Category: Professionals

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson Speaks About 2020 Season Debut at The American Express

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 17, 2020

LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 16: Phil Mickelson plays his shot on the fifth tee during the first round of The American Express tournament at La Quinta Country Club on January 16, 2020 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional and two time American Express champion Phil Mickelson previews his 2020 season, turning 50, Champions Tour and new pace of play policies.

PGA Tour: Phil Mickelson speaks with the media prior to making 2020 season debut at The American Express

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome the tournament host and the two-time champion of The American Express, Phil Mickelson. Phil, you’ve been a tournament ambassador for quite some time, but now with the expanded role as tournament host and with the Mickelson Foundation being the host organization how does it feel to be back at The American Express?

PHIL MICKELSON: So it’s exciting to start the year, it’s exciting to see some of your faces again, it’s been a few months. But to start here is especially exciting because we have some really cool things going on here. This is, after a few years now of being involved as kind of an ambassador role, to take on the host role and have a partner as such a global icon as American Express helping to get this tournament to elite status again is something I’m very excited to be a part of.

So we have seen this tournament start with the vision of Bob Hope and the way he brought this game to the masses and made this a special unique event. And in all of sports there are only two opportunities for amateurs to play and compete on the actual playing field as the professionals and it’s here and at AT&T up in Monterey in the game of golf. And to be a part of one of those two events is an opportunity I think is pretty exciting.

And then to now have the partner that sees that vision too and get the right people here and make this special I’m excited to be a part of that. Jeff Sanders from Lagardere has done a great job the last few years getting it to this point. We’re now to the point where we’re going to sell out on Friday and Saturday and we have some great value for our fans who come out to watch and we’re going to recommit to make sure all of the charitable dollars stay here in the Coachella Valley.

So there’s a lot of things that I’m excited to be a part of and proud to be a part of.

THE MODERATOR: Your first start of 2020 in the new calendar year. How have your off weeks been and what are you most looking forward to this year?

PHIL MICKELSON: So I did not have a great year. After I won at Pebble last year it was a rough few months. I had a great off season, I’m excited to start the year, I’m curious as probably anybody is to see how well I play. I think I’ve tried to address a lot of weaknesses or areas that needed to improve and my motivation is back — this is the best I’ve felt in years, maybe even decades — and physically there’s nothing holding me back from playing some of my best golf. So if I’m able to have good focus on the course and address some of the issues that have kind of plagued me in the past I think it’s going to be a great year.

THE MODERATOR: Great. We’ll open it up for questions.

Q. Kind of along those lines it’s kind of a milestone year turning 50. First off, do you feel 49 and if not, which I assume, why?
PHIL MICKELSON: So when I look back on some of the highlights of tournaments that I’ve won or played well in 15 years ago in my mid 30s, I mean, it’s embarrassing the way I looked and the way I didn’t, I wasn’t really accountable for my health. And so now that I’ve taken a much greater level of accountability and I feel a lot better than I did 15 years ago. So there’s no reason that would hold me back from being able to play and practice as hard as I can to play well out here. So now it’s on me. Can I get the best out of me again. I believe I can, I’m excited for the challenge and so the greater the challenge, the greater my interest level. And I respect and understand how talented and great players these young guys are, but I also enjoy the challenge of beating them and being I think I’m ready to do that.

Full Leaderboard The American Express 2020

Q. With the birthday coming up, we’re all very curious about what your schedule’s going to look like. You’re usually pretty meticulous about thinking about that, so what are we looking at for the front of the year and then the back of the year?
PHIL MICKELSON: So there’s a lot of things that are up in the air for me that are going to be played by ear this year, because we have the Olympics as well, and so a lot of tournaments that I have played in the past I may play, I may not play, I don’t have a set schedule like I’ve had in the past, because I don’t like playing too many new courses because I don’t know the courses that well and it takes a little bit extra energy to learn the course and feel like I’m prepared. But conversely I feel like there’s some good courses and tournaments that I have not played in the past that I would like to play. So I really, other than the West Coast — and even that has some question marks — like I know I’ll play the next four weeks starting here I’ll end up playing here and San Diego next, I’m going to skip Phoenix, obviously, to go to Saudi Arabia, come back and defend at Pebble. But I am not in some of the World Golf Championships right now, which a new thing for me, so depending on how I play will affect my schedule whether or not I play the Match Play or Mexico or weeks before or after that. So there’s a lot of things that are up in the air, but I’m anticipating playing 22 weeks again.

Phil Mickelson talks Champions Tour:

Q. And what about any Champions Tour events after 50 and what — as this birthday has approached, how have you thought about being on that TOUR and how much you would like to play on it?
PHIL MICKELSON: So I haven’t thought too much about it and I won’t until I see how the first six months of this year go, because I’ve had this, I’ve had kind of a lot of great things happen that lead me to be encouraged about the year and I’m curious to see how the first six months go. It’s nice to have the option to move over to another TOUR, but it’s also nice to have the challenge of competing out here. And I don’t often voice too many goals, but one of them is to make the Ryder Cup, it should be a pretty obvious goal so I need to play enough tournaments out here and play well to be able to achieve that particular goal.

Q. Do you see a point where you would play a lot of tournaments on the Champions Tour? I mean, I talked to Davis yesterday, Davis is 55, he’s still playing most of his tournaments out here on the PGA TOUR. Can you foresee a time when you’re playing 10, 12, 15 tournaments on the Champions Tour?
PHIL MICKELSON: When I stop hitting bombs I’ll play the Champions Tour, but I’m hitting some crazy bombs right now. No, I still have speed, I still, there’s no reason I couldn’t play out here. I hit the ball every bit as far. Usually as guys get in their 40s they regress, I had a five, six mile an hour club head speed increase last year. A little bit of commitment in the gym, a little bit of work ethic and all of a sudden there’s no reason that physically I can’t do today what I did 15, 20 years ago, in fact I’m doing more.

So the realization about what the game of golf means to me and how competitive I am and how much I thrive on that challenge has hit me and it’s led to a greater work ethic, a greater commitment to physical health and well being and a greater quality of life. But I also enjoy this challenge. So I’m curious to see how the first six months go. And then I’ll start to weigh some decisions. But there’s a chance that if I do what I expect then I may end up competing for years out here. And there’s a chance that maybe I am misguided in my thinking and that I should move over. But a lot will be decided or seen in the first six months, because I feel like I’m ready to play.

Q. We’re a local health and wellness publication and you are looking great.
PHIL MICKELSON: Thank you.

Q. Do you attribute your current condition to any specific nutritional plan, because the plant-based movement is a big thing, I wondered if you are eating your vegetables.
PHIL MICKELSON: So that’s an interesting thing because there’s something that resonated with me and that was that everything I put into my body is either helping to fight disease or it’s causing disease. And that saying has me look at everything I eat as to is this helping me or hurting me. And for the most part, I’m not a hundred percent, but most of the things that I put in are helping me.

Q. I’m sure you’ve got very different images of the 72nd hole here last year than Adam Long does, but what are the lingering images you’ve got from that finish last year?
PHIL MICKELSON: So the image for me was the 9th hole where I drove in the water and then missed a 5-, 6-footer for par, because that — I’ve actually looked back at that hole as being a point where I’ve had to make some changes and so forth and that I’ve used to address in the off-season. So, for instance, I’ve worked hard this off season to address the weakness of — I have to have the ability to hit bombs, we talked about it, you got to hit it long out here. But you also have to have that shot that gets in play. So I worked hard with Callaway to get a driver that, so I don’t need two different drivers, but one that hits it high and far, but also I can hit it low and in play. And so I’ve been working on like a little pinched cut driver that takes the right side out of play. And it goes back to that instance on No. 9 where I thought I hit a good drive and it bounced in the water.

So I’ve used that particular moment, not so much the last hole — I don’t feel like that’s where I lost it I lost it more in the middle of the round.

Q. Also, just a follow-up, on players like Adam Long, guys who have been on the TOUR and played under the radar for several years, do you have any advice for players like that who have been under the radar and suddenly they have won and advice for them on how to deal with the increased demands on their time that they haven’t experienced when they have been able to sort of play with some anonymity?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don’t have great advice, I have a lot of respect for them as players because you have to have a lot of belief and confidence in your abilities without having much success to back that up and you just believe and believe and believe. And now he’s turned into one of the top players in the world and he’s won and he continues to play at a high level. I think I have a lot of respect for that. You kind of figure the rest out on your own.

Q. Talking about the Champions Tour again, I know you’re curious for the first six months how you’ll do out here, is there any curiosity of the Champions Tour and, hey, what could I do there or will I go to an event just to see what it’s like or is that if you’re playing well here you’re just going to, that can wait.
PHIL MICKELSON: So you never say never, I have a lot, I actually really enjoy the Champions Tour because those are the guys that I grew up playing with, they were the guys I grew up idolizing as a kid, then having a chance to play with and compete and developing relationships, playing a lot of my first team events with. And so I really like those people, I like the guys on the Champions Tour, I like hanging with them, talking with them and being around them. And so never say never. But I’m sure that it’s — I will play Champion events, I’m not going to not ever play Champions Tour events, I just don’t know how committed to that TOUR I’ll be at any particular point and a lot of it will depend on how competitive I’m able to be out here. And this is where my first enjoyment is, but I also like to win and I like to be in contention and I like to play golf at a high level and I’ve played golf at a high level for spurts, but I haven’t played consistently at that level that I have throughout my career and that’s what I need to get back is the week-in and week-out level of high golf.

Q. And I know you touched on this before, but how discouraged were you last year, I mean how bad were you in your own head or was it just I can think through this?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don’t know how to answer that, I just had kind of a rough eight, nine months and rather than dwell on it I’ve kind of put that in the past. And we had a, on a we had this really cool thing where Amy had the famous artist Peter Tunney, who did Wynwood Walls and so forth, created this, he had done this painting called Mojo Rising and he did this special thing for Amy for the holidays where he had a limited edition reprint of that for 20, of 20 prints. And we have given it out to a lot of our friends and family. And we just feel like our mojo’s rising, we’re going to have a great year and we have got a lot of great things happening.

Q. Curious, your reaction to the new slow play policy.
PHIL MICKELSON: So I’m not really familiar with the details of it, I haven’t read it, I think that the fact that it’s not group based and it’s more individual based is a good thing, but I haven’t looked over the details of it. I do like that because it seems to be more of an individual problem than a group problem. And yet we have to look at — I’ve been out here for 25 plus years and every, this has been a topic for when I first came out. You can’t inundate a golf course with 150 players and expect guys to play quick. On the weekend I can see it being a case, we should play three hours 40 minutes and so forth. But I just don’t worry about it when we have this many players on the golf course, it’s just hard to play fast.

Q. Is it encouraging to you though that this is finally being addressed after as long as you’ve been on TOUR?
PHIL MICKELSON: I guess, I don’t really think much of it. I mean, again, it’s been in my ear for 25 years so I just kind of tune it out. But I’m glad that some things are being done. It’s not an area that really affects me too much so I haven’t really looked into it very hard.

Q. Golf fans enjoy connecting with you through social media, whether it’s Instagram or Twitter, instruction —
PHIL MICKELSON: Thank you.

Q. — exercise or stories and so forth. I’m just curious to see if you can just tell us how much you enjoy that and also what goes behind the scenes of how many people gets involved as far as like creating a post and what do we expect for 2020 from a social media point of view.
PHIL MICKELSON: So it’s just me right now that just kind of stuff that comes to me and I enjoy kind of connecting with people in a way that I didn’t know was possible. And there’s been, from that some things have stemmed, for instance, people have asked for — like I wear kind of a logo of me winning in 2004 and little things like that have stood out. It’s not like I sell that, but because people have asked I’m starting to wear like a new hat this week, which you never see me with different colors, but now here I am wearing gray and some different colors. Melin hats is a brand out of Irvine that I really like their products and I’m wearing their hats now. And they have been working on my logo as a way to get things like that out for people that have asked on social media. I never would have known that or thought people were interested in that. So I’m trying to slowly adopt to what is being asked through that. And I wouldn’t have that connectivity or connection with the fans had it not been for social media. So I never understood the power of it, and how it could positively affect things.

And so that was one of the areas — and some of the things that I say, like slogans, that have come across whether it’s “calves” or “hit bombs” or “attack pins” or stuff or things, I’ve said that for years, but social media has brought it together with the fans and created this emotional connection with us. And I just, I had no idea really how powerful a tool it was. So I want to thank the Melin hat guys for helping me connect with the fans too, you know, it’s — anyway, thank you.

Q. You probably don’t need motivation, but how much if at all was last year, was watching last year’s Presidents Cup after two and a half decade of being part of it?
PHIL MICKELSON: It was so fun to see them play well on that final day and win. I mean I just — I thought — it was really a fun event to watch. I think those are fun events to watch. I can see why the fans really enjoy the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, you have that match play element, you have the emotional, you have the emotional element, the national pride, all of those things go into it and it was so cool to see the guys play so well.

Q. Being that you’re the tournament host this year, how does that mentally impact your game if at all?
PHIL MICKELSON: So I have to make sure that I’m ready when I get here, that I’m not going to find my game here because there’s some other responsibilities, I want to make sure it’s the first class experience for everybody here, that the CEO’s that we have brought in, that the people we have brought in have this great experience. So I’m spending a little bit more time making sure that the week goes well for everybody. So I had to spend the last seven, ten days working with Andrew Getz and working with Dave Pelz getting my game sharp so that I’m ready when I get here. I think I am, but you don’t know until you tee it up, you really don’t know.

Q. Steve Stricker is the field this week. What is your practice in terms of communicating that Ryder Cup goal to the current captain and does it differ this year given where you’re at in the standings?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, he knows how bad I want to be on the team, but I don’t want to be a pick, I’ve got to earn it. I’m at the point where I’ve got to earn my spot, there’s eight spots out there and if I play well I’ll make it. If I play to the level that I believe I’m capable of I’ll make the team. But if not, you’ve got to give those spots to some younger guys that haven’t had the chance to play and compete the way I have. So I have six, eight months to get it done and I’ve got plenty of time, every bit of fair opportunity to go out and prove myself and play some great golf. So there’s not much he’s going to be able to do as a captain because I need to get my, earn my way on the team.

THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you for your time and keep hitting those bombs.

PHIL MICKELSON: Always. Always. Thank you.

La Quinta, California

January 15, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags Phil Mickelson, Professionals, The American Express

Team USA

European Tour: Patrick Cantlay Speaks About His First Start European Tour Start at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 15, 2020

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 15: Patrick Cantlay of The United states looks on during the Pro-Am ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 15, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

European Tour and PGA Tour professional Patrick Cantlay speaks about his first start in the Middle East at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and about expanding his schedule to become more of an international player.

European Tour: Patrick Cantlay speaks to the media prior to making his first European Tour start at the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Q. Why don’t we start with your first visit to the Middle East. Just give us your impressions on the place and how have you adjusted so far?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I’ve only been here a couple days, but everything seems great. I played nine holes on the golf course, and I’ll play nine more this afternoon. Golf course seems good. So excited for Thursday to come around and start off my first European Tour event.

Q. Is this kind of a plan to become a more global player and play outside the United States more often?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think it’s important to play all over the world, not only just for growing-the-game purposes, but I think it’s good as a golfer to see different places and get comfortable playing all over. I think that’s part of it.

I think both The European Tour and the PGA TOUR play more of a global schedule, especially in the last decade. I don’t think that’s going to change. I think it will continue to be more of a global game, and we see that with the World Golf Championships. I think it’s all good, and it’s good to play in different places and experience different cultures and see what the world is like.

Q. And I know when you guys come for a tournament, you don’t have much time apart from just seeing the golf course, but do you have something in mind that you want to experience in this region?
PATRICK CANTLAY: You know, for me, it’s pretty hotel, golf course. I’m here first and foremost to win the golf tournament, prepare my best to do. So.

So on a long travel week like this, it’s hard to get enough sleep. So my priority is really there. But there are definitely some times where I’ll be at a place for a golf tournament and hear or see something that I may want to go see, and book it into the time the next time I’m back, or maybe earmark it for if I want to take a vacation some day.

Q. Can I ask you, I’m not going to mention the Presidents Cup, because you ended 2019 on a pretty good note, but looking ahead to 2020, I mentioned to Bryson when he came in, it’s a jam-packed year in terms of golf, four majors, WGCs and Olympics and Ryder Cup. Is there one sort of thing, here we are now in the second week of January, that you really would love to be in, or is it all the package of the year?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Sure, well, I’m into everything except Ryder Cup and Olympics. Olympics is going to be even more of a difficult tournament to qualify for even than Ryder Cup.

I’d love to be in both those events, especially after having my experience at the Presidents Cup. I really enjoyed the team golf. I’ve only done it twice with Walker Cup and Presidents Cup and I love that atmosphere. I love being able to pull for the other guys that are on my team and feel like it’s a team event, especially when in golf we never get those team events.

So that would be great to see, and also, Presidents Cup was away, so I would love to see what it’s like at a home event when I have guys pulling for me. Walker Cup was away, as well. Those I would like to qualify for.

But for me the emphasis is on the majors. I love major championship golf and I had some success in the majors last year. That’s where my emphasis is, and that’s what I’m going to prep for, and if I take care of business there, I should qualify for Ryder Cup and Olympics.

Q. This is your first European Tour event. What made you come here? Did anyone twist your arm? Obviously other Americans have come here and played well. Did anyone say anything specific to you?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I talked to Rickie. He said he enjoyed his time here. Obviously he won; he told me how great a list of champions this place had, kind of needling me a little bit.

Yeah, it’s kind of desert golf, which I think it’s a good way to start kind of the year back in January, playing some desert golf, which is more target golf. It just fit in a good part of the schedule. I’ve heard a lot of great things about the event, and played nine holes on the golf course. Seems good so far, so all good.

Full Leaderboard Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

Q. How familiar are you with some of the competition, obviously there’s a good deal of European Tour players. You play on the PGA and the majors, but obviously there are another 50 or 60 that play week-in and week-out. Would you remember any from the Walker Cup days like Andy Sullivan?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I think Tom Lewis might have been the only guy on the Walker Cup Team that I played against. I don’t know all that many European Tour players, but I do know the guys that play WGCs and everything. I’ve seen some friendly faces out here the last couple days.

Q. And what are your initial impressions of the course so far? Have you managed to get out there?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I just played nine, but it’s in good shape and looks like the fairways are narrow, which I like. So should be all good, yeah. Seems good. I still have to see the front side.

Q. Given your history because of the injury and then obviously the tragic death of your friend in front of your own eyes and you missing so many years of competitive golf at that time, has that made you more hungry or what kind of perspective has it given to you when you come to play events like this?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well, I don’t think I ever wasn’t hungry; so that’s still there. I still really enjoy competing and I really enjoy playing tournament golf. It’s one of my most — one of the things I enjoy most doing is playing any type of competitive sport, but especially golf.

And so that’s always been there. The perspective is more on — the perspective gained was more of a life experience, stuff that translates not just to the golf course but throughout your life.

It’s really that you have to enjoy whatever experiences you’re having with those that you really love and those that you want to spend time with. That’s the most important thing, regardless of winning golf tournaments or losing golf tournaments, but being able to, for example, win a golf tournament and then celebrate with those that are really close to you, whether that’s — for me that’s winning golf tournaments, but for somebody else it could be a variety of different things.

Spending time with those that you love and those you want to spend time with is by far the most important thing, and going through all that, being out for a long time, and the death of my friend, Chris, it’s something that really — I don’t know if I was expecting to learn it, but it’s something that I definitely learned and hit me in the face after some time reflecting on it that that really is what life is all about.

Q. And do you find — given the number of injuries we see in the sport now, do you find people coming up to you, seeking your health guidance, because you went through a pretty bad phase, also, and then came back like this.
PATRICK CANTLAY: I haven’t had too many people — everyone is dealing with so many different injuries and it is becoming more common, and I think with guys trying to swing the golf club faster and playing so many events, that’s going it continue to be the norm.

No, I haven’t had too many people come up to me asking me for advice. Everyone’s got their own issues.

Q. You’re world No. 6 today. Did you expect to be in the Top-10 at the beginning of last year, and basically, what are your goals for this year in terms of World Ranking?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Obviously the goal is to be No. 1, and I’m doing everything in my power to prep for events to win, which is the way to get there.

I don’t know about if I expected — I don’t know if I expected to be there. I don’t really think of it in terms of that, but I definitely prepared like I was going there. That’s the plan, and that’s going to be how I continue to prepare for all the events. I think if you show up to every event ready to win and prepared to win, it’s as good as you can do.

Q. I need to ask you about that little storm that was created in Hawai’i. What do you think of the whole situation? Do you think that kind of — some talk that is going on between two players, being heard all around the world, what were your own thoughts when everything happened?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well, I didn’t hear until after the round and still I was unsure what they were talking about. I obviously didn’t know that I was on camera, or on camera and mic’d up. Now that I know that it’s happening more often, I’ll definitely be more aware of it, yeah.

CLARE BODEL: Thanks, everyone.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

January 14, 2020

Tags Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, live-european-tour, Patrick Cantlay, Professionals

Team USA

European Tour: Bryson DeChambeau Previews his Return to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 15, 2020

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 15: Bryson DeChambeau of The United States in action during the Pro-Am ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 15, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

PGA Tour and European Tour professional Bryson DeChambeau speaks with the media prior to the start of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship about 2020 goals and new pace of play standards.

European Tour: Bryson DeChambeau speaks with media at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

BRIONY CARLYON: Delighted to welcome back Bryson DeChambeau to the. Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Presented by EGA.

Bryson, you’re back in Abu Dhabi. You’ve been here a couple of times. Give us a sense of what you’ve been up to over the Christmas break because you’ve obviously taken a little bit of time after the Presidents Cup.

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, I’ve taken quite a bit of time off. That’s mainly to get healthier for the most part and get stronger I think. Those are my goals. I made some comments after Shriners that I wanted to be a different person coming back. I feel like I am and I certainly am swinging faster and doing things in a better way I feel like.

This year is set up to be a great year. It’s always fun to start back here in the UAE. They have always been awesome to me and the people have been incredible, and I enjoy coming back here because of that. They make it special for me and they make me feel special, and that certainly warrants me coming back for three years to come I feel like, and it’s much appreciated.

This golf course is an incredible layout. It’s a very good test of golf. The fairways are tight, and the greens are pure. So they just do a great job here personally and I love coming back to golf courses that are maintained really well, and they are fun to play.

BRIONY CARLYON: So obviously a Rolex Series Event this week with a world-class field. Lots of the top players. What are your expectations that you set for yourself for the year? Do you have goals or how are you looking ahead?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Well, I’m looking — well, every tournament I’m going to, to pretty much win, right. You’re not going to a tournament to go, oh, I’m preparing for this win.

For me, having be a Rolex Series Event and having it be this important, it’s fantastic. But every tournament I play in, I still go in with the mind-set that I’m going to win and do my absolute best to win.

Full Leaderboard Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

For me, it’s a great preparation for the rest of the year. It’s going to tell me what’s going right and what’s going wrong, and I’m going to try to bring my A Game to every single event that I play.

Q. You spent a lot of time on the range in the Bahamas working hard on your game. Did you find what you were looking for that week after the Presidents Cup, etc.?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I actually found it on Sunday — yeah, it was Sunday of the Presidents Cup. Found something nice and played pretty well there. Unfortunately didn’t get the full point, but was able to do nicely there.

I came back with the mind-set of, okay, I’ve got to solidify what worked for me in 2018 and what was going right there so I can bring it into 2020. I felt like 2019 was a growing year for me. A lot happened, a lot of good things.

And moving into 2020, I feel like I know twice as much as what I knew in 2018. For me, that’s certainly a positive benefit that will only help me for the rest of my career.

But considering what the question was, in the Bahamas, I’m always still trying to work hard no matter what. You’re always going to see me on the range working hard, trying to figure stuff out, trying to get better. That’s usually only when things are kind of not going 100 per cent the way I want it to. It doesn’t mean I’m playing bad. It means it’s not where I want it to be, not my A+ game. I didn’t feel like any point in 2019 I was playing my A+ game. And trying to get it ready for this year and I feel like I’m very close to that right now, very, very close.

Q. This week is the introduction of the new regulations on The European Tour, the four-point plan to tackle slow play.
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Considering how far I’m hitting, I don’t think that will be an issue anymore.

Q. Do you welcome something like that?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I love it. I love it. I told you guys, even back at — on the PGA TOUR, when stuff was happening, I told you guys, I welcome it. I was playing under the rules and there was no rhyme or reason to be called out, other than the fact that it looked like it was a really, really long time that it took, and it was, absolutely. I’m not saying it wasn’t.

But I was playing under the rules at that point in time, and there’s no reason or why I should have been given so much heat, considering other things that had occurred that day and previous days of other people that I played with and other things that occurred. It’s just .01 per cent of the time that that happens on Tour, which it happens literally with everybody out there. They just caught it on camera at that specific moment in time.

You know there, was no time assessed, there was nothing that occurred and I played under the rules. To be called out like that was kind of weird, but it is what it is and I take it and I understand it.

All I’m doing is my absolute best to be better, and that’s what I look forward to this year is, again, like I said, a new me, a new person, and a way that’s going to represent all tours, all golf in general in a positive way to help grow the game.

That’s what I’ve always been about is trying to shine a light on the game of golf and not push people away, with developing the one-length irons, having a new way of swinging the golf club and doing all these different things that look weird, but have been a massive benefit to the game, that’s what I’m about. So when considering change like that, I welcome it.

Q. There’s been a revision now from the original plan, two bad times in a tournament and a one-shot penalty. Is that a good thing, as well?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Absolutely. Look, I don’t want to be out there for six hours, nor does anybody, right. And there’s numerous times out there, more than not, I’m waiting — our group is waiting for people to go, and so I certainly don’t want to be waiting on players. It’s going to hurt my momentum. Every time it happens, I feel like I get cold.

So yeah, absolutely. I don’t want that to happen to people behind me or in front of me. There’s a lot of things that happen during the course of a golf round. People don’t just hit in the middle of the fairway or on the green all the time. You have situations that occur.

Taking that into account, which I think they have done beautifully, it is a good thing. Having the, hey, can I get 40 more seconds because this is a weird shot, the wind came up, or something happened, I think that’s great. I think what they did there is awesome.

Q. You’ve been playing all over the world, and not many Americans come to Europe or to the UAE. What is your motivation to actually come and play in those countries, and different continents? Is it part of your goal to make golf more —
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Global.

Q. Global? And then also, it’s been really nice to see you engage on Instagram and on Twitter because of all, I would say, the bad words about slow play involving you and defending yourself. How much impact did this have on you as a player, but also on your willingness to become a global player worldwide and be a likable player?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Well, I want people to know who I truly am and I don’t to be a guy behind closed doors and he’s protected and everything. There’s points in time where you need, that obviously, but I want people to realise who I am as a person.

So playing globally, being a part of global golf, is definitely on my list. I want to be able to say that I can win worldwide, which I’ve done. Now I won last year in Dubai. I want to win multiple times, and I also want to grow the game globally.

We need to show how positive of an impact the game of golf is on communities, on people’s lives. Every week, someone’s life is affected in a positive way because of the game of golf. What we’re doing here, what Abu Dhabi is doing, is incredible. We’re literally trying to grow the game and that’s what I want to be a part of.

Just like building the one-length clubs like I said before. I keep going back to it, but I made it at age 18. It wasn’t in college or some scheme or anything like that. It was literally to help grow the game. Obviously benefit me, but help grow the game in general. I thought it would be a great way for people to play the game. As you talk about the game globally, that’s absolutely one of my top priorities.

And the second thing, engaging with fans, again, I want people to know who I truly am. I don’t want people to think who I am. I don’t want anyone else to write my own legacy. I want to control that and let everybody know who I truly am.

Bryson DeChambeau speaks on his recent physical transformation ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about your physical transformation, where you started weight-wise? A few years ago, people were saying it was crazy to get big.
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, so I started out right after Shriners at 208, and as I sit right here right now, I’m 225 pounds. Last year, I was 195 pounds at the end of the Hero World Challenge.

So 2018 [sic] Hero World Challenge, and I felt brittle. I felt like a gust of wind could push me over if I wasn’t careful. I’m not super light at 195, right, but I still didn’t feel like I was solid.

I just made it a goal of mine this year after I figured out my — some of the stuff in my golf swing that wasn’t going right at Shriners, after I figured that out, I said, okay, now I feel like I have good control of my game and I feel like I can add mass and size and strength and speed to those principles, and so it was kind of a test for me. It wasn’t that I was bored or anything. It was just I wanted to see if I could do it, and quite honestly, it’s been a massive benefit.

And it’s made me excited for the game again because I get to go back out and play a game that is completely different than what I knew it to be. I mean, I went out yesterday and hit shots and hit drives. I’m like, I’m hitting — two years ago, I was hitting driver, 5-iron — driver almost 4-iron into 16 yesterday, or, well, two years ago. But yesterday, I hit driver — I could have hit 9-iron into it but I hit a chip 8-iron into that hole and it was the same into the wind, 10, 15 miles an hour, I flew a driver 315 yards into a 15-mile-an-hour wind. I’ve never been able to do that before.

So it’s really a new game for me. It’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out. The direction hasn’t really changed that much. I just feel like I’ve got more control and more stable.

So this transformation, I’ve literally been working out twice a day. At least after Shriners, I pretty much worked out twice a day for a good month and a half, month, somewhere around there. I just kept going to the gym, and luckily I have a gym at home, so I just go in there probably for 30 minutes and then I go back out and then I go back in for another 30 minutes and accumulated like about 3 1/2 hours of working out a day. It was a lot. It was ridiculous. But I said I’m going to do it. I’m going to do it right.

It was funny, when I got to Australia to The Presidents Cup, I ate about 6,000 calories. It was a ridiculous amount of food, just because I felt like I needed it to sustain that amount of weight and with travel, I didn’t really have the food I wanted on the plane. Just needed to eat, eat, eat, eat, and just kind of maintained that since.

But it’s been a long, tough process. I have a lot of days where I’m lying, I just don’t want even to get up out of bed and then I go work out and swing it really fast and then go work out.

The thing is, people normally say, well, you’re going to get injured doing this; you’re going to get hurt doing this. And yeah, there are going to be some things that pop up. But I’m luckily to know a guy like Greg Roskopf, MAT, and any time that something has occurred, I’ve been able to get fixed immediately. I hurt myself doing a back extension there probably two, three weeks before the Hero, and within the next three, four days, I was swinging it 185 ball speed, and that was after pretty much throwing out my back. So what he’s able to is incredible.

So I’m able to fix myself when things go bad in the gym, if they do. I go to the gym with a mindset to fix myself, never to break myself down.

Q. Are you the sort of person that sets yourself New Year’s resolutions, goals?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I used to. Not anymore, though. It’s all about progress for me. So I look at every day is going to be better than the last day. So let today’s garbage be better than yesterday’s.

Q. On the back of that question, in a jam-packed sort of golfing season, with the Olympics, Ryder Cup and four majors, is there one particular thing, and in this second week of January, that you really look forward to this in new year and this new decade?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Well, this new decade —

Q. Is there one thing in one year, we’re going to have a jam-packed golfing year that you’re really looking forward to?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I feel like — and this is related to golf, but it’s an overall macroscopic view of it. I think my health is the No. 1 thing I’m looking at; looking at getting stronger and bigger than ever before. Hoping to go to places that no golfer has ever gone to in a way that’s going to hopefully show people that with a lot of hard work and dedication, you can change yourself.

I came here two years ago, nowhere near the body mass, size that I am today. It just shows progress and growth. I used to feel like I could hurt myself and injure myself every time going on the golf course. Now I feel like I could withstand a lot more than just golf.

BRIONY CARLYON: Thank you, Bryson, for your time. All the best this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

January 14, 2020

Tags Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Bryson DeChambeau, live-european-tour, Professionals

Professionals

European Tour: Brooks Koepka Previews Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 15, 2020

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 14: Brooks Koepka of United States speaks to the media ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 14, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Major Champion Brooks Koepka speaks with the media ahead of the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship about his recent struggles with injury and playing practice round with 15 year old Josh Hill.

European Tour: Brooks Koepka talks HSBC Championship, injury, and his golf game at 15 years old

CLARE BODEL: Brooks, welcome back to Abu Dhabi. How does it feel to be here?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I love this place. I always fun to get back to. Kind of reminds me of when I first came over here to The Challenge Tour and spent a bunch of time here in Dubai. I love this place. The golf course is really good. It’s in great shape, even after all the rain that they have had here. It’s just a place I like coming to. I felt comfortable here and hopefully play well this week.

CLARE BODEL: A few of your compatriots are here, but you prayed a practise round with young, up-and-coming Josh Hill. Do you enjoy it?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I enjoyed it. Josh is a good player. Hopefully learned something. He beat me in an eight-hole match yesterday, so he got the better of me, which I’m sure enjoyed, as he should.

It’s cool. It’s always fun to get to play with these young kids, and you really see in ten years when I’m close to being on my way out, all these kids that will be up and winning a bunch. It’s cool to see. You know, it will be cool to see in the next five, ten years how much he progresses.

CLARE BODEL: This is a big tournament this week, the first event in the Rolex Series. What would it mean to get this tournament on your resume? You have a pretty impressive resume as it stands.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Obviously it would be nice. These Rolex Series Events are what you have more emphasis on winning. It’s what you want to win. The players that are playing in this event are obviously really good, some of the best players in the world. That’s why I think everyone’s here. You want to play in the top events. You want to play in the best events you can, and win them.

Q. A little bit of comparison from two years ago when you were out for almost 17 weeks with a wrist injury at the start of the year. This was towards the end of the year, almost 14 weeks out, and then you came back in 2018 and did all that that you did, does this injury and the layoff give you more motivation, and how did you prepare for 2020 in these 14 weeks?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t know if it gives me more motivation. I don’t think it does. I think it — when you have something you love and it’s taken away from you, I think it makes you appreciate it more and really enjoy being out here.

I mean, I miss competition. I’ve missed showing up to an event preparing for something, because I haven’t had anything to prepare for. When you have three months off, it’s not fun, I know that. But it makes me appreciate the game more every time and hopefully I don’t have anymore of those situations.

But I’m excited. I’m just excited to hit balls. When I started hitting, it’s the same thing. It’s exciting and it’s enthusiasm to get out there and go play. It’s been, last year, there wasn’t much practise. I just couldn’t do it with my knee. I think everybody saw it on my team towards the end of the year. I couldn’t get on my left side. I couldn’t do things. Couldn’t squat down in a bunker. I struggled to get down and read a putt. You know, thankfully that’s in the past now.

Q. Josh is from our region and we are very looking forward to a great career with him. You played with him. Was there something he was eager to find out from you, and what kind of advice do you give when you play with someone as young as Josh and you see him play alongside you? What kind of advice do you tend to give to such youngsters?
BROOKS KOEPKA: He asked good questions. I thought that was important. I think being so young, I would — if I was in his shoes, I would have been afraid to ask. He wasn’t afraid to ask, which I think is very important and very mature for his age. He’s a good player. Putts it really well. Short game is really good. Strikes it really well.

But the questions he was asking, and how to handle the week, how to go about being aggressive, his aggressiveness, how — when to attack things, when to not, and give him some advice on how to play a little bit and how I go about things. Not saying that it’s the right way for everybody, but just a little bit of insight.

You always want to pick a good player’s mind. Doesn’t matter if you’re doing it today. You try to pick all the guys that have been around, played a long time, and pick their brains. I think it’s important, and the fact that he’s doing it at 15, if he keeps doing that and keeps progressing as he should, you know, he’ll be out here very shortly.

Full Leaderboard Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

Q. What were you doing when you were 15?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Causing trouble (laughter). I’m sure if you ask my parents that, they would be shaking their heads.

Q. Where was your golf at that stage?
BROOKS KOEPKA: It wasn’t as far along as Josh’s, I know that. I didn’t get too play many tournaments. When I grew up, we didn’t have any — we didn’t have much money, so we couldn’t afford to travel and go play golf. I was working. I tried to practise, you know, I was working, but I was trying to practise, too. I’d go to the range and kind of stop the picker in the back, hit a couple balls in the back and then go pick them up. It wasn’t anything to brag about.

Brooks Koepka touches on recent struggle with injury

Q. Can you just talk about the timeline of your injury and what procedure you had and the exact nature of it?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, I’ve had problems with it since March. Dealt with it the whole year, all the way till — I had stem cell done on my knee and it felt fine all the way through Vegas, all the way to Korea. Everything felt good. And then in Korea, just slipped, and you know re-tore it and the kneecap had moved into the fat pad, which, that’s excruciating. It’s a lot of pain. It’s not fun. It’s been — I mean, we flew back, I think Saturday. I got in Saturday night and I started rehab on Monday.

So I was very, you know, all the way through, still doing it now. Still doing a lot of rehab. Before gym, after the gym, getting in there. Been trying to make sure everything feels right, and it does not feel like my right knee, I’ll be honest with you. It doesn’t feel the same as my right. It probably won’t for a while. But it does feel stable, which leaving Korea and all the way up to about a month and a half ago, it just doesn’t feel stable. It felt like it could go either way. It could go left, out, back, it could go anyway.

Q. Were you operating 100 percent last year through the major season?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No. No. But I don’t think anybody’s ever operating at 100 percent. I think that’s a rarity in sports. I mean, especially with how much — everybody’s dinged up a little bit. Nobody wants to hear an excuse. So.

I’m not going to come out and tell you I’ve got the sniffles or tell you my knee hurts. Just get on with it and go play. I mean, I won with it, so I don’t see any issue with it.

Q. This year promises to be a very exciting year with many players at their best. Justin Thomas just won recently. Rory McIlroy has had a very good end of season. Tiger Woods, as well. So I have two questions for you. First of all, how much do you see Tiger as a threat this year in the majors, and which event are you looking forward to the most? Is it the Olympics, The Ryder Cup or any major in particular?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I think we know all four tournaments that I’m looking forward to. I think that’s pretty obvious. That’s what everybody gears their year around.

You’re trying to get in the swing of things to start it off, obviously. Those are — to me, the way I see it, that’s what everybody is remembered by. You guys are better at stats, but we can all sit here and tell you how many Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, how many majors they won, but I don’t know how many tournaments they won.

But I think other than Tiger, because he’s close to the record, but majority of the guys, you can’t tell me how many PGA TOUR tour events or events they won. You’re remembered by your majors. That’s where my focus is, trying to play well there.

And what was — Tiger? All depends on his health and how he’s feeling. I’m not in his body. So if he feels good, I think he showed us all he can still play and still compete at a high level. If he’s healthy, yeah, he’ll be there. If he’s not healthy, hopefully he does get healthy.

Q. How much of the Presidents Cup did you catch and how badly do you miss it? Does it motivate you for The Ryder Cup better?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it does. Obviously it’s not fun to miss a team competition, because I think those are some of the most fun events we play all year. Being in the team room with everybody, you feel the camaraderie, the bond that you make with those guys, it kind of lasts forever. It’s a special thing to be in these team rooms. I enjoy it. It’s so much fun.

I watched more on Saturday and Sunday. I was in — I was doing rehab in San Diego, and stopped into a restaurant and had them change a channel to the golf so I could watch it, and then watched the guys come back and win. That was pretty cool.

Q. How much does it motivate you for The Ryder Cup?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, I hope I’m on the team. I think that would be — that’s everybody’s goal. It doesn’t matter starting the year, I think that’s something that’s on every American and European’s goal list. I think that’s what they are looking forward to. Especially because we just lost the last one, and I think it’s in the United States, so I know we are looking forward to and hopefully we come out and do what we’re supposed to do.

Q. On the back of your comments about the four majors, of the other venues, what do you like about them and what do you know about them?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Not much. I think the Match Play was out at Harding Park in 2015, something like that. I don’t know much about the other ones.

Q. Have you played Royal St. George’s?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Never played there. Watched it the year Ben Curtis won there. I was at that Open. I watched it. I watched him win. But I mean, I can’t remember much of the holes.

So I mean, I’ll probably to make a trip out to New York before and go check it out, but don’t know much about them to be honest with you. But that’s what the prep’s for. Go in there early, Monday to Wednesday, figure out all the info you need. My caddie, Rickie, might have been there. I don’t know. I haven’t asked him. We’ll see.

Q. This week marks the introduction of The European Tour’s new regulations aimed at targeting slow play and it’s just been announced there’s a revision, immediate one-shot penalty for two bad times in a tournament. Do you think that’s a good thing and how important is it for golf that this regulation is coming in?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think it’s a good thing. I think the game’s changing and I think the rules need to kind of change with it. I think that’s why you’ve seen so many different rule changes, equipment changes, things like that going on. You know, it’s got to evolve as we evolve, the courses evolve and technology, everything like that.

They are trying to make the game a lot simpler, and I think making these changes is, you know, we’re on our way to making it easier to understand for the fans at home, the players. It’s very clear-cut what’s going to happen and very clear-cut what you need to do.

I think when everybody knows the rules, it’s a lot easier.

Q. Did I understand you to say that you were at St. George’s when Ben Curtis won?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yes. I was there.

Q. You were very young?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I was. I remember I went with my mom and my brother. We were over on a trip all over the U.K., Scotland. Spent a few days down in London. We got to go, I think — I can’t remember if it was Saturday or Sunday, but we definitely were there Sunday watching him.

I remember it was actually kind of funny, my brother shouted at Tiger and he shouted back at my brother, something like, “Thanks, Bud,” or whatever it was. We thought it was the coolest thing ever. I was 12, maybe, something like that.

It’s been a while since then. I mean, I don’t remember much of it. I just remember Ben won coming down the stretch there.

Q. Was that the first time you had been to Britain?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was, actually. First time.

Q. Any other impressions?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, I was 12 years old. I really couldn’t experience too much. Whatever my mom wanted to do, I was kind of following.

Q. In these weeks leading up to Augusta, how important is it for you to remain as world No. 1, and is there any psychological significance standing on the first tee at Augusta holding that position?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t think so. I don’t think it matters. It doesn’t matter to me — yeah, it’s nice to be world No. 1. I think there is a little bit of — a little bit of everybody that wants to be world No. 1. Otherwise, why is it a competition, you know.

But the only thing I’m looking forward to it the prep leading up to it is, okay, am I playing good, am I trending in the right direction going to Augusta, and that’s — you know, usually, I haven’t played very much over the break. Kind of come in trying to play my way into it, where I feel like now, I’ve had a few weeks of practise where I feel good because usually I’m over here trying to find it.

You know, Hawai’i is usually where I start, and trying to get the practise in there and try to build up to it. But now, having a little bit of practise feels good, and hopefully, out of competition for three months, so just try to get back in the swing of competition.

I think that’s important, and build your way up to Augusta. I think that’s pretty much what every player tries to do. You hear guys talking about it from when the year ends, how they are trying to build up to Augusta and I think that’s the way everybody goes about it.

Q. Not sure if you saw it, but on the PGA TOUR website last week, Rory was talking about the season, and he says that he believes he’s the best player in the world on his day. What do you make of that?
BROOKS KOEPKA: He should. He should believe that. Everybody playing should think that. I mean, if you don’t think you’re the best player, what’s the point. Everybody comes here trying to win. That’s the goal. If you don’t believe you’re the best deep down, then there’s something wrong with you. You might as well quick.

Q. And the Olympics, where is that on your priority list?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ve been trying to do my knee. I’ve been worried about my knee. I haven’t thought about it. Just honestly thinking about trying to play, trying to get over here for this. I don’t want to say this was kind of up in the air, but it was — we weren’t 100 percent on it too long ago.

Q. You mentioned about watching the Presidents Cup. How much golf did you consume during the off-period? Were you checking leaderboards? Were you watching golf on Instagram, Golf Channel? How much was your consumption?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I watched the Presidents Cup and that was it. That was the only golf I watched. Usually during that time, it’s kind of my off time, anyway. There’s a lot of other sport going on, football, basketball. I’ll watch those.

Q. When did you get the green light to come here and how worried were you that it wasn’t going to happen?
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t know if I wasn’t — I wasn’t too worried it wasn’t going to happen. I just didn’t — I just didn’t know when it was — or even if I came back, right. Even if I got the green light, whether it was going to feel right, whether you’re going to be the same, how is it going to feel.

I started hitting balls, I think just before Christmas, was about the first time I hit balls. Everything felt good. Speed was the same. We were hitting on TrakMan and my numbers were exactly what they were the day I left. So it’s always nice, and then from there, you’re just practising.

Then I think from that moment on, after a couple days of hitting balls and not feeling pain, it was, okay, I could get back here and do this and finally play.

Q. Do you have any worries with what’s happening in the world at the moment?
BROOKS KOEPKA: No.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
January 14, 2020

Tags Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Brooks Koepka, live-european-tour, Professionals

Professionals

PGA Tour: Paul Casey Talks Pace of Play and The American Express

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 15, 2020

KAPALUA, HAWAII - JANUARY 02: Paul Casey of England plays a shot on the 15th hole during the first round of the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course on January 02, 2020 in Kapalua, Hawaii. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Paul Casey speaks with the media prior to the start of the American Express about hot topics including pace of play and the passing of Pete Dye.

Paul Casey Previews The American Express after strong open to the 2020 PGA Tour Season

THE MODERATOR: Please welcome Paul Casey to the media center. Paul, welcome back to the American Express. This will be your fourth start here in Palm Springs. How are you feeling to be back?

PAUL CASEY: I feel really good. Yeah, it’s, I love the desert. As you know, I live in the desert not this — well, it’s kind of just down the road, Phoenix. So when was the last time I was here? Was it 2016? Yeah, know. Somebody will know.

THE MODERATOR: 2017.

PAUL CASEY: 2017. Thank you. It’s really good to be back. Season’s already got going. I was in Maui a couple of weeks ago. So game feels good, course looks amazing, condition of it is absolutely perfect. I’ve just played the Stadium Course. And yeah, happy to be here. Got good friends at American Express, so the whole thing is, there’s lots of reasons for being here.

THE MODERATOR: You’ve had a strong start this season with two finishes in the top-20. Is something different working for your game?

Full Leaderboard The American Express 2020

PAUL CASEY: No, I feel like my season didn’t really stop because I played all the way through. I had a lot of international commitment. I played the Australian Open, about the first, first or second week in December. So really my off-season’s been very, very short and I feel like I’ve just kind of continued, continued my year, not really stopped, which is a bit strange, but I’m actually fine about it. It’s kind of, I feel like my game is probably, although my results in Maui wasn’t great, for what I was looking for, I feel like the game’s in a really good place. And normally this time of year I would still be trying to get going and learning where my game is at, but I feel like my game’s in a good position, so the lack of off-season, if anything, is probably going to put me in a good position.

THE MODERATOR: Nice. Questions for Paul.

Paul Casey on Pace of Play

Q. Having been on the PAC, have you been part of a decision-making process? Can you talk about the new policy that got revealed?
PAUL CASEY: How did I guess you were going to ask that? Sorry, what was the question?

Q. Thoughts on the new policy.
PAUL CASEY: With all honesty, I need to read it again before I answer, because, yes, I sat in that room and the last time I thoroughly discussed it, I believe was Medinah and we agreed on exactly what was going to be implemented and then it was passed off to the policy board and all the rest of it. I need to refresh myself before I say something where I’m not — because I’m not exactly sure of exactly what it says. I should probably know because it goes into effect.

Q. April.
PAUL CASEY: April. So I’ve got time. There you go. Whew. Thank you for answering my questions. I mean, I sort of know it, but I don’t want to regurgitate something and look foolish.

Q. I know you understand the basics of it, and I guess the idea is they’re going from focusing on the group to focusing more on individuals and maybe changing habits.
PAUL CASEY: Yes.

Q. I guess one of the priorities of the policy is to make sure people, that maybe habitually slow players understand they’re slow, and they’re giving opportunities to improve that. Do you think that can happen?
PAUL CASEY: I hope it can happen, because as we all agreed when we discussed this, we’re not looking for a — I guess there’s two or three things that we’re looking for, that we felt that we were looking for, this is from the players’ point of view. One was we’re not looking for a massive change in — we can’t get around these golf courses that quick. It’s just very difficult to walk some of these golf courses in the time we’re meant to, this time-par thing always frustrates the players a little bit. But we need to speed up. But it’s not a massive change. We’re just looking for sort of 10 minutes here or 15 minutes there, ideally is what we’re looking for. We’re looking for guys to take responsibility, because hitting a standard golf shot and taking two, two and a half minutes to play it is not acceptable. So taking ownership of that responsibility, however you want to phrase it, that’s all about education. And then the perception, then, drastically changes if you do those two things, which are fairly straightforward, fairly painless games, to be honest. And that’s basically all it is, from our point of view. There’s more to it, obviously, the policy. But that was our feeling. It’s just, it should be a fairly simple thing to fix, so hopefully this fixes it.

Q. How big a problem has it become and is it a bigger problem now than it might have been five, 10 years ago?
PAUL CASEY: What, pace of play? It’s been a problem since I’ve played golf. I’m 42 and it’s all we ever talked about. It seems like it becomes — I don’t know — it seems like it becomes more of a problem. It seems like, seems to be a little bit of a trend that players are becoming — they’re not becoming slower. When they come out on TOUR they seem to be a little bit slower than the previous generation, it seems. But that’s our fault, again, because you, a lot of the players who come out, you watch your peers, you watch your heroes and your stars on TV, the guys you want to emulate and you go, Well, he’s taking a long time to read the putt and that’s what I need to do. So we have to take responsibility for that, that maybe we affected, not say we, and I don’t consider myself a slow player, but we’ve all got to take responsibility, that we have affected the next generation that are coming through. But, no, it’s always been an issue, hasn’t it?

Q. To change gears away from slow play. I’m assuming you took up European Tour membership this year with the Ryder Cup?
PAUL CASEY: I think I did. I got a money clip. That came through the post, so I’ll take that as a yes.

Q. How hard is it to balance the two schedules, particularly this time of year when the lucrative events are going on in the Middle East?
PAUL CASEY: Define lucrative.

Q. A Rolex series event.
PAUL CASEY: Oh, yes, one of them is. It doesn’t seem to get any easier. I notice now that, again, I need to brush up on what I’ve read, but I believe there might be a case of, for guys who play both the Olympics and the Ryder Cup, that they only get to count those two events as only one towards the European Tour, however you want to put that, as they only get to count one basically instead of counting two. You might want to check that one. So I look at things like that and I, go that makes it even tougher. You’re penalizing the best players again. And if that is a rule that I read correctly, then I’m not a fan of that because I would like to be in both of those. Yeah, it doesn’t get any easier, because those are my two, two of my biggest goals this year, playing Olympics and playing Ryder Cup. And but I’ve got, but — you know FedExCup’s right at the top of the list, as well, and Majors and everything else. How do you balance it? How do you weigh it all out? I don’t know. I’ve been doing it 20 years and I still haven’t figured it out. Having bigger events, the Rolex series has been phenomenal, and I’ll give Pelley massive credit there. He’s put a lot of money into players’ pockets on the European Tour, and it does make it difficult to miss events like that. Because I also think, if I’m not wrong, that any event opposite a Rolex series event, my World Ranking points don’t counts towards qualifications for a Ryder Cup. Again — you can’t write out facial expressions, can you (laughing)?

Q. With Pete Dye passing away last week, what were your experiences on his golf courses and what did you think of his impact on architecture?
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I was saddened by that because, for me, Pete Dye has been the best modern architect. Yeah, the greatest. A lot of names are thrown into the ring, thrown into the hat, but Pete Dye was just an absolute genius. And the way I back that up, because nobody, one of the great things in our sport that I always, when I play a great golf hole, indecision is always one of those things which — I love indecision. If an architect or a golf hole can create indecision, and usually it’s the simplest holes, 12 at Augusta, for example, creates massive indecision, such a simple golf hole. And Pete Dye was able to do it time and time again. Predominantly visually, that’s how he would do it. He would give most of us kittens, as we would stand on the tee and look down there and not see a fairway or incredibly intimidating, and then we would get down there and you suddenly see he was very generous and accommodating, and those tricks he would play and those mind games, and the indecision that he would create to the player, all players of all standards in their ability to do that, an absolute genius. The Arizona State golf course, which sadly is now just been dug up, but Karsten was a Pete Dye golf course and that was really my first exposure to it. Not having ever played one of his courses obviously growing up in the U.K. And instantly I thought — yeah, he was diabolical, there were some golf holes on that thing we wanted to blow up, but I loved it. So, yeah, sad, because, yeah, in my question, just brilliant stuff, just genius golf course design. It’s because there’s always flavors of the month or flavors of the decade, but he was the one. Brilliant stuff.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Good luck this week.

PAUL CASEY: Thanks.

La Quinta, California

January, 14, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags live-pga-tour, Paul Casey, Professionals, The American Express

Professionals

PGA Tour: Matt Kuchar Talks Tough Conditions at Sony Open in Hawaii

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 10, 2020

HONOLULU, HAWAII - JANUARY 09: Matt Kuchar of the United States plays his shot from the 17th tee during the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club on January 09, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

PGA Tour Professional Matt Kuchar speaks with the media on the tough conditions at this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii and additionally speaks on the legacy of the late golf course architect Pete Dye.

Kuchar on windy conditions at the Sony Open in Hawaii

Q. Matt, I know there was some wind last week, but you played here for a long time. Have you seen some wind around here like this?
MATT KUCHAR: It was hard work out there. This I don’t recall in a long time. Funny, I was looking at last year’s book, and the first hole the most I had to the front of the green was like 135 yards all week.

I had about 170 today. It was straight downwind. Amazing how different from last year. This year, it’s crazy windy but really soft, and so we’re seeing still few guys under par.

What a challenge. This wind is blowing as hard as I recall it blowing.

Q. What was the most difficult aspect of the game for you today with the conditions?
MATT KUCHAR: Handful of those holes was some crosswinds. Some of these fairways you’re playing in doglegs and you got wind blowing either hard left to right or hard right to left, and, boy, those get challenging. Thankfully softer fairways at least get the ball in and it’s pretty much standing over the putt.

Still, you see the ball turn sideways out here and those are tricky.

Q. Find some difficulty on the greens with some of the crosswind putts?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, anything you leave yourself — you don’t want to (indiscernible). With this much wind, wind has a big time affect on what happens with the roll of the ball, and just your steadiness over the ball.

You watch that putter go back and sometimes that wind starts shaking it. It’s a scary proposition.

Thankfully I didn’t leave myself too many four or five footers.

Full Leaderboard Sony Open in Hawaii 2020

Matt Kuchar on Pete Dye

Q. A loss today in the golf world.
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, sorry to hear that. What a legend out here. I mean, he’s left quite a mark on our game and quit a great impression from what he’s done. I’ve been fortunate and had some success at Pete Dye courses, Hilton Head and PLAYERS Championship, couple of my favorite golf courses we play all year. So he’s left quite a mark.

And one of the cool things about golf course architecture is you really do leave a lasting mark. His courses are going to be around. Both Hilton Head and PLAYERS have stood the test of time and they’ll continue to stand the test of time.

It’s an awesome thing that he’s left for us.

Q. It’s probably pretty iconic, his design, right? Like you said, everything is unique and you can tell a Pete Dye.
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, you sure can. You sure can. I’ve had some good fun. They tend to be challenging, hard courses, but I’ve had some nice results and some good feelings towards Pete Dye golf courses.

Q. And today, mate, you obviously started pretty well given the conditions.
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, boy, hard work. I’m happy to be done, scorecard in. It’s challenging out there. There are so many holes with these crosswind tee shots that you’re hitting into doglegs, and trying to find the fairways is hard work.

And then standing over putts just it’s hard. You feel yourself get blown around. You know the ball is going to get blown around once you hit it. Everything about out here is challenging, minus the soft conditions. The soft conditions helped I think immensely with the scores.

I think if we had conditions like last year as far as firmness goes, it would hard to hit half the greens. But with the greens as soft as they are, the fairways as soft as they are, I think you’re seeing some guys with still some good scores due to the softness.

Q. With the conditions in particular, were there any holes that were just maybe different than what you were used to the way it was playing today?
MATT KUCHAR: Well, I got notes from last year, and I was just looking the 1st hole. 1st hole plays nearly straight downwind today. I mean, it’s blowing 25 miles an hour. I had kind of 165 to the front.

I don’t think last year — and then all the wind I’ve got, at most I had it blowing was five miles an hour. Most I had to the front of one was 135. So it’s a 30-yard difference, and the wind is helping 20 miles an hour more amount of help.

It was just that much firmer and faster the ball rolling a ton last year. So it was interesting. I figure there is no way I would have further — I would be further away on the 1st hole because it just was nearly straight downwind.

It was 30 yards back from where I was all week last year.

Q. Oh, wow. Coming down the stretch, it looked like you had three or four putts the last few holes that could’ve made it close to going in.
MATT KUCHAR: I think everybody has those. One of those things with golf. Made a couple on the front side. I had a couple nice putts go in on the front. Anything outside of five feet and even outside of three feet is tricky.

Had a couple looks at it, but we all do. We all do.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Honolulu, Hawaii

January 9, 2020

Tags live-pga-tour, Matt Kuchar, Pete Dye, Professionals, Sony Open in Hawaii

Professionals

PGA Tour: Marc Leishman Speaks Following Opening Round of Sony Open in Hawaii

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 10, 2020

HONOLULU, HAWAII - JANUARY 09: Marc Leishman of Australia plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club on January 09, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional and Australian Marc Leishman speaks with the media following his opening round at the Sony Open in Hawaii about the tough conditions and also the situation in his home country of Australia.

Marc Leishman talks tough Conditions at Sony Open in Hawaii

Q. Marc, nicely played out there. Got off to a good start on the back nine and the winds got the best of you as you made the turn to the front nine. How challenging and how tough was it out there today?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, that was pretty brutal. It was as good as I’ve played for a while and really, really happy with 2-under. Like you say, got off to a really good start. A lot of crosswinds. You know, 2 you’re normally hitting 3-iron, 9-iron in; today I hit driver, 5-iron, so some different holes, different to what we’re used to.

Full Leaderboard Sony Open in Hawaii 2020

I feel like I handled it pretty well, so very happy to be under par.

Q. When you have conditions like this, what is the most important thing you have to do?
MARC LEISHMAN: I mean, everything. You got to strike the ball really well. And putt. Putting is key. You got to judge wind. I think, yeah, hitting fairways and the ball striking is really important. If you can hit a lot of greens and not put too much pressure on your putting, I think that’s very important.

Marc Leishman talks Australia

Q. I know that you’re playing a game today, but obviously a lot more things on your mind with what’s happening back in Australia with all the wildfires and what the PGA TOUR and your fellow PGA TOUR members have done. What does it mean to you to know that the PGA TOUR and the other players have your support?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it’s amazing. You know, it’s a crisis they’re going through at the moment back home, and. Yeah, playing in this is nothing compared to what they’re dealing with. They’re out fighting fires in this, but obviously fighting flames that are 50 foot high or higher, so they’re risking their lives. The support of the players is amazing. I hope to make a lot more birdies as the week goes on to donate a lot of money and support people.

Q. Is there a message that maybe a lot of people don’t know that you really would like to share with people out there about what’s going on?
MARC LEISHMAN: I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. Any fire is bad no matter the size, but this is a — it’s like on a huge, huge scale, so the whole country is in dire straits really. We don’t know when they’re going to stop and there is a lot of people suffering.

So if we can donate some money, help them out, that’s what this — a lot of crises that need items or whatever, but this they need money. They need to rebuild houses. So, yeah, just hoping I can play good and donate a lot.

Honolulu, Hawaii

January 9, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags live-pga-tour, Marc Leishman, Professionals, Sony Open in Hawaii

Professionals

PGA Tour: Collin Morikawa Leads Sony Open in Hawaii After Opening Round

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 10, 2020

HONOLULU, HAWAII - JANUARY 09: Collin Morikawa of the United States reacts to his par on the sixth green during the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club on January 09, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

PGA Tour newcomer Collin Morikawa speaks with the media after taking the opening round lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii following a bogey free round of 65.

PGA Tour: Collin Morikawa speaks about leading the Sony Open in Hawaii after opening round

Q. That was such an impressive round of golf, the only player in the morning wave to be bogey-free. Tell me about the day.
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, it was a really solid day. I mean, off the tee wasn’t great, wasn’t the best driver day I’ve had. I don’t think I hit that many fairways.

Q. Seven fairways.
COLLIN MORIKAWA: I hit seven fairways? So, yeah, and out here you got to hit the fairways. But my irons were really good, long irons. Had a bunch of 4- and 5-irons today, and that’s what kept me in it. Hit some close, made some putts, and stayed out of trouble.

Q. You didn’t make all that many putts as far as length is concerned. You’re right around 73 feet. As you said, your ball striking was good and just (wind) 5 for 5, including think three for three out of the bunkers.
COLLIN MORIKAWA: It’s tough out here. I mean, to make putts with that much wind, when you give yourself — if you have a 20-foot birdie putt you got to factor in the wind, the rain, everything. So playing last week got me prepared for today in the wind, and look forward to the next few days.

Q. When you wake up in the morning and see it’s spitting rain and hear the wind blowing do you say, wow, this is a great opportunity to separate myself from the field, or do you wake up and say, this is going to be a long day out there?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: No, I’m ready for every day. I think the harder conditions the better for me. Ball strikers just want to control everything, control the ball, and I had complete control today. That’s what you want to do.

Q. You understand not even a year removed from college you’re played with experience far beyond your years. What do you attribute that to?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Just kind of my mental side, how I’ve been raised, how I’ve been grown up. Just being a competitor. I want to be out here. I think I’m ready, I think college prepared me to come out her and start strong.

Q. Your paternal grandparents are from Hawaii. Had a nice little gallery out there. Means something for you to play well here in front of these fans, didn’t it?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I mean, last week felt like home, even though I’ve never lived in Hawaii. Any time out here in Hawaii it’s really nice. It’s a little more comfortable and have some good food for sure.

Q. How good was this?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Really good. I didn’t feel like I hit my driver that well, but long irons, I hit a lot of 4- and 5-irons and I just hit some close. I didn’t make too many putts, but I made the ones I needed to for birdie.

Q. What were the biggest challenges for you out there that you were able to overcome?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Just a lot of crosswinds out here. I mean, last week in Kapalua had a lot. Just kind of prepare my distances, you know feel with the wind and everything.

Full Leaderboard Sony Open in Hawaii 2020

So I think last week just fully got me ready for this week. I was glad I had a good finish last week. Got a few more days here.

Q. Obviously two totally different golf courses. How does the wind affect this golf course compared to Kapalua?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: The fairways are half the width and you’ve got to hit fairways. I don’t think I did a great job today doing that. Got some lucky a breaks where I was in the rough.

The next few days I got to hit a few more fairways, and we’ll be good from there.

Morikawa speaks on his close relationship with Hawaii

Q. Finally, seems like kind of bit of a home game for you. How many are coming out to support you?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: I have no clue. Probably a good handful, around a dozen maybe. Yeah, no, just relaxing to be here. Any time you’re able to play around family just makes everything a little more comfortable. You’re able to just focus in on golf.

I love the food out here, so it’s a little plus to that. Yeah, see how everything goes.

Q. Bogey-free round here.
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Just kind of scrambled really good. The driver, like I said, wasn’t great, but didn’t put me in places that were awful. I still had shots wherever I was. The rough is up, so you just got to get lucky some places where you put it.

Other than that, bunkers felt good. I made one long par putt on 13 I think, 14, somewhere around there, 14 maybe.

But other than that, I stayed — you know, if I had a tough shot, I made sure to stay middle of the green and kind of get away from there.

Q. How would you compare the galleries to some you’ve played in front of in the past?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I mean, playing with Brandy and Patrick, a lot of guys were rooting them on. Being with family out here makes it a little bigger gallery. Yeah, for a first round for me, pretty good. I enjoy it.

Q. Pardon the potentially stupidity of this question, but the wind was blowing so hard I couldn’t tell if your shot out of the bunker hit the lip.
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, hit the lip. It hit the lip. Just bad swing. It happens. We were kind of in between clubs on the third shot and we were just like, we can’t miss long. Hit this great 4-iron from about 180. Just drew it up against the wind. I didn’t know where it was going to land. I though it was going to be a little shorter than that, but those are the ones you got to take advantage.

Out here you’re going to hit shots and you’re going to have close birdie opportunities you have to take advantage of because you’re not going to get that many, especially in the wind and rain.

Q. I can’t imagine you’re thinking, I got to take advantage of this hole from 180 into the wind though.
COLLIN MORIKAWA: No, I mean, at that point, no. I was just trying to make par and get out.

Q. You have some family on Maui, right? Many on Oahu as well?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Actually all the family is in Oahu now. Yeah, so my grandparents on my dad’s side were born in Maui, but everyone lives in Oahu now. So all the cousins, aunts, uncles, they’re all out here.

Q. Kind of give you that home course feeling?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, a little bit. In the amount of times I’ve been to Hawaii as a little kid like I didn’t play that much golf because I wanted to do other things, swim in the ocean.

But it’s nice. It’s nice to have them around. It just feels relaxed, you know, and that’s a good thing. You always want to feel a little more relaxed. You got to focus. I kind of caught myself midway through 12 holes where I got a little too easy, a little too relaxed, and I had to tell myself, come on, let’s finish this round and get a few more birdies in and get through.

Q. When you come here do you find people kind of assume you’re a local guy?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Sometimes. I don’t know, not my — my tan’s definitely not.

Q. When was the first time you played this course?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Monday. Tuesday actually. I didn’t play Monday.

Q. Had people told you anything about it? How prepared were you?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: I mean, biggest thing I heard was the walk was going to be nice and flat so I was obviously very happy. My caddie came here maybe four years, five years ago, so the course is a little different. Some greens are changed. But I just heard you got to hit fairways, and that was the one thing I wanted to do, I keep wanting to do for the rest of the week. You got to hit fairways out here.

Morikawa talks about tough first round conditions

Q. When you woke up this morning and looked outside, what did you think?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: I mean, it was windy, but we saw this last week. It’s not like I haven’t seen the wind the past week and a half. I think playing last week just really helped me get prepared. I mean, I’m ready. I know what shots to hit in the 30, 40 mile-per-hour gusts that are coming left to right or right to left.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
COLLIN MORIKAWA: I mean, the course is — it sets up to make some birdies, but with the wind, so many crosswinds, you’re going to have so many mid to long irons. But I felt like my game was ready to come out here and play well, and I’m obviously really happy with the 5-under, bogey-free round.

Q. Any issues green-wise blowing so hard?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Greens?

Q. Getting knocked off line, anything like that?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, the wind, when you have left-to-right grain and right-to-left wind, you’re kind of guessing how much that’s going to take it, whether it’s going to go faster, downgrain.

So you just got to be on it. You got to commit to your lines. If you miss, you miss, but let’s hit a good putt first and go from there.

Q. How does it compare with last week on that aspect?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Same. This week the grain I think takes it a little more, especially downgrain, but I’m not — you know, pick your line, commit, and putt. See your line and see it go in, I hope.

Q. You think this course is a little bit tougher course in the wind?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah. I mean, last week the greens were a little bigger. This week the greens are a little smaller, a little more subtle greens in some places, but still got to hit your shots.

The rough, some places are really thick, the ball sits down, and you can’t really move it forward. You got to kind of bounce it up front, and thankfully there’s not too many bunkers up front.

You just got to really place yourself in the right spots. Fortunately for me today, stayed in the right spot.

Honolulu, Hawaii

January 9, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags Collin Morikawa, live-pga-tour, Professionals, Sony Open in Hawaii

Professionals

PGA Tour: Charles Howell III Previews 19th Start at The Sony Open in Hawaii

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 9, 2020

HONOLULU, HAWAII - JANUARY 08: Charles Howell III of the United States looks on during the pro-am prior to the Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club on January 08, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Charles Howell III speaks with the media prior to making his 19th start at the Sony Open in Hawaii about what to expect and what to look forward to in the 2020 season.

THE MODERATOR: Charles Howell, thank you for joining us. Like I said, it’s kind of annual visit you make based on how well you play here. Making your 19th start at the Sony Open, more than half of those top 10 results; I think five Top 10s in your last eight starts in the event.

Just some comments. Kind of bring us up to speed on how you’re playing. I know you’ve made seven starts this season, so just some thoughts on being back here to a place that is obviously near and dear to you.

CHARLES HOWELL, III: Well, I would say the first thing is I think the storyline this week is going to be the weather. The last five or six years really haven’t had a whole lot of wind to speak of. Always blows a little bit, but nothing to the degree of this. Throw some rain showers in there, and, yeah, I mean, it’s quite a few holes out here playing ways which I mean in, what’s this, my 19th year, that I haven’t really seen play.

Yeah, it’s unlike a lot of years in Hawaii. I think the wind and some showers will definitely be the story the first few days.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I know you didn’t play this year, but I know you have played Kapalua. Just curious which course the wind affects more. One is bigger; one is more exposed. Do you have any thoughts on that?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: I would say at Kapalua you more expect it, and the design of the golf course is I think designed for the wind; where I think here you’ve got — the wind makes this play a little bit harder on a relative scale of what Kapalua is, because you have the doglegs, the crosswinds here, quite a bit narrower fairways.

So I think the wind here gets your attention a bit more than the wind at Kapalua?

Q. Secondly, does it bother you when guys like Doug Milne sit there and rave about this record you’ve had here, or is it something you take pride in? People call you the ATM machine here. What do you think?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Well, it’s usually coming right after the Christmas bills have come through and I have high incentive to play well.

No, when I look at it, I don’t know why I’ve had a lot of success here. I wouldn’t think the golf course would fit me a whole lot. I would prefer a longer, wider, bigger golf course, and I think you got the dead opposite here.

Maybe it’s because I’m coming right out of an off-season where I’ve worked on my game. I had a bit of rest as well. Haven’t probably grinded myself to a pulp as I can do, as we all can do, to be honest.

But I enjoy Hawaii. I remember we played college events over here at some of the military bases, and I always enjoyed coming over here and playing.

Beyond that, I don’t really have an exact reason why, yeah, this golf course fits me because of X, other than I just enjoy it.

Q. If you didn’t have a record book to look at and someone asked you, what course do you think you’ve had your highest number of finishes on? Would you have said without looking Waialae or would it have been something else?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: No. Like what I thought it would’ve been? I thought it would’ve been like a bigger, longer golf course, more like a Quail Hollow, a place like that or Bay Hill. Memorial, much more of that venue than a venue such as this.

I mean, you would probably — it’s not a whole lot like it, but you would put this in a similar classification of like Harbour Town, old style-ish, tree lined, some dog legs.

Full Leaderboard Sony Open in Hawaii 2020

I wouldn’t have thought that would’ve been up my alley, so to speak.

Q. We talked earlier today, and you said you’re not coming off a long break because you played at the Shark Shootout. Does that help where your game is maybe a little bit fresher than maybe it would’ve been in the past if you didn’t play as late as that?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Yeah, seems like there really wasn’t much of an off-season this year. I mean, I guess with Thanksgiving being a little further back and then you have — I played the Shark Shootout with Bubba obviously, and then you run right into Christmas and here.

So it’s almost fitting now that the season starts in October, because it just feels like a little bit of a break here. Really we just keep on going. What once felt quite odd saying this was my eighth event of the year, now kind of feels almost right, which I don’t know if that’s sad for the state of my life. (Laughter.)

But, yeah, just kind of feels normal that we’re here, rolling on, and keep going. Yeah, I think this event is interesting too because you get the primetime coverage on the east cost. Golf Channel does a great job of like last week and this week where you get the primetime bit, et cetera.

And people on the east cost in some bad weather will like to see us playing in some wind and rain this year, too, so I think it’ll all fit.

Q. How much golf do you watch on TV when you’re not playing?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Probably too much. Yeah, I do. Like watching golf, yes. Yeah, I do. I do watch it. I watched last week, and my son now is big into golf and he loves it, so like he has his favorites and the guys that he really likes.

Q. Who are they?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Justin Thomas is his clear favorite. Not even close. Like watching last week, him — like me seeing golf through his eyes watching Justin in the playoff and rooting him on and all that kind of stuff, it’s kind of like reinvigorated my golf career a little bit, too, because we play every day when he gets out of school and on the weekends and whatnot.

Helping him learn the game and go through that — you know, because I’m almost twice the age of some of these guys out here now, so it’s nice to sort of be a little bit reinvigorated by the game by seeing it now through my son’s as eyes.

Q. What’s his status? How good is he? How old is he?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: He’s eight and he’s a good player. I mean, he is good for eight. I mean, on a relative scale I’m not really sure, but he gets it around the golf course and he loves it. I mean, as they say, apple trees make apples, I guess. Poor kid.

Q. What’s his lowest score?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Well, from a relative tee’d box up, he shot 2-over on nine holes before. Now, that’s given a tee box up where he can reach greens in regulation, so…

But he’s eight and he loves it. It’s great for me. On the weekend, honey, I’m sorry, we got to go play golf. Yeah.

Q. You just kind of talked about maybe reinvigorating your career through your son. You’ve been out here for all these years and been successful. What do you kind of equate to your longevity out here on the PGA TOUR?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: I still love the game and I still love practicing. When I went to Oklahoma State and played for Mike Holder there, he told me, If you love the game as much when you leave here as you did when you’re coming in, then I’ve done my job.

It was always about loving the good and the bad and the ups and the downs. We all know this game is very cyclical and crazy. I think to an extent we’ve been spoiled by some of the successes that Tiger had where golf appeared maybe easier than it really was at times and it’s not.

Then I was thinking also, too, I’ve been pushed by the younger generation. I mean, looking at what a Justin Thomas has done, what Jordan Spieth has done and did; Rory McIlroy. As much as they’re a competitor of mine I’m actually fans of theirs.

When these guys are in the hunt around tournaments I love watching. So I think those guys have helped keep push me long. If I can stay healthy, I would love to keep playing and competing because I do enjoy it.

Q. Along those lines, what’s success for you? How would you define it now?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: That’s a good question. I certainly to this point would’ve thought I would’ve won more golf tournaments, but had you told me going into Oklahoma State that, Charles, you’re going to play 20 years on the PGA TOUR, I would’ve taken it in a heartbeat. So I would say success for me is a consistent career. Winning RSM showed me how much I miss that and how awesome winning really is, but also how difficult it is.

But if I am able to keep playing at a high level and well into my 40s, I think that would be pretty cool.

Q. What would your answer have been ten or fifteen years ago?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Well, it would’ve been wins, but the number would’ve — I don’t know what the exact number would’ve been. It would’ve been more than I have now, but, see, I would’ve expected I had more wins and less consistency than I had. Like I kind of had a bit of a flipped career than I thought I would’ve had to this point, yes.

Q. I don’t want to minimize this by any means, but when you talk about longevity and being out here 20 years — for example, you can talk to someone like DJ about taking winning for granted.
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Yes.

Q. You say 20 years, and that’s 20 years without losing your card, and frankly not even coming remotely close to losing your card. Do you take that for granted?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: No, I don’t, because I know how difficult it is and because I’ve had good friends of mine lose their card. It hurts watching guys go through that.

So, no, I don’t take that for granted at all. For sure not. I mean, these are the top 125 golfers in the world, I mean, the top 125 of any profession in the world, and you have to continually show that and produce that every single year, and it’s not easy.

I mean, we always go towards wins, which you totally understand why, but maintaining a job and keeping a job out here with the travel and the stresses and everything else that goes along with it is still a very impressive feat.

Q. What do you think of when you hear of someone like Corey Conners last year. Wins in San Antone, but he was third last year after four spotting and he did a ton of four spotting and took him forever to get through.
I don’t think you ever went to Q-School, did you?

CHARLES HOWELL, III: Okay.

Q. Did you accidentally sign up or something like that?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Yes. Corey Conners in that is extremely impressive, because I come from the side of view of how difficult winning is. You know, like so the guys that I will look to is the longevity of like a Vijay Singh, Fred Funk, Kenny Perry, what all these guys did in their 40s.

Q. Jay Haas?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Jay Haas, Tom Watson. Like I see what those guys did and that motivates me. I’ll use the younger guys to keep pushing me to practice and to work and to find ways to get better and find ways to hit the ball farther and find ways to putt and chip better because it’s an endless battle.

However, I look at those guys in marvel obviously of what they did but also, look, it still can be done into your 40s.

Charles Howell III talks Q-School

Q. What was your Q-School story? Did you ever go or not?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: Well, I played X amount of — six or seven, however many events it was at the end of 2000. Got conditional status. I went to Q-School, missed, and then I got exemptions in ’01 and played my way on to the TOUR that way.

Q. So you flunked Q-School?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: I did. Kingwood, Texas. Yes.

Q. Were you hot?
CHARLES HOWELL, III: It does get relatively warm there, yes. It does, yes. Mosquitos are about that big around. Yes.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Charles, as always, thank you.

CHARLES HOWELL, III: You got it. Yes, sir.

Honolulu, Hawaii

January 8, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags Charles Howell III, live-pga-tour, Professionals, Sony Open in Hawaii

Professionals

PGA Tour: Defending Champion Matt Kuchar Previews 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii

Post author By Golf Post
Post date January 9, 2020

HONOLULU, HAWAII - JANUARY 08: Matt Kuchar of the United States plays a shot during the pro-am prior to the Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club on January 08, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

2019 Sony Open in Hawaii champion Matt Kuchar speaks about his 2019 Season and previews the 2020 Sony Open In Hawaii. This year marks the 15th start at the event for the PGA Tour professional.

PGA Tour: 2019 Sony Open in Hawaii Winner Matt Kuchar Speaks about last season’s experiences

THE MODERATOR: Like to welcome Matt Kuchar, defending champion of the Sony Open in Hawaii, to the interview room. Matt, 15th start at the event. Just comments about your title defense and what it’s like to be back.

MATT KUCHAR: Love it here. So excited to be back here. I think as all the players do, you come through here and sit in the grill room area and there is the Wall of Champions, and it’s an amazing list and it’s one I’ve sat at and looked at for years and years and wanted to put my name on that list, my picture up on that wall. So thrilled.

Love the golf course, everything about coming here to Oahu playing the Sony Open. It’s just such a great event. To have won last year was a thrill, and now to be back, seeing my picture up on the wall, it’s a great feeling. I’m looking forward to the title defense.

THE MODERATOR: Awesome. With that, we’ll open up to questions.

Full Leaderboard Sony Open in Hawaii 2020

Q. So you’re happy?
MATT KUCHAR: I’m happy. I’m happy, yeah. That was it. That was the extent of that question.

Q. You’ve won several times obviously last year. Whenever you go to a tournament that you’ve won the previous year, is there a different feeling? Do you like it more? Is there a little bit of extra pressure maybe?
MATT KUCHAR: Some of both. It’s a fair thought. There is certainly some great feelings, some great memories. I think those help spur on some more good play.

Defending a title is a hard thing to do. There is certainly some extra pressure there, yeah, but same every week. I think all of us show up intending to win the tournament. It’s a hard thing to do. There is only one guy that’s defending champion, and it doesn’t happen all that often that he defends the title.

The guys that do get a chance to defend, their games probably fit well to the course, so they may have a reasonable chance. Hard to beat a hundred plus of the best players in the world. It’s a hard thing to do, but you always hope to be in that situation, hope to be the guy that gets a chance to defend the title.

Q. We talked about it briefly this morning, but the anomaly that the last two winners at Mayakoba have won here. Can you just talk to the potential similarities, if any?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, it’s a really interesting thing. Funny, I didn’t really put two and two together until after I won Sony and realized Patton Kizzire had won both Mayakoba and Sony. And I said Patton, I was a little disappointed you didn’t win anything else. I was hoping to continue following in his shoes. I have yet to have Brendon Todd come up to me and be disappointed that I didn’t win any more than the Mayakoba and Sony.

The courses share similarities as far as they are demanding driving courses. If you don’t drive the ball well at either place you’re going to struggle. Brendon got on some great form last year. Amazing to see what he’s done, but clearly he’s a guy that’s kind of a straight hitter, you know, not a power player. Kind of bit similar to me.

However, Patton, he’s got all the power you need. Won both of these tournaments, which I think is a cool statement to the golf course, is that you don’t have to be one certain type of player. Something I’ve always loved about the tournament at Hilton Head is a similar one. You look back, and having Davis Love having won that tournament more than anybody, and he used to be as long a hitter as there was.

So I like the courses that provide the options. They can be played so many different ways. This course is a lot like Mayakoba. You can’t hit driver, you can’t hit 3-wood; you see guys hitting a lot of long irons off the tees, and it’s fun to just try to position your ball to determine is it more about getting in the fairway or more about trying to attack the hole?

So both courses have a lot of great options to them, but interesting to have myself and Patton win the same tournaments last year.

Q. You just got to think a bit more sometimes, right?
MATT KUCHAR: It is much more position oriented, and it’s not just grab driver and hit it. There are so many courses that we play you just know every nonpar-3 is grab the driver and smash it. The two we talked about are a lot of different options. May be driver, may be driving iron.

You see guys play it very differently, which I think is a fun sign. It’s not always a 240-yard shot. Some guys try to go 280, some guys try to got 240, and I think it’s fun where you have guys deciding and having options and playing it different ways.

Q. Two things for you. A, on the Player of the Year last year, did you vote?
MATT KUCHAR: I did.

Q. Okay. That was the only question.
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah.

Q. Other thing is of the accomplishments of other players on tour, the things that impress you about it, where do you rate someone who has gone 20 years without a ton of wins, but someone who has never lost their card? Specifically thinking about Charles Howell. He was talking about that today. We talk at times about guys like DJ. Do you take winning for granted? No. But keeping your card year after year after year and never having to go back to the Web or Q-School or something like that, does that impress you?
MATT KUCHAR: More impressed with DJ.

Q. I know that. And throw Tiger in there and Phil and what have you. Is that something to be expected or something that is harder than it might look?
MATT KUCHAR: I imagine if you really get into it that percentage is probably fairly low.

Q. Didn’t you go back early when you first…
MATT KUCHAR: I played on the Web in ’06.

Q. Okay. After winning once before?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah. So I had past champion status, but I was kind of playing both tours and then realized my best avenue back on tour was playing out the Web.

I’ve not thought much about it. It’s funny. When you’re inside on the ropes that’s what your job is, right? You’re supposed to keep your job for the next year.

You never hugely celebrate. I guess those first few years there were reasons for celebrating, keeping your job, keeping your top 125 card, but at the same time it gets expected.

I think probably can’t be that many people who have gone 20 straight years; the percentage has got to be fairly low.

Q. Probably where you would falter, isn’t it, early day?
MATT KUCHAR: Struggling to keep your card early days?

Q. Yeah.
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, and then there seems to be that mid-40 lag as well. I don’t know if you start the TOUR at 22, you’ve probably not got to the mid-40s yet to do 20 years. Yeah, first few years are the tricky ones.

Q. What did you do wrong, for lack of a better word, after you won? I think Honda was your first one.
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, it was, ’02.

Q. Where did you go sideways and what have you been doing since?
MATT KUCHAR: I don’t know exactly, but I know in ’06 is when I hooked up with my current instructor, Chris O’Connell. So I don’t know that I have a — I was a streaky player up to then. I had some great success. I had a good run in a handful of TOUR events at a young age, but was streaky.

I could play well and I could not. I was probably just too streaky of a player in that early age after ’02 from — probably that ’04/’05 year is where the goods weren’t good enough and the too many of the not goods.

Q. Is that one of the weirdest questions you’ve ever been asked on a Wednesday?
MATT KUCHAR: Yes. I could probably think of weirder, but you caught me off guard for sure.

Q. I’ll try to make it weirder if you want. First of all, as a past Memorial winner, Jack Nicklaus turns 80 in a week or two. Wonder if you had a good Jack story or first time you met him or something fun.
MATT KUCHAR: I was hugely intimidated by Jack I think in my younger days. Took me a while to get comfortable around him. No great stories. Great memory is having won the tournament and watching the replay and watching my kids high fiving Mr. and Mrs. Nicklaus. Something I’ll have forever.

Q. There you go.
MATT KUCHAR: To look back and see my kids at just young ages jumping up and giving Jack and Barbara high fives.

But he was one that I was nervous around. I mean, to the point he was the greatest ever, and what can I say to this guy that he’s not already done, accomplished, done? If you caught a fish this big, felt like he caught bigger fish.

Q. Sounds like Jack.
MATT KUCHAR: I was nervous around him. Fortunately have spent enough time, and Barbara is so great, so easy to be around, that our relationship has become one that’s much more comfortable from my standpoint.

Q. He’s always pretty ready to tease guys, get out the needles and so forth. Of course we’ve heard rumors that you’re pretty good at that too. The question is: Having talked to JT earlier and he wouldn’t answer the question, who is the most fun to pick on in any team room that you been in or who is the one you got to the most?
MATT KUCHAR: I guess back to Jack, seemed a bit like Tiger in that area. Took me a while. Same with Tiger. Was very intimidated early with Tiger, kind of like around Mr. Nicklaus. Finally got comfy enough. Now, I’ve never given Mr. Nicklaus the needle like I have to Tiger.

But Phil is without a doubt the most — (laughter.) I mean, that’s an easy one. He’s so good at dishing that to be able to dish back and kind of stop him is the most fun.

Q. You have a specific example of that that you want to share or just going to leave it at that?
MATT KUCHAR: I think probably the first Cup team playing ping pong with him. He was the man. He was just handing out dishes on everybody that came his way.

Q. Challenging, yeah.
MATT KUCHAR: And then once I got on the ping pong table I felt comfy enough, like that was more my arena than his arena, and was able to shut him up pretty quickly.

I struggle with exact quotes there, but it was good fun shutting him up quickly. (Laughter.) He’s only the most fun because he dishes it out so well.

Q. Does take it well or no?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, absolutely.

Q. If you were keeping score in a match of needles, you to Phil, Phil to you, what’s the score right now? Are you up and by how much?
MATT KUCHAR: (Laughter.)

Q. Never mind.
MATT KUCHAR: I have to think he probably has more volume of me, right? Just sheer like quantity and quality I think, and he’s one that throws out the quantity. Sometimes the quality is not quite there. (Laughter.)

So he may be up as far as sheer just by numbers.

Q. How do you feel about the conditions? Do you like to play in high wind conditions?
MATT KUCHAR: I do. I do like the windy conditions. I like the forecast. I know that a handful of these courses, they demand control of your golf ball. You have to really be hitting it well and playing well.

I feel good about my game. Winds are up. I feel like that bodes well for me. Conditions are surprisingly soft as far as the golf course is concerned. Typically with high wind it dries places out. Typically get windy, goes along with firm and fast.

This is not firm and fast this week, this year. Funny, I was just out there on the front nine and I had my book from last year. Had my notes from the 1st hole. No. 1 was whipping mostly downwind. I hit a good drive. I hit 170 yards to the front.

Last year in my book I didn’t have one number that was more than 140 front, and so wind was — there was light wind last year. Wasn’t strong wind like this. The course was just very fast last year.

Interesting just how different even strong downwind I know didn’t come close to where I was driving it last year. The wind is going to make it play challenging, but the softness eases the course up. Greens are very receptive. I think even with the high winds, still probably see some pretty reasonable scores just due to the softness of the greens in particular.

Q. As your family evolves and your kids get older and whatnot, are there things you’re going to hope to be around for more? Have to change the way to approach your TOUR schedule or just be business as usual?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, that’s an interesting thing I foresee happening an adjustment to the schedule based on what the family is doing. I’ve had a great run up to the point. We’ve homeschooled the kids for the last four years. Had them out pretty much every week with a teacher. It’s been awesome to be able to keep the family together.

We’re just now talking about putting the kids in school. They are actually enrolled back home in school. We’ve got a teacher that travels with us part time, but looking forward to seeing their interest in sports, their interest in friends at home. Understanding that that’s a big deal and they’re going to probably want to be home more than they wanted to be on the road in the past.

I think they’ve enjoyed being out on the road up to this point. I don’t know how much longer it’s going to sway in that direction. I foresee the other direction where they’ll want to be home playing sport, hanging with their friends. It’s something we know is coming, and kind of got to adapt to it. I don’t have any definite plans of what’s going to happen to change. We foresee change coming.

Q. Going to see star golfers or star tennis players?
MATT KUCHAR: Right now we’ve got — the boys played both — they play a lot of golf, tennis, and baseball, so we travel with just heaps of equipment.

But they do some of everything. It’s been good fun. I hope to see them continue their love for is it because they really do enjoy playing all three of those at the moment.

Q. Would they be good needlers as well?
MATT KUCHAR: (Laughter.) Right now they’re proper brothers. They go at each other pretty hard both physically and mentally I’m afraid.

Q. Bronze medal four years ago. Wonder how special that still remains, and would you, I don’t know, in some way be pretty disappointed to not be on the Olympic team if you can’t move up into that…
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, exactly. Still hugely proud of it. I’m still amazed at the scale, the scope of just what the Olympics means to people, how big the Olympics is.

I’m hugely proud to have been part of an Olympics, to be able to call myself an Olympian. Hugely proud to be a medalist at an Olympics. It’s definitely a goal of mine to be part of the Olympics in 2020 in Japan.

It’s a tough one to be a part of Team USA. You think of the chance of qualifying. It’s a hard team to be a part of. It’s a big goal of mine. I would be disappointed if I didn’t make it, but I understand how challenging it is at the same time.

Q. You’ve won some TOUR events. Where does that final round in the Olympics rank with winning and so forth?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, that was an incredible run. It felt Olympian. Looking back it ranks hugely high just to be able to finish so strong. As golfers, guys in the game, we realize the last round counts the same as the first round; the last shot counts the same as the first shot, right? They’re all the same.

However, you feel like you’ve done something extra special when you closed strong, when you’ve had a great final round. They all do count the same, but to be in a situation where you know exactly what you need to do and come through and execute, you kind of made your bed up to that third round and you’ve got to figure out, you have to play well or there is no medal, no podium.

To be able to go ahead and know exactly the situation and come through and have a great round was amazing. I mean, it would go down as funny to think to finish third. I’ve probably had some other great Sunday rounds to finish Top 5, probably Top 3 even. But to think there is that big cut off between third and fourth. It’s either you medal or you don’t. Medalling is winning in essence, and that was certainly one of my great final rounds.

Q. Where is the medal now?
MATT KUCHAR: I have it. I have it. Stays in my backpack.

Q. Does it?
MATT KUCHAR: Yeah, yeah.

Q. Goes everywhere?
MATT KUCHAR: Wherever my backpack goes it goes, yeah. It’s just been fun to show off. Hadn’t found a home anywhere other than my backpack. You know, it’s easy to travel with. Fun to show off. I probably haven’t brought it out other than in airport screenings I always take it out. They see this big medal blob and always take it out. I always bring it out and it’s in a sock, and the screener always — you know even though I’ve put the sock out open in a bin, the screener always grabs a hold of it, pulls it out, and eyes kind of bug out.

So it comes out at every airport. Aside from that…

Q. In a sock? Is the sock made for it?
MATT KUCHAR: No, a typical sock.

Q. A regular sock?
MATT KUCHAR: A regular sock, yeah.

Q. Do you wash the sock? Good Lord.
MATT KUCHAR: It was washed before — it was a clean sock before. (Laughter.)

Q. What’s the funniest thing the screeners have said when they looked at it?
MATT KUCHAR: I don’t know funny, but it’s a similar reaction over and over again. Just kind of bug out. Is this real? What’s it for? They start showing it off to their friends. Hey, I got to catch a flight now. (Laughter.)

Q. What is it you gave to Wood that day?
MATT KUCHAR: Oh, they had a — I don’t know how to describe it. Wasn’t a replica medal, but assistance medal. I don’t know what it was made out of now. Different material. Wasn’t a bronze, silver, or gold. I think it had some significance. It was a medallion and it was — I’m not sure if it was just the U.S. Olympic Committee that started doing these for — that you got one to offer up to support staff.

Q. Coach or…
MATT KUCHAR: Exactly.

Q. Does he keep it in a sock?
MATT KUCHAR: I haven’t asked where he keeps his. His probably has a unique spot. I think his house is a bit like a museum to begin with.

Q. Is there any one particular athlete at the Olympics that wasn’t a golfer that you took a shine to?
MATT KUCHAR: It was an interesting week in that it was my first visit to an Olympics. I had been a huge fan and always wanted to go whether it was as a fan or athlete. I certainly wanted to compete. As a kid the sport I chose I thought wasn’t in the cards for me to be a competitor, but I had never been in any capacity.

To go as a is competitor was a tricky balancing act. You go to win gold. You go with the idea that you’re focused on your sport and play the best you can. At the same time, you want to take in as much as you can and enjoy the experience as much as you can.

I think there was a nice balance in that golf was typically played — our tee times were 10:00 to 11:00-ish and had then a good chunk in the afternoon free. So my wife was with me. I didn’t stay — you can’t stay in the Olympic Village with a significant other, so we stayed in the condos by the course. I think we got maybe nine, eight, nine events in just as — there is my wife now — just as sheer fans. I don’t know that there was another athlete that I really was able to connect with.

I did become friends with Jack Sock actually. He’s the tennis player. We saw their bronze medal match. He played with Steve Johnson, and Daniel Berger’s dad was the coach. Jay Berger was kind of heading up the men’s tennis team.

So we sat in the players box with Jay Berger and they won bronze. They came over just in huge celebratory fashion and Jack and I traded shirts. I got an Olympic tennis shirt for one of my Olympic golf shirts. So we became friendly that week mainly due to Daniel Berger’s dad.

Q. You think you’ve make a good U.S. Cup captain? And if so, why?
MATT KUCHAR: I’m not good at answering that stuff. I would love to be. I hope other people would give better answers as to why I might be a good captain or not. I would love to have that honor. I think it’s an awesome honor. It was so cool to play for a playing captain this year. That was amazing.

I think most of us in this area, we continue to believe we’re going to be playing for a lot longer. But, you know, I’ve played for a lot of different captains, and you look up to every one of them and hope that one day you get that chance. It’s such a feather in a cap, such an honor I think for those guys to be selected a as captain. I would definitely love the opportunity.

Q. Do you know how to apply?
MATT KUCHAR: I don’t. I don’t know. I’m hoping it’s by playing well and continuing to play well. You know, being a good teammate I hope is a good application.

THE MODERATOR: With that, thanks for your time. Good luck this week.

MATT KUCHAR: All right. Thank you.

Honolulu, Hawaii

January 8, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Tags live-pga-tour, Matt Kuchar, Professionals, Sony Open in Hawaii