Month: September 2021

The pairings for the first day of the 43rd Ryder Cup have been set. The most anticipated golf event is finally here. Contenders and fans alike are especially anxious after waiting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its delays. Friday is formatted as alternate-shot foursomes and the pairings are quite surprising, specifically on the American side. The U.S. team will begin the session with its pairings of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth on Friday morning. They will play against the European matchings of Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia.

The first match is important, but the first day as a whole is what matters. The U.S. is sending out strong leaders against Europe’s all time Ryder Cup point earner, Jon Rahm. Not to mention, he is also ranked number one on the World Golf Ranking. It is intriguing to see how these pairings will set off the 43rd Ryder Cup weekend.

The pairings for Friday’s Foursome

Up first:

Check out our live scoring and get all updates on the Ryder Cup on Golfpost.com

JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 43rd Ryder Cup here at Whistling Straits where we are joined by U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker.

Captain, we have pairings and we have matchups, too. Let’s speak just in generalities for your four pairings. How do you feel about it? You must feel pretty good, and we’re on the cusp of getting this thing going.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, to your last part there, how excited we are and everybody is to get this thing going finally. It’s been three years and you come in here on Sunday evening, and you know, the practice rounds are great but yet you have Friday in the back of your mind and you are just looking forward to getting out there and getting it going.

Yeah, I feel great about our pairings. You know, some teams that have played together over the years, whether in Ryder Cups or some Presidents Cups, so we wouldn’t put them out there if we didn’t feel good about them, let me just put it that way. So we are extremely excited about how these guys are playing, and the order of which they are going out.

Q. A few of us did some predictions for fun and almost everybody got the four pairs that the U.S. was putting out. They have been playing together and they have played together in the past, and Europe seems unpredictable and very surprising. You probably were not giving a lot of thought to them beforehand but looking at it now, what do you think about their pairings and did you anticipate any of this?

STEVE STRICKER: You know, I didn’t, and I didn’t even try to anticipate. You know, they are all great players. We were trying to take care of ourselves. You know, I’m paying attention to my team.

We talked occasionally about maybe who they are going to put out, but it doesn’t matter, really. They are all such great players. They are all highly ranked players and we know that we are going to have to play our best to beat them.

So we have an idea that Rory and Rahm would probably go 1 and 4, and that’s pretty much all we knew, or really thought about. We didn’t know who their guys were going to be that they were going to be paired with, but we kind of had that figured out for the most part.

So we tried to act accordingly, as well. But yeah, other than that, we didn’t take the time to try to figure it out.

Q. You put Daniel and Brooks together when you were captain at Liberty, right?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah.

Q. What did you see in them and what do they bring out in each other?

STEVE STRICKER: They play golf at home together and they enjoy being with one another. Daniel is a wonderful foursomes player. He controls his ball really nicely. Good short game. Great putter. He’s a natural fit for the foursomes.

They like playing together, bottom line, and they do well together. They are excited to go out tomorrow and try to get a point.

Everyone needs a rest time too

Q. When you were naming your six captain’s picks, you mentioned how length was important, and yet the longest guy on your team is sitting in the morning. Can you explain why?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, we are trying to make sure that everybody gets a little bit of rest, too. That’s in the back of our mind, and yeah, we can’t play everybody every session, right. Four people have to sit, but he’s going to get his turn at some point.

The real good thing is that all these guys have bought in. They know the plan for the most part. We have communicated that to them and we are up front with them, and they understand it and are willing to do anything for the betterment of the team.

Q. In your particular case, will all of your guys play today and tomorrow?

STEVE STRICKER: You’ll have to wait and see, Alex.

Q. One last thing. Did anything happen this week —

STEVE STRICKER: Is that a Cubs hat on?

Q. Yes, it is.

STEVE STRICKER: I didn’t know if it was a Chicago Bears hat.

Q. You almost got fileted.

STEVE STRICKER: That didn’t turn out so good. I tried to explain myself as we kept going there. I still root for the Packers. Let me get that straight.

Q. Did anything happen this week influence what you have on paper today?

STEVE STRICKER: Anything that happened this week influence what these matchups are?

Q. Yeah.

STEVE STRICKER: No.

Q. I assume you have a plan for the afternoon. Is there anything that could change it, or aside from an illness or injury, but the way somebody plays or anything, do you have set pairings for the afternoon? I know you won’t tell us, but will you stick with it?

STEVE STRICKER: No, we are going to stick with the afternoon plan. Its was put in front of them on Monday and we stuck with it and we are going to stick with it.

No disappointment going in

Q. Was there any disappointment from anybody about not playing early or because you set it so early they got on board?

STEVE STRICKER: Not at all. Again, these guys have been incredible. I can’t stress it enough, really. Again, it’s about the communication we have had, the captains and myself, and being up front with them and just letting them know what we’re thinking so there’s no curveballs.

We have heard it multiple times from all the players, if you want to play me once or all five, that’s up to you, meaning the captains, just so we can try to win this Cup.

Q. I see Phil out there during the practice rounds, he’s talking and talking and talking to you, can you give us some sense of what he’s actually talking about?

STEVE STRICKER: To me? Oh, we’ve talked a lot about a lot of different things. We’ve talked about players, picks, or pairings, I should say. We’ve talked about golf swings. I enjoy talking with Phil, and we’re lucky to have him to be a part of this team.

You know, it was unknown for a while whether he was going to be a part of this team as a player or (vice) captain, and I had reached out to him quite a long time ago about being a part of this team, actually last year, and then we keep touching base and then he wins the PGA Championship. So we talk again. It’s been an ongoing process with Phil but I knew I wanted him here. He’s great for the team and he’s great in the room.

Yeah, so he talks all the time. He talks, you know, about — and we have talked about a lot of different things. So it’s wonderful to have him around.

Q. Is Bryson sort of his — does he mind Bryson in a way?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, they get along great. Phil finds Bryson very interesting and he’s trying to learn things from Bryson I think, too. I think Bryson feels like he’s trying to help Phil in some ways, too. So they have this rapport with one another, and they enjoy being with one another.

Yeah, so I see those two guys being in each other’s pocket for the rest of the week.

Q. At the outset you mentioned it’s a three-year run-up to plan for the week. Now that you’re ready to hit balls on Friday, has that worked the way you had hoped, when you see the guys get together and the way they are loose, the things they have said, up to now, do you feel like the goal has been accomplished in your mind?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, very much so. Obviously the most important part is coming up, right. The playing, them trying to win a point, just trying to put them in a position to play great golf. So far, I think we’ve done that.

The guys are playing great. Like I said, they are all on board.

Q. How important was continuity when making those pairings, in either improving pairings from previous Ryder Cups or Presidents Cups, or partnerships with similar or same golf balls they use?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, all that is taken into effect. Xander and Patrick have had success in foursomes in The Presidents Cup, so we thought it was a natural fit for them to do foursomes here tomorrow morning.

Yeah, we look at the golf balls. Sometimes it’s just very difficult. We had some guys trying other guys’ balls and it’s a challenge at times. That determines sometimes the pairings and what you can do going forward.

So it is, it’s a big puzzle trying to get all the pieces put together and you rely on feedback from the players. You rely on feedback from the captains, and.

Yeah, it’s a challenge but one that we’re excited to be a part of.

Is Stricker worried about the weather?

Q. How do you think now — look, we had some rain earlier obviously, but how do you think the course will play? Are the greens as firm as you would like them?

STEVE STRICKER: I don’t know, the rules are that we get it into the condition all the way up to the Sunday before, and then that condition is kind of maintained throughout. So that’s the goal is that that condition will be kind of maintained, and it has been.

You know, we can’t — we don’t have any say on what Mother Nature does and provides as far as rain goes or wind, and today they were getting a little bit, not really that firm, but just faster with all that wind and borderline almost too fast for that kind of wind.

But the good news is, the wind looks like it’s going to lay down a little bit. Still breezy but not as much as the last couple days, but the course is in great shape. The guys think it’s a good setup, and everyone I’ve heard from both sides have enjoyed it so far.

Q. You’ve been here before in Presidents Cups, and you’re at the point where you’ve had total control and now you have to relinquish it and basically sit back and watch. What does that feel like and how does it change your own nerves?

STEVE STRICKER: I’m going to enjoy it. To this point, it’s been a lot of work, and there’s still more work to be done for sure. We still have to watch some golf. We still have to gain some more information, the way I’ve been talking to the assistant captains. You know, you want to look forward to Saturday and you want to try to get a plan, and we do have somewhat of a plan, but it’s more about watching these guys play now, getting some feedback from them and the caddies and the assistants and then making the plan for Saturday.

But yeah, it’s in their hands now. They are playing great and they are excited to get going. I mean, I can’t tell you how excited they are to get going and get that first tee ball in the air tomorrow.

Q. It was the captain’s call, right, to start with either format, and I’m curious why you chose foursomes? Was it the fast start at Hazeltine?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, stats have shown over the years that that’s a better format for us. Yeah, so we wanted to kind of stay with that plan and that’s what we’re doing.

JOHN DEVER: Four rookies going out for you tomorrow, Ryder Cup rookies, what’s that night’s sleep going out into Friday morning? You were in those shoes in 2008.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, it’s a week where you don’t get a lot of sleep. You try to make sure you do that. I’ve tried to give that to the guys and I’ll do that same thing tonight. We’ll have a quick dinner and tell them to get to bed. It’s a big day tomorrow, but it is, it occupies your mind and it’s tough to get some sleep.

It’s an exciting time. We’re all excited. I’m sure you guys are all excited as well. We are definitely looking forward to it.

Q. Pat Hurst at the Solheim Cup said she wouldn’t play anybody five; she thought it was too much. Do you feel the same way?

STEVE STRICKER: We kind of do at times, and that could morph into something different when we start watching these guys, and if you need to lean on some players more than others.

Yeah, we are trying, that’s our focus is to make sure that guys get rest. It’s a big golf course and when you have conditions like we’ve had the last couple days, it can kind of really beat you up.

Yeah, we are conscious of that, and trying to look at that going forward, as well. It’s definitely on our plate to try to make sure that guys are getting their rest.

JOHN DEVER: Captain, you’ve made it to Ryder Cup Friday almost. Enjoy your evening.

Interview transcript from Asap Sports

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Welcome back to the 43rd Ryder Cup. We’re here at Whistling Straits and we’re joined by European captain Padraig Harrington.

Captain, I’m going to take a leap of faith and assume you’ve been out on the golf course the last few hours. What are your initial impressions of what you’re seeing out there and what your troops are experiencing and saying about the layout?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I came up here about eight weeks ago now, had a look at the golf course. We knew what to expect. It’s in great condition. It’s set up, as I said, reasonably generous off the tee. Not that it’s set up this way, but the type of golf course it is it’s very difficult around the greens.

So nothing — it’s exactly as expected. It’s exactly as we were aware. Obviously it’s interesting playing a practice round at the moment know that the wind is going to change to a different direction at the weekend.

These guys are professional players. They know what to do. They’ve been doing it all their life, so they can figure it out.

Q. Was there anything different that you’ve seen here from what you remembered when you played in PGA Championships here?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: As I said, I’ve been back a couple of times since then. Not really, no. I think there’s a certain flow and style to the golf course, and it doesn’t matter whether you shorten the 11th or shorten the 1st or anything like that. The golf course has its own feel, and that’s still there. Yeah, very similar to 2015.

Q. Where did you come up with the idea for the numbers video that is getting some buzz?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: This has been done before in Europe. I think certainly the Lions were famous for starting it out, and it was obviously, when you’re looking for these teams, this is a theme that the European Tour came up with, and I was very comfortable and happy to buy into it and believe in it, and it’s really worked out very nicely.

As you would have seen in the video, but just looking at — like we have a wall with the role of fame of who have played, and being able to look at those names and go through it, 164 is just startlingly small amount of players.

Obviously you can blame Lee Westwood for that for playing 11 times, and Sergio, as well, but it’s a small group of people.

When you think 580 people have gone to space and 5,870 people have climbed Mount Everest, it’s incredible that there’s so few who have played in the Ryder Cup. It makes it very special for the players to know that they have a place in history that can never be taken away from them. They will always have a name on that wall.

For me, myself, I’m up there 131, so it’s nice for me to look back and remember — kind of remember the person I was as a Ryder Cup player, and for these current players, obviously they’re experiencing it.

The three rookies, it was extra special for them to be added in, and they had their moment to stand up and kind of receive the applause of everybody that they’re new to this.

It was a lovely way to start the week. We have more.

According to Harrington, there’s not a real plan in place for any COVID scare.

Q. Do you and Steve have any agreement or contingencies in place in case any player shows up with a COVID issue?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yes, there is — there’s lots of protocols. I assume the captains’ agreement is public, is it? So just like an injury name in the envelope, there’s a COVID name in the envelope.

While we’ve asked, it’s still not completely clear what happens when we have — if, God forbid, we had a COVID outbreak of a number of players, but for one player it’s pretty straightforward.

Obviously the first two days it’s four players sit out. I’m sure — so there’s no issues on those two days, but obviously on Sunday you start losing a few players to COVID, it does affect the match in some way.

But one is in a COVID envelope for sure.

Q. You mentioned the wind; would you like to see it blow quite strongly once the match starts?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: You know, we’re all golfers, and somebody like myself who’s been brought up traditionally in a windy, linksy sort, we like a bit of wind, but we’re not asking for it to be — everybody blown off the golf course.

A little bit to test us. What was there today was very nice, but we’re not — I’ve got a group of great ball strikers. I don’t want them blown off the golf course. I’m very comfortable what we saw today, but not looking for any more.

I think my guys are good enough anyway if there was no wind. They’re familiar with playing golf around the world, and their quality of their ball-striking is right there.

No, we’re not depending on a windy week at all.

Q. Just to follow up, if on Sunday if you had more than one player go down with either injury or COVID, you’re still not sure how that would be handled?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: No, there’s an injury envelope, there’s a COVID envelope. We haven’t quite clarified exactly what the position is, how many is too many with COVID, no.

Q. So there would be more than one player’s name in —

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: There’s an injury envelope and there’s a COVID envelope, so that’s two separate envelopes at this stage. Maybe the same name is in both envelopes. That’s as far as I’m aware at this moment.

While the other issue is actually quite a detailed and complicated issue and is possibly above the pay grade of the two captains, how many would be — and this is why we have the COVID protocols. It’s not like it’s an individual event, whereas if you lost a player in an individual event, while it’s not great, certainly you don’t want to be catching COVID, but in a team environment you don’t want the number of people catching COVID because it affects the actual match.

This is certainly something that I’m sure that is causing a lot of thought and a lot of time thinking about what would be too many and what would be sustainable.

But again, it’s not really for the captains. It’s more for the running of the event.

Q. I was going to ask about how the practice round went, but on the COVID issue, how do you decide who goes in that, and is the person required to be in the envelope on-site? Are they assistant captain?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, well, it’s the exact same as an injury envelope. The person that goes in the envelope, the captain decides, and nobody ever knows. We hope that stays that way. But we’ve had a few injury pull-outs over the year, so it would be just very similar to that. No real difference in how it works.

As I said, it is possible that you could have two different names. I don’t see why that would be the case, but you could have somebody pull out with an injury. You could have somebody with COVID. Yeah, you have to be prepared for these things, and as I said, it’s been there all along, so it’s nothing really new. It’s obviously highlighted because of COVID, but there’s always been a name in the envelope for an injury, just like coming into this we were asked to be aware that having somebody as a reserve, somebody as a backup who you would bring along, and what happens if somebody pulls out because of COVID.

Because, you know, it’s something that could happen in these times.

Q. You talked yesterday about Seve; Sergio talked about Seve this morning. Do you think Sergio with Jon Rahm could have the same energy with Seve and Chema and have the same kind of success?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Wouldn’t I love that. Yeah. It’s hard to believe that you could have the same energy as Seve and Jos� over the years. I think the biggest picture in the champions locker room is of Seve and Jos�.

Yeah, they’re iconic when it comes to the Ryder Cup and Europe. I wouldn’t ask anybody to live up to that. But if they came close, it would be nice.

Certainly, yeah, that would be an interesting partnership that maybe I should think about. Thanks for the advice.

Harrington doesn’t think pairings should be based on countries

Q. Do you think it’s an extra incentive for the European team to have guys playing together from their country, not just for the team?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: No, I don’t go in for that sort of stuff. You know, that was something that was done 30, 40 years ago, two guys from the same country, they should play together. No. If they’re the right partnership in terms of if their games suit, if they are at the right time in their careers — when I started out, I played with Paul McGinley in the World Cup and we won the World Cup very early on, 1997.

By 2001 we could handily — we couldn’t play together. We were so bad as a partnership because the dynamic — in ’97 he was clearly the captain of that ship, and I did everything I was told. By 2000 and 2001 I had matured as a golfer, and there was a little bit of friction about, oh, I think we should do it this way.

But then again, we came good again in the Ryder Cup because things moved on.

It’s just not automatic just because you’ve got the same background, same — it can come down to the age profiles and the timing of their career, whether they’re a great partnership or not.

Q. You’ve known Steve Stricker a long time. Can you cite something memorable you’ve seen him do and something memorable you’ve heard him say?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, clearly I’ve known Steve a long, long time. I think what’s most memorable when you think of Steve is he’s a nice guy, but he’s tough on the golf course. You’ve got to remember what’s behind that. He’s a perfect gentleman, he’s exactly how you would want a golfer. He’s somebody who goes out there, plays his golf, but strong, real tough out there, but is very straight about it.

I think the fact that he came back from the driver yips in the late ’90s, that says everything about a person. Golf is a pretty tough game, but when you get a setback like that, that really knocks you — to come back and be a world-class player after that is a very impressive person and golfer.

Q. Brooks Koepka recently in an interview made it sound like playing in the Ryder Cup is a bit of an inconvenience, whereas Rory came in here and said that we get along, we play for each other. Do you have a theory on why it comes more naturally for the European side?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think in Europe we definitely have a very common goal. I alluded to this yesterday. It’s very much the — the Ryder Cup is our way of asserting Europe’s position in world golf, the European Tour’s position. I think that was Seve’s goal back in the ’80s, and we carried that on, and I think that brings us together. I think we obviously worked very hard at things like the Make It Count video and the numbers to create that atmosphere.

You know, so it’s just something that we want to do, we’re keen to do.

I think it also helps that some way when we travel a lot from outside of Europe maybe just to the States or to other places, there’s somewhat of a — we’re outsiders, and we’re, again, trying to prove ourselves. I think there is an element of all of that put in together that we’re here to give credibility, I suppose, to the European Tour and the European players.

We definitely have the — as I said, we definitely have the ground roots of Europe behind us. Everybody in Europe starting out at the start of the year, the European Tour, believes they have a chance of making the team. That really is — when you have that sort of support it’s easier for the team to work together, play together.

To be honest, as I said, my team at the moment, the atmosphere is exactly where you would want it. Literally I don’t want to mess it up from here. That’s why I’m sort of at this position.

Yeah, it’s not just me, though, it’s all our Ryder Cups, all the past, starting — we tend to look back at Seve. Obviously it started before Seve, but Seve is the one we will use. All those teams that come before us has led to this situation, and the players know how important it is to play in the Ryder Cup, to play and win the Ryder Cup and how important it is to be — they just love being a team, too.

A lot of — this might be an interesting one, too. A lot of the guys on my team, a lot of the Europeans, they seem to want to be team players. Shane Lowry thought he was going to be a Gaelic football player; Sergio thought he was going to be a soccer player. So a lot of them have that team background that they nearly crave more so than the golf, so this is their opportunity for — you look at somebody like Sergio, continually going around to the players and having a quiet word and saying things — like nobody relishes being in this team more than Sergio, and what he does behind the scenes just is really very special.

Q. You’ve leaned very heavily on the shoulders of some very experienced players that are the bulk of your team. Do you see young guys on this team that are being groomed to take over that role and naturally step into that when these other guys who have been doing it for so long are gone?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I do believe there is a nice natural succession in Europe. The players I see in the middle of their careers now — probably just slightly less than the middle of their careers to the middle of their careers, they’ve got great role models in the experienced players and they see what they do. Yeah, I think Europe is in a very strong place going forward in terms of that.

There is a nice — clearly we have the top-end experience, but there’s a nice succession coming along, players who are prepared who want to take responsibility and want to have that leadership role, whether it’s just in their foursomes or four-ball match or in a bigger situation in the whole team.

Q. Without divulging any state secrets or —

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I’m not going to.

Q. — specifics, how many of your pairings decisions are locked by now and how many are based on what you see in the practice rounds this week?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Some people play well in practice; some people don’t play well in practice. You can’t pick guys after three years and expect the practice rounds to determine what goes on on the Friday.

No, I’m not a great believer in judging people off a couple of relaxed days’ practice.

So no, my picks are definitely based on the right partnerships, what we would have had in mind but narrowed down now. As we’ve got here, narrowed down even further.

I wouldn’t think a lot is changing in my head and my vice captains’ head between now and Friday, no.

Q. Can you think of an example as a player or in your experience as a player or vice captain where a pairing has come out of completely left field late in the week?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Oh, plenty. My first Ryder Cup in ’99 I got told late Thursday that I was playing foursomes with Miguel Angel Jim�nez, and that really was — it was an afterthought because Jos� felt he wasn’t playing well enough. They were going to play the two Spanish together, and Jos� didn’t feel like he was playing well enough for foursomes, so I was thrown in there late.

That really was late. It was late Thursday, or Thursday afternoon, not far off when the team was going in.

So there’s been plenty of instances like that over the years.

I don’t think it happens as much now, but clearly circumstances, lots of things can happen in terms of circumstances. That’s why the team sheet goes in Thursday evening, just to allow for those changes.

I think mine and the vice captains, we’re pretty set at this stage and we have a fair idea of what we want and what role we want each player to play.

Q. I can go back and look at the result, but did you win?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: We were pretty good, yeah. I think we got a half point the first morning. Disappointing — we were a very tight match the second day and lost, but we were actually a good partnership, yes.

No, we didn’t actually. He hit the first tee shot, which is always a very nice thing for — I think we were both rookies, too, so that was a very interesting one.

Why is it getting harder to win the Ryder Cup?

Q. Rory was in here earlier saying that he thought it has become progressively harder to win a road Ryder Cup. The stats may seem to bear him out. I think 2004 was the last time a visiting team had a lead going into Sunday. Obviously Medinah kind of flipped things around. Do you agree with what Rory said, and if so, what’s the reason? Why is it getting harder?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think obviously you’ve got the fans. I think more to do with the home setup is a big part of it. Clearly the home captain gets a choice in how the golf course is set up, and he’s going to do everything he can in that setup to get it to favor his players. I think that has a big effect on it, to be honest, just really the setup of the golf course.

You can set a golf course up to be tough or you can set a golf course up to be loads of birdies, as in any week on Tour. But the home captain gets to make that decision, and I think it has a big influence.

I think if you were coming — traditionally certainly it would be tough to beat the U.S. on their home style of golf course, and as we’ve done in Europe, we’ve shown it’s pretty darned hard to beat us if we’re picking one of our courses that’s naturally suited to our games.

It really is about picking the right venue and also then styling that golf course to suit your players.

Q. Are the players that different now? The game is so global —

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I would suggest not anymore. They are merging much more into — much more so I think the best players in Europe are the same as the best players in the world is the same as the best players in the States. It’s not as different.

’99 I had to be introduced — Payne Stewart introduced himself to me. I had never met him. And there was others in the team like that. That’s not the case now. Players are very familiar nowadays and familiar games and have played all the conditions that can be presented.

But there’s still a difference in terms of you can play as much links golf as you like, but you never compete quite as well as somebody who was brought up playing that way. There is that natural element that’s been learnt over a long time that is going to play into the hands of the home team per se.

THE MODERATOR: Captain, thanks so much for your time today. We’ll look forward to speaking with you tomorrow.

Interview Transcript from Asap Sports

THE MODERATOR: Good morning. Welcome to the 43rd Ryder Cup here at Whistling Straits. We are joined by Justin Thomas. Welcome to your second Ryder Cup, first here in the United States.

Let’s go back three years to Paris. You had a terrific record. What did you learn or experience there that you weren’t counting on — at that point you were a rookie. What might have happened there that surprised you about being part of a Ryder Cup team?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Probably — I mean, I knew it was going to be a special week and we were all going to be together as a team, but just the brotherhood, the camaraderie. I mean, the moments in time spent in that team room, it’s hard to explain.

Even though it’s like last night, just getting together, you’d think that all of us are best friends the entire year. We hang out, we all live in the same place, and it’s just a lot of fun.

It’s great for all the girlfriends and wives to catch up, and it’s great for all the players, especially with TOUR Championship being a couple weeks ago, being able to catch up from what they’ve been doing the last couple weeks, what they’ve been up to.

I don’t know, I mean, France was obviously — the outcome was not anything like we wanted, but I’m sure everybody — even the guys that had been there, I mean, it’s just like we play a stroke play tournament. You hope to learn from any experience you have, and I feel like I tried to learn from how to handle my emotions and adrenaline and everything like that that’ll hopefully be helpful this week.

Q. You’re an obvious candidate to be one of the playing leaders on Team USA because of your experience and your success. I’m curious if you agree with that, if you feel like that’s a responsibility you have? And if yes, what does that mean to you? What kind of things do you do as a leader?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I mean, my experience isn’t really there. I’ve only played one Ryder Cup. I’ve been fortunate to play in a lot of events and have some success in the individual events I’ve played, but in terms of a Ryder Cup, I mean, this is my first one in the States.

I’m looking to the captains. I’m looking to Jordan, Brooks, DJ, the guys that have played in the Ryder Cup in the States if I have any questions or anything like that.

My role, I’m looking at it on this team is whatever it needs to be. I will help the rookies or help the first-timers if they need it, if they want it. I’m still going to be myself. I’m still going to be sarcastic. I’m still going to have fun and needle people. That’s just who I am.

At the end of the day my role on this team is just to try to be relaxed and go out and get a point whenever Strick wants me to go play.

Whatever they need from me, whatever they don’t need from me, if I play five, if I play one, I’m just going to try to get as many points as I can and try to make the week as enjoyable as I can for everybody on the team.

Q. You’ve accomplished a lot of things on a lot of different stages; what did playing so well in Paris do for you confidence-wise?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I mean, it did a lot. I would have preferred to go 0-5 and us win the Cup, but it did a lot for me just to know that Captain Furyk had the confidence in me to play me that much, and to put me out first in singles was probably one of the best honors that I’ve ever received. Without him — if he doesn’t know that or if he does, it just was really cool.

I don’t know, I mean, I took a lot from it, but like I said, it’s a team event, and what I did in France is irrelevant because we didn’t get it done as a team.

Like I said, I’d gladly go 0-5 this week if that meant we brought the Cup back on our soil.

His secrets to success

Q. Just kind of curious from your experience in France what you feel like some of the secrets to success are as a rookie in this competition? Obviously you’ve got six here; can that be an advantage because everybody is kind of wide-eyed and stoked, or can it be a disadvantage because you haven’t experienced that first tee and everything?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Well, I think when you look at your rookies are a two-time major champion in Collin Morikawa or a FedExCup Champion in Patrick Cantlay, and a gold medalist in Xander Schauffele. When you’re looking at guys like that that are your rookies, that says a lot about your team.

I think at the end of the day you can dive as deep as you want into the pairings, into who’s sitting, who’s playing, but at the end of the day whatever team plays the best is going to win. We have 12 unbelievable players, they have 12 unbelievable players, and it’s really just who’s going to go out there and get it and who’s going to go out and execute the best.

I’ve watched many Ryder Cups on TV, and it’s who makes the putts, who flips those matches, who grinds out the halves and who gets it done. I’d go to war with these 11 other guys and our captains like I’m going to do this week, and I have all the faith in the world in all the rookies. I think their experience proves that they are beyond rookies.

It’s going to be a fun week. It was a fun week for me in France just in terms of the atmosphere and experience and all, and I’m sure the fact that it’s on U.S. soil will help those nerves a little bit.

Q. When you said that last night you would have thought you guys were all best friends, I guess the question is are you all best friends, and why is it important that you at least feel that way?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. It just feels — not that we aren’t friends off the course. It’s just different. You’re never — not that we’re forced to be in the same room, but we’re obviously all eating in the team room together. We’re watching the game together. We’re playing ping-pong. We’re signing the million flags together that we have to sign.

We’re doing all these things that — we just don’t have those opportunities in individual events. Everyone has their own schedule, they’re practicing and playing at different times, arriving at different times.

When we get together in normal events we have that same relationship, it’s just we’re not all of us are together at one time. The opportunity just doesn’t present itself.

Yeah, we are. Obviously it’s not like all 12 of us are just sitting cross-legged around a circle on the floor just talking about life, but we’re all in our — just kind of bopping around the room and catching up here and there, and it’s been fun.

Q. You’re obviously having to wear the Ralph Lauren U.S. Team uniform this week. How was that handled in the background? Were there any problems, any discussions, and was it any distraction for you this week?

JUSTIN THOMAS: My priorities are a lot more than the clothes I’m wearing this week. It’s about trying to get a point for Team USA and earn as many as I can. It was never even a discussion until just now.

Q. Knowing you’re close with Tiger, Stricker has made it clear that even though he’s not here, he’s still a part of the team. Just curious if you’ve spoken to him and what his message has been for you guys this week.

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I mean, I got together with him a couple times last week. More so just going over to see how he’s doing as a friend, more than as a vice captain or if he’s even still considered that. I don’t know.

Yeah, he’s so into it. He obviously wants the best for our team. He wants the best for all of us. It means a lot to him.

I think people would be surprised — obviously you all saw in Australia how much it meant to him, but just the amount of work and the amount of hours he’s willing to spend to make sure that he feels like the team is prepared and as ready to go as possible is pretty cool.

At the end of the day he also understands that we’re 12 of the best players in the world, and we know how to play golf. Sometimes less is more, so I think he’s great at balancing that out.

It was more, I’m here if you need me kind of thing.

What does Thomas think makes a great Ryder Cup teammate?

Q. I’m just curious, what do you think of the qualities that make for a good Ryder Cup teammate or playing partner?

JUSTIN THOMAS: That’s a good question. I think — I mean, the format is very dependent. Four-ball is obviously a lot easier. You’re playing your own ball. Realistically you don’t even have to talk to your partner. You kind of do your own thing and it’s easier to get in a rhythm.

But foursomes I think it’s pretty important to put two personalities together, two friends together, two guys that get along, maybe their games complement each other.

For me at least what I’ve noticed is I’ve been fortunate to play — my record is obviously good in team events, but you look at my partners in Jordan, Rickie and Tiger, I’ve been very fortunate to have some really good partners, and that’s like the number one rule that caddies will tell you of having a good caddie career is have a good player.

It’s just one of those things.

We have such a deep, good team that it’s not like anybody is a weak link on our team, and it’s just about getting the energy similar I would say, and two guys that want to play together, two guys that want to go to battle out there for each other, that would take a bullet for each other, and I think we have a team room that’s full of that.

I think that’s what makes it exciting for these pairings because there’s so many options.

Q. The Ryder Cup could have likely been played last year, but that would have meant without fans. What does it mean to have the fans here this week, and what role do they play in this event?

JUSTIN THOMAS: They play a huge role. Like I said, I haven’t experienced one on U.S. soil, but I’m very excited to. I think all of us partook in a little bit of a — I guess a poll last year on how we would want — if the Ryder Cup was to happen, how we would want it. Would we rather play it with no fans, would we rather play it with half fans, or just cancel it. My number one answer was play it with full fans or nothing else.

It’s a huge advantage to play in front of your home crowd, and it’s also what makes the event so special. It would have been a shame to play this without fans or even with very, very limited fans. This is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and it’s a huge deal for the PGA. It’s a big deal for us.

I think they did the right thing in pushing it back a year to make sure that not only us players, but everybody could experience this for what it’s worth.

Potential Pairings

Q. How stoked are you to potentially again reunite with Jordan in a pairing, and if something were to prompt Captain Stricker to have to break that up, would you be receptive to that idea?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I’m receptive for whatever is best for the team. If it means that Jordan and I play every match together, if it means that we split up, everybody is on board with what is best for the team, and I think that’s what is most important.

You’re going to — that’s the thing; yeah, on paper it’s pretty easy to just put matches out, we’ve got these teams, we’ve got these four teams, we’ve got these four teams, but things change. Guys, maybe something happens, maybe they tweak something or they’re just not playing good or they’re tired or one guy wants to go, whatever it might be.

Things change. I think that’s something that Strick has the ability to do, and he’s such a great captain that he’s able to adapt on the run.

I’m very excited to have the opportunity to play with Jordan because he’s obviously a great buddy of mine and we get along so well, but I think we understand each other’s games well to know when we’re needed, when we’re not needed, and pretty much just stay out of each other’s way, because we’re both pretty good players and hopefully can go get some points for us this week.

Q. You mentioned how nerve-racking that first tee can be. Curious when the nerves hit you. Does it hit you when you reach the tee, when you’re walking to the tee, when you’re warming up? When does it actually arrive?

JUSTIN THOMAS: For me it was walking to the tee. France had just an absolutely absurd setup there on the first tee, and there was a pretty big bridge I think that kind of went from the chipping green that would go over, that would come kind of right down to the left of the first tee and walk on.

Jordan was great with me because it being my first match and him playing a couple, he’d been in my shoes before and he probably knew the things I was feeling.

I remember it like it was yesterday. We were walking across the bridge and it was four-ball the first match, and we talked about — four-ball is pretty kind of lenient on who goes first, who doesn’t, but he was just like, Do you want to go first or me, and I was like, I’m going, and he’s like, You got it.

He understood that. He’s like, You need to do what you’re comfortable with in this moment, and he knew it was going to take a couple holes for me to settle in and I rode my horse until I finally got comfortable.

But it is, it’s a bizarre feeling that’s hard to explain, but I’m pretty excited to experience it again in a couple days.

THE MODERATOR: Justin, thanks for spending some time with us. Enjoy your day here.

Interview Transcript from Asap Sports

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the 43rd Ryder Cup here at Whistling Straits. We’re with Jordan Spieth. Thank you for coming and spending some time with us. Welcome to your fourth career Ryder Cup.

It’s been since 2015, 17-under par runner up. What are your recollections of that week, and did that give you comfort as you prepared to come here and represent the United States again?

JORDAN SPIETH: You know, I was riding a nice momentum wave at that point in time, and everything was going right.

I remember this 18th green is pretty special to me. I remember holing a bunker shot maybe my ninth hole Friday, foot kind of outside the bunker like a tough little shot, and then on the 72nd hole that was — I didn’t accomplish what I set out to that day.

It was difficult starting behind and the way Jason played. But I became World No. 1 on that green, so that was a lifelong dream of mine, so a very special place that I’ll always remember that moment.

I wasn’t fully aware of it at the time. I’m pretty sure that it was going to happen, and then I was told I think it was here, it was right over there, wherever the interview station was, that that was the case.

Yeah, I love the golf course, the setup of it. It’s beautiful. It’s on the lake, but you’ve got to control the ball in the wind. You’ve got to hit kind of different shots off tees, and then if you position the ball well, you have these green complexes that are kind of — there’s not a ton of slope, but they’re subtle so you can actually feed the ball into hole locations.

Should be a really exciting match play course because you can get into trouble but you can also birdie just about every single hole with the right shot.

It’s tough and fair, and then if we see it in some colder, windier conditions, it could be a unique test, as well.

Excited to be back here. I’ve said it before, if it were held last year I’m not sure if I would have been on that team, so I felt like I lucked out a little bit in that situation.

But pretty aware that I was going to be here for the last month or so. Felt pretty good after the Open Championship with my chances, and that was a huge goal of mine for the season, and a lofty one starting the year out. Just excited to get back out and experience the Ryder Cup again.

Q. You and Patrick have been the most frequent partnership in a Ryder Cup. I don’t know if you’re aware of that or not. Does that surprise you, and is that possibly one of the maybe problems that has affected the U.S., that over all the years there hasn’t been more frequent partnerships finding a recipe and sticking with it?

JORDAN SPIETH: I would have thought maybe Bubba and Webb, but yeah, it’s interesting. I don’t necessarily think so. I think especially with this team with the amount of first-time Ryder Cup players, it’s hard to call guys rookies here given the experience they have on the world’s biggest stage in golf, so I don’t really like using that term for these guys.

It’s a wave where I was talking with Justin about it. We’ve known everyone on this team since grade school except for Dustin and Tony. I mean, it’s pretty special. So you have a camaraderie. It’s kind of more like a really light setting. Guys have known each other for a long time.

So I think that statistic to answer your question will probably start to not be the case going forward. I think you’ll start to see some pairings that guys find a lot of success in and continue for a number of years given the average age and the caliber of players that are on this team.

Q. With regard to Lee Westwood and Sergio, two of their veterans, what’s your level of respect for what these guys have done over this amount of time in this competition? You’re playing your fourth and these guys have played so many. I’m curious what your level of respect is for what they’ve done.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I don’t know their stats. Obviously they’ve won nine of the last 12 Ryder Cups, but I don’t know individually. Clearly they’ve had a lot of success.

First off, to be able to play on the amount of teams they have year in and year out shows the consistency of high level play that they’re able to have. I played Sergio in 2016 in a match with Patrick versus Sergio and Rafa, and it was a good alternate-shot match. Went back and forth and we had a lead that squandered, and then Patrick made a nice five-footer to tie the match on the 18th, so it was a good match.

They’re just really good players, and they very much are very proud of where they come from, and it shows in this event via what I’ve seen on TV prior to playing and then playing against them on teams.

The fact that they both have been playing the caliber of golf they’ve been playing this year to make this team with the experience they have makes them very dangerous. I mean, you step on the first tee and you know you’re going to play two of the best players in the world, play against two of the best players in the world regardless, and on Sunday a match against one of the best players in the world. They have extra incentive; we have extra incentive.

It’s probably very helpful for them to have them playing really well and the experience, but I’m pretty excited about the idea that we’ve got youth and fire kind of with the guys in our locker room.

What advice does Spieth have for the newcomers?

Q. I know you don’t like to use the term or refer to them as rookies on the team, but if any of them came up to you this week and asked you to explain the atmosphere on the first tee or how to handle that pressure, what would you tell them?

JORDAN SPIETH: Well, I already kind of have to a couple of the guys. I’ve asked some of the assistants and even some of the other players just so that I was kind of on the same page, but I asked them kind of what it feels like in the middle of a match to them, what do you compare it to. Most everybody has said it feels like you’re in contention in a big tournament or a major championship each match.

What I would say is, one, it’s more of the adrenaline rush than the nerves. Like it’s more of an exciting version of that than it is a nervy version of that, and embrace that because you don’t really get that opportunity but once every couple years.

And then two, given that, you get to learn a lot from this event. You learn what you do well, but then like this tournament has propelled me into really good seasons the next seasons after I’ve played, given you get that kind of experience all — maybe it takes two or three years if you’re playing really well to have four or five times you’re in contention in a major, but you get to do it three, four, five times this week.

So embrace that. Again, it’s more of an adrenaline rush than it is a nervy feeling, but that’s what it’s compared to in my opinion.

Q. Granted we’re playing next to a lake and not an ocean and the rough won’t be super long, but visually there are some similarities between this and some courses overseas. You mentioned having to flight it in the wind and using some slopes. Where do you put this course on the continuum of Hazeltine or Valhalla, like an Open Championship layout? Where does it rank?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it’s an American links, isn’t it? It’s played from the air, though. You’re not bouncing balls up to these greens. It’s played from the air, but you also have to hit shots versus driving range shots.

You have uneven lies that you have to work maybe against them or with them, hold winds, ride winds. I think it’s an American links. I don’t think that — I mean, we had Americans finish one-two at the Open Championship this year. I don’t really think that it makes that much of a difference on the style of course.

I think our team, our captains, Strick and the vice captains, are trying to figure out ways that maybe fit the players specifically on our team as far as rough cuts and fairway cuts, where they are, and green speeds and firmness and that kind of stuff.

It’s an aerial links, so you still have to play very similar golf to what we experience on the PGA TOUR for the most part.

Ping Pong?

Q. What benefit if any do you think the whole team coming here ahead of time, what was the benefit of that? And secondly, who’s the best ping-pong player on this team?

JORDAN SPIETH: I was curious ahead of time, to be honest, about how it would be, and I thought it was extremely beneficial. I thought the commitment of guys to get up here was cool. It was very light. We were messing around. We were hitting shots. We weren’t really like chipping and putting to all the pins. It was more let’s have some fun and play a match with each other and just kind of see — get our feet on the ground, see the grandstands, see the setting ahead of time so that when we arrive today, you’re not kind of taken aback. You’ve already been here. Feels just that little bit more comfortable.

We haven’t — we’ve only been here one night. I think everybody was kind of getting settled. I think Bryson and Berger were the only two that played, and I think Berger bested Bryson. I don’t know how it ended up for the night, but I think he got him at least the first two matches.

Q. The last few times Stricker has spoken to the media, he’s hit the point that his goal is to out-prepare. Preparation, preparation. That seems to be the keyword. He is your fourth captain. Have you been impressed with that element of his captaincy, and do you feel that what he’s saying is what he’s doing in terms of this hard-core preparation?

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, it sure seems that way at this point, yeah. Again, for having one practice session and being here half a day, I did a couple hours — some of us came out for a little bit yesterday. For every meeting that we’ve had and everything we’ve talked about, it seems, wow, these guys, we didn’t even need to have a practice round and they’ve got a lot of it figured out.

I think Strick would tell you it’s a team effort with his vice captains, and there’s a lot of experience on that board for us. We go out there and try and hit the shots, and wherever they put us and how often they put us there, we’re trusting in them that it’s in our best interest, but they’re also very open to this team to voicing their opinion to them.

There’s no ego with Strick. He’s very much — he’ll listen to anybody about anything, if you’re comfortable in a setting, if you’re not. I think he’s made the rest of the team feel that way ahead of time.

Certainly I think things can adjust, but as far as how prepared you can be on Tuesday for a Friday start, I would say it’s probably the most that I’ve seen in the four Cups.

Q. Being one of the guys who have done this a few times, what are your general feelings on having a set plan, you’re playing this time with this person, kind of mapping it out versus deviating from that or adjusting on the fly. How do you kind of feel about this?

JORDAN SPIETH: I’ve not been in a setting where there’s been an adjust on the fly, so I’m not maybe the right person to ask that question to. I’ve started in the same pairing I’ve finished in each of the Cups.

Certainly there’s adjustments to be made. I think that’s hard for me to speak to. That’s really what the captains and the vice captains’ job is, is where do we react and where do we keep our game plan.

So again, for me, I’ve just assumed I’m going to go out, try and win that first point, and roll from there. It’s worked the last few, and I don’t see why that should change from my point of view, and I think it’s really just — that’s more of how they can speak to it.

But I’ve not — Presidents Cups I’ve mixed and matched throughout a tournament, but not in a Ryder Cup.

Q. Would you be comfortable if in between matches or whatever, we’re going to switch things up on the original plan and do this?

JORDAN SPIETH: Sure. I’d figure they’ve — while we were playing they have a reason for it, and whether there’s statistics to back it up or it’s feel off of watching what’s been going down, because you only know what’s been going down in your group.

Yeah, you’ve got to be prepared to play them all, but expect to be watching as well and trusting they want people rested for Sunday. We know the Euros typically have a different strategy. They’re going to play probably four or five guys five matches regardless and some of the other guys will probably play two or three, and you expect to see the same guys out that we’ve seen for a number of years now five times.

That’s probably — we’ve got a lot of depth — well, both teams have a lot of depth, but I think we’re going to rely on the youth and our depth to potentially strategize a bit.

THE MODERATOR: Jordan, thanks for your time. Enjoy your day. Thank you.