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PGA Tour: Abraham Ancer talks President’s Cup and Sony Open in Hawaii

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 15: Abraham Ancer of Mexico and the International team lines up a putt on the first green during Sunday Singles matches on day four of the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Course on December 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Abraham Ancer speaks with the media about his 2019 President’s Cup experience, going head to head with Tiger Woods, 2020 Olympic games and 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii

THE MODERATOR: Okay, we would like to welcome Abraham Ancer into the interview room, making his third start at the Sony Open in Hawaii; tied for 29th last year. Abraham, if we can get some comments on being back.

ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, happy to be back. Happy to get the 2020 year started. It’s a golf course that I like a lot. Got to be really precise off the tee; can get really windy.

Yeah, looks like the weather is going to be tough this week, so it’s going to be a nice grind.

THE MODERATOR: You’re coming in with a couple Top 10s from the fall in your last couple starts there in China and Mayakoba. Just talk about your season up to this point.

ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, game feels really good. Ended up playing good in China, playing good in Mexico, and then Presidents Cup was fun. Good golf there. Good experience.

Yeah, ready to go. A lot of golf ahead.

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

Q. Just expand on the Presidents Cup and what being in that environment and that situation has done for your confidence or anything going forward? What can you draw from?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, a lot good stuff came out of Presidents Cup. Just playing a lot of golf under a lot of pressure. I like to put myself in those situations. I feel like I get a lot out of that. I become a better player when I put myself in those situations, and moving forward I feel like I will be a little calmer in situations where I would be normally very stressed out.

Q. Two things on the Presidents Cup. First of all, there was a number of players, Scottie and I think Louis was another one that basically predicted that you would be a big points earner for the week. Why did they do that?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I don’t know.

Q. Must’ve been doing something right.
ABRAHAM ANCER: I don’t know. I mean, I played a little bit of golf with Scottie before the Presidents Cup. With Louis, I mean, obviously I met him and spent a little bit of time with him, but I’ve never played with Louis before.

So I don’t know why they predicted it or why they said that. I appreciate it. It gave me confidence coming from that level of players they are to say that about me. Obviously gave me confidence and it was fun. It was a week that obviously I will never forget.

Got to spend some time with them. It was really cool. I mentioned before, now I got to spend some time with my teammates, and when I left it felt like they were my brothers. It was really cool.

Q. The other thing, there was so much made about you wanting to play Tiger, and you explained it well, the whole situation. Was there any kind of downer to have such a great week and have so much attention – even Tiger’s comment of, Hey, he wanted me, he got me – did it take anything away?
ABRAHAM ANCER: You know what, I tried not to get to me, because the way I said it — well, that was actually month before in Mayakoba when I got asked this question. I was like, Well, out of the 12 guys who would I like to play on a big stage in a big event like that, it would like, yeah, obviously I would like to play my hero growing up, Tiger Woods. Be an incredible experience.

And so I didn’t only learn from the golf course and from golf. I learned a lot about media and how it can get twisted. Yeah, definitely got twisted and just the context how I said things. And maybe Tiger didn’t know the way I said it. He just kind of took it from what he was reading or what he heard, which is fine.

Yeah, maybe it was a little bit of a downer because just people didn’t know how I said it. Some guy like reached out to me, like you were really, really cocky. I was like, What?

I just a little thrown off by some of the comments. Yeah, I don’t know. I try for them not to get to me because it was such a great week, such a great experience. I feel like I played some good golf.

But, yeah, definitely didn’t like how it got twisted the way I said things for sure.

Q. What does it say about the way that you played that everyone was raving about how well Tiger played.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah.

Q. 15 holes plus… (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, I mean, I feel like I played good. There were few shots that I know — like the second shot on 9 when I hit it in the bunker. I should have never done that. That was a mistake.

And the putt on 14, that’s where the match kind of could have gone my way or could’ve gone either way for sure.

Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: Exactly, yeah. I mean, make/miss on that 14th hole, if I make and Tiger misses, we would’ve been tied going into 15.

Yeah, I knew going into that match I just couldn’t miss. I had to play some perfect golf to have a chance to beat Tiger. I knew he wasn’t going to make any stupid mistakes. He’s playing some really good golf; he made all the shots he had to make.

I feel like I played really well. I played really well. Obviously have to be perfect if you’re going to play against Tiger and didn’t happen. But like I said, I like putting myself in those situations, and coming out of there I feel like I’m not better player from being in that spot.

We’ll see where it takes me after that.

Q. You’re going to keep that confidence level going forward, right? Not going to shy away from the person you’ve always been going forward.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah. I mean, definitely, like I said, it gave me a lot confidence and really shows how I do under a lot of pressure, and I feel like I did good. Obviously I wanted to do better. I didn’t play — feel like I played better the rounds before than when I played with Tiger, but I didn’t play bad. I played pretty solid.

Yeah, just shows me what I need to get better at, how you feel under pressure, and I can take that and look back when I’m in a situation like that maybe playing in the last round for a chance to win. I’ll draw back and remember how I felt that day.

Q. If you could just sort of give us a feel of how the team felt afterwards.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, I mean, I think Ernie did such an amazing job of making the Internationals an actual team. It’s always a challenge when you have guys from all over the world and try to mesh that week. Some of the guys don’t spend time with other guys during the year. Different languages. It’s hard.

So we were definitely pretty devastated the last day because we wanted it bad obviously. We were doing a good job up until that last day.

But, yeah, we were in good spirits when we left the golf course. I feel like Ernie left the culture of what needs to be done so we can get better, and I think it’s only going to get better from now on.

Q. Winning one become a big goal for you now?
ABRAHAM ANCER: What’s that?

Q. Winning one a big goal for you now?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Of course. Yeah, definitely, definitely. Any type of team golf, it was so much fun playing for not only for you but for a team, country, and really meant a lot to are me and I know everybody else on the team as well.

Q. Do you feel like a better player after this Presidents Cup? Like you not only played well under pressure, but you learned some things?
ABRAHAM ANCER: For sure, yeah, absolutely. I think like I was saying, there was a lot of golf that we played that was a lot of pressure at all times. Every single shot you feel like, I have to make this, I have to pull this up, because you’re playing for your team. But also if you’re playing alternate shot your partner is right there; you don’t want to put them in a bad spot. Every point counts, every half point.

Yeah, I feel for me, it’s feeling comfortable out there is what makes me a lot better. I don’t work on my swing that much. I’ve never really — I’m not a very technical guy, so I feel like if I can get better in that aspect it definitely makes me a better player.

Q. How about Tiger up close? Did you see anything in his game that you said, I need to somehow incorporate into mine, or maybe his mannerisms or anything of that nature that you took away and said, That’s something I need to do?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I mean, obviously he’s Tiger Woods, right? He does everything really, really good. I wasn’t paying much attention. I was just really focusing on my game.

So, yeah, I mean, he didn’t make any dumb mistakes, which is what you need to do, especially in match play on a tough golf course. Yeah, I took some stuff out of that match. Mainly just personally, how I felt. We play different games. I don’t hit it like he does. It’s just situational where I drew from how I felt in certain moments that I’m going to definitely incorporate into the future.

Q. What’s your early schedule look like here the first six to eight weeks?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Playing here and then La Quinta, and then week off. Might go overseas for maybe one week and then go to L.A. for the Riviera and then Mexico City for WGC.

Q. Congratulation. How was the reaction back in Mexico afterwards, and how did you feel with the whole situation, the crowds, playing on a big stage like that?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yes, it was incredible. I mean, all the Mexican people were really, really proud and just happy to have a Mexican guy or a guy representing Mexico in the Presidents Cup. I felt a lot of support. People were great, which I’m really, really thankful. They were awesome, so I really felt the whole country was behind me there, which was really, really cool.

Yeah, playing on a big stage like that was a lot of fun. Like I said, it was a week that I will never ever forget. The feeling of playing in front of the Aussie crowd and really people from all over the world made the trip, it was really special.

My teammates made it a really unique experience as well, which I’m really happy I was able to play that week.

Q. Now that we turn the calendar to 2020, how much are you looking towards the Olympics and representing your country at the Games in Tokyo?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Looking forward a lot. I know it’s still ways away from that, but it’s something that always wanted to do. Now that golf is part of the Olympics, again, really excited. Any chance I can get to play for my country or as a team, I just enjoy it so much. I think it’s going to be another great experience.

Q. How big is a gold medal to you? Is that like winning a major?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I think so. It’s different because I didn’t grow up like really thinking about the Olympics for golf. Never been part of it. But now that it is, definitely a big deal. Huge deal.

Yeah, I would consider it like maybe fifth major. One of those for sure.

Q. You made me forget my question.
ABRAHAM ANCER: You’re the last one. Got to go. Got to practice.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else?

Q. In 2020, obviously looking to knock off a win at some stage on this tour. Do you have a specific goal in term of a time frame or just trying to play your best?
ABRAHAM ANCER: No time frame. I think just got to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m not trying to really think about the win, the win, the win. I just want that to just come whenever it has to come. I’m not really thinking about that. Just want to get better every week.

Q. Regarding Fletcha Azul new?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, my tequila company coming out this year.

Q. Did you say mine?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Me and my partners, yeah, we’re starting it. Really excited about that.

Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: (Laughter.) Yeah, that was something that we were, me and my partner was my sponsor for about a year and a half. Like my brother to me, like my big brother now.

Q. A sponsor as someone who supported you?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Supported me, yeah. Really good friends. More than a sponsor. Really good friends. We’re both Mexican. Both love tequila. We just said, You know what? Let’s give it a whirl. It’s been in the works for over a year, and we’re really excited. We’ve been nonstop working on it, so really happy with all the profiles of our tequila and everything.

We pretty much are excited just to already showcase it and have people try to. Should be in Texas here in about a month. Yeah, ready to roll. Something really excited about.

Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, actually met in that Pro-Am in — where was it? In Fort Worth, at Colonial. We met there at the Pro-Am, hit it off, became really good friends. This was maybe two and a half years ago, maybe a little more.

Yeah, and here we are. It’s been a lot of fun, something that I — I really wanted to put my name on something that I’m really passionate about, something I will enjoy, and actually something that I drink. I don’t really drink anything else. (Laughter.)

Q. Your profile is going up and up.
ABRAHAM ANCER: It’s true. It’s true. I don’t want to sell here, but it’s something that I — that’s what I drink. Everybody that knows me knows that if I’m going to drink I’m going to drink tequila on the rocks and that’s it.

Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: We have five. We have Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, Cristalino. Cristalino is the one I’m really passionate about. It’s just so smooth. People when they try it they are like, Wow.

It’s just remove the stigma of people like have tequila when they’re in college and they’re already kind of drunk, and then they have tequila shots that are pretty bad and then you mix it and end up throwing up. (Laughter.) You wake up with the worst hangover.

What you remember is like, Wow that tequila got me. Yeah, we’re trying to get the culture to really understand how tequila works and good it can be. If you just had have on the rocks and don’t mix it with anything — I mean, I can throw down — for my size, I can throw down some tequila and the next day 7:00 in the morning I’m hitting balls and I’m completely fine, which is amazing.

Yeah.

Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: No, not at all. If you mix it with some sugar, other drinks, yeah, you’re going to be messed up. Just got to know how to do it for sure.

Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: There is a lot of drinks that you can make. If you don’t like to just sip on it, there are definitely some mixed drinks you can make for sure.

Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: We got you guys. (Laughter.) We got you guys for sure.

Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, I definitely want to make it at least once before that week. I don’t want to get there and just be overwhelmed. First time there, right? I want to go there at least once or twice, see the golf course.

But I want it to be closer to the date because I don’t want to play a different golf course, which I know it’s not going to be exactly the same. They really get the greens way faster during that week.

Yeah, just want see it and be there before that week for sure.

Q. What was that like?
ABRAHAM ANCER: It’s really cool. I mean, first time…

Q. You know it’s coming?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I didn’t know it was coming. I saw some post of other people like putting on Instagram or Twitter. I was like, Well, I need to check my mail then. When it was there I was like, Wow, this is pretty sweet.

Yeah, I’m probably going to frame it. I had to put it in my office right on my desk, and I’m probably going to frame it.

Q. Have some tequila?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I did actually have some. Not much, but I did.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Abraham, we appreciate your time. Best of luck this week.

ABRAHAM ANCER: Thank you, guys. Appreciate it.

Honolulu, Hawaii

January 7, 2020

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PGA Tour: Patrick Reed Speaks to Media Following 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions

KAPALUA, HAWAII - JANUARY 05: Patrick Reed of the United States reacts on the 18th green during a playoff during the final round of the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course on January 05, 2020 in Kapalua, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

7 time PGA Tour winner and Master’s champion Patrick Reed speaks to the media following his final round at the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui, Hawaii.

Q. Patrick, you shoot 7-under par, that was the low round of the day. You gave yourself a chance. Is that satisfying even though you’ve lost in this playoff?
PATRICK REED: It’s all about winning. At the end of the day, I knew what I had to do today. I went out and had to go shoot a low number, especially with how windy it was today, to give myself an opportunity, and I did. Unfortunately I had two putts really to close it, and one of them I got gusted on, and then this last one with the wind and the break, just got me again.

Q. You knocked it on the front edge, we all expected you to (indiscernible).
PATRICK REED: Yeah, the thing is (indiscernible) right in the middle of it and I thought I landed it high enough, and (indiscernible) it almost was easier from farther right where you didn’t have that big ridge.

Q. You played so well all day long. You’re such a competitor. I know this is a disappointment. Tell me about the putts in the afternoon here.
PATRICK REED: Really the first one with the eagle I hit it exactly where I wanted to, it just happened to not break enough. And then the second one, the wind picked up right where we hit it and it made the ball stay straighter because it was more downwind and it actually didn’t break at all. And then the last one I needed to make that one to tie and obviously continue for an extra hole, and right after I hit it a gust came and the ball ended up missing by a cup and it was actually outside his mark. That was the thing about today; you knew especially really the last three days that the wind was going to be a factor on putts, and unfortunately it came down to having to make too long a putt in order to either extend or to win, and at the end of the day when you have that long putt and you have the wind, it just makes it a little harder.

Q. What do you take out of today?
PATRICK REED: It was a solid day. I was 8-under through 21 holes, so it was great golf as a whole. But I mean, of course it stings at the end whenever you don’t birdie for the win. But really I gave myself an opportunity. I put myself in position to have a chance, and I needed a little bit of help at the end there, and they gave it to me, allowing me to even get in the playoff.

Q. Did you think you had any chance when you finished?
PATRICK REED: I didn’t. I was staying just because I had to. If all of a sudden you leave, that’s the one time I would actually have an opportunity. But I didn’t think I was going to have an opportunity to even be in a playoff. That was a gift there towards the end to even give me an opportunity. I had a shot, though. I birdied the first one and got bested on the next two putts. Unfortunately from that point it just wasn’t meant to be.

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Q. What do you take away from this week?
PATRICK REED: A grind in the bad weather. It’s easy to stay comfortable with your golf swing, stay comfortable with your putting stroke whenever it’s calm outside, but when the wind starts to blow are you able to stay in pattern and are you able to make putts and get up-and-down, and I felt like I was able to do that all week, and I was really able to bounce back after being 3-over through 7 the first day and to be able to have a chance to win a golf tournament means a lot.

Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

January 5, 2020

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PGA Tour: Xander Schauffele Speaks Following Playoff loss at 2020 Tournament of Champions

KAPALUA, HAWAII - JANUARY 05: Xander Schauffele of the United States plays his shot from the 13th tee during the final round of the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course on January 05, 2020 in Kapalua, Hawaii. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Post tournament interview with runner up finisher Xander Schauffele at the PGA Tour’s 2020 Tournament of Champions.

Q. What a day for you. How would you describe the emotions of this playoff?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, windy. Very up and down. I was happy with the way I played in regulation. I should have won the tournament. I know it. Everyone knows it. I mean, J.T. was right there, but under the circumstances I should have closed it off, and I didn’t. I kind of did everything I was supposed to do until the last moment, which sucks. But this is another learning experience, and I guess I’ll have to work on some wind putting.

Q. Can you walk me through that putt in regulation?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I think I got gusted, honestly. On the initial putt, it went — I honestly thought it was going to go like four feet by, but it caught some speed, and once it started breaking right with the wind, it kept going. I was so convinced that it was going to go back right to left coming back up the hill, but it really wasn’t going to do that. It was just bad.

Q. You mentioned a learning experience. What will be your takeaway from this week?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I can win. I think that’s pretty plain and simple. I’m good enough to hang with the best, and I just need to be a little bit smarter when the time is right and able to close it out.

Q. Heck of a defense today. I know you’re disappointed, but it looked like you kind of fought back on the back nine. What turned it around for you there?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it was windy. That stretch of holes J.T. went 4- or 5-under through, I’d like to see anyone else try it. He was hitting ridiculous shots, making good putts in the wind, and he deserved the lead he got, and I just kept telling Austin let’s play smart, stay patient. We finished last year with a bunch of birdies, and we were able to do the same this year.

Q. You had a couple of chances in regulation and then in the playoff. Just tough putts there at 18?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it was kind of stupid on my part. I trusted the wind a lot. I got gusted a little bit on that first putt and was convinced that it was right to left kind of coming back even though it was a pretty straight putt. I was a little dumbfounded when I missed the hole by half a cup. If I had maybe took a little more time, maybe called Austin in, just stuff in the moment that I wasn’t really aware of. I was doing great all day until probably that moment. Same thing in the playoff. I was kind of spooked by my first putt going so far by, I left my playoff putt 25 feet short. It was just childish, and you try to learn from it.

Q. How would you assess how the day played out today?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I’m happy for the most part. J.T. sort of had a little present there on 18. I think I’m more than capable of two-putting from about 35 feet. Obviously it was a little windy. My downhill, downwind putts today I’ve hit by all day, so why not do it again to try and win the tournament. It was just a little childish, I think. I think I held on pretty decent. J.T. had an incredible stretch of golf through some difficult holes to gain a lead, and I started birdieing the easier holes to try and claw back into it, and it was a whirlwind day.

Q. You’ve won a lot of golf tournaments, but you’ve also had your fair share of disappointments. How disappointing is this one?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I think that’s the problem, I haven’t really won enough. I’ve only won four tournaments. It would have been nice to be a little more mature at the right time, sort of assessing the wind and the downhill speed. Just realizing that I’ve been hitting it long all day. I didn’t think about it at all and I managed to hit my winning putt eight feet by and then misreading the second one due to the wind. Just sort of a rookie move trying to close out a tournament, and I’ll definitely try to draw back on this in a positive way when the time is right.

Q. That also begs the question, what positives do you take out of this week?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, that I can win. I think I’m plenty good. I don’t see why I shouldn’t keep playing great golf. This sucks. Maybe I need just a kick in the ass to sort of wake up and do the right things most of the time. Yeah, this kind of burns a little bit, but overall happy with how I handled myself.

Full Leaderboard Tournament of Champions 2020

Q. I think it’s the first time since ’99 and Tiger that someone has gotten that close to their two title defenses. Can you just run through obviously being so close?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, just sort of a rookie move. I think my awareness — in all honesty I was pretty calm all day. I didn’t feel much nerves. The first time I sort of felt nerves was walking down 18, which is different than the past, so that’s a good sign if I’m trying to find the positives. If I was more aware I would have realized that I’ve blown all my downhill, downwind putts, and Austin told me it’s going to be a helping wind once the ball starts breaking with the wind, it’s going to start moving, and I kind of got gusted. I thought it was going to be like three, four feet by and it ended up going six or seven with that extra trickle. It was just sort of a rookie move, not really being aware of where I was and what I did in the past, I guess.

Q. How proud are you of the way you fought back today?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it was just comfortable again. I just needed someone to get out ahead of me so I could chase them down. I mean, if you look at the stretch of holes J.T. went birdieing through, it was an unbelievable stretch of holes. 9 is a birdie hole, 10 was tricky, 11 was tricky. All those downwind holes are so tricky. I thought J.T. played an incredible stretch of golf through that stretch. I wasn’t too worried about it. I was waiting for my turn.

January 5, 2020

Kapalua, Maui, Hawai

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PGA Tour: Justin Thomas speaks on his Tournament of Champions victory

KAPALUA, HAWAII - JANUARY 05: Justin Thomas of the United States reacts on the 14th green during the final round of the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course on January 05, 2020 in Kapalua, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

Post tournament interview with Tournament of Champions 2020 winner Justin Thomas talking his 12th PGA Tour victory.

PGA Tour: Winner Interview Tournament of Champions Champion

RACHEL NOBLE: We’d like to welcome 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions winner Justin Thomas to the interview room. Justin, thoughts on how that all played out.

JUSTIN THOMAS: I don’t really know, to be honest. My adrenaline is kind of wearing off, so I’m tired, I don’t know what happened, but all I know is I played — I mean, really 16 I feel like I didn’t play that poorly. I hit a great drive, just the wind got it, took it a little farther and a 70-yard bunker shot is not exactly easy, but I played 16 holes about as good as I could have played them in those conditions. I felt like I had total control of the tournament. I was doing everything well, and just kind of got between clubs on 17, made a great putt there for par, and then 18 was a terrible drive that left me on a steep, steep downslope and hit the wrong club, but we got lucky to where we had a chance and even more lucky that we were given more chances, and fortunate enough to get it done.

Q. Talk about that final shot you hit.
JUSTIN THOMAS: In the playoff? Yeah, I had 113 hole, and we just — it was kind of a — that pin is so weird because you can do so many different things, and that’s kind of what I said to Jimmy. The wind was kind of quartering down and off the right so I either needed to hit something high and cutting that flew the slope to have some spin or I needed to hit something driving with a little bit more left to right on it to land up on that top shelf and roll down. I just felt like — although it was actually funny, the first thing Jimmy said was, “What do you think is the safest?” I said, We’re 113 yards, I need to make birdie; I’m not worried about what the safest play is, like we need to make 4.

Just for me I felt like my best chance was going to be to hit a cut sand wedge and we were trying to fly it about eight short, so that was playing I felt like about 95, so I just tried to hit a 95 cut sand wedge, and it looked like it was pretty close to going in.

Full Leaderboard Tournament of Champions 2020

Q. Loft on it was what?
JUSTIN THOMAS: 57 degrees.

Q. They say that you can learn more from a loss than a win, but I feel like this might be a win that you’ll take a lot away from. Can you speak to that?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, you should take something from every round, but yeah, it just was such a bizarre way for it to finish. I mean, something about this place I seem to have the tournament pretty well under control, and then I hit it in a hazard, on 15 and 17 I did it. But as long as it ends up the way it did, then I’m fine with it. But yeah, it was — I feel like I’ll be able to — once early next week or after next week, I’ll be able to kind of sit back and maybe think of some stuff we could have done differently.

Q. As a huge positive, 12 wins now, the most for anyone who’s currently in their 20s on TOUR, and I think you just took over Jordan’s spot there. Talk about the accomplishment of having so many wins.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I mean, personally it’s not an accomplishment getting to 12. It’s an accomplishment winning today, but I’ll have fun with my family and celebrate it tonight, and next week we try to get 13.

Q. Curious about the pitch shot to the right of the green on the first playoff hole I guess it was. Of the three guys, you looked like you were least likely to —
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I was definitely in the worst position. I was praying that that ball stayed in the fairway so I could get my hands on it. I didn’t have a very good number on the second shot. It was a 3-wood — if I just pured that 3-wood, if I hit it like that it had no chance, and I couldn’t get a 5-wood there. So I tried to kind of cut a 3-wood, which is hard to do downhill, ball above your feet, and I hit it on the screws. So when it went over, it just — we went back there and I saw where it was, and I was like, you know, Jimmy, what do you like here, what are you thinking, and we kind of both agreed that we felt like a sand wedge was going to be best because less bounce and it wasn’t going to dig as much, and it was very grainy and wet. I had the wind to my advantage where as long as I hit it hard enough to the left the wind was going to take it down, and man, when it was rolling I thought it had a really good chance to go in. But it was one of the better shots and definitely the best chip I’ve hit this week.

Q. Earlier in the week we sat here and you talked about, yeah, I definitely should have won more, I’m a little disappointed. Here you are winning more. I guess I’m trying to just gauge how that feels in light of what you said earlier in the week.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I mean, right now it’s — I don’t know. It’s been a pretty bizarre last two hours. But yeah, I mean, kind of like Ben said earlier asking about the winning and losing, I feel like I’ll be able to really take a lot from this once I figure out what it was or whatever it might be. But yeah, I mean, it —

Q. Winning is winning?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Exactly, yeah. It’s always nice no matter how it’s done.

Q. Two things on 18 in regulation, a nice moment to reflect on. On the second shot you had, did you hit a bad shot or was it a bad lie?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It was a really bad lie. It was the wrong club. I should have hit a 5-wood. It just — I had no chance to get it to the green. The only good thing about a 3-wood was that it was going to cover more if I slightly pulled it, not hit it as far left as I did. But I mean, as steep as — the thing is the farther down you get it, the flatter it is. I hit that drive so bad and so far off the toe that I didn’t get it far enough down to be flat. It just was — with a one-shot lead that was so stupid. I would have been better off hitting a 6-iron than a 3-wood. It doesn’t make sense.

If I just would have made 4 there I would have won the tournament in regulation. Obviously if I made 5 I would have, but standing on 18 tee, I’m like, we make 4 we’re probably going to win this thing, and boy, I botched it up pretty badly.

Q. I know some things take a while to digest, but after you missed the eight-footer and you’re off to the green with head bowed and hat off, are you already digesting the pain of throwing one away?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, for sure. It’s so weird. Xander had to go through the same thing I did with the wind on that putt. It really is not a hard putt. It’s probably the two easiest putts that you could get to that pin. Xander’s was probably straight, maybe left edge, and mine was right edge, something like that. But because of that wind, you know, the wind kind of picked up on mine and went low and the wind stopped on his and that’s why his broke. Same with Patrick’s putt on the last hole. There’s no wind there, that thing goes in the dead center. It’s just — I don’t know. I really don’t know how I won today. I got very fortunate.

Q. After what happened on the last in regulation, were you at all worried about your second shot on the final playoff hole?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I wasn’t worried. I don’t like that second shot. I fat it once a year. I fatted it like twice this year. Something about it, it’s just — I like working the ball left to right, and you need to work that thing right to left, and for me if I try to draw it, my miss is going to be a little bit behind it, and then when you’ve got a huge slope behind you, it’s really behind it. I mean, I had a perfect 5-wood number and a perfect lie, I thought, in the last playoff hole and I fatted a 5-wood again. I don’t know what it is about that hole, but apparently I need more than a one shot lead, I know that.

Q. Along those same lines, have you ever played the same hole four times in a row in a tournament that you ended up winning or even ever?
JUSTIN THOMAS: No, definitely not. I know it was the worst hole we could have possibly played to try to beat daylight. We picked a 680-yard par-5 with the wind blowing 30. I think a 200-yard hole we could have got in maybe five or six times. I was saying that to Jimmy, walking down the last playoff hole, I was like, man, this is a pretty bad hole to play when you’re trying to beat daylight.

Q. You won this tournament back in 2017, arguably your best year, you won the PGA that year. How do you feel after winning this tournament this year compared to winning it in 2017?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don’t know, I mean, they’re very different. I was in a little different stage of my career then. Not that one win was better than the other or felt better. They’re both tremendous accomplishments and huge for me, but that was a long time ago, and they were both done differently. This one was a lot more stress and a lot more hard-fought. So I’m probably a little bit more tired, a little bit more exhausted after this one. But they both ended with the correct result, which is nice.

Q. Should we expect a 59 on Thursday?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I hope so. Tell me where to sign, I’ll take it right now.

Q. I know you have to digest it, but you hopefully will push this through —
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I’m not — I haven’t thought about anything next week yet. I’m just trying to figure out where I’m going to stay tonight because I missed my flight and I don’t know what’s going to happen. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a room around here, and we’ll get there tomorrow, and then once tomorrow gets settled then we’ll worry about Sony.

Q. This may be a little bit repetitious, but what’s the emotion because you don’t seem — like I’m sure you’re happy you won, but is there more other emotions like relief and so forth that are sort of mixed into that?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it is. It’s just a lot. It was really hard today. If you went out there and played 18 holes in that, like you’d be tired at the end of the day just for how hard it was.

Q. And the 40 extra shots.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I wasn’t going to bring that up. But trying to win a golf tournament and the grind and then just the emotions and how I was winning and then I was barely winning and then I was losing and then I barely got in a playoff — just that takes a lot out of you. I probably don’t seem as elated as I might be or as I would hope to be.

But it’ll just take a little bit. Once I get back to the hotel hopefully with my family, I’ll be able to enjoy it a little bit and we’ll talk about it. But yeah, relief is definitely a word that comes to mind. But still very happy.

Q. You’ve had obviously a nice run since it started in Malaysia, but just curious, as much as you won, do you think it’s underrated the fact that you’re guaranteed coming back next year? Do you think about stuff like that?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Absolutely, yeah. I mean, I was stressing last year. I only had five or six events left to try to get in, and yeah, there’s no — that’s the first thing I said to Jimmy on 18 after we won, I said, “We’re coming back.” I mean, I don’t know. I guess everybody feels differently about this event because some guys don’t come, families, whatever it might be, but man, I love starting the year here. It’s a pretty nice feeling.

Q. I know you’re in the moment, you’ve still got a big putt left, but as a competitor what’s it like when you hear someone scream out “cheater” after Patrick hits?JUSTIN THOMAS: Did someone do that?

Q. Never mind. I retract the question.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I didn’t hear.

Q. You didn’t notice that at all?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Uh-uh.

Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

January 5, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports