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Padraig Harrington: “We have a fair idea of what we want and what role we want each player to play”

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

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Justin Thomas: “It’s a huge advantage to play in front of your home crowd”

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

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Jordan Spieth: 4th times a charm

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.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup: Captain Conference

Media Conference

JOHN DEVER: On behalf of the PGA of America, we want to thank everyone joining us remotely and those of us with us on site at Whistling Straits for the 43rd Ryder Cup in Wisconsin.

We are joined by joined by our two esteemed captains. On my left, Steve Stricker from the United States, and on my right, European Captain Padraig Harrington

Gentlemen, both of you, thanks so much for not only being with us today but all week. We understand it’s a busy, busy time. And we’re grateful for all of your thoughts and insights.

Captain Harrington, we will begin with you. As we gather here on the shores of Lake Michigan, a year later than intended what are your prevailing thoughts and what is your mindset for the team and the journey to get here?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Obviously to get here, it’s been three years, but now that we are here, it seems quick, certainly the end of the journey is quick. We traveled here today. Seems to be a great atmosphere amongst the lads.

Very happy with the work The European Tour has done behind the scenes and our team room is brilliant back at the hotel and here. We moved a lot around in the Champions’ locker room and looks comfortable, looks great. They have done a good job with that. Couldn’t be happier.

We are ready to go. Have got a few videos they have made and the guys will see that this evening and start seeing some of those. Really we’re in a position that we’re ready at this stage. Obviously there will be plenty of unknowns during the week but at this stage, we are prepared for everything and ready to go

JOHN DEVER: Captain Stricker, this is a home Ryder Cup for the first time in five years in the United States but quite literally home for you, being a native of Wisconsin. How excited are you to showcase Wisconsin as a backdrop for the greatest event in golf.

STEVE STRICKER: Thank you, very honored and humbled to be representing Team USA. Padraig, welcome to Wisconsin. We’ve got to get you a cheese head — have you ever seen those?

It’s been a long time coming. Fans love sporting events and golf is a big part of Wisconsin, as well. We are at the home of basically Herb Kohler and his family, and the family that got golf put on the map here in Wisconsin.

So we are showcasing everything right here in our great state. They are looking forward to it, and we can’t wait to get the ball rolling on Friday.

JOHN DEVER: Well, we’re rolling now. Let’s hit the floor for some questions.

Steve Stricker’s journey to becoming the USA team captain

Q. Did you ever imagine in your days at Lake Ripley or Edgerton Towne that you would be sitting here one day in the culmination of so much that you’ve worked for?

STEVE STRICKER: No, not really. It’s been an unbelievable journey. I think back to childhood golf at those two courses you talked about, and just all the years playing on Tour. I personally never thought I would be in this position to captain The Ryder Cup Team.

But again, very honored and happy. It’s a great position. It’s fun to be a part of it. Again, very honored and humbled to be doing it.

But yeah, you know, you just look back at all the things that have taken place throughout my career, and this was not on my radar for sure. So extremely happy to be a part of it and we look forward to it for sure.

An update on Koepka

Q. Can you just give us an update on Brooks Koepka and how the wrist is doing?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I haven’t — I’ve been talking to him ever since it happened. You know, check in with him every couple of days. He tells me everything is 100 percent and everything is ready and raring to go. I haven’t run into him yet today. I’ve heard that he’s here but I haven’t seen him yet.

From what I understand, he’s fully healed and ready for everything.

Q. How much of an advantage to have a team with a lot of experience in The Ryder Cup and again, is it an advantage to come here without baggage or memories of previous Ryder Cups?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: You can go first.

STEVE STRICKER: We have got some young guys on the team. I saw a stat earlier that we are on average about five years younger than the European Team. One thing is we come with a lot of enthusiasm and energy, young guys willing and ready to learn. No bad experiences for the most part from a lot of these guys.

You know, we haven’t been on the winning side too many things, I think two or three times out of the last 12 times. We’re not coming with bad experiences. I see that as a positive. We are using that as a positive and our guys are super fired up and ready to go.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Obviously Europe has a strong team when it comes to experience. That’s quite relevant when you’re playing an away match. If you had two players, one experienced and one not of equal ability, certainly in an away match, you would be looking for experience. I’m very comfortable that my team is that experienced. It will be interesting.

As I say, at the end of the week the experience versus the non-experience will be thrashed out many times to determine what the result was. Certainly it’s pretty tried and tested in Europe that we’re going to go with experience when we’re coming across here. We do have a few rookies on the team to provide that enthusiasm but we are strongly relying on that experience.

Q. For both captains, if you can describe how set your game plan is for the week, and what would be the No. 1 factor in making adjustments to it? Padraig, you can go first. You gave it to Steve last time.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Clearly we have a game plan, a pretty strong game plan, all the way through, well-prepared.

But from being a vice captains, I know from these things, there’s unknowns, things change as you go on through the week. You do everything you can to have a set program ahead and then you also have that — certainly that vice captain’s ready for when something happens, something changes so that you can move quickly, not be acting retrospectively. Even though we don’t know what’s going to happen, you still have an idea of, you know, X, Y or Z comes along, and, well, we can pivot this way. We have plenty of options and that’s the main thing.

As I said if everything went smoothly which it very rarely does, you could probably set out everything now. But as I said, we will expect some unknowns and some things to happen that will need to be dealt with.

STEVE STRICKER: I feel exactly the same way as Padraig. We got an early start on things obviously with the practice round. We’ve got a really good, sound game plan already in place. But again, there’s always little things along the way that can creep up, anything. A guy could be playing poorly or he could get hurt or injured, but you’ve just got to be prepared with multiple options, and we are. We are going to be preparing that way.

I think we’ve both been a part of enough of these teams, you see it throughout the years and you understand that you need to be prepared coming into these.

Q. People love to debate how important a captain is in The Ryder Cup, myself included. Having been in that chair for three years, has your opinion on that changed at all? I would love to hear from both of you, actually.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, it’s pretty clear we’ve seen good captains lose. We’ve seen bad captains win. But ultimately, the captain does have an influence if it’s a tight game, and that’s really it. If it is going to be a tight game, which a lot of these are, the captain and the atmosphere he brings to his team can be the difference.

Yeah, it’s one of those things for us that sometimes, many times, the captain will not be the actual difference but it’s possible that we could be the very difference. We could make that difference at the end of the week. We have to prepare like we are the ones that are going to make a little bit of a difference that just get our team across the line.

STEVE STRICKER: Agree. I’ve seen it, great captains win and lose. I’ve seen poor captains lose. You know, so I’ve seen — or win, I guess.

But they can definitely influence a team. But I keep saying, I think it’s a thankless job, you know what I mean. You’re going to get blamed if you lose, right, and all the credit goes to the players if they win, which is fine. We understand that I think coming into this.

But you wouldn’t trade it for the world. You want to be part of these competitions and you want to be the guy leading this team and being in charge, and you wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

Will Steve have to be a referee between Brooks and Bryson?

Q. Question for Steve. What steps have you taken or will you take to ensure everything goes smoothly between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau this week? Have you sat down them for a chat and will you send them out together in practice?

STEVE STRICKER: It’s a non-issue, really, for me and the team. We got together a few weeks ago, the six of us and I’ve had conversations with them both. They have assured me it’s not going to be an issue. I have no worries whatsoever.

Will we pair them together? I don’t think so at this point but things could change. Could always happen. But probably not. But again, I had a dinner; they all showed up. We had great conversation, great talks. So I’m not seeing it as an issue at all and they are completely on board.

Q. How much can we read into the practice pairings from tomorrow? Will there be a bit of smoke and mirrors to try to throw the opposite captain off?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Read into it like you should. That’s your job in the media is to make a story out of it. I’m not going to say what it means or what it doesn’t mean. You know, at the end of the day, I have — I do have ideas about what should be happening in practice, but you know, it’s for you to figure it out, not me to tell you.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, you’re going to get that same stock answer from me, too.

Yeah, we are still in the process. We have good ideas about our pairings, but we are still in the process of finalizing things, ironing things out, which direction we want to go. Yeah, whatever Padraig said.

Q. This is one of the grandest stages in golf and we see a format inside it that don’t get to see often with foursomes. As players, did you learn to embrace foursomes and how do you get your younger guys to find comfort in it?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I was brought up playing foursomes. Played it a lot in amateur golf, many in my team have. It’s not really alien to us. It’s certainly somewhere that I don’t think — because it’s not so alien to us, we don’t read that much into it. I think sometimes when people haven’t played, it they can over-complicate it.

But as I said, I was brought up playing it. It’s made at our golf clubs at home, not just in championships. It’s a very common game, and really don’t read into it anymore than there should be. I think sometimes you guys, again, might look at it, and try — it’s just two guys playing a golf ball around the place. It’s not that difficult when you’re brought up playing it.

STEVE STRICKER: I think we always tend to try to look for guys with similar game styles or game styles that would complement the other player. Good putting always is a big key I think in alternate-shot or in foursomes.

You look for the guys who embrace that. That’s the important part is some guys are a little bit — they don’t care for that style of play. Other guys want to play it. It depends on the player and it’s up to us or our job to try to figure out those guys and try to pair the games together that make the most sense.

Q. I think since you played in The Presidents Cup the last time in 2013, you’ve been part of this every year maybe except one as an assistant, obviously the captain in 2017 at the Presidents Cup. What have you learned and taken from all that? What did you see that you think is helping you now?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I think I’ve learned a lot being an assistant captain more so than being a player. Yeah, it’s just learning what works well with the players, what doesn’t work well.

I’m probably the most experienced captain, really, that’s ever been a captain if you want to — if I want to be truthful with you. I’ve been a part of every team since I’ve quit playing on these teams, and a captain of the 2017 Presidents Cup team.

So I’ve seen a lot of different things. I’ve seen some things that worked. I’ve seen some things that hasn’t worked. I’ve put all those in my memory bank over the years and hopefully lean on those things that I’ve learned and apply them to this week.

Yeah, it’s been fun to get to know the other side of things other than the players side, and I’ve definitely learned a lot.

Q. Things specifically you’ve cut out, just in the lead-up, not the pairings or whatever, things that you normally do that you said no, we don’t like that?

STEVE STRICKER: No, not really. I think the biggest thing that I have brought or want to bring is just communication, and I think the hardest part is when you don’t communicate to your players. If you throw a guy a curveball at the last second, it’s hard for these guys to adjust. They are a product of, you know, when they are playing on a weekly basis, they are doing a routine, day-in and day-out.

You want to make sure that you don’t get in the way of that routine so much. Give them enough lead time, give them some notice when we are going to play so they can prepare and prepare well to go out and play.

Hovering over Hovland

Q. Question to Harrington. You said that everybody wants to play with Viktor Hovland, but it’s just evident at the same time, can you play what your plan is for Hovland this week? Can he play all the five matches?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: He certainly can. The reason players want to play with him is he’s not just a good player. They like the enthusiasm that he brings to the golf course. I think all the guys look at Viktor and we see the youthful exuberance that we once had. I think that’s why he’s such an attractive partner for anybody in the team for foursomes or fourballs.

Viktor brings a lot of options during the week, that’s for sure.

Q. If I may, just going back to Brooks, please. He made some comments last week about The Ryder Cup which gained a lot of traction and suggested he was a bit maybe indifferent towards the week. What did you make of that, and did it concern you at all heading into this event?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I’ve talked to him about it. I’ve had experiences with Brooks over many, many of these teams, and the conversations that I have had with him and what I have personally seen in the team room does not jive up to what I was reading in those articles.

Again, I am not worried about Brooks. He assures me he’s healthy. He assures me that he is 100 percent all-in on this team and whatever he need to do for this team to become the winner at the end of the week. Again, I’m not worried about Brooks at all and it’s been good talks and he’s ready to get down and start playing.

Q. How do you see the role of a caddie different in The Ryder Cup versus a regular golf tournament, and do you have to coach the caddies how to do their job differently this week than others?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Clearly these are the best caddies in the world. Why would we be telling them what to do? They know their job. It is a difficult job week for the caddies. There is a physical requirement; if they go 36 holes a day, they need to stay mentally sharp.

Yeah, it is a different week for them, that’s for sure. And there’s no doubt that in many ways, it’s nearly a thankless job. They will be forgotten about at times but they do pull their way when it comes to tournament golf and no more so than at The Ryder Cup.

Q. Over the years, if it’s a U.S. Team it’s pretty easy for them to play for their country, all that stuff. Europe obviously is a different situation. What’s been the common rallying point to get Europe —

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Seve. Pretty straightforward. Seve. Started with Seve in the ’80s. He pushed for this to become continental your open rather than Great Britain and Ireland and it was a way for Seve to legitimize The European Tour. It was a way to give The European Tour a standing. The great players in Europe at the time didn’t get great access to play in all the best events in the world. Seve was always fighting against that, the tide in that. And playing and winning in The Ryder Cup was the way to say that Europe deserved a seat at the table.

You look at the great players we had in the ’80s and a lot came from Seve and those players to drive Europe into a much stronger position in world golf, and you know, without a doubt we rely on Seve for that. We are here to very much play for the European Tour.

When I’m playing in Europe at the moment for the last couple weeks, South African players, Australian players and Asian players play come up to me and wish me luck and are rooting for us because they know it’s a big part of our tour, how we do in The Ryder Cup.

So yes, the technicality of qualifying has been born in Continental Europe but the reality is we are playing for The European Tour.

Q. There’s always the risk that the wrong Tweet could become a big event at an event like this. What have you told your guys about that?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, we are going to pay attention to that, and we are going to talk about it. They have been good, and knock-on-wood that they won’t say anything that they shouldn’t say.

But yeah, again, I don’t think it will be an issue at all. I think we don’t have any like mandates, like, hey, we are not going to do any social media this week or anything like that. But they will be smart about it. I think they all realize, they do this on a daily basis and they know they need to be careful and cautious on what they put out there.

Q. A long established feeling is that European success has been about team spirit as well as being excellent golfers. Is that something you agree with and what have you done to create a better bond among your team?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I think that’s a misconception amongst our team. When you’re getting beat, it’s hard to look like you’re bonded, right, and they have done a really good job of that, of beating us nine out of the last 12 last week I’ve said.

But I’ve been part of plenty of these team rooms where the chemistry inside is nothing but great. Sure, we’ve had occasional things, occasional hiccups along the way but for the most part it’s always been very good. Guys are anxious to play. They are very proud to play for the USA wearing red, white and blue and to be here in Wisconsin. It’s all fine. It’s all good, yeah.

Q. For both captains, congratulations, guys, you have done a great job leading up. Can both of you or either one of you honestly say that you would accept right now, all-even going into Sunday’s singles matches, first you, Padraig, you’re the visitor.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: We don’t get to choose that. It’s a good question but why would we bother thinking like that? We don’t get to choose what we are going to be going into Sunday. We have to play as hard as we can Friday, Saturday, and see where we’re at.

If I’m going to start, you know, dreaming and predicting and wanting, sure, there’s plenty of other things we could look for in life. I think I’d go for having a half a dozen shots lead rather than go for even.

What do you think? I think you’d do the same.

STEVE STRICKER: I don’t know if either one of us would like to have even going into Sunday. I think we are both looking a little bit more of having a lead going into Sunday. I’m sure he’s thinking the same way. I know we are as a team, of having the team going into Sunday.

So we are both trying to prepare that way. We are both trying to get to that point so we have a lead going into Sunday for sure.

Q. You joked about the packers when you first came up here and that’s pretty much what everyone associates with Wisconsin. Now that Whistling Straits has had three PGAs and Ryder Cup, in Europe is this course starting to get recognized with some of the more popular North American courses?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: For sure, maybe I’d be a little biased, because Herb Kohler when he was bidding this thing here, he was thinking of Ballybunion so it has some relevance to us Irish and we would have known about it with the Irish connection.

I do think Whistling Straits and Herb Kohler have put this part of Wisconsin on the map with golf throughout Europe. I’m sure the PGAs did that but The Ryder Cup will probably elevate it to a new level.

It’s amazing what one individual, what one family can do for an area and it is very impressive and I think we’re thankful of Herb being here and I’m sure everybody in the area, the economy has gained so much from it, so it is important to have people like that backing their hometown.

Q. Could be the biggest home-course advantage as far as fans go in history. How do you use that to fuel your teams? For Padraig what, if anything, do you teach your guys or tell your guys to drawn out the noise and not listen to the haters so to speak?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, every time you play at home you realize you’re going to have a home-field advantage, basically, when it comes to the fans. So you just go out and embrace it. Let them energize you. Let them pick you up.

Yeah, so I’m going to show off for them, right. It seems like our teams over the years, the teams that have played well, they get to the point of almost like they show off for the home fans, and hopefully that’s what our guys are going to do this week and provide a lot of excitement.

Like I said before, the state of Wisconsin, I said this a week or two ago, I know there’s ticket holders from every states in our country that’s going to be here. It’s not just Wisconsin but the whole country is showing up. It’s been a long time waiting and everybody is excited to get this thing going.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: From our perspective, our players play for the glory of this event. If there was 40,000 U.S. fans and no Europeans, we’d prefer that than having no fans. That’s just the reality. We want the noise. We want the excitement. We want the buzz of it all. Yes, the players will have to deal with it and yes, they will have to embrace it. But they wouldn’t want the alternative. Having no fans is no fun. They will enjoy it.

We expect a loud crowd. We expect excitement, and the players should be well-prepared for it. It’s not like they haven’t seen it before. After all, it is only golf. It’s pretty save inside the ropes. I don’t think they need to worry about too much.

Q. You brought the team up early because you said you wanted to get to know the course in a way that in other Ryder Cups, the team never really got to. Do you feel like you did that, and what else were you trying to accomplish with that trip, and did you accomplish that going into this week with the team?

STEVE STRICKER: It was a great couple of days.. and I think my message from day one is to try to out-prepare.

The way the schedule of the Tour ended and having some time off between THE TOUR Championship and The Ryder Cup gave us that ability to come up here, to not only see the course but to get here as a team, to get these guys comfortable with one another right out of the chute, to build that camaraderie. I feel like everything came together really well in those couple of days and they left here feeling good and they came here feeling good as well.

So it was a good couple of days we had.

Q. Just a couple of quick ones. Is there any chance at all that Tiger will make any visit here this weekend or is that not going to happen?

STEVE STRICKER: Probably not going to happen. He’s been, you know, obviously in my ear a lot and I call him pretty regularly. He’s part of our Ryder Cup Team. He’s part of what we do. He’s been part of so many of these teams. So to bounce ideas off of him, all of us, players alike, I know some of the players went over to see him.

But I think it’s just not a good time for him to be here physically because of where he’s at in his rehabilitation and tough course to walk, right. Everybody is going to see it, from tee-to-green, it’s difficult. So probably won’t show up. But he’s getting better and his focus and mine is on making a comeback to play again. We don’t want to get in the way of that because we would all love to see him come back and play.

Q. Jon Rahm was a bit crooked last week; is he back to fighting fitness?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: He was lifting very nicely in the gym today when I arrived. After hearing the reports last week, I arrived in to find him too sweaty to give a hug to lifting some heavy weights. I said, okay, things are looking good.

Ryder Cup vs. The Presidents Cup

Q. Based on all your years of experience as you mentioned as a vice captain, what is the difference between the looseness and the confidence of the U.S. Team in The Presidents Cup and The Ryder Cup? Is it simply the difference of winning one cup all the time and losing one cup most of the time?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, that’s a great question and we get asked that a lot, why aren’t we winning more Ryder Cups like we are Presidents Cups? If we had that answer, we’d be winning more Ryder Cups.

I don’t know if we are getting in our own way at some times. I’m also trying to bring an energy, a little bit more relaxed, and I don’t know if we play a little bit more relaxed in The Presidents Cup teams versus The Ryder Cup.

Yeah, we are trying to learn all the time between the two. Different competition, obviously. Europe brings a strong team and they play well and are tough and we always have tough matches that seem to have gone their way more times than our lately. But we look to try to change that this week and move on.

But yeah, we are worried about this one and just trying to win this one.

JOHN DEVER: Gentlemen, you’ve put us off to a good start for this week and again we appreciate your time tonight and all week long. Have a good evening and thanks again.

Interview transcript from Asap Sports

Categories
Live

Official World Golf Ranking: Can you guess who?

Keep up with our concise analysis, looking at how the official world golf rankings have changed this week.

Top 5 OWGR Leaderboard

# Name Nationality Points Total Points Gained Events
1 Jon Rahm ESP 515.36 340.59 49
2 Dustin Johnson USA 373.14 147.35 42
3 Collin Morikawa USA 424.35 315.33 52
4 Patrick Cantlay USA 318.54 242.87 42
5 Xander Schauffele USA 354.37 238.03 48

Jon Rahm leads in the official world golf ranking this week. The Spaniard’s points average is 10.5175 at the time of publication. Rahm’s rank has not changed since last week. ​ Next up on the official world golf ranking list is Dustin Johnson, 37 years old, at rank 2. The American has, in comparison to last week, not gone up or down in the rankings. Third in the rankings this week is Collin Morikawa, 37, with a points average of 8.1607. Kristoffer Broberg has made the biggest leap this week in the official world golf rankings. has managed to jump 535 places in the world ranking list, and is now sitting at 237 rank. The Swedish started last week at rank 772, and now has a points average of 0.7272. The No.1 Englishman in the official world golf rankings is currently Tyrrell Hatton, in place 19 and is in the same position as last week.
NAPA, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 17: Jon Rahm of Spain hits his tee shot on the fourth hole during round two of the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa on September 17, 2021 in Napa, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 05: Patrick Cantlay of the United States walks on the 18th hole during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 05, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 05: Collin Morikawa of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the final round of the TOUR Championship on September 05, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Dustin Johnson walks across the seventh hole during the third round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 04, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 03: Xander Schauffele reacts after making birdie on the third green during the second round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 03, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Categories
LPGA Tour

Jin Young Ko: Cambia Champion

THE MODERATOR: Really happy to be here with Jin Young Ko, winner of the 2021 Cambia Portland Classic.

Jin Young, you came here off several weeks off. Did you think your first event back would be a win?

JIN YOUNG KO: No, I didn’t. Yeah. I spent a great time in Korea after the Olympics, maybe over six or seven weeks. I had a lot of practice with my same coach and I had a lot of workouts, three times or four times each week. My body weight is getting higher so, (laughing) but I had a great week this week and I’m so happy for the name on the trophy. Yeah, it’s a great win, I think.

THE MODERATOR: Absolutely. It was a great week for you. I wanted to go to 18, to your final putt. That was a long putt and great to drain in for the win. Did you know you had that putt? Did you think that you had that putt in you.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes, I did. But I was thinking, I just make 2-putt easy, but the ball goes in, so, who knows.

Q. How long was the putt?

JIN YOUNG KO: I guess, oh, 7 meters. Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Overall, what was the course like today considering how much rain we got? Do you think the course conditions were able to help you at all? You played bogey-free today.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah. I really wanted to play yesterday, but we couldn’t play. I tried to make a no bogey-free round today, but I made it. I had a lot of missed shots and I had a lot of missed chipping or something, so I had to make great par saves, but I made it.

And this course was really amazing, perfectly clearing, and fairways and greens are really perfect. So I can’t wait to play for next year.

THE MODERATOR: What did you do yesterday?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, we went to the H Mart with my parents and my manager and I bought Korean food, some Korea food and ice cream. So I ate ice cream and I watched, I was watching Netflix, Korean drama and taking a rest. Yeah, I took a rest.

THE MODERATOR: The nice thing about this golf course. You can work off the ice cream, right?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes. (Laughing).

THE MODERATOR: A good workout on this golf course.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes, I think so.

THE MODERATOR: Outside of the win, what were some of the highlights of the week for you?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I went to the Columbia mall. So I bought a lot of things. Like, inside this one were a lot of great jackets or hiking shoes and it was fun, with my parents.

THE MODERATOR: Glad to have your parents here with you?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes.

Her parents got the chance to see a win like this in Texas

THE MODERATOR: Have they seen you win before?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes, in Texas.

THE MODERATOR: So two this year.

JIN YOUNG KO: It ridiculous, you know? I want to win without my parents, but this year, I had two wins with my parents. But we’ll see what’s going to happen for next three weeks.

THE MODERATOR: Are they going with you the next three weeks?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yes.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Well, then you’re going to win four in a row.

JIN YOUNG KO: We’ll see. (Laughing).

Her thoughts on the course

THE MODERATOR: What are your thoughts on this golf course, on the challenge it was, but you played so solid over the three days?

JIN YOUNG KO: It was like fairways really narrow and greens are too, so we had to hit it straight to the fairway or even green as well and greens are really fast so we had to make sure great speed on it. But I did a great job this week.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned him in your speech, but Tom Maletis, who is retiring, if you wouldn’t mind just saying what it means to the LPGA players to have people like Tom and Cambia and Oregon Golf Club, who support women’s golf and support you.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I want to say thank you for who supports the LPGA Tour, even Tom or a lot of people are behind us. So I want to say thank you to all and Cambia, this year is the 50th anniversary, so I want to say congratulations and thank you.

THE MODERATOR: I know you’re on a plane tonight to go out to the next event, this was the first of four weeks in a row. How do you manage playing four weeks in a row to keep yourself from getting too tired or too stressed.

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, yeah, four weeks in a row is really tiring and tough, but two weeks is like just three days and, you know, not bad. And then after that I go back to Korea and then I will keep reminding myself, Okay, I can go back to Korea after New Jersey. So it will help me a lot.

Q. What can you say about coming to Oregon, the beauty of Oregon, the state, and your experience here, the nature and the other stuff?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, I love this place. I like this weather, even — well I like this weather, like rain, but today it wasn’t rain, but I like this, like British weather, I like this. Even a few days ago it was perfect, so I went to the park, anyway, it’s a famous one, and I went there with my caddie and parents and Sue and we hiked, we went hiking, and the weather was really good. Yeah, and I heard there’s a lot of good wine here. I love drinking wine (laughing). Do you have wine right now? (Laughing).

THE MODERATOR: We can get you some.

JIN YOUNG KO: Oh, thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Yes, lots of good wine here. Definitely next year we can get a wine tour next year.

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, a winery.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Well, congratulations, we’ll see you down the road and we’ll see you here next year.

JIN YOUNG KO: Okay. Thank you.

Interview Transcript by Asap Sports

Categories
LPGA Tour

Brooke Henderson: “It was tougher than I was expecting”

Q. Brooke, opening round 70, only two back of the lead. After your practice rounds and pro-am, did you expect the course play this difficult today?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it was tougher than I was expecting. It was very cold this morning, which I think played a huge factor, and also the wind has been pretty high. On a few shots really affected as well.

I feel like all in all it was a good day. Nice to get in under par. I felt like I left one out there on 18, but other than that, hopefully I can just make a lot of birdies tomorrow and climb up.

Q. You hit an inordinate number of shots today, at least during our coverage, that never left the flagstick or your target. Is that the result of finally getting to see your dad who’s also your instructor?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I think so. It’s a really nice feeling to be hitting it a little better and seeing some good results, you know, shooting under par today. I feel like I’ve gained some confidence back over these last few week, which is big thing for me, and I’m excited just to play and see where it goes.

Q. How much practice will you do? It’s a course that is really difficult to walk, kind of taxing on everybody. I know you’re young and very fit, but how much practice will you do and will it be less than normal?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it’s a very hilly here and Brit is definitely getting a big workout in. I’m proud of her how she’s been able to cope the last few days.

Yeah, I’ll do a little practice this afternoon, get ready for tomorrow. But definitely have to pay attention to the rest and proper amount of fluids as well.

Henderson is happy to finish under par on day one

Q. You seemed to have a pretty steady round today, pretty quiet round. What was the story of your day out here?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it was is nice to start off first hole with a birdie. That felt nice. Got some confidence there.

Then, yeah, nothing else really happened. Made a few more birdies, one bogey I guess.

But happy to finish under par today. Nice feeling. Felt like I hit some good shots and played the holes pretty well. Hopefully just continue that the next three days.

It was a little chilly out there today, how did it affect Henderson?

Q. You saw a little bit of everything today. It was downright cold first thing this morning; nice and warm now. What’s the challenge of seeing a bunch of weather conditions like that in one round, particularly starting out like that?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it was very cold this morning. Wasn’t really expecting that, so definitely had to deal with that. Also the wind, it was pretty high at times. On certain holes it really blew, so just trying to calculate solid numbers and hit good shots under those conditions.

Q. Overall did the golf course play as you expected today? It’s so tough coming into a place you’ve never seen before and having to tee it up.

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, it’s really hard to judge on a place you never competed on before, so I felt like it played a little bit tougher that I was expecting I think mainly just because of the colder weather this morning.

I’m excited. Tomorrow afternoon should be a little warmer than this morning, so hopefully go out and continue to hit it well and make a lot of birdies.

Q. This was your first event since you had your break. Had time to go home and work with dad, coach. Do you feel what you worked on was of use, that you’re still using it today?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, definitely. I think it was a big key for me to go home and see my family and also my coach, my dad, just get some solid work in and build the confidence back up.

Really looking forward to the rest of this week, and, yeah, coming weeks. Got four in a row, so excited to see where it goes.

Q. Anything in specific you’re working on with your dad or just fine tuning?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, just really everything. I hadn’t seen him in so long that we just kind of went over all parts of the game. Was able to give me a couple pointers in every single one, and I feel like it made a big difference.

Q. Last question: How did you and Brit handle the walk today, the beast?

BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, definitely is very hilly. I was happy when we finally made it to the back nine because it’s a little flatter. Yeah, hopefully we make it the next three days.

Interview Transcript from Asap Sports

Categories
Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours LPGA Tour

Halmstad Golf Club confirmed as 2022 Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik and Annika venue

Date: Friday September 17, 2021

The innovative event, co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Ladies European Tour, features a field of 78 men and 78 women playing for one prize fund and one trophy. Earlier this year, Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Caldwell triumphed in the inaugural edition hosted at Vallda Golf and Country Club near Gothenburg.

The famous North Course at Halmstad, located in Tylösand, previously provided the backdrop for the 2007 Solheim Cup, where tournament host Annika Sörenstam contributed 2.5 points for Team Europe.

Designed by Rafael Sundblom, the father of Swedish golf course architecture, it was given the seal of approval from the Swedish Golf Federation in May of 1938 and was officially opened for play in September of the same year.

First time for Halmstad Golf Club to host an European Tour event, but not a bit unprepared.
It is the first time that Halmstad will host the European Tour, but over the years it has staged events on the European Challenge Tour and Ladies European Tour, most recently welcoming amateur golfers for the ANNIKA Invitational Europe in 2017.

“I’m excited for the next edition of the Scandinavian Mixed and to be playing at Halmstad Golf Club, a course that hosted the Solheim Cup and the ANNIKA Invitational Europe a few years ago. I know it will be a great week for everyone involved,” said Sörenstam.

“Bringing women and men together in a combined professional tournament was a huge success and we learned a lot from the event this year. Henrik and I want to bring our game to the younger generation in Sweden and we can’t wait to have fans back next year to enjoy the special atmosphere.”

Henrik Stenson, an 11-time European Tour winner, added: “It’s great that we are able to take the Scandinavian Mixed to Halmstad next summer. I have played some junior events at the course but never at this level, and I think it will be an excellent host venue for the European Tour and Ladies European Tour, both in terms of golf course and the whole setup within the region.

“It was a lot of fun to host the tournament with Annika earlier this year but the only thing missing for us was the crowds not being able to attend. We are both looking forward to welcoming back the Swedish fans next year for an even bigger and better event.

“We are in it for the long run and our hope is that through the Scandinavian Mixed, Annika and I can help inspire the next generation of golfers in Sweden and around the world. Our game is inclusive in so many ways and this tournament continues to highlight that fact on a global stage.”

Jonas Bergman, Mayor of Halmstad, said: “When the opportunity arose for Halmstad to host the 2022 edition of the Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik and Annika, we could only see benefits of being involved with this new concept.

“The ongoing pandemic has made a stamp on our society and the way we live, but to our great joy, golf has still been practised and has grown even stronger in Sweden and on an international level.

The mixed format of this event brings different groups together in our society, with various ages and a focus on inclusion and equality, all of which we are proud to be associated with moving forward.”

European Tour Communications

Categories
European Tour PGA Tour

Who has better club golfers? Europe or America?

Edinburgh, United Kingdom – 15/9/21 – Shot Scope, the industry-leader in advanced GPS and automatic shot tracking technology, has announced some exclusive statistics comparing the ability of European and American club golfers, ahead of the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

In true Ryder Cup fashion, Shot Scope compared European and American golfers in a 12 v 12 ‘Sunday singles’ style event. Each match featured a different performance statistic designed to set apart the ability of golfers from either side of the Atlantic. After all 12 matches concluded, the score was tied, with the USA eventually taking the title of the ‘best club golfers’ in a playoff decided by number of total hole outs.

The data for this project was taken from 1,000 European and 1,000 American Shot Scope users. In 2020 these groups of golfers totalled the exact same score to par – this ensured that the playing field was totally level for this match.

The data highlighted that European Shot Scope users play golf more often, with an average of 5.76 rounds per month, versus 4.28 rounds played by US golfers each month. European’s also played a greater variety of courses, playing an average of 2.84 different courses per month compared to 2.36 played by US golfers. However, the data identified that US golfers tend to play on longer courses, with an average length of 6,239 yards, compared to the slightly shorter 6,176-yard average in Europe.

While the results show that Team Europe were clearly on top when it came to average score, Team USA dominated both off the tee and on the greens to clinch the overall victory. Some of the results in this list come with context, for example, Team USA took the point in the ‘Driving distance’ category by a comfortable six yards on average, which could perhaps be down to higher average temperatures. Team USA also picked up the points on the greens, which may be testament to the more consistent putting surfaces they enjoy year-round.

Shot Scope have now tracked in excess of 100 million golf shots around the world. From that data set, they have determined that golfers miss the green short 46% of the time, however both Team Europe and Team USA surpassed that total in this study, with 51% and 49%, respectively.

The percentage of fairways hit was also a tightly contested match, with the USA taking it by just 2.7%. This is a common theme with golfers around the world, as Shot Scope have confirmed that across all ability levels, the smallest difference in performance is on fairway hit accuracy.

Shot Scope’s pioneering performance tracking technology has the ability to help any golfer improve, with the average Shot Scope user improving their handicap by 2.7 shots. The company’s performance tracking V3 watch also boasts ultra-accurate GPS technology as well as ClubSense and PinCollect technologies that automatically detect shots and putts on the course.

V3 users have unlimited access to Tour-quality performance statistics with the touch of a button. More than 100 different analytics can be reviewed via the Shot Scope V3 mobile app or Shot Scope’s online dashboard on different clubs, tee shots, approaches, short game and putting.

Categories
European Tour

McDowell excited for Dutch Open return

Tournament Preview

Major Champion Graeme McDowell will tee it up at the Dutch Open for the first time in 17 years when Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt plays host to the 101st edition of the prestigious tournament.

The Northern Irishman took two months off to recuperate from a forearm injury over the summer, returning to action last week at the BMW PGA Championship to finish tied 49th, and while the 11-time European Tour winner admits he has one eye on his vice captaincy role for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in Whistling Straits next week, the key focus remains on his own game this week.

Joost Luiten is thrilled to be back at his national open after the event was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fans will be out in force to cheer on the 35-year-old as he attempts to claim a third victory on home soil having previously won the event in 2013 and 2016.

The six-time European Tour winner regularly practices at Bernardus Golf alongside another former winner of the Dutch Open in Thomas Pieters, who routinely makes the journey from Belgium to make use of the world class facilities on offer to the players.

The Belgian recorded his second top ten of the year last week and is currently 69th in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, and will be hoping for a strong finish to his season to make sure he will tee it up at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Player Quotes

Graeme McDowell: 
“I had to pull up the European Tour website to find out the last time I was here for the Dutch Open and it was 2004, so here we are 17 years later, so delighted to be here first and foremost but when I saw the facilities here at Bernardus, it’s probably one of the best practice facilities that we ever see. The chipping areas, the putting greens, and the range is all five star.

“The golf course here is designed by Kyle Phillips, who did Kingsbarns, he has done a spectacular job here. Like I say, delighted to get here and be rewarded with the commitment to come with an amazing golf course, and I am here to compete this week so looking forward to being part of this tournament.

“I was happy the way I felt on the golf course. I felt healthy and I felt very motivated and excited to be back on the course. The BMW PGA was a great week, the golf course was in magnificent shape, the weather behaved itself and it was great to see people back out there supporting us. For me, it was off the back of a couple months off where I was rehabbing a forearm injury that I had and it is always tough to sit out the middle of the summer when there is so much going on but I felt like it was a commitment for the next five to ten years of my career, where I need to stay healthy. It is more about the mental side of things now for me going into my 40s, I need to be there in the right frame of mind to compete and those couple of months helped me.

“I had my watch on yesterday when I was playing my practice rounds and it kept blowing up, buzzing, text messages coming in. Now that we have the 12 players set it’s exciting to start working on the chemistry, working on the pairings, and our strategies for what we want to do Friday, Saturday, into the weekend, so it’s exciting.

“You know I wish I was playing, but the next best thing is to be part of that captaincy backroom staff and I’m excited to jump on the plane Monday morning with the guys. You get that European logo on your chest, it’s just a special thing and something I have great memories off, so I am really excited for Whistling Straits. It would be nice to play well here this weekend and then take my competitive golfer hat off and put my vice captains hat on, to go do the best job I can for Team Europe.”

Joost Luiten: “It was a shame to miss it, but we all know what the situation was in the world. I think last year was probably a good decision not to have it because if we couldn’t have any spectators, why would we have the tournament. At the end of the day, those people make the event, and it is good to see them back in some decent numbers this week.

“I have been playing some solid golf, it’s not been special but sometimes you can just feel like it is coming and at the end of the day it is all about giving yourself chances and that is what I have been doing, and now I need to start taking some of those chances. I know what I can do in this event, I love playing in front of my home crowd and I love the golf course, so it will be a good week and hopefully we can do what we have done in the past and be there on Sunday.

“I think for me because I have won it, there is no pressure for me to show that I can do it. I have done it twice, so it takes off the pressure if you have won it in the past.

“I practice here a lot, it is one of the best practice facilities we have in Holland, so a lot of the top players – even the Belgian players Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters – and I think that will tell you how good this golf course is. It is a great design, it is in great shape and hopefully we have a great week.”

Thomas Pieters: “Bernardus does feel like a home away from home. They have welcomed me ever since I first started coming here two years ago and have been happy for me to practice here and use the facilities which is nice. The course is amazing, so I am really excited to see what they do with everything this week.

“All the Dutch pros play here and you can see why. The facilities are amazing, the condition of the course is always good and I don’t really have anything like it in Belgium, so I make the trip over all the time.

“I do feel like I am getting very close with my game and just having the mentality of wanting to play good golf, so I am excited to tee it up this week with my friends and family here to watch.”

Press Release from the European Tour Communications