Category: Professionals

PGA Tour: Adam Scott Recaps Last Week’s Victory and Previews 2020 WGC Mexico Championship

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 19, 2020

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 16: Adam Scott of Australia holds the trophy following the final round of the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club on February 16, 2020 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Adam Scott revisits last week’s victory at the 2020 Genesis Invitational and gives a look ahead to this week’s WGC Mexico Championship.

PGA Tour: Adam Scott speaks with the media ahead of 2020 WGC Mexico Championship

MARK WILLIAMS: We’d like to welcome Adam Scott into the interview room here at the WGC Mexico Championship. Adam, thanks for coming in. Congratulations again on your win on Sunday at the Genesis Invitational.

If you can just talk about coming back here. You haven’t played here since 2017. And also I understand you’ve added the WGC Match Play to your schedule. If you could just talk about adding those two tournaments to your schedule and coming back here to Mexico.

ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, sure. You know, I talked about it last week, I’ve had a fairly long — not that long a break, but I’m starting a lot later than most this year, and you’re never quite sure how you’re going to play the first week out, and okay, it worked out really well for me. But putting this back in this week got me out here against the best in the world, and also it’s going to get me four rounds in golf in early in the season, just in case it didn’t go well last week.

For the last couple years, I’ve put World Golf Championships in and out of the schedule a little bit, trying to find what’s working for me, but I think as I’ve started playing better and better last year, to be the best player out here, you’ve got to play against the best, and that means coming to these events. It was pretty easy to put this back in and also the Match Play back on the schedule for this year and at least give myself an idea of where my game is sitting against the best players in the world a little more often.

MARK WILLIAMS: Before last week’s victory, your previous victories on the TOUR were back-to-back efforts in 2016 kind of around this time of the year. What will we see from you to try and recreate that again this week with another victory?

ADAM SCOTT: My game is obviously in good shape. I think the challenge for everyone coming here this week is just dealing with the altitude, mostly with how far the ball is going to go and who can manage that the best. It’s very difficult even with just a couple days of practice and playing the golf course to really dial that in completely. Certainly when you’re trying to hit maybe a knock-down shot — it’s going to be a bit tricky and you’re going to have to accept a few mystery balls, I think, this week.

2020 WGC Mexico Championship Tee Times

But overall, a bit like I felt last week, if there’s enough good stuff in there, I think my game can hold up to that.

Q. Was the decision to take the events off leading up to maybe LA and add these events, was that kind of the same choice, that you wanted some time off after the end of last season and it just made sense to add Match Play and Mexico, whatever the case may be?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, I needed to get going somewhere. The events I did play at the back end of last season, I didn’t get a lot of FedExCup points. I was going to come out chasing no matter where I came out, and it was simply — looking at the schedule, I liked the way it looked. Riviera I like, and I was hopeful to play well there, and then coming here I was going to hopefully give myself eight competitive rounds right out of the gate and give me something to go home with a week off and work on what I need to work on and come back and play Bay Hill and THE PLAYERS, which are two courses I love playing, also. Then you’re really right into Masters preparation off the back of THE PLAYERS. I thought the Match Play has never been the first one on my schedule, but it’s another opportunity for just me to see at least three competitive rounds of golf, where I’m at, what I need to work on, keep me competitively pretty fresh with a week off before the Masters. It seemed like a fairly logical schedule based off the break.

Q. When you first kind of moved into the elite, if you will, back in about ’04, ’05, whatever, you’ve had a couple times where you’ve dipped pretty far out of the World Ranking into the 75, 80 range, and both times worked your way back into the top 10. What do you think looking back caused those dips, and which one was harder or more satisfying to get back to?
ADAM SCOTT: I guess my perspective on it now is that the standards are pretty high. If you dip down to 75 or 80 in the world, it’s because of guys like Tiger, who set the top level so high and guys like Phil Mickelson, who have stayed in the top 50 in the world for 50 years or something like that (laughing) that make all of us look pretty average after that.

The game of golf is very difficult at times. I remember in ’09 struggling — I really think I played poorly in ’09. I was really just playing very poor, and I got myself into a funk, and the confidence goes, and it’s not easy to get that back. There’s a bit of a process to that.

Getting out of that one was quite good because I felt like it was the first time I’d ever really struggled, and I could almost say a bit panicky, I’m sure, of really what to do, and a few things fell into place eventually at the end of ’09, and I kind of got myself out of that.

Then the last couple years I think — you know, again, it’s a few things that catch up with you. A lot changed in my life from when I was winning the Masters until the middle of 2018 where I’m qualifying for the U.S. Open and trying to balance how to be a high-level golfer with a lot of other responsibilities I found challenging. I think it was more with the second kid coming along that really got my head spinning a bit. There was no way to get — well, there’s another one. But I have incredible support from my wife and my family, but we also must remember that you’re trying to play the sport at the highest level, and there’s no excuses, and there’s a lot of sacrifices to make. It just took me a little while to find the right balance between the way I used to do it and the way I needed to do it now so that there was like some kind of peace in my whole world.

I don’t think that’s anything amazing. I think everyone deals with it in some way or another.

Q. How is it mentally-wise and confidence-wise putting up this win and reassuring the good game you have been playing throughout 2019?
ADAM SCOTT: It’s very satisfying. I think any time you win it’s incredibly good for your confidence. I felt that at the end of last year. I won the Australian PGA in December, and even in a funny way today, just hitting a few balls on the range, I felt more confident today than I did even hitting balls on the range Sunday in Riviera.

It just gives you that little bit more self-belief in all the things that you need to do, and even the way I struck the ball today I think showed that there was a lot of confidence and self-belief standing over the ball to swing the club.

It’s funny, it’s kind of immeasurable, and it’s hard to fake what that win can give to you. Sometimes you can, but it does mean a lot. Certainly for me, I’ve always kind of based my success of my career on winning tournaments.

Q. It’s hard to believe that in 2019 not one Aussie won on the PGA TOUR and now three in seven events so far. Talking to Leish and Cam, they said that a lot of that was — well, some of that at least is motivation from what happened at Royal Melbourne. How big of an inspiration was that to this whole formula of the Aussies winning again?
ADAM SCOTT: I think that event really meant something to the Aussies at Royal Melbourne. I think it meant a lot to the other players on the international team, too. Guys, if it was their first taste of a Presidents Cup, it was a pretty good one. It was a tough defeat to take.

But they got a really nice introduction to what that competition can be.

And as far as the Aussies, it was a special week for us down there. We certainly felt like we were playing at home, and I felt that straightaway, and I was very keen to play well the week after at the PGA in Australia, and then really last week I had a lot of motivation going in. I had watched Cam win in Hawai’i while I was sitting on the couch and Leish winning in Torrey, and that was about the time when I was feeling like, okay, I need to get back out there and try and put my name on a trophy.

Those things happen. You know, the Aussies are all pretty close, and a little success from one can push us all a long way.

Q. Was there a conversation amongst you and the Aussies to maybe help motivate each other heading into the rest of the year?
ADAM SCOTT: At the Presidents Cup you mean?

Q. Yes, sorry.
ADAM SCOTT: I think there was some great conversations amongst our team. I don’t know why just the Aussies might have won. Maybe the others are all going to now. But I think everyone was very motivated to continue playing at a high level to make the next team. That was really more what I got out of it, and I say that, which might sound surprising, but I don’t always get that feeling out of the back of Presidents Cups. We’ve had some pretty rough beatings, not really leaving with our heads held high sometimes, and this time we did, and I think everyone who was on that team would like to have another go next time, and they’re pretty determined to play well to get on that next team.

Q. The issue in Mexico, it’s always the altitude. It’s what all you guys talk about. What about the air pressure? They also said that the backspin in Mexico is really hard because of the thinness of the air pressure. How do you handle and deal with these things?
ADAM SCOTT: I think you’re definitely better off asking Bryson DeChambeau about the air pressure. I really do not know how to answer that question. (Laughter.) I’m really sorry I can’t help.

I think you can spin the ball a lot on this type of green. We’re used to that. But as far as air pressure, I really don’t know anything about air pressure here in Mexico, I’m sorry.

Q. But it’s harder to give the backspin to follow it?
ADAM SCOTT: Maybe it is because that’s why the ball is going more. Maybe that makes sense. There’s less resistance on the ball. That’s why it’s flying further. Maybe it spins less. You should ask Bryson, though. (Laughter.) I’m sorry.

Q. I’m sorry if you were asked this last week, but what was your reaction when you heard the news that Ernie wasn’t going to captain again, and is there any part of you after what he did that he would reconsider and maybe consider doing it one more time?
ADAM SCOTT: I think when I first heard, he told me straightaway after the Cup. I was a little bit surprised but only because captains have captained a few times in the past.

But I think he put so much into it, and I really respect the fact that he said I gave it everything I had and he came up short and he shouldn’t get a second chance, he should pass it on and let someone else do it, and I really like that attitude, actually. I think that’s a nice attitude for me to take playing to the course; I get one shot at this tournament this week, and I don’t get another go and I should make it count. That’s kind of what he was saying, and that was one of many really important messages he left with our team that week for the future.

Q. Did you have a chance to speak with Abraham Ancer about Mexico in general and maybe about this tournament?
ADAM SCOTT: Not particularly. We spent most of the time talking about his tequila actually. I’m sure he’ll be happy to tell you all about it. I look forward — I’m still waiting for a bottle. That’s the only thing. I keep bringing it up every time, but no tequila bottle.

But I’ve enjoyed talking with Abe anyway over the last 18 months. He’s been fantastic. He was fantastic in Melbourne on the Presidents Cup. He’s fantastic for golf in Mexico, and very enjoyable guy to be around. He’s a really nice guy.

Q. I wonder if you could paint a picture for us. First you admitted last week that you watch golf on television, which was mildly shocking. When you’re watching Leish and when you’re watching Cameron, where are you, at home on the couch? Where are the kids? Are they watching with you? Do you need to have quiet time for this?
ADAM SCOTT: No, that’s when they’re having a nap. I was in Australia, so somehow — we were in Hawai’i when Cam was winning. My boy was still having his nap in the middle of the day, so that worked. I got an hour’s golf in that day.

I mean, I don’t watch every minute of every telecast, but certainly if Cam is winning or Leish or one of my close mates out here, I’m going to tune in and see what’s happening.

Q. The Masters, unless I’ve done my math incorrectly, to play your 75th consecutive major, does that mean anything to you?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it does. That’s why I tried so hard to qualify for the U.S. Open. I mean, I don’t know why. You don’t get anything for how many consecutive majors you play in. But I know Sergio has got a few more than me, and I think he’s currently holding the most consecutive, taking Jack Nicklaus out of the equation and some others. But yeah, active players.

Q. Talking about the Presidents Cup and Abraham Ancer, what do you see in his game and maybe his opportunity to win on the PGA TOUR? What can you say about Ancer’s game?
ADAM SCOTT: He’s a competitor. He reminds me a little bit of Tim Clark, who I’m quite close friends with. He’s a really gritty, gritty player. He’s not afraid to get in the middle of a dogfight on the golf course, and I think you can see that he kind of was our guy to play Tiger, which is not an easy task to do at a Presidents Cup, but especially if it’s your first time. But everyone believed that if we put him out first and he got Tiger that that was a good thing. I know he didn’t win the match, but he’s not afraid, that’s for sure, and I think that’s going to take him a long, long way.

Of course he has many wonderful attributes of his golf game, too, but I think probably one of his biggest strengths will be that he’s pretty fearless as a competitor.

Q. I’m pretty sure you were the one who said on probably Wednesday of the Presidents Cup that I’d be surprised if Abe is not our leading points getter. I don’t know how much time you spent with him playing at all in a tournament, but what would you have seen in a couple days that would have led you to say that?
ADAM SCOTT: It wasn’t really the couple of days, it was more about what I just said there. I just think he likes competing. And the thing I’ve learned from Presidents Cups is you’re thrown into competition immediately. Maybe people see it differently, but sometimes Thursday and Friday you’re just wandering around playing golf out here, and you’re kind of finding your rhythm and you’re moving up the leaderboard, or if you don’t go out and shoot 7-under the first round, you’re not right in it.

At Presidents Cups you’re right in it every time you tee off. You’ve got an 18-hole match and all eyeballs are on you, and I think that’s a good thing to kind of test where you are, but also I see a guy like Abe thrive off something like that.

I think when he gets in the mix out here, he doesn’t back down from it, and he’s going to win tournaments because of it.

MARK WILLIAMS: Adam, we appreciate you coming in, and hopefully you have a successful week this week.

Mexico City, Mexico

February 19, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags Adam Scott, Professionals, WGC Mexico Championship

Team USA

PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka Addresses the Media at the PGA Championship Media Conference

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 18, 2020

ST LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 12: Brooks Koepka of the USA celebrates with the winners trophy on the 18th green after winning the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Golf & Country Club on August 12, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: 2019 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka speaks with the media at the annual PGA Championship Media Conference in San Francisco ahead of the 2020 edition taking place at Harding Park

PGA Tour: Brooks Koepka speaks to the media about 2020 PGA Championship

JULIUS MASON: Ladies and gentlemen, the countdown has really officially begun. It’s 84 days until the second major of the year comes upon Harding Park. We are really excited to have our defending champion, Brooks Koepka with us today, and I guess over the next 15 minutes we’re going to go ahead and open the floor to you to ask as many questions as like.

Brooks it’s been over — we have to go back to the ’20s when Walter Hagen won four of these championships in a row. What’s your mind-set going into this PGA Championship when you could come close to history winning three of these things in a row?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It would be incredible. Obviously you look at Walter Hagen is a name everybody knows, every golf fan knows. To even have a chance to put my name with his would be incredible and it would be super special.

Coming back, obviously two-time defending, it’s a different feeling, and one you want to win this year for sure. It’s something I’m looking forward to and can’t wait to get the year started.

Q. Given the hat that you’re wearing, I would imagine the perfect scenario would be to win this thing, look over to the camera and hold up a 2 and a 4?
BROOKS KOEPKA: That would be pretty cool. It would be neat. It would be special. It really would with everything that’s gone on, it’s obviously very sad, but no better way to honor him.

Q. How is your knee? How is your health?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s a lot stronger. It’s stable. It feels good. Every once in a while, last Monday was probably — didn’t feel very good but that’s why, you know, I have got my PT with me on the road taking care of everything and making sure that my knee is in the right spot. My knee is so much better. It’s really progressed a lot in the last month and a half.

Q. How will you prepare with the terrain, getting physically ready for the tournament?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ll be physically ready. I’ve got plenty of time. What did you say, Julius, 84 days? I’ll be fine. It’s something I’m not worried about. It is walking, so it’s not too bad. But at the same time, downhill is a little bit of a struggle but other than that, everything else is good.

Q. No. 1 in the world for a bit now. How has life changed for you since, if at all?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Obviously being No. 1 is nice, but you get comfortable with it and you know, you’re just trying to make sure you play good. It’s as simple as. Not there right now, but I had three months off, so just trying to find rhythm and get back into the swing of things and really kind of get used to being on Tour again.

Q. I know it’s been a few years, but can you share with us anything that sticks out from playing Harding Park before?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s a big boy golf course. You have to be able to hit it long. It’s very difficult. It’s a major championship golf course. You know that. You look at — this finish will be interesting. I think it will be a great finish. You look at the back nine there, starting on about 13, 14, it gets really interesting. You’re going to see a lot of — it will be exciting, especially if it’s close on Sunday. I think those holes let up for quite a few disasters and some good golf.

Q. Can you describe what it’s like, you have a target on your back now as the defending champion and the field is so competitive. When you’re the one that people are pointing toward, how does that change the way you play, or does, it when you know that people are gunning for you?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I like that. Everybody wants to be in that spot. There’s nothing wrong with it. Obviously they are all doing that because you did something good and that’s what you want. Just keep plugging away. It’s not a normal event, but you know, it’s a major; you’re hyped up and you’re pumped to play and ready to go, just get out there and go do what you’re supposed to do.

Q. Last year, the U.S. Opens you were so dominant, and then the Tiger one, the previous PGA Championship, last year, you were in complete control, had a little bit of a hiccup but were able to close the deal. What did you learn about going through that stretch and being able to hold on to win?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It was nice. That’s why you play good the early days so you’ve got a chance. I really didn’t feel like I made any mistakes. It’s a hard golf course, especially when it’s blowing 25, 30 miles an hour in the wind. Played good and didn’t do much wrong but you can make some bogeys pretty quick on that golf course.

It’s been fun to battle it out with him the last few years.

Koepka Talks TPC Harding Park

Q. You called it a “big boy golf course,” Harding, with the trees, and accuracy matters; there’s a distinct San Francisco style of golf. You played in The Open at Olympic as an amateur, as well. What did you learn about San Francisco golf in those tournaments?
BROOKS KOEPKA: You know the rough is going to be thick. You know what you’re going to get. You have to be able to hit it far and you have to be able to hit it straight. There’s been a precedent on making sure accuracy is big, and you know that when you come out here.

You have to find the fairways if you event want to have a chance. If you don’t hit the fairways, you’re going to be struggling to make pars. You’re not going to make any birdies, but it’s a golf course that it’s set up for a major championship like this.

Q. Have you been back to Harding since the Match Play?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I haven’t been back. 2015 was the last time I was back. Back out here, might pop up for a day and maybe go play before the event but that’s about it.

Q. Had you heard how narrow the fairways are?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’m sure they are.

Q. We’re going to see you hit some balls to McCovey Cove. What are you going to be using? A sand wedge? Your putter?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ll probably use as much club as I can. I’d love to hit anything. It doesn’t matter. It would be cool to hit one in McCovey Cove. I don’t know. We’ll figure it out when we get down there.

Q. How was the Bart ride with the trophy?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It was fun. I think everybody when I was on Bart was like, what is going on here. Brought like six, seven camera guys, everybody looking. It was fun. We had a good time.

Q. What did you think about the recent distance report?
BROOKS KOEPKA: The long hitters are going to be long hitters whether you roll the ball back or not, it doesn’t matter. I always use the example: Jack Nicklaus drove the green on 18 at St. Andrews and that was, what, 30, 40 years ago and it’s tough to do that now. I can’t even do that now.

It doesn’t matter. Look, kind of speaking out of both sides of their mouth. They want to make it tougher, but at the same time, we want to grow the game and get people involved. So if you’re going to make it tougher, not many people are going to want to play.

Q. Does Harding Park allow you to play your type of game? Does it put a different club in your hand from the fact that it is a narrower course and it’s got trees on each side of the fairway? Do you have to be smart about the way you attack?
BROOKS KOEPKA: You just have to take what the hole gives you. It doesn’t matter. There’s no real — my style of golf, nothing like that. You just try to go out there and figure out what the hole gives you and depending where the pin is and what the miss is, there’s about 30 things that can come into play and you just have to take what it will let you do.

Q. Do you have an idea — a few months out, what type of a game plan you may have for this type of a golf course?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It all kind of depends. You get a wind direction or the weather report comes in, whatever. It can change to anything in an instant. Doesn’t matter. Holes playing downwind now might play into the wind when we’re here. You just have got to see, kind of wait and figure out what the best opportunities are.

Q. How much does it matter, if at all, that this is on a public course? I know Bethpage last year, there haven’t been very many, Torrey Pines I guess, but truly municipal courses to host an event of this magnitude?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s incredible. Obviously anybody can go out and go play, which makes it unique. Makes it cool. So people really understand where we’ve been. If we have hit in a certain — behind a tree or hit it left on this hole or hit it right on that hole, the average golfer out there knows exactly what we’re dealing with. It brings people a little bit closer to us.

Q. Does it send an important message, battling the elitism?
BROOKS KOEPKA: For sure, definitely had that feeling for years and years and years. It’s nice to bring it to a public place and nice to bring it to somewhere where, you know, it’s not that exclusivity that’s been, I guess, tagged with golf for a long time.

Q. How important is it for you to try to get back to No. 1?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ve just got to play good golf, man. That’s all I’ve got to do. If I play good golf, everything should take care of itself. Just trying to feel a little bit of a rhythm, build up on it. I’ve only been hitting golf balls for a month and a half now. Everything should be pretty close.

Q. How did you handle the play off, not being able to play.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, it was a grind. It was the second we got back from Korea. I was in rehab right away, so I didn’t really have much time to think about anything else other than just go attack the knee and make it strong and make it back to what it was. That was the only way possible.

So I really haven’t had much time to think about anything else other than trying to get back out here and trying to be able to play again.

Q. What are your thoughts on playing this championship in a world-class city like San Francisco? It puts the PGA Tour and so many great players in this area.
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s fun. I’ve spent a bunch of time out here in San Francisco when I was going through college and just getting done. Spent a much of time with a family out here in Pleasanton. It was kind of a second home there for a little bit. It’s fun. It’s fun to get back here and see everything.

Obviously it will be a fun week with the fans here. I think it will be exciting and hopefully they are looking forward to it.

Q. Has anyone in this area helped influence your game as a golfer teaching-wise?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No. I haven’t got any lessons out here. It’s kind of far for me to travel from Florida, so I wasn’t out here getting much lessons. But no, nobody out here.

Q. Do you have relatives in Pleasanton?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No. They were family friends. They were out there. So go play golf with them. One of them, Noah, is actually playing golf at the University of Washington. Be cool to see them. Hopefully they will be out.

Q. You mentioned Walter Hagen and that was so long ago in Match Play. Will you embrace that trying to go three in a row in stroke play, something that’s never been done in this championship, or just I want to play the golf tournament?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I just want to play good golf, man. It’s simple. You start thinking about all the things that could happen, that’s when, you know, I guess nerve, everything else kind of creeps in. Just stay in the moment and keep plugging along.

Q. When you win a major, how does that change your life?
BROOKS KOEPKA: A major? I mean, it puts you in a different category than everybody else. You can win as many tour events as you want, but at the end of the day, you’re remembered by how many majors you’ve won. You look at it, and I’ve said it before, Arnie, Jack, Tom Watson, Gary Player, all these guys, I can’t tell you how many PGA Tour events they won, but I promise you everybody knows how many majors they won.

Q. But when you go to 7-11, Wal-Mart, whatever, at one point it’s like, oh, there’s Brooks Koepka and then you win a major, oh, snap, expletive, it’s Brooks Koepka. Is it like that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s definitely a little bit different. Get noticed a lot more. Things like that, it definitely changes your life a little bit.

I’m still the same me, so it doesn’t matter. I’m still just a regular guy just like anybody else.

Q. Have you been to a baseball game here? Did you play baseball growing up?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I did. Actually I went on a date with Jena before were dating here, actually. Buster gave me tickets. I knew Buster from Florida State. He helped us out with tickets and we were here in 2015.

Q. So you didn’t go for the perfect game?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No, I wasn’t. I didn’t make it out. I wasn’t going to be getting free tickets from anybody at that point. (Laughter).

Q. Have you looked into the Premiere Golf League?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, everybody’s pretty much heard about it, looking at things.

Q. What do you think?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, there is a possibility. Obviously they have got financial backing. So it’s become more and more real, especially with everything that’s developing. They are giving us information. But at the same time, we’ve got to figure out what’s best for us. We have no idea. So when we make that determination, we’ll let everybody know.

Q. Both you and Rory have been dismissive of the rivalry labeled between you two, but has him overtaking you at world No. 1 changed your mind-set in regard to your ebb and flow with him?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Not really. I just don’t — we haven’t competed going into a major coming down the stretch. I think the only time we really competed with each other was WGC.

So other than that, we haven’t been in contention in the same tournaments coming down the stretch, so it’s hard to say there’s a rivalry. Even people talk about the Phil and Tiger rivalry, it was kind of one-sided there for a long time, too. I just don’t see rivalries in golf, I really don’t.

Q. You’ve obviously won this twice and each major seems to have its own personality, and Augusta with the greens, U.S. Open with the rough, British Open with the wind. What in your mind is the signature sort of element of a PGA Championship?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think the fact that they can switch it up and make it different. I like the fact that you can play this in long rough, big tall rough. You can play it with not that much rough and make it difficult.

You look at like Bellerive two years ago, that was one of the funner courses to play, and then you look at it last year was probably one of the most difficult golf courses you’re going to play in the entire world. The way that they can vary it and make it different, and make it enjoyable for the fans.

Q. What was different about Bellerive?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think, too, there’s a lot of — it’s a sporting town. St. Louis is a good sporting town. It was fun to be there. In fact, I just remember how hot it was. I must have lost like ten pounds that week.

Q. Can you speak to the talent on the PGA Tour right now? It seems like it’s in a great spot right now with so many international and American players. Just how hard is it to win on this tour right now?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s obviously very difficult. So many guys, you go down the line, you’ve got Rory, J.T., Dustin. I could name 15 names, rattle them off. I think that’s why you’re not going to see — guys are not going to win 30, 40 times like they have years and years ago just for the fact of it’s not going to be possible. There’s too much competition.

Q. What do you remember about the baseball game you saw here, if you flash back to the U.S. Open at Olympic and the match play at Harding and to now think you’re coming back to San Francisco as No. 1 or close to No. 1. Pretty striking contrast to where your career was.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s different. That might have been my first match play, too. I could be wrong. It might have been my first one. It’s crazy to look how far I’ve come and how things have changed over the last, you know, four or five years.

Q. Any memories from that baseball game here?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Had a good day. I guess it worked out for me.

Q. Will you have a chance to play Harding several times before the PGA Championship?
BROOKS KOEPKA: We’ll see. It kind of depends. I remember a little bit of it, but also at the same time depends how much off-time we get and if I can if I’m over here, obviously going to spend quite a bit of time in San Diego with my guy and probably can, if I can pop up and the weather looks good, I’ll pop up for a day and play.

San Francisco, California

February 17, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags Brooks Koepka, PGA Championship, Professionals

Team USA

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson Addresses The Media After Falling Short of AT&T Pro-Am Repeat

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 11, 2020

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 09: Phil Mickelson of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 09, 2020 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: 2019 AT&T Pro-Am champion Phil Mickelson speaks to the media following his final round in which he ultimately came up short defending his championship.

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson speaks to the media following closing round of 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

Q. Just how would you assess the day?
PHIL MICKELSON: So I’ll tell you, I had a lot of fun today having a chance to be in contention and having a chance to win. It was fun to get back in it. And these last couple of weeks have really given me a lot of motivation and momentum to continue doing what I’ve been doing. It’s disappointing certainly to have not won, but I got outplayed. I mean, Nick played better than I did. He holed a couple of great shots. That eagle on 6, the putts he made on 4, 5 and 7 and he just really played some great golf. I kept — I had a couple of times where I hit really good shots in bad spots and I had a couple times where I just then didn’t quite trust it and made some bad swings. I fought hard. But I loved having a chance to be in it again. It’s so fun being in the last group, and I’m hoping to continue to build on this.

Q. How difficult were those conditions kind of around the turn there?
PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, it was extremely difficult because you have the wind that kept swirling in and then down, and you had the greens that were very firm and there’s really no run-up shots. So it was a hard day but I got outplayed, totally fine with that, and that I’m going to continue to get better and give myself more chances and I’m really excited about the rest of the year.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

Q. Take a lot of confidence going into Riviera, a place you love?
PHIL MICKELSON: So there’s a lot of positives that I take out of today. I’ve always struggled with right-to-left wind and I feel like I had a little bit of a milestone here these last few weeks where, off of 18, wind’s blowing right into the ocean, in the past I’ve struggled with that. I hit two great little low drives in play. If I can continue to do that it’s going to be a good year.

Q. What did you figure out with that particular shot?
PHIL MICKELSON: I just worked hard on it. I worked hard on it with the equipment, with my swing, to get rid of that left miss and I’m excited about where we’re headed.

Q. What’s been the biggest challenge in the last 52 weeks since you won here?
PHIL MICKELSON: Getting my confidence back and playing well and starting and visualizing and seeing what I want to have happen, not letting negative thoughts continue to creep in after so many months of poor play. But these last two weeks have been good strides. I got off to a rough start, knowing I’m playing well, but not focusing properly the first two weeks, missed the cut and now I’ve had two third place finishes and I’m going to continue to build on that and give myself more chances. And I’m having a ton of fun, it’s just really fun having a chance.

Q. (No Microphone.)
PHIL MICKELSON: No, I didn’t, I had a tough time with the conditions, I had a tough time with making pars, but my focus and everything was really sharp today. I just didn’t execute, we had a few misjudgments of the wind, we just had — it was just a tough round.

Pebble Beach, California

February 9, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags AT&T Pro-am, Phil Mickelson, Professionals

Team USA

PGA Tour: Jordan Spieth Talks Bouncing Back at 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 11, 2020

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Jordan Spieth of the United States looks over a putt on the first green during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 08, 2020 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Jordan Spieth speaks with the media about bouncing back from recent struggles with a stellar performance at the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am, including posting the lowest final round score.

PGA Tour: Jordan Spieth addresses the media following final round of the AT&T Pro-Am

Q. Low round of the day today. What was working so well for you?
JORDAN SPIETH: I just knew playing the back nine and it was going to be windy playing the back nine early, if you could somehow be under par at the turn, I was going to be able to make up a lot of ground. And I hit just a phenomenal wedge into 14, which is probably the hardest par-5 we play all year when it’s blowing. And I hit it to about a foot there and that got some momentum going. Just took it to the front nine and kept hitting it close. I mean, I had a lot of looks on the front nine, almost every hole, and then on the last hole I just kind of made a little bit of a mess of it and chipped it in to finish. So certainly fortunate to escape with a 4 on the last. But yeah, I mean, it was pretty solid the whole day. I didn’t do anything overly special. I hit fairways like I have been. I hit greens like have I been and got a couple in there pretty close. And these greens are tough to putt on, so I had, No. 1 and 2 I had birdie putts inside of 10 feet and missed them and went to No. 3 and just knocked it right in. So tried to kind of keep my head up even when it looked like it could kind of get away from me. And this is what I’ve been seeing. It’s just today I finally had a lot of good numbers. I’ve just felt like the last few days I’ve been in between clubs a lot and hard to commit and then today it was just one of those days where it hit me kind of where I could commit to a lot of full shots.

Q. And just real quick, you get great fan support obviously everywhere you go, but how special were the fans here at Pebble Beach?
JORDAN SPIETH: They’re always great. First few rounds, to come out to all three of those golf course, I played with Dustin and Wayne and then my partner Jake, obviously a crowd favorite. So we enjoy having the support, when it’s spread out over three courses a lot of people don’t have more than a couple people following them and it’s really nice to be able to have that kind of pick you up when you’re down and kind of ride the momentum when it’s going well. So cool for people to stick around the back nine for me today, those that did, and go to Los Angeles and try and improve on this week.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

Pebble Beach, California

February 9, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags AT&T Pro-am, jordan spieth, Professionals

Team Canada

PGA Tour: 2020 AT&T Pro-Am Winner Nick Taylor Recaps Victory

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 11, 2020

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 09: Nick Taylor of Canada poses with the trophy after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 09, 2020 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Canadian Nick Taylor recaps his victory at the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am, becoming the first Canadian to win the event and only the second player to win wire to wire.

PGA Tour: Canadian Nick Taylor revisits victory at the AT&T Pro-Am

JOHN BUSH: We would like to welcome Nick Taylor, the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am champion, to the interview room. Nick is the first Canadian to win this event, just the second to win in wire-to-wire fashion.

Nick, congratulations on your second PGA TOUR win. If we can get some comments.

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it was an incredible week. It was — start to finish. I started my first hole with an eagle. I just felt like I read the greens so well this week and made a lot of crucial putts. Today was such a difficult day with the wind. And again, made some crucial putts even on the first hole, it was a big one for par, and some birdie putts early on to get the round going, and really hung in there in the middle of the round. That chip-in on 15 was obviously massive. So it was just an incredible week tee to green, on the greens, everywhere.

JOHN BUSH: And you move up to No. 13 in the FedExCup standings. I’m assuming this sort of changes your goals and expectations the rest of the season.

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it does. It lines me up great for the FedExCup playoffs. Last couple years I felt like I’ve been fighting for my card, so things have changed, which is awesome to be able to make my schedule a little bit more. So all great stuff. Probably hasn’t sunk in quite yet, but yeah, I’m looking forward to some rest today and tomorrow and then playing next week.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

JOHN BUSH: Open it up to questions then.

Q. This is your — from an emotional level, when you kind of get through that end of the front nine stretch and all of a sudden you got a five-shot lead, and then coming off 14 when the wind’s blasting and it’s down to two and not even bogeys seem easy. How did you kind of keep yourself steady?
NICK TAYLOR: It was tough, that whole stretch, really 11 through 14. 11, I pulled it a little bit off the tee, but I think I just probably took a little too far line to the left. I didn’t see it bounce. Obviously it ran for awhile. But just took my medicine and made bogey there.

When Phil flew the green on 12, I still thought at best I could fly to the front third of the green, and hit a good shot and it went over and there was no sand in that bunker, similar to what happened to me on Friday. So bogeys were really hard for those two holes. And then 14, the drive was a little left of what I wanted but getting up in that lip of the bunker just made that hole very challenging from there. And we were almost thinking about laying up again, which that’s no bargain having a wedge with all that wind. Then I’m short right and then I’m really trying to minimize the damage of if you come up short there that’s the worst thing you could possibly do. So probably I was a little too careful, went long. And but after that, I think Phil making bogey was probably, you know, to only lose one shot on that hole with the lead to go down to two, I had to remind myself I still had the lead, I knew I was swinging it well and just needed to hit that fairway and I hit a great drive there, so that was nice.

Q. Talk about the conditions today. A lot of guys had trouble throughout the entire day and how that affected your game. And was there anything about your game coming into the week that you thought, I could really do well here?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, again, this is my, one of my favorite tournaments of the year. These golf courses really set up well, I think, for my game. But today was really difficult. You knew the first six, seven holes being a lot of helping wind that getting off to a good start would be crucial to kind of ease into the middle of the round because once you got to 11, it was straight into the fan and the greens were firming up. They were getting crispy. So yeah, obviously, it was an amazing start through six holes, kind of let it go away there a little bit. But yeah, it was just very challenging with the wind. And I think, looking at the leaderboard, I didn’t look at it until probably the start of the back nine. Knowing that everyone else was having a difficult time as well, I knew that if I could make some pars that I would be fine, make people have to catch me.

Q. When you’re warming up and it’s pretty cold and the wind’s already blowing and you got that final pairing with Phil, what were you thinking on that little short drive down to that first tee?
NICK TAYLOR: I was thinking about hitting my new big 4-iron — so we have a little 4-iron and a big 4-iron, but it’s the Max, it’s new, it’s a big cavity back and it’s been great this week. But that’s what I was thinking about, where to hit this, potentially hitting 3-wood, but probably going to be the 4-iron and then, from there. But I was actually relatively calm for the scenario going into the round. I didn’t eat much breakfast this morning, slept very average last night, which I expected. But once we teed off, like, I honestly, think playing with the amateurs, it kind of made the round slower and just made a little more time between shots. I didn’t feel, I didn’t ever feel rushed. I think that helped a lot.

Q. Kind of building off that question, but you said yesterday you had never played with Phil before. Given that, what was the interaction like? I saw on the 3rd tee looked like you guys had a backup and a little conversation, and did you have any sort of yikes moment where, I’m playing with Phil final round, and how did you get through that?
NICK TAYLOR: You know, I’ve been — this is my sixth year, so I’ve seen Phil a lot. We have never really had a conversation. But the scenario was probably bigger than actually me playing with him. But he was great. We had some conversations throughout the day. I think probably since the back nine we were just kind of doing our own thing. But, yeah, he was very great to play with. So that was, it was a fun, obviously, a very memorable round to play with him and how much success he’s had here, but he was great to play with.

Q. You kind of alluded to this earlier, but how tough has it been to kind of live on the edge in terms of the top-125 the last couple years? And also, could you talk about the final round at 2018 Wyndham when you obviously played your way into the playoffs that year and how big that was.
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it’s not fun hovering around that 125. I’ve been able to keep my card the last couple years, did it a little bit earlier last year. But that final round is probably what I drew back on the most starting today, because in the grand scheme of things I was under way more pressure, I felt like, in that scenario than actually when I was trying to win today. A lot of similar emotions before the round, during the round, really trying to focus on each shot that was ahead of me. But yeah, I drew back on that round a lot and that was very crucial for my career and it’s nice not having to do that again this year at least.

Q. You just won on an iconic venue, you beat a Hall of Famer. Are you excited? Does it feel good? You’re not giving us very much to work with here.
NICK TAYLOR: It feels amazing. Again, I don’t think it’s going to sink in for quite some time. I don’t know if I blocked out the last five hours and just played golf, and you know, now I’m here with winning with a trophy, it’s amazing. But again, I just tried to, as much as I can block that out. But we’re so privileged to be able to play this golf course every year and to win, like you said, and like at iconic place, it’s amazing.

Q. People would look at this and say, Where have you been since you won in 2015? And they even look at your recent list of finishes, a couple missed cuts, a T-32, whatever, you know, I think people would be curious to say, How do you turn that around? How do you go from that to finding whatever it is, big something, little something? What is it?
NICK TAYLOR: It’s a very fine line out here. Like you said, finishing 32nd in Hawaii. You know, that week I felt like I putted pretty poorly and if I had a putting week like I did this week, I think I would have been in contention most of the week.

Last week is a course that really doesn’t set up great for my game and so it’s hard to, there’s going to be plenty of golf courses throughout the year that don’t set up well for your game, some that do. I knew coming in this week that my game’s been great for almost a year now. Really driving it great. And I think we have, my coach, caddie, we have talked about it, really trying to minimize the mistakes that we make that shoot ourselves in the foot and not necessarily execution errors, just kind of maybe more strategy errors. So we were awesome this week. He did a great job this week, my caddie, and it’s such a fine line.

Q. What was the club on 17?
NICK TAYLOR: 8-iron.

Q. And were you thinking 3 when you stood over the chip on 15? Were you thinking making it?
NICK TAYLOR: That was a good spot to miss. I was picking my spot. You know, it’s makeable, for sure, but I was trying to pick my spot. If I had a tap-in par I would have been delighted but it was nice it went in.

Q. And lastly, and you kind of brought this up yourself wit the fighting for 125, if you think about your six years on TOUR, you’ve never lost a card, conditional one year. But you’ve only played in two Majors, you’ve always been around kind of that 100 spot. Did you ever find yourself maybe not setting expectations high enough for you? Does that make sense? By the way, you’re going to the Masters.
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, you know, it’s tough when you set expectations if, it’s tough when you set them if you don’t reach them, how do you react to that? Is it disappointment? Is it — it’s fine, I have a goal, I want to achieve it. If you don’t achieve it, then that’s fine, figure out a way you can achieve it. But I’ve worked on that and it is hard. There’s so many good players out here. If you told me for 15 years I would finish 110 on the FedExCup, I think I would be fine with that. A lot of times if you have a job the next year you’re pretty pumped with that. So again, now that I have a job for two and a half, three years guaranteed, that’s amazing.

Q. Some of your fellow competitors, they describe you as being mentally tough. What makes you mentally tough and was there a moment today where that really was critical for you?
NICK TAYLOR: After 14 is probably, definitely I’ll look back on where we were having to settle down, calm yourself, remind myself that I still had a two-shot lead. I really wasn’t paying attention a lot. I knew that I felt like Phil and I had a cushion on 3rd for most of the day, and then I saw Streelman made a couple birdies at some point, but Phil was still — I didn’t realize until 17 green that he was, that Phil was in 3rd. But, yeah, I don’t really know what it comes from. I feel like I like being in that moment, I feel like I’m pretty mellow for the most part, so I won’t get too up or down. But, yeah, it’s just, you dream about those scenarios and luckily I’ve been able to pull it through a couple times.

Q. Didn’t you announce that your family was expecting the baby here at Pebble Beach? Could you answer two things then: One, just what it’s like to win when you did that, to win here when you did that; and two, just give us some family details then.
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, we, everyone that was very close to us we had told before that, but I guess social media-wise we had announced that we were having a baby at the after the U.S. Open here. And then when I won at Sanderson, my wife wasn’t there. We had, I had just gotten my card and she was still working back home and it was actually the last, the day I won was her last shift. She decided to go on casual. So it was crazy that day, to all of a sudden win, she’s not going to work anymore, we were going to be able to travel. And now to have her here with our son Charlie, who is only three months old, my in-laws were here, it was just, yeah, you couldn’t write it much better, to be honest.

Q. What job did she have?
NICK TAYLOR: She was a social worker back in the hospital in Abbotsford, Canada.

Q. I believe you’ve only played in two majors in your career, so how excited are you to play your first Masters and lock up, I think the PGA as well?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, that, I don’t think that’s, that’s the one that’s not going to sink in for awhile. To get that invite for the Masters, that’s a tournament that I’ve dreamt about playing my entire life. And I’ve been lucky enough, I think I’ve played three U.S. Opens, a couple were as an amateur, but as a pro on the PGA at Whistling Straights. But I think it’s going to open a lot of doors and I’m excited about that.

Q. Were you aware that no Canadian had won this tournament?
NICK TAYLOR: I wasn’t aware of that. I remember growing up watching Weirsy, he was in contention a couple times. I don’t know if maybe Arron Oberholser beat him that year, but Weirsy had texted me, Ames texted me, Pulling for you. Good luck. But, no, it’s pretty cool to be the first Canadian to do that.

Q. The bigger shot, 6 or 15? I would have to think under the circumstances 15 was bigger, but 6 was, it seemed like it was a key moment as well, because Phil was on in two and you were in the bunker.
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, that was, 6, again playing straight down wind, I hit 4-iron, 4-iron — it’s more like a 3-iron but 3-iron, 3-iron — and I knew when I hit that shot right that was the place to miss. If anything we wanted to be in that right bunker. And again not thinking hole but picking a spot and to get up close and for both to go in — 15 I think by far was bigger for the moment, to gain another shot. I felt like when Phil tied it up early on to birdie 4 was big and then for us both to birdie 5, that’s such a difficult par-3, I felt like we started to separate ourselves a little bit. But 15 was obviously massive.

Q. And do you feel like in some way you have out-Mickelson’d Mickelson today by doing that?
NICK TAYLOR: I saw his highlights yesterday, he hit some incredible shots around the green. His up-and-down on 13 today was ridiculous. But, honestly, seeing yesterday some of his shots that kind of, I came in it today and we almost came to a match play-type scenario at some point, but I would remind myself to kind of expect the unexpected from him. And so when he had that putt I was like, he’s probably going to make this, this is just something he does. And when it went in – my putt barely missed — but I wasn’t like shell shocked that he had made that putt because his wizardry yesterday and even today, it’s incredible.

Q. I guess you were asked already about Augusta, but a little more detail maybe. Did you — have you ever been there, have you played? When you say you’ve always dreamt of it, did you any specific memories watching it as a kid?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, you know when Tiger had won in ’97 was right when I was getting into golf. Mike Weir’s win, I remember being in my basement with my older brother and my dad watching and standing up probably the entire time. And, no, I haven’t been there. So I always hoped that my first time there would be actually competing in the tournament, so again, a lot of stuff’s going to take awhile to sink in, but I think that one is, it’s going to be incredible.

Q. First of all, what were you doing watching Phil highlights and was that the best thing to do before you played with him in the last round?
NICK TAYLOR: I was more curious of just how he was playing and his bunker shots — like I think he plugged in the back of the bunker on 7 yesterday and hit to a foot and that was just mind blowing that you could hit that shot. But I was just curious, to be honest. And he hit some amazing shots and I’m like, all right, well I don’t know if he can keep that up, if he can, great, but if I keep doing what I’m doing, plugging along, hitting fairways and greens then try to make the guys behind me try to beat me.

Q. What do you think Phil was expecting from you?
NICK TAYLOR: I don’t know. I know Tim a little bit better. His brother, Tim, I think was coaching at San Diego when I was in college, but I don’t know.

Q. And as you look back, what did you, what do you think was the greater challenge for you, going into the last round with a one-shot lead over someone of Phil’s pedigree and history here or the wind?
NICK TAYLOR: I think only having a one-shot lead, that’s so minor in a final round, and I knew with the conditions that I had a lead, but I didn’t feel like — if I had a 3- or 4-shot lead I feel like I would have been a lot more nervous, but — what was the second part of your question, sorry?

Q. Stronger challenge was knowing that you got Phil and only a one-shot lead or the wind. Ultimately what was your biggest test today?
NICK TAYLOR: I think it’s a combination of both. Again, when we made the turn it was pretty much me and him, unless — we both started to make some bogeys in the middle there — but I felt like it was me against him and that was a big part of the challenge. And I felt comfortable making that turn that it was just me and him. I wouldn’t say I felt intimidated, I knew I was playing well and I knew the conditions were tough so I just needed to keep doing what I was doing.

Q. To follow-up on that, you would have been more nervous, which makes sense, if you had had a 3- or 4-shot lead, is it safe to say that the most nerves you felt was when you had the 5-shot lead? It’s like you can only fail from there.
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, like people say you got a big lead you almost don’t know what to do with it. When I got the lead I felt like we were going to the very most difficult holes, so I knew par was going to be awesome. But, again, the shots I was hitting, I didn’t think they were that bad and I just really had to manage bogeys from there. And 14 we both struggled on the hole. Phil, we were both in that bunker and once you get in that bunker on the left, the right ones are okay, but the left ones you’re so far in, that’s such a hard pin, that, yeah, it was, we both were coming back to the field a little bit. But it’s a different feeling because you just don’t get that big a lead very often, you kind of try to keep doing what you’re doing but you’re almost — you try not to count the holes down, how many you have you left, but it’s, those thoughts are going through your head, it’s impossible not to, so I just tried to keep doing what I was doing and luckily it worked out.

JOHN BUSH: All right, congratulations once again to our 2020 champion, Nick Taylor.

(Applause.)

NICK TAYLOR: Thank you.

Pebble Beach, California

February 9, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags AT&T Pro-am, nick taylor, Professionals

Team USA

PGA Tour: Harold Varner III Talks Debut at AT&T Pro-Am

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 7, 2020

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 06: Harold Varner III plays his shot from the 14th tee during the during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 06, 2020 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Harold Varner III speaks to the media following a first round 67 at the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am.

PGA Tour: Harold Varner III addresses the media after AT&T Pro-Am debut.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

Q. Making his tournament debut. But let’s go back 13 years ago. Competitive golf here in the First Tee Program, on the Champions Tour. What are your memories from the success you had in 2007?
HAROLD VARNER III: The only thing I remember is who I played with and I birdied 17. But, yeah, it brought back a lot of memories today being out there. It’s crazy how much you don’t remember, how fast it goes away. So it was good and I obviously played well and obviously having fun.

Q. Winner 13 years ago with Morris Hatalsky. What was it like the walk around here today? Now you’re a PGA TOUR member.
HAROLD VARNER III: It’s obviously different. What’s weird is I wouldn’t go back to being that kid. It’s just like, it was just a different, different day and age, I guess. But, yeah, it’s just, I wish I could just call Morris and just tell him, This is crazy.

So, yeah, it’s a lot of fun. Just want to play well. Got off to a rough start this year and I’ve been close, making some cuts but just haven’t cracked the egg yet. But we’re working on it.

Q. What was the difference that allowed you to play well?
HAROLD VARNER III: Just keep working at it. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just golf. Nobody’s going to die out there. Just keep it in perspective. And obviously, I have a lot of perspective from what I had 13 years ago to now. It’s never as good as you think it is. It’s never as bad as you think it is. So just keep it in between the lines.

Pebble Beach, California

February 6, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags AT&T Pro-am, Harold Varner III, Professionals

Team Canada

PGA Tour: Nick Taylor Talks First Round 63 at The 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 7, 2020

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 30: Nick Taylor of Canada plays his shot from the 11th tee during the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on January 30, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Nick Taylor speaks to the media upon completion of his first round -8 63 about difference in conditions between this week and last.

PGA Tour: Nick Taylor talks to the media following his first round at the AT&T Pro-Am

DOUG MILNE: We would like to welcome Nick Taylor to the interview room here at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Thanks for stopping by for a few minutes after quite a successful first round. Monterey Peninsula, 8-under, 63 today. Talked on the way over. Really couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start than with an eagle at number 10. With that said, can you just take us through the round a little bit?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I drove it really nice today. Obviously, playing 10 it’s a gettable par-5 to start the day. So hit two great shots there about 4 feet, I made eagle, so it was a nice start. And then I think I almost hit every fairway today, so I really had good numbers coming into a lot of greens, had chances, made some nice putts in the middle of my round to kind of keep it going and finished two great shots, a 5-iron and 3-iron on the last two holes to set up two birdies there. So tee to green was great and made some putts.

DOUG MILNE: You’ve got some history here. You’re making your sixth start. I think you’ve had a top-10 in 2017. Just some thoughts on the, just kind of being back here and this whole environment and how much that does for you.

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, this is one of my favorite events of the year every year. People ask me my favorite golf course. Pebble is definitely the top of the list. I just, growing up in the Northwest, I don’t know if its that and, you know, the rain doesn’t bother me, if that’s in the forecast. I think this week we’re going to be extremely lucky with that. But I just love these heavy golf courses. Growing up on poa annua, it suits my eye, so I always enjoy coming here.

DOUG MILNE: Open it up for questions.

Q. What would be your ideal of a great lunch right now? I’m curious more on the details on 10. What did you have left for your second and what club?
NICK TAYLOR: I hit a 4-iron in. I think I had, it was helping wind off the tee, hit a great drive there, so I maybe 225 to the, all the way to the back. It was a back pin so it was a 4-iron.

Q. And I know you like the golf courses, but what is it about the event that inspires you? What do you like best about the week?
NICK TAYLOR: It is always fun meeting new people. I’ve had different partners every year. You just can’t beat these three golf courses. They’re so fun to play. And yeah, it’s a combination of things. Obviously, meeting new people and having conversations, their relaxing rounds, for the most part. Again, the weather helps out. But, yeah, it’s just a great place to be.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

Q. On that, how is a five-and-a-half-hour round relaxing? What are the keys for you to make that happen?
NICK TAYLOR: It was just a lot of time in between shots. You’re never really in a rush. I played with Beau Hossler and I feel like we get along really well, so just very relaxed that way. Again, the weather helps out. If it’s raining, it’s windy, five and a half hours is a long round. But we were very relaxed today, joked all day, and I felt like the mood was great.

Q. You said the last two holes you had 3-iron, 5-iron?
NICK TAYLOR: 5-iron into 8. 3-iron off 9 tee, the par-3.

Q. How far and to how close?
NICK TAYLOR: Five — the 5-iron was about 5 feet on hole 8. I think I had about 205 hole. And then they used the back tee on 9, which I had actually never seen. I think it was 240 hole 3-iron, about 18, 20 feet.

Q. That’s a good way to end.
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah.

Q. How far does the ball not fly compared with say Phoenix last week or what have you?
NICK TAYLOR: It’s a big difference. I did a little bit of Trackman work yesterday. My 9-iron, it was normalized, which means no wind. But it was going 140 yards max. Last week was probably 155, 160, so it’s significant enough. The breeze is just heavier. So, yeah, it’s a lot of calculations that you try to guess right and today we were fortunate to guess quite a few times right.

Q. The other thing, I’m not sure your history at the Hope or — you’re too young for that. It’s the American Express in Palm Springs. Do you play that quite a bit?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I’ve played it every year.

Q. The difference on a multiple-course rotation like this, is there any secret to figuring out where you are in terms of getting to Sunday when you’re all on one course? I mean, these are, I would think, different than the desert courses?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I feel like these three courses if the weather is similar every day that the scores are actually close to the same. Spyglass usually plays a little bit tougher. But since they have gone to the Stadium Course, that’s usually a couple, shot and a half tougher, at least than La Quinta and Nicklaus Tournament. So that one’s harder to gauge kind of where you are in the tournament until Sunday. But I feel like here everything’s plays relatively equal.

Q. What did you see, did you see a round like this coming? Have you been building toward this?
NICK TAYLOR: I’ve been playing solid all year I’ve been driving it great. Again the putts fell today, which was nice. I’ve never really played great at Phoenix, so that was, I think that was my best finish I had last year so I guess — or last week — but I played really well in Hawaii, didn’t have a great final round and I actually was playing well at the American Express, just had a weird Saturday round and missed the cut by a couple there. So the game’s been solid, it’s just kind of been growing. And it’s early in the year, I feel like I always start off slow.

Q. To have won so early on TOUR, as a rookie I think, that was your first fall, right?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah.

Q. Did that do anything, expectation-wise, for you going forward?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I think it naturally does, I think without even trying you kind of expect that you’re going to be in contention more often than you’re not. I really, the last couple years, I feel like I played pretty well in certain stretches and been more in contention, but it still doesn’t happen as often as I think you would like. You always want to be in contention more. So there was an adjustment period in there, but I feel like the last few years my game’s much better than it was even when I won and now, obviously, getting more solid rounds, being more in contention, getting more comfortable when you’re in those situations.

Q. Lastly, the numbers might be a little bit skewed here for you to answer it, but what do you think the answer would be from most players if they were asked if they thought winning was harder before they won or after the realization of how hard it is to win?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, winning so early might have jaded me for a little bit there, but for sure there’s been tournaments where I felt like I probably played better golf and didn’t win than the week that I did. I think you need a few bounces here or there and putts lip in at the right time, making putts at key moments. When you get growing up watching Tiger you think that winning for some reason is easy, but it’s just, the reality is it isn’t. So as many times as you get your self in contention I feel like those breaks one week will eventually kind of go your way, but it’s extremely difficult.

DOUG MILNE: All right. Go eat.

Pebble Beach, California

February 6, 2020

NICK TAYLOR: Thank you.

Tags AT&T Pro-am, nick taylor

Team USA

PGA Tour: Patrick Cantlay Addresses The Media Following Opening Round 66 at AT&T Pro-Am

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 7, 2020

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 06: Patrick Cantlay of the United States plays his shot from the 13th tee during the during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Spyglass Hill Golf Course on February 06, 2020 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Patrick Cantlay speaks with the media following an opening round 66 at the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am about the perfect conditions as well as his experience with the amateur players.

PGA Tour: Patrick Cantlay posts a 66 in opening round of the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

Q. Nine birdies today on what is normally the toughest of the three golf courses. What was working so well for you today?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I played really well. I drove the ball well. I had a lot of short irons coming into the greens. I played the par-5s good on the front and then made that bogey there on 14 and got a little mud there. But all in all, played really well, made some putts, and I’m really happy with the start.

Q. Was this kind of maybe possibly one of the easier days here at Spyglass because the weather is perfect and the course is playing well?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, and we went out first, so the greens on our front nine were absolutely perfect. Course was probably the best shape I’ve ever seen it and we’re getting perfect weather, so, yeah, it’s great.

Q. Seemed a little bit of continuing good play here. Is this a continuation of what’s been going on recently?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I’ve been playing really well. I feel confident and comfortable with the game. I really like it around here. I’ve played the tournament a few times so coming back to golf courses is easier than seeing them for the first time and I like it here, so it’s all good.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

Q. Playing with Kelly Slater. Is this relaxing a little bit, kind of a different way of going about your business?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, we’ve played together in this tournament before. I enjoy Kelly. He’s a great player. He rolled the rock so good today. Yeah, we both played great and it’s really fun being out here with him. He’s such a great champion and, obviously, the best to ever compete at his sport, which is beyond impressive, so it’s a real pleasure to be out here with him.

Q. Do you pick his brain about some of that stuff, since he is obviously the best at what he’s done, do you kind of pick his brain and kind of get what he did well?
PATRICK CANTLAY: We’re just out there trying to make as many birdies as we can. I might corner him at some point and try and get a little something that I can use, but he’s a great dude and we’re really having fun.

Q. Relative to your skill set, who putted better today, you or Kelly?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Kelly. He looked like the best putter on TOUR today, he looked like Greg Chalmers.

Q. Did you get that? Not a lot of people are going to get to Greg Chalmers.
PATRICK CANTLAY: Doesn’t he always lead the putting stats?

Q. Yeah, he’s unbelievable. What do you like about the tournament outside of the courses? Is it just the courses?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I like the whole feel up here. It’s one of my favorite places. I can see myself retiring here some day. I love Carmel, and it’s just beautiful, so how could you not like it up here when it’s perfect weather like this.

Q. Have you ever gotten angry up here?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I’m sure I have.

Q. Would you have if you had missed that putt on 18?
PATRICK CANTLAY: You know, even if I would have missed it I played well today, so…

Pebble Beach, California

February 6, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags AT&T Pro-am, Patrick Cantlay, Professionals

Team USA

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

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 6, 2020

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

Tags AT&T Pro-am, Dustin Johnson, Professionals

Team USA

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

Post author By Golf Post
Post date February 6, 2020

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

Tags AT&T Pro-am, Phil Mickelson, Professionals