for me I feel like I’m long enough to compete 90 percent of the time. And that’s okay. I’m okay with that. There’s going to be 10 percent of the time where you’re just like, well, this is not really kind of my kind of a joint this week, I’m going to have to either putt the eyes out of it or I’m probably not going to have a chance to compete this week.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much and good luck this week.

GRAEME MCDOWELL: Thanks a lot, guys.

Pebble Beach, California

February 4, 2020

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PGA Tour: Justin Thomas Recaps Top 5 Finish at Waste Management Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 02: Justin Thomas plays his second shot on the second hole during the final round of the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Justin Thomas speaks with the media following his final round at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in which he secured another top 5 finish.

PGA Tour: Justin Thomas recaps final round 65 at 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. Birdie four of your last six maybe the highlight birdieing 16 with the Kobe jersey on. What was this week like for you with what happened a week ago?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I mean it’s always a fun week here in Phoenix, somehow it gets crazier every year with the fans and the amount of people here. But, no, I mean, it was, I guess, a somber week, if you will, it just is, a lot of us playing with heavy hearts. A lot of my good friends from the West Coast area are big laker fans, big Kobe fan and I just kind of became a Kobe fan, just for being a fan of his and loved the way he went about everything. I have a couple Kobe jerseys so it was a no-brainer for me to bring them and wear them on 16.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. Good week, good finish for you today. What was going right for you today?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I hit it a little bit better today. I really, to be perfectly honest I don’t feel like I played very well this week. I got it around really well and I managed my game tremendously and sometimes weeks like this can give me more confidence than winning, as crazy as it is. I mean obviously I would have rather won, but to not have my best stuff, really drive it very, very average, iron game not very sharp, and not really have a hot putter once this week and still to hopefully be able to squeak a Top-5 is pretty good.

Q. I know you’re a big sports fan. Who do you like tonight?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don’t know. I love watching Mahomes play so I’ll probably be pulling for the Chiefs. Good buddies with Gary Woodland so I couldn’t do that to him, so I guess I’m going to go with the Chiefs.

Q. Do you think you’re feted to win this thing one of these years?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I feel like it’s definitely a good course for me. I feel like if I would have played well this week I would have had a really good chance to win. I just kept getting it around, I never once got hot, I never either could make some longer putts or could hit it close enough multiple times in a row to get anything going. So I was very, I’m very, very pleased with how this week turned out for how I felt like I played.

Q. Something click today?
JUSTIN THOMAS: No, I mean I didn’t do anything special today. I hit a wedge in there close on 2 and I made a good putt on 5 and I hit a wedge in there probably 12 feet on 6. And then all my birdies on the back nine were pretty easy, they were short range. I just felt like I did everything I should have done, I mean this course you can birdie, I mean 10 to 12 holes out here, 15 holes, it’s, you just, it’s hard to get it going when the greens are get a little bit firmer like this and they tuck some of the pins but I just felt I could never really get anything going to go low.

Q. Was there any point on the back nine where your focus shifted from trying to put a good number up to potentially trying scare the leaders?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Absolutely, I thought when we were on — I thought when I was walking up 14 I saw the leaders at 15, which I was just couldn’t believe and I was at 11. And I was like, man if I somehow can make about — I had a 35- or 40-footer — I was like if I can make this and eagle either 15 or 17 and birdie 16 and 18 and we can post 16- or 17- they got to at least look at it. That’s all I wanted. And I was — I bombed with that tee shot on 17, that just was bad, I would at least like to have a look at eagle there. But overall I can’t be too disappointed with the last six holes.

Q. Is the zone a thing in golf? I cover a lot of sports, basketball, a guy gets hot they stay hot. Does that happen here?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It didn’t happen today but it definitely happens in golf. I think any of us will tell you that when you get rolling — I mean a round like today, I don’t want to say far from, but it definitely wasn’t. When you get in that 7-, 8-, 9-, 10-, 11-under range and you’re just borderline unconscious it’s a pretty cool feeling. It’s hard to explain.

Q. Curious what you thought of the crowds this week as compared to previous years and not just 16 but the whole experience.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it gets crazier every year. You expect that, you know you’re getting it, so it’s not like it’s a surprise, at least it isn’t to me. And, I mean everybody has their bad stories and their good stories. Fortunately I thought this week it was fine, you’re always going to have a lot of noise and a lot of drunk people yelling stuff, but I guess that’s the Phoenix Open, that’s what it is from time to time, but, no, I mean, it was great, 16 was awesome as always and very, very enjoyable experience.

Q. And how does it compare to other tournaments, like just the size of the crowd?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It’s not even close. You can’t relate this to any other tournament that we play because it’s different. I think I would say 70 percent of the people here maybe don’t come even for the golf they just come for the fun and hospitality and the tents. And there’s a lot of people out here for golf but when you have however many hundred thousand people that’s a lot of people.

Q. Did you and Tony talk about Kobe at all, you both wore jerseys.
JUSTIN THOMAS: No.

Q. He’s your Presidents Cup teammate and all that, he’s vying for the win here. What are your thoughts on your game now, are you a little surprised that he hasn’t picked up a W since 2016?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, we were talking about that today because he obviously handles the pressure really well. I mean, look how he’s played in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup and that’s, I mean, personally, I think the biggest pressure you can get. I mean, I felt stuff at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup that I’ve never felt in a tournament before. So he’s handled that tremendously. So I mean it’s, the thing is you can’t, I mean, no offense, but you got, you’re going to be hard on him because he has been there and hasn’t won, but it’s hard to win, there’s only one every week and you never know when he might go on a little spree and win three or four of six or seven events. Or he might not. That’s the thing that, I hate to say it, but the thing that sucks about this game and the thing that’s great about it is you just have to stay in the right frame of mind to let it happen if it comes.

Q. How much fun is it for big hitters like you to play this course as the second longest driving average on TOUR?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it’s fun, it’s I feel like I have a little bit of an advantage, I would say mostly into the greens. But when you hit 50 percent of your fairways like I did this week it’s not too much of an advantage.

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 2, 2020

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PGA Tour: Bubba Watson Talks About Tough Conditions at Waste Management Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 02: Bubba Watson reacts after he putts for birdie on the first green during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional and Master’s Champion Bubba Watson speaks to the media following the final round of the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix open about the windy final day conditions and the difficulties it presented.

PGA Tour: Bubba Watson addresses the media following final round of 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. Nice finish out there today. How did that putt at 18 not go in? I saw you looking at me, it looked like you hit it absolutely perfect, it just didn’t drop.
BUBBA WATSON: Yeah, for sure, and all I wanted to do was beat Justin Thomas, that’s all I looked at, I saw I was tied with him and so I really wanted that putt to go in, just so I could text him. But I hit a great putt — I hit a couple good putts today that didn’t go in, but all in all you’ll take the week and take the putting stroke, it looked pretty good this week.

Q. With the wind and the firmness of the greens it got a little challenging out there, didn’t it?
BUBBA WATSON: Yeah, number 11 and No. 12 — 14, is always a goofy hole, a tough hole — but 11 and 12 were two of the toughest I’ve ever seen out here because of conditions.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. I know you’re a big sports fan who do you like in the Super Bowl tonight?
BUBBA WATSON: I really want Mahomes to do well. I just think he’s a special talent, it’s been fun to watch him. So I love seeing creativity, that’s how I kind of think of my golf game, so it be would fun to see him do some heroics.

Q. Could you just tell me about the crowds this week, not just on 16 but throughout the tournament and how it compares to previous years?
BUBBA WATSON: No, it’s growing, it’s growing tremendously. I think that they have created an atmosphere, the Thunderbirds have created an atmosphere, the city is really behind it, Phoenix and Scottsdale, you can’t ask for better crowds. When people come out here and support you, this many people, I mean this has got to be one of or the biggest sporting event in the world, the amount of people that come through the gates over a seven-day period or whatever it is, pretty amazing.

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 2, 2020

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PGA Tour: Tony Finau Talks Playoff Loss at Waste Management Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 02: Tony Finau plays a tee shot on the 11th hole during the final round of the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Tony Finau speaks to the media following heartbreaking playoff loss to eventual winner Webb Simpson.

PGA Tour: Tony Finau speaks with the media following playoff loss at Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. I know it’s tough to talk right now, but 2-up with a couple to go. Hey, Webb came after you. He made some birdies, tied it up, and I thought you had two great looks at 18 that just wouldn’t go.
TONY FINAU: Yeah, I hit good putts. You know, the first one I hit really good, I thought I made. It would have been nice. It just slid past the hole. Second one, similar line, a little bit further, decided to play a little bit more break and it didn’t break this time, so hat’s off to Webb. A couple birdies coming home and if you’re going to get beat that’s how it should happen. I definitely didn’t give him the tournament. He took the lead from me early and I got it late, but unfortunately, it’s how the cookie crumbles today. And it’s bitter week as I look back on it. But man, lots of stuff to be learned. And I love Webb. I think the camaraderie that I have with him as being one of my best friends out here, it’s, it would have been hard for either one of us to take this victory from each other. He got the upper hand this time, but I love that guy, and that’s one hell of a finish. If you’re going to birdie 18 a couple times you’re probably going to win.

Q. You went from leader to chaser, up 2 with a couple to go. Describe the range of emotions on the back nine and in the playoff?
TONY FINAU: It was crazy. I knew I had to be patient, no matter what. I was going to have a chance to win coming down the stretch if I just kept plugging along. And it was a little tough out there, really firm. Back nine, I thought it was hard to get really close on a lot of those holes. And I mean, I played nicely, coming down the stretch I had some looks. 15, 16, 18, I had some looks to win the golf tournament and they didn’t go my way today. So that’s how the cookie crumbles and I’ll be back on the horse and ready to go again in a couple weeks.

Q. You were in control most of the day. What would you say was the turning point where the tournament started to slip away?
TONY FINAU: Man, no real turning point. Even with a couple shot lead going into 16, I knew I probably still needed to make at least a birdie or two to kind of separate myself. And Webb did what he had to do. He birdied 17 and 18 and ended up birdieing the playoff hole. He’s a great champion and hat’s off to him. I’m a huge fan. He’s one of my best friends out here and I love that guy.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. While this stings now, what can you learn from this going forward?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, just learn my game’s in a great place early in the season. I feel good. I had a chance, a great chance to win this week. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, but my game’s better than it’s ever been. I have more confidence than I’ve ever had. And again, if you know anything about me, I’ll persevere through anything. If you want to say this is a stumbling block or whatever it is, to chase this next one, but I’ll knock it off soon and will be on my way.

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 2, 2020

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PGA Tour: Webb Simpson Recaps Playoff Victory at 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 02: Webb Simpson poses with the winners trophy after winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Webb Simpson speaks with the media following his playoff victory at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open about moving to the top 10 of the OWGR as well as number 2 in FedEx cup points.

PGA Tour: Webb Simpson speaks with the media following playoff victory over Tony Finau at the Waste Management Phoenix Open

THE MODERATOR: I’d like to welcome Webb Simpson, winner of the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Webb, 10th start here, five top-10s, a couple of close calls prior to today. So with that said, the win moved you to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, just, obviously, a great week for you. So just some initial thoughts.

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I flew out Monday to see Butch Harmon in Vegas and so I started the week off right, I think, just getting a checkup from him. And two weeks of rest, I came in feeling ready to go. Slow start on Thursday. And I knew after Thursday I was going to have to put together a few good rounds and I was able to do that, Friday, Saturday. Today was a lot different. Today played tougher. I thought the pins were very tough, by far the toughest day of pins, course was longer, we had wind, we hadn’t had wind all week, so everything today was harder. So to get in a couple under felt nice. And honestly, there on 15 when I drove it in the water, Tony hit a great drive. I didn’t think it was over, but I thought I’m going to really have to do something special to get back in it. And thankfully I birdied the last two to have a chance and then repeated in the playoff. So it feels great. It’s been a year and a half since THE PLAYERS, which is a long time, but it feels great.

THE MODERATOR: I’ve heard you say a couple times down on the green that when it comes to playoffs you haven’t exactly had the best of luck. How did you treat it differently today to get the job done.

WEBB SIMPSON: I think what I learned at RSM was I relaxed a little bit. I felt like regulation is over, I just kind of let my guard down instead of treating it as another hole, the 73rd hole and continuing to stay very focused and very hungry to hit good shots. And I just tried to do that today, and thankfully, same club off the tee, same second shot, almost to the exact same number and it was a very similar putt. So I think getting frustrated after RSM led to being better prepared for today.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up for questions, please.

Q. Paul was saying that you have “step by step” on your wedge. What’s that about? Can you explain that?
WEBB SIMPSON: So I was reading an article about Jeff Bezos and their company mantra or company phrase is “step by step”. And the article was just talking about how he’s always tried to take every step and the company take every step, whether little or big, but treat it really carefully and do the best they can at each step. And I just thought this is a game with so many elements, players, we’re playing outside, that you can only control so much. And so about two years ago I made my focus step by step, just, you know, when I go in the gym, I’m going to do the best I can, when I’m practicing, the best I can. So it’s just a reminder for me to take care of the little things and the big things seem to take care of themselves.

Q. Has it been on your wedges that long?
WEBB SIMPSON: At least a year, maybe longer. Yeah, maybe a year and a half.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. What does it say to the guy who ranks 160th in driving distance, not only can hang out here, but have the kind of run you’ve been on? And secondly, have you done anything to sort of chase distance or add distance?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I hired Cornell Dreesen, a trainer, three years ago and we set out on a journey to get longer, but very carefully because precision, accuracy, distance control is something for me that’s always been a strength and has to be a strength for me to play well, because I don’t hit it that far. So we just went really slowly, and my speed is more. We have picked up a mile and a half to two miles an hour for the last two years and so we have made jumps. But I just didn’t want to do it overnight. I didn’t want to really take away from something that I’ve always done, which is when I’m, for the most part, playing well, hitting fairways. And we have the luxury on the PGA TOUR to pick where we want to play, which is a really nice luxury to have. And so I, on purpose, stay away from certain places that I don’t think give me good chances to win. And so I think for me not hitting it that far but playing well the last couple years is a lot of being smart about where I’m playing. And I don’t mind playing longer tracks, but it’s just harder to win.

Q. You’ve been on quite a run really since the middle of last summer. But did — at any point, did all those runner ups, I think four of them, did any of that wear on you at all that you had come close but not won?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think the thing that was helpful and encouraging to me that I kept telling myself was, I wasn’t in contention at Memphis when I finished second. I had a great Sunday. Rory shoots 61 at RBC, JT posted and shoots 62. Tyler Duncan birdies 17 and 18 at RSM, which is incredible on those two holes. And so I think it could have been easy for me to get down, but as you look at those tournaments, guys played great and that’s the way the game goes sometimes. Sometimes you get handed a trophy, somebody bogeys a couple for you. And but more times than not you got to make birdies and those guys did it.

Q. You’re back in the top-10 in the World Ranking for the first time since 2012. How would you assess or compare the state of your game currently to back in 2012?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think it’s more well-rounded. I think I’ve had a lot of experience since then, learned a lot. And I really, I mentioned this a couple times, I think, but a couple years ago I was just a little bit tired of being inconsistent and I wanted to be a more consistent player. And I started looking at the weaknesses and really learning from golf tournaments, whether I finished second or 30th or missed the cut. And so I think just becoming more a student of the game and a student of myself has helped. So I do feel just more well-rounded now. And I think my time in the gym has led, not necessarily to a lot of yards, but it’s led to just more consistent feeling in my body when I show up to the range. And that’s a big deal. We’re playing at different time zones, different environments, weather, and so to show up with the same body week-in, week-out is actually a lot more important than I thought.

Q. Talk about your two putts on 18. They looked like almost similar length and similar area when you made them.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, the first one was — I had it right center, Paul had a ball out, so we split our reads. I went right edge or I think that’s what I did, right edge. And, yeah, he helped me there. And then in the playoff it was a little shorter, more break, I was closer to pin high and that was a cup out right to left, and that one we agreed on, which made me feel better. And that one caught the right side.

Simpson Talks Overcoming Playoff Struggles

Q. On the playoff streak, which ended at four today on the losing streak, did you think about 2017 when you lost to Hideki on the fourth playoff hole? Did you say, Oh my goodness, Tony and I are going to go after this again for four or more holes?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it came out. I was riding out and asking what holes we were playing and they said we were just going to stay on 18 for crowd purposes. But, yeah, past memories come up, but it happened so fast, we sign our card, we get in the cart, we tee off, it happens really fast so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think.

Q. Was there a point where you regretted breaking the belly putter and the time period that you went through struggling with some anxiety with putting?
WEBB SIMPSON: No, I mean, I broke the putter in November of 2014 and so Japan, Dunlop Phoenix was my first event with the short putter. And Paul and I just agreed that if we get a year under our belt before the ban happens, it’s only going to help us, even if we struggle. And that was a tough two years, but my dad always told me, You got to hang in there. Like, no matter what life throws at you, your job throws at you, you just got to hang in there. Not that it’s always going to turn out well, but if you’re not ready for things to turn around, then they probably won’t. So I just kind of, there was many frustrating moments, for sure, but I hung in there and tried a lot of different stuff and finally found something that works.

Q. You and Tony are Presidents Cup teammates and you know him pretty well. How hard is that when you play so well at the end to finally break through and then see what it does to the other guy? Golf can be so brutal.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it’s hard. I actually thought about that out there. He’s one of my good friends on TOUR. We’ve talked about playing together in team events as partners. I’m comfortable with him. I love his caddie, Greg. And so that part’s hard. I mean, we’re after the same thing. You never want to see a guy mess up. In a perfect world you hit great shots and your score’s one stroke lower. So I hope he doesn’t feel bad about today because he played great. He was over par and then he birdies 12 and 13 and hit great shots coming in, and he’s a world class player, as you guys know. I don’t have to tell you. He’s going to be around for a long time.

Q. As a man of faith, all this week has been focused on the death of Kobe Bryant along with the seven others. Tell us what that means. Every time you went to 16 there was lots of Kobe stuff going on. Think about that as your place as a man of faith?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I mean, I tell you what, for a guy that I never knew, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced sadness for the death of someone that I never knew like I did with Kobe. And my caddie and I were talking about it the other night and I asked him, why do you think, you know, this one feels different? I mean, many, many people have died in my lifetime that I knew of, but I think just it hit home to me, he’s seven years older, he’s 41, he has four kids, I have five; he has four daughters, I have four daughters; and he seemed like he was at a place in his life where he’s so excited about what’s going on around him, what he’s giving back to, what he’s involved in. So I think that made it hard, but I hope his wife Vanessa and his kids have felt what we have seen with what people are doing and how people are talking about how he impacted their life. So, yeah, I watched the Lakers game the other night and LeBron, the tribute, so I’ve been thinking about it all week. And I love what they did on 16 today, 24 on, 8 left. My caddie and I were actually trying to figure out that last night. We’re like, I’ve never seen that pin, what are they doing. And we didn’t really think about it until this morning. But, yeah, I mean, my heart’s still heavy, as I’m sure the world’s is, it’s going to be awhile.

Q. What is your schedule going forward for the next month or so and then how do you hope this kind of sets you up for the year?
WEBB SIMPSON: All I know right now is that I’m going to play in Mexico and THE PLAYERS. After that I’m not sure. My schedule picks up starting with the Masters and I play a good amount there after that. So I’m trying to pace myself. The fall, there’s so many good events I’m going to play in the fall, but, yeah, this is a nice start to the season. I hadn’t played a lot so far, so with the FedExCup the way it is, it’s nice to have a few good finishes where I don’t really have to play.

Q. To piggy back off that Kobe question, you mentioned your heart being heavy still processing it, but when the 16th is today is always looked at as a celebration, does that help?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think so. Even LeBron said that the other night, that they’re going to have to turn, at some point turn the sadness into celebrating his life and I think that was well said. Yeah, I think it’s just back and forth. One moment I’m sure that people around Kobe’s family are laughing and telling stories and then at another moment they’re crying. That’s what we experienced with my dad two years ago, you don’t really know what you’re going to do until you go through it, but it feels better celebrating it. You got to get the tears out and be sad, but it feels good talking about the stories and what he meant to people and what he did in people’s lives, that part helps you grieve better, I think.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Webb, congratulations.

WEBB SIMPSON: Thank you.

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 2, 2020

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PGA Tour: Rickie Fowler Talks Title Defense at 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: Rickie Fowler walks along the 10th hole during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines North on on January 24, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Rickie Fowler speaks to the media prior to attempting to defend the title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

PGA Tour: Rickie Fowler speaks to the media prior to Waste Management Phoenix Open

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome our defending champion, Rickie Fowler, into the interview room. He’s making his 12th career start at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Four Top-5S at this event. The first, Rickie, if we can get you to take us back to your win here last year. I know it was a special victory for you. Just talk about that win.

RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, there’s definitely some spots that I would like to be a little different, but at the end of Sunday we were holding the trophy on the 18th green, so I was happy about that. I mean, this tournament, with the relationships I have here with the Thunderbirds and Waste Management, yeah, it was nice to finally get the win here. It was just a matter of time, how many times we have been in contention and had a chance. So yeah, nice to be back. Looks like good weather week and nice to be back as defending champion.

THE MODERATOR: Couple top-10s in three starts this season on TOUR. Just talk a little bit about your form coming into this week.

RICKIE FOWLER: I feel good. It was nice to get the calendar year started at Kapalua. That’s always a good thing, coming off of a season with a win. Really good start in the desert. American Express. Didn’t really get anything going on the weekend on the Stadium Course. It would have been nice if we were playing La Quinta and Nicklaus Course. I had those dialed in.

But, yeah, last week really couldn’t get anything to go in, so. That’s usually one of the stronger points of my game. And obviously, I’ve had a lot of good weeks of putting here, so it’s nice to be back in the desert and see some balls going in the hole and not lipping out or missing and bouncing around. So I’m looking forward to this week. But game feels good. I was able to get a lot of good work in. Got over in town on Saturday. A lot of work on Sunday, spent all yesterday with JT, John Tillery, up at Whisper Rock. And yeah, I feel like we’re in a really good spot, ready to go tee it up tomorrow afternoon.

THE MODERATOR: Let’s open it up to questions.

Q. Curious, what was the conversation like with Larry Fitzgerald today?
RICKIE FOWLER: We were just going back and forth talking some golf. And he’s a member down at Seminole, which is close to where I live in Florida. He hasn’t been out to see MJ’s new course yet, Grove 23, so we were talking little bit about that and him getting out there soon. We just talked a lot about golf. He loves to play anytime he gets. Sounds like he was heading to Florida in the next couple days, going to play some more, and then I think he’s playing next week in Pebble. But he’s impressive to watch. He’s gotten a lot better as a golfer in the last few years. He’s putting a lot of work in. And he’s just, he’s a fun guy to be around. First time I’ve really gotten to play with him, but I’ve been around him multiple times. And, no, he’s impressive both as an athlete and as a person.

Q. I wanted to talk about the message that you posted on Instagram about Kobe, his passing, and how it’s affecting you and how is it going to affect you going into this next tournament and beyond?
RICKIE FOWLER: I mean, obviously, when freak things happen like that it makes you realize how precious life is, and I think that was kind of what I was talking about with Kobe. I really wish I would have had the opportunity to meet him and just be around him. I’m never someone that really asks a whole lot of questions. I just like to be around people and see how they go about things or how they treat other people, how they go about their business. But from all the stories I had heard and watching stuff, it just seemed like he was someone that lived every day like it was his last, never left anything out — he left everything on the court, whether it was practice, whether it was game. So someone that has had, obviously, a very impressive impact not just on one generation, but mine, kids still growing up now, a generation ahead of me. So to see someone like that, I mean, he’s a world icon. To have that kind of notoriety around the world, there’s very few people that really have that, especially in sports. So, no, I think he’s someone that everyone has either learned something from or can take from. I think another one was, I saw Timberlake posted a good one. He touched so many different walks of life, not just in sports. So I was bummed that I didn’t have the chance to spend any time around him. It’s just unfortunate.

Q. Along those lines, do you have any tributes planned for 16 or anything like that?
RICKIE FOWLER: Not necessarily. I mean, I think between all the players there’s going to be plenty. I don’t think Kobe needs any help as far as tributes go. I’m sure I’ll add some stuff here and there. I know Puma had asked about adding some stuff to hats or shoes or something like that, and I may just scribble something on there. We’ll kind of go with what it feels like at that moment, what to do. But, yeah, I don’t think Kobe’s going to struggle with support from fans and people around the world. He did his job. He’s pretty accomplished and very well respected.

Q. Secondly, I was looking back to last year and the win here, I guess what would be a successful year for you this year? How would you define it?
RICKIE FOWLER: For me, a multiple-win year. That’s really where my goals start. It’s not necessarily cuts made or top-10s, Top-5s. I want wins. So that’s what would define a successful year. So got to start with the first one and go from there. But a multiple-win season would be nice. Obviously, make one of those a major and it’s a really good year.

Q. You’ve been making some swing adjustments recently. Can you talk a little bit about the biggest change or the change that’s made the most impact on your game so far?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, I mean, it’s been a lot of work. I’ve been at it for a few months now. It’s just kind of getting back to maybe some old sequencing or getting the body to work properly. It’s been pretty simple, just because it’s more so focusing on how the lower body’s working a little bit more, when it’s firing, when it’s not, and how it’s stabilizing throughout the swing. So I think more — the hardest part has just been getting the, which feel or kind of cue for me gets what we want the lower body to do or not to do. So it’s a little, I mean, I could go into a lot more detail. I don’t want to be here that long. I get to go sign for some kids here shortly, and we have had a decent amount of time at the course today. But no, it’s a lot more body-related versus just trying to get the club in certain positions. If I do the stuff properly with the body, especially the lower body, it then basically puts the club into the position that the body’s telling it to be.

Q. It is less timing-based? And how are those changes coming along and what are you currently focused on?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yes, it’s less timing-based, but at the same time, it’s kind of all around timing. Maybe less timing as far as hands and trying to time up when the hands and the club head are meeting the ball and what the hands are doing through impact. But a lot of it is trying to make it very symmetrical as far as if you saw me a little bit maybe hands hip high on takeaway versus just past impact hands at hip height, you wouldn’t really be able to — they should look very similar. So the timing of when I’m hitting the ball and when I’m taking the club away should be matching up pretty much on point, if you were to set a metronome. So, yeah, a different way of talking about timing. But, yes, taking the hands out of it to where it’s much more body-driven.

Q. I think Gary Woodland has been asked more about Amy than about winning the U.S. Open in the past year. Just wondering how many times have you seen that video of her and have you met Amy or had any conversations with her?
RICKIE FOWLER: I haven’t. She seems like a fun, special person. I think that was, I mean that might be the video of the decade last year or was that two years ago?

Q. Last year.
RICKIE FOWLER: Last year, sorry. I feel like — I mean, I watched it so many times it feels like two years ago. When you see the highlights of it and when the video first came out it made — I mean, it was just so cool. And to have someone like Gary in that moment with her, it was awesome. I mean, he’s a good friend, great guy, and to see how like genuine it was between the two of them, his reactions, Amy just going crazy there on 16. No, I think it was one of the coolest moments with a player and a fan of golf really that has ever been kind of put together.

Q. I liked the way she waved him off, “I got this.”
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah.

Q. “You need me to help you with this? No, I got this.”
RICKIE FOWLER: She has plenty of confidence from what I’ve seen.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Rickie Fowler, best of luck this week.

RICKIE FOWLER: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

January 29, 2020

Scottsdale, Arizona

Categories
Team USA

PGA Tour: Gary Woodland Talks Special Relationship With Amy Bockersette Ahead of Waste Management Phoenix Open

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: Gary Woodland prepares to putt during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines North on January 24, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional and US Open champion Gary Woodland speaks to the media ahead of the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open about his special bond formed last year with Amy Bockersette and describes what its like on the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale.

European Tour: Gary Woodlands speaks with the media ahead of the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Gary Woodland, 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open winner, to the interview room here. Gary, thanks for coming in. More recently the 2019 U.S. Open winner as well. You’ve enjoyed a lot of success here in the past and with that said just some thoughts on being back here. I think you had a top-10 even last year, so just some thoughts on being back here to a place that’s pretty special to you.

GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, I love coming back. The Thunderbirds were nice enough to give me my first sponsor exemption on the PGA TOUR in 2011. I Mondayed in here as a rookie on TOUR in 2009. So I’ve played here every year since 2009, besides once. I’ve had a lot of success here, had some top-10s, obviously winning a couple years ago, which was nice. But this is a close to home for me because I have a lot of friend and family come out from Kansas. I think they want to get out of the snow. Obviously, this is as fun a tournament as we have out on the PGA TOUR, so I have a lot of friends and family here. And then you throw it to last year which obviously winning in 2018 was great for me, but last year had a bigger impact on me than winning. Spending time with Amy there on 16, that was, that’s what it’s all about. We’re in a very unique position on the PGA TOUR where we have an opportunity to meet a lot of cool people and spend some time with them and she’s the definition of that. So last year was very special. It was nice to be here today and spend time with her as well and look forward to a great week.

THE MODERATOR: Just one more question and then I’ll open it up to you guys. I was at Pebble with you when you won the U.S. Open and one of the things you wanted to do was FaceTime Amy. Could you have ever imagined, let alone how you felt, feel about it, but could you ever have imagined how big this story has become?

GARY WOODLAND: Absolutely not. Like I said, we get to meet a lot of cool people and you spend time like walking down 18, we had a military caddie. I got spend some time with him and talked to him, but I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again. Where Amy and I spent the time and we have stayed in contact and the impact she had on me that day was not only me, but millions around the world. You’ve seen the people that have been impacted by this, by the video and her attitude, her energy, her love. I keep saying it, it’s so contagious and the world needs a lot more of it. And especially with everything that’s going on in the world right now there’s, we need a lot more Amy in it.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up to questions.

Q. How is the jumper?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, it’s rusty.

Q. Amy’s mission is about like diversity and inclusion and giving people opportunities to see what it is that they can do. What has it been like for you to be a part of expanding a mission such as that?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, and I don’t know the impact that I’ve had on that compared to the impact she’s had, it’s been unbelievable. Everywhere I go I hear I got this, people come up to me, I mean, have adults come up to me crying because they have seen the video and they know somebody that has Down syndrome or — it’s been, the impact that it’s had on other people has been tremendous. So to be part of that is amazing. I had a kid come up to me in Maui this year after Saturday, I was going through the autograph line signing autographs talking to some kids and a kid came up to me and said, Hey, I want to let you know I have special needs and I saw the video that you did with Amy and it makes me believe that I can be a normal kid. I got emotional there. That’s what it’s all about. He says normal kid. What’s normal? Happy, loving, caring, I mean, that’s what we all need to be.

Q. What was it like today on 16, the presentation, everyone cheering for her, a standing O, all that? What was that like to see?
GARY WOODLAND: Nervous. I asked Amy when we were walking in if she was nervous and she said, No, I’m excited. And I said, Well, I’m nervous. There were a lot of people in there. The energy was amazing. Seeing everyone put those shirts on is so cool. Obviously, the Thunderbirds giving Amy and her foundation the 25,000 is awesome. They will do amazing things with it, and it’s cool to see that and share that with her again. Obviously, we had a great day last year, but to continue that relationship, to be there today, to see everybody else involved, it’s one thing for us who have a relationship together, but everybody else you feel like you know her and that’s what it’s all about. That’s so cool. And I was very glad that she was there today and I got to be there.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. For a lot of players it’s the first time being out since the like the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. How is it affecting everybody just this first time being back?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, it’s been, for me personally, it’s been an emotional week. I was playing on the golf course here in a practice round on Sunday when I got the news and you wanted to believe it was fake. And as a father, you know, Kobe’s basketball stats and everything he did on the basketball court, I think speak for themselves. You can look that up. His impact there will live on forever. But for me personally, when I think of Kobe now I think of the images of him with his daughter, with Gigi, on the basketball court, talking to her, getting back into the game because of her and the love she had for it. As a father now, I mean, that’s been very emotional for me. I’ve obviously, I’ve looked up to Kobe my whole life. I grew up in that generation with him dominating, so I’ve always wanted to be him, the way he worked on the basketball court, I wanted his work ethic. You talked to people with the Mamba mentality, that’s what we all strive for as athletes out here. For me personally, looking at him the last couple years I want to be like him as a father. I want to be able to spend time with my kids. I brought my kid out yesterday. My kid’s two and a half. That’s the first time he’s walked with me on a golf course. He came out during the practice round. Because with Kobe being taken away you don’t know how much time we have and I want to be able to share more time with my son now, when my daughters get older. But I brought him out yesterday because of that and let him experience being out and spending time with him. And the impact he’s had, you look, he shut the world down for a day. It’s the people, the stories, and it’s, he’s one of those guys where I never met him, but I feel like I knew him. And that’s the impact I think that Amy’s had as well. People, even if you don’t know her, you felt like you know her. And that’s, it takes a special person for that and he was definitely that.

Q. I was going to ask you about the U.S. Open and how it maybe has changed your life, but I have the feeling it’s not as big a life-changer as the week with Amy last year for you. Can you talk about those two things?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, the impact of the U.S. Open was cool from a personal standpoint. Obviously, it gives me a lot of confidence. I show up to golf tournaments, now I know I’m a major champion, I know I can beat the best players in the world any given week, so that’s special. From an impact that Amy’s had on me, that’s changed me in everyday life, being a positive attitude, loving people, staying in the moment. And that’s, that will help you on and off the golf course anywhere you go. That’s the way I try to live right now. I’m trying to instill that in my kids and my family and that’s because spending time with her.

Q. How do you describe 16 to people? And what’s the funniest thing that’s ever been said about you out there?
GARY WOODLAND: I don’t know if you can describe 16. Today it’s a Wednesday and there’s 10,000 people in there. I mean, sometimes we don’t see 10,000 people during a day out on a golf tournament. This is a Wednesday. It’s as close to a sporting event and an arena as we’re ever going to get. It seems like it grows every year. They’ve got the suites now down by the tee level, which might be a little interesting Friday afternoon and Saturday. But it’s the adrenaline. I mean, I was hitting it pretty short all day today, not much adrenaline. I get in there and I hit it 15 yards farther than I was expecting, all because of the adrenaline of the people around there. When I was a rookie they were chanting my girlfriend — my wife’s name now, my girlfriend’s name at the time, they were chanting that. The guys right there from, I think they’re from Minnesota, they Google everybody and they all have lines, and they throw out some random stuff. They chanted 16th hole virgin the very first time I played the time. So you never know what you’re going to hear in there. I’ve got Missouri people yelling at me, KU people cheering for me. It’s, in 2009 when you miss the green, they booed you. Now if you make par, they boo you. You better hit a good shot in there. And it’s one of those where you don’t want to chip. You want to hit a good shot and hopefully make birdie and get out of there. But there’s nothing like it. There’s no adrenaline rush like that when you get in there. When you get in there you can hear it from the other side of the golf course. You can hear it when you tee off on 1, so you try not to think about it, but you can definitely hear it and something you need to look forward to, for sure, going in.

Q. Why has this always been such a good course for you?
GARY WOODLAND: It sets up well for me. Obviously, the par-5s I can get to. Length’s a huge advantage, especially 15’s tough second shot in there. 13, I can take out a lot of the trouble with driver. 3, some guys can’t get to some days and I can. So outside of that, the greens get pretty firm, so you got to drive the golf ball in the fairway. I’m a pretty good driver of the golf ball. And it’s one of those where I got off to a good start a long time ago, and all of a sudden the golf course you start seeing lines, and you have some success and you come back and those memories keep coming back to you. So this is one tournament I look forward to every year.

Q. Couple things, a lot of guys are doing or some guys are doing stuff tributes to Kobe and so forth this week. Just curious if you have any plans for anything?
GARY WOODLAND: Yeah, I’ll have some stuff on my shoes this weekend. I changed the putter cover. Lakers colors on putter cover this week that a lot of guys are using. They’re from Scotty Cameron. But I think the biggest tribute is try to imitate him in the way to be a father like he was and work hard every day because you never know when it’s taken away from you, so you can’t take any day for granted on and off the golf course.

Q. Just to follow-up: You were getting a little emotional, it looked like just a minute ago. Curious why?
GARY WOODLAND: It’s funny, like I said, I get emotional for somebody that I’ve never met. My wife and I were very emotional when I got home that day. You see him, when I saw Kobe play basketball, and I watched a lot of Kobe playing basketball. I watched, growing up I watched a lot of sports. Like, when I watched Tiger Woods play I used to record his press conferences afterwards because the golf shots are one thing I wanted to hear what he said, I wanted to hear what he was talking about, what he was thinking, and he never let off much, so you had to piece a lot of stuff together. Kobe was the same way and you see Kobe win NBA championships, yeah he was excited, but he always felt like he had to continue to work and continue to get better. When you see him with his children, he looked like he was happy, he was smiling all the time, laughing, when he was coaching her. That’s the love and energy that I want to have and it makes me sad that him and his daughter and seven other people’s lives were taken away way too soon. And I just, I want to be there for my kids and not have to miss anything, because you never know when it’s — I travel a lot, I fly a lot, weekly, and it just makes you a little nervous that something tragic can be taken away so quickly.

Q. Anything that you learned from Tiger from having him as your captain at the Presidents Cup?
GARY WOODLAND: A lot. I was able, I was fortunate enough or he was nice enough to invite me up to spend some time at his house, so I was around him a lot leading up to the Presidents Cup where it was just him and I practicing, hanging out, working out, doing a lot of things together. So his work ethic, the way he thinks about golf course. We talked about golf clubs a little bit, I switched my wedges to the wedges he’s using from spending time with him and seeing why he hits certain shots. But as a captain we were down 4-1 the first day and I was a rookie — I was an old guy on the team but I was a rookie — there were four other rookies, maybe five rookies from the Presidents Cup we were all down a little bit and he comes in laughing, hat backwards, laughing. And we’re all down like, one, we were getting our buts kicked, but, two, we don’t want to let him down and he’s laughing saying, Hey, we’re in the perfect spot. And each day he just continued to do that. We were continuing — obviously we were down every day — but his attitude and his belief is a joke, I mean it really is. Obviously he’s won 82 times and 15 Majors, so he has a lot to rely on. But the way he attacks things, the way he sees golf courses — he was sending me scouting reports of the golf course three weeks before the golf tournament. His mind’s different. A lot like Kobe, he thinks differently. But I had to adjust, I got to work a little bit harder, work on certain things differently when I’m practicing now from what he’s doing, how he recovers, I’ve seen the way he is in the gym, it’s very impressive. And you think you work hard and then you go spend time with the best that’s ever done it, you see why he is where he is.

THE MODERATOR: Gary, you’re used to being asked the questions, but I’m going to Your Honor it the tables on you for a minute and see if we can get you to ask a question. Amy is back here, we would love to have Amy come up and join us for a minute. I think Gary mentioned, talked about picking people’s brains and taking bits and pieces of things. I think he’s got a question he would love to — come sit, take my seat, you’ll probably do a better job than me anyway.

THE MODERATOR: So Gary, anything?

GARY WOODLAND: Amy, did you have fun today?

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yes.

GARY WOODLAND: You enjoyed all those people out there?

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yes.

GARY WOODLAND: Well we’re all happy for you and we’re happy that the Thunderbirds gave you that money for your foundation. You’re going to do amazing things good luck in your golf tournament this weekend, first tournament of the year.

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yeah.

GARY WOODLAND: Are you are you going to go out and dominate?

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yes.

GARY WOODLAND: That’s what I’m talking about. Give me some love. We’re all glad that we met you and we get to spend time with you and we look forward to watching you in the future.

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yeah. I’m so happy (laughing).

THE MODERATOR: All right, we’ll get a quick picture of you guys together. Amy, do you have a question for Gary?

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yeah. Gary, when are you going to play golf with me like you said last time?

GARY WOODLAND: Am I going to play golf with you.

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yeah.

GARY WOODLAND: We need to do that. Sooner than later. When I get back in town we’ll play golf together. Is that a deal?

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yes.

GARY WOODLAND: Okay. It’s a deal.

(Handing gift to Gary.)

GARY WOODLAND: Oh, thank you. You bring gifts. That was nice of you.

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yeah.

GARY WOODLAND: I love it. Divot tool. “I got this.” Come on.

(Hugging.)

THE MODERATOR: Okay, well, Gary, thank you, Amy, thank you for coming up being a special part of the day and good luck in your tournament.

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Are you going to get to come and watch Gary some as well?

AMY BOCKERSTETTE: Yes.

THE MODERATOR: Oh, fantastic. Good luck charm.

GARY WOODLAND: Thanks, guys.

January 29, 2020

Scottsdale, Arizona

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports