PGA Tour professional Abraham Ancer speaks with the media about his 2019 President’s Cup experience, going head to head with Tiger Woods, 2020 Olympic games and 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii
THE MODERATOR: Okay, we would like to welcome Abraham Ancer into the interview room, making his third start at the Sony Open in Hawaii; tied for 29th last year. Abraham, if we can get some comments on being back.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, happy to be back. Happy to get the 2020 year started. It’s a golf course that I like a lot. Got to be really precise off the tee; can get really windy.
Yeah, looks like the weather is going to be tough this week, so it’s going to be a nice grind.
THE MODERATOR: You’re coming in with a couple Top 10s from the fall in your last couple starts there in China and Mayakoba. Just talk about your season up to this point.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, game feels really good. Ended up playing good in China, playing good in Mexico, and then Presidents Cup was fun. Good golf there. Good experience.
Yeah, ready to go. A lot of golf ahead.
THE MODERATOR: All right. Let’s go right into questions.
Q. Just expand on the Presidents Cup and what being in that environment and that situation has done for your confidence or anything going forward? What can you draw from?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, a lot good stuff came out of Presidents Cup. Just playing a lot of golf under a lot of pressure. I like to put myself in those situations. I feel like I get a lot out of that. I become a better player when I put myself in those situations, and moving forward I feel like I will be a little calmer in situations where I would be normally very stressed out.
Q. Two things on the Presidents Cup. First of all, there was a number of players, Scottie and I think Louis was another one that basically predicted that you would be a big points earner for the week. Why did they do that?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I don’t know.
Q. Must’ve been doing something right.
ABRAHAM ANCER: I don’t know. I mean, I played a little bit of golf with Scottie before the Presidents Cup. With Louis, I mean, obviously I met him and spent a little bit of time with him, but I’ve never played with Louis before.
So I don’t know why they predicted it or why they said that. I appreciate it. It gave me confidence coming from that level of players they are to say that about me. Obviously gave me confidence and it was fun. It was a week that obviously I will never forget.
Got to spend some time with them. It was really cool. I mentioned before, now I got to spend some time with my teammates, and when I left it felt like they were my brothers. It was really cool.
Q. The other thing, there was so much made about you wanting to play Tiger, and you explained it well, the whole situation. Was there any kind of downer to have such a great week and have so much attention – even Tiger’s comment of, Hey, he wanted me, he got me – did it take anything away?
ABRAHAM ANCER: You know what, I tried not to get to me, because the way I said it — well, that was actually month before in Mayakoba when I got asked this question. I was like, Well, out of the 12 guys who would I like to play on a big stage in a big event like that, it would like, yeah, obviously I would like to play my hero growing up, Tiger Woods. Be an incredible experience.
And so I didn’t only learn from the golf course and from golf. I learned a lot about media and how it can get twisted. Yeah, definitely got twisted and just the context how I said things. And maybe Tiger didn’t know the way I said it. He just kind of took it from what he was reading or what he heard, which is fine.
Yeah, maybe it was a little bit of a downer because just people didn’t know how I said it. Some guy like reached out to me, like you were really, really cocky. I was like, What?
I just a little thrown off by some of the comments. Yeah, I don’t know. I try for them not to get to me because it was such a great week, such a great experience. I feel like I played some good golf.
But, yeah, definitely didn’t like how it got twisted the way I said things for sure.
Q. What does it say about the way that you played that everyone was raving about how well Tiger played.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah.
Q. 15 holes plus… (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, I mean, I feel like I played good. There were few shots that I know — like the second shot on 9 when I hit it in the bunker. I should have never done that. That was a mistake.
And the putt on 14, that’s where the match kind of could have gone my way or could’ve gone either way for sure.
Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: Exactly, yeah. I mean, make/miss on that 14th hole, if I make and Tiger misses, we would’ve been tied going into 15.
Yeah, I knew going into that match I just couldn’t miss. I had to play some perfect golf to have a chance to beat Tiger. I knew he wasn’t going to make any stupid mistakes. He’s playing some really good golf; he made all the shots he had to make.
I feel like I played really well. I played really well. Obviously have to be perfect if you’re going to play against Tiger and didn’t happen. But like I said, I like putting myself in those situations, and coming out of there I feel like I’m not better player from being in that spot.
We’ll see where it takes me after that.
Q. You’re going to keep that confidence level going forward, right? Not going to shy away from the person you’ve always been going forward.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah. I mean, definitely, like I said, it gave me a lot confidence and really shows how I do under a lot of pressure, and I feel like I did good. Obviously I wanted to do better. I didn’t play — feel like I played better the rounds before than when I played with Tiger, but I didn’t play bad. I played pretty solid.
Yeah, just shows me what I need to get better at, how you feel under pressure, and I can take that and look back when I’m in a situation like that maybe playing in the last round for a chance to win. I’ll draw back and remember how I felt that day.
Q. If you could just sort of give us a feel of how the team felt afterwards.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, I mean, I think Ernie did such an amazing job of making the Internationals an actual team. It’s always a challenge when you have guys from all over the world and try to mesh that week. Some of the guys don’t spend time with other guys during the year. Different languages. It’s hard.
So we were definitely pretty devastated the last day because we wanted it bad obviously. We were doing a good job up until that last day.
But, yeah, we were in good spirits when we left the golf course. I feel like Ernie left the culture of what needs to be done so we can get better, and I think it’s only going to get better from now on.
Q. Winning one become a big goal for you now?
ABRAHAM ANCER: What’s that?
Q. Winning one a big goal for you now?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Of course. Yeah, definitely, definitely. Any type of team golf, it was so much fun playing for not only for you but for a team, country, and really meant a lot to are me and I know everybody else on the team as well.
Q. Do you feel like a better player after this Presidents Cup? Like you not only played well under pressure, but you learned some things?
ABRAHAM ANCER: For sure, yeah, absolutely. I think like I was saying, there was a lot of golf that we played that was a lot of pressure at all times. Every single shot you feel like, I have to make this, I have to pull this up, because you’re playing for your team. But also if you’re playing alternate shot your partner is right there; you don’t want to put them in a bad spot. Every point counts, every half point.
Yeah, I feel for me, it’s feeling comfortable out there is what makes me a lot better. I don’t work on my swing that much. I’ve never really — I’m not a very technical guy, so I feel like if I can get better in that aspect it definitely makes me a better player.
Q. How about Tiger up close? Did you see anything in his game that you said, I need to somehow incorporate into mine, or maybe his mannerisms or anything of that nature that you took away and said, That’s something I need to do?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I mean, obviously he’s Tiger Woods, right? He does everything really, really good. I wasn’t paying much attention. I was just really focusing on my game.
So, yeah, I mean, he didn’t make any dumb mistakes, which is what you need to do, especially in match play on a tough golf course. Yeah, I took some stuff out of that match. Mainly just personally, how I felt. We play different games. I don’t hit it like he does. It’s just situational where I drew from how I felt in certain moments that I’m going to definitely incorporate into the future.
Q. What’s your early schedule look like here the first six to eight weeks?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Playing here and then La Quinta, and then week off. Might go overseas for maybe one week and then go to L.A. for the Riviera and then Mexico City for WGC.
Q. Congratulation. How was the reaction back in Mexico afterwards, and how did you feel with the whole situation, the crowds, playing on a big stage like that?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yes, it was incredible. I mean, all the Mexican people were really, really proud and just happy to have a Mexican guy or a guy representing Mexico in the Presidents Cup. I felt a lot of support. People were great, which I’m really, really thankful. They were awesome, so I really felt the whole country was behind me there, which was really, really cool.
Yeah, playing on a big stage like that was a lot of fun. Like I said, it was a week that I will never ever forget. The feeling of playing in front of the Aussie crowd and really people from all over the world made the trip, it was really special.
My teammates made it a really unique experience as well, which I’m really happy I was able to play that week.
Q. Now that we turn the calendar to 2020, how much are you looking towards the Olympics and representing your country at the Games in Tokyo?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Looking forward a lot. I know it’s still ways away from that, but it’s something that always wanted to do. Now that golf is part of the Olympics, again, really excited. Any chance I can get to play for my country or as a team, I just enjoy it so much. I think it’s going to be another great experience.
Q. How big is a gold medal to you? Is that like winning a major?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I think so. It’s different because I didn’t grow up like really thinking about the Olympics for golf. Never been part of it. But now that it is, definitely a big deal. Huge deal.
Yeah, I would consider it like maybe fifth major. One of those for sure.
Q. You made me forget my question.
ABRAHAM ANCER: You’re the last one. Got to go. Got to practice.
THE MODERATOR: Anything else?
Q. In 2020, obviously looking to knock off a win at some stage on this tour. Do you have a specific goal in term of a time frame or just trying to play your best?
ABRAHAM ANCER: No time frame. I think just got to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m not trying to really think about the win, the win, the win. I just want that to just come whenever it has to come. I’m not really thinking about that. Just want to get better every week.
Q. Regarding Fletcha Azul new?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, my tequila company coming out this year.
Q. Did you say mine?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Me and my partners, yeah, we’re starting it. Really excited about that.
Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: (Laughter.) Yeah, that was something that we were, me and my partner was my sponsor for about a year and a half. Like my brother to me, like my big brother now.
Q. A sponsor as someone who supported you?
ABRAHAM ANCER: Supported me, yeah. Really good friends. More than a sponsor. Really good friends. We’re both Mexican. Both love tequila. We just said, You know what? Let’s give it a whirl. It’s been in the works for over a year, and we’re really excited. We’ve been nonstop working on it, so really happy with all the profiles of our tequila and everything.
We pretty much are excited just to already showcase it and have people try to. Should be in Texas here in about a month. Yeah, ready to roll. Something really excited about.
Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, actually met in that Pro-Am in — where was it? In Fort Worth, at Colonial. We met there at the Pro-Am, hit it off, became really good friends. This was maybe two and a half years ago, maybe a little more.
Yeah, and here we are. It’s been a lot of fun, something that I — I really wanted to put my name on something that I’m really passionate about, something I will enjoy, and actually something that I drink. I don’t really drink anything else. (Laughter.)
Q. Your profile is going up and up.
ABRAHAM ANCER: It’s true. It’s true. I don’t want to sell here, but it’s something that I — that’s what I drink. Everybody that knows me knows that if I’m going to drink I’m going to drink tequila on the rocks and that’s it.
Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: We have five. We have Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, Cristalino. Cristalino is the one I’m really passionate about. It’s just so smooth. People when they try it they are like, Wow.
It’s just remove the stigma of people like have tequila when they’re in college and they’re already kind of drunk, and then they have tequila shots that are pretty bad and then you mix it and end up throwing up. (Laughter.) You wake up with the worst hangover.
What you remember is like, Wow that tequila got me. Yeah, we’re trying to get the culture to really understand how tequila works and good it can be. If you just had have on the rocks and don’t mix it with anything — I mean, I can throw down — for my size, I can throw down some tequila and the next day 7:00 in the morning I’m hitting balls and I’m completely fine, which is amazing.
Yeah.
Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: No, not at all. If you mix it with some sugar, other drinks, yeah, you’re going to be messed up. Just got to know how to do it for sure.
Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: There is a lot of drinks that you can make. If you don’t like to just sip on it, there are definitely some mixed drinks you can make for sure.
Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: We got you guys. (Laughter.) We got you guys for sure.
Q. (No microphone.)
ABRAHAM ANCER: Yeah, I definitely want to make it at least once before that week. I don’t want to get there and just be overwhelmed. First time there, right? I want to go there at least once or twice, see the golf course.
But I want it to be closer to the date because I don’t want to play a different golf course, which I know it’s not going to be exactly the same. They really get the greens way faster during that week.
Yeah, just want see it and be there before that week for sure.
Q. What was that like?
ABRAHAM ANCER: It’s really cool. I mean, first time…
Q. You know it’s coming?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I didn’t know it was coming. I saw some post of other people like putting on Instagram or Twitter. I was like, Well, I need to check my mail then. When it was there I was like, Wow, this is pretty sweet.
Yeah, I’m probably going to frame it. I had to put it in my office right on my desk, and I’m probably going to frame it.
Q. Have some tequila?
ABRAHAM ANCER: I did actually have some. Not much, but I did.
THE MODERATOR: All right, Abraham, we appreciate your time. Best of luck this week.
ABRAHAM ANCER: Thank you, guys. Appreciate it.
Honolulu, Hawaii
January 7, 2020
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