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European Tour: Tommy Fleetwood Meets With The Media Ahead of Omega Dubai Desert Classic

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 19: Tommy Fleetwood of England looks on during Day 4 of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 19, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

European Tour professional Tommy Fleetwood speaks to the media ahead of the 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic previewing what he expects and also speaking on coming up just short at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion where he finished in second place behind winner Lee Westwood.

European Tour: Tommy Fleetwood talks 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic

CLARE BODEL: Well come to the Emirates Golf Club. You started with a great tied second place last woke in Abu Dhabi. You must be feel coming good coming to the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, last week was good. Spoke a couple of times, there’s a bit of unknown when you come back out. Last week, I think Thursday, I struggled Thursday I struggled, but in a good sense that I saw my tendencies come out. I saw I struggled a little bit, practiced and moved on to the next day and got better throughout the week and by the end of the week. The way I played and the way I hit my irons over the weekend, you know, I was struggling to actually build a lot of confidence and I felt really good.

You know, first week out, it’s easy to say like when I’ve done well for a few years, but it’s more the weeks where it can build a lot of momentum, but it’s not something that you put too much pressure on or look at too much. It’s just a week to build on, and it just happens to be a very big week of the year now with it being a Rolex Series Event and lucky enough to play well the last few years.

Full Leaderboard/Tee Times: Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2020

CLARE BODEL: Obviously there’s something about this part of the world that suits you. You’ve won a couple of times in Abu Dhabi, had a couple of Top-10s here and played well at the DP World. What is it about playing in the desert that you like?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think most players feel very at home when they come out here. There’s so many events now in the Middle East or the UAE; for me, you always start the year out here and hopefully you end the year here. It’s not a given but generally we always end the year in Dubai.

You get used to the golf courses. That’s one side. But I just think as I’ve been playing better, I think there is certain — there’s certain players or there’s certain like styles of golf that fit and people do well around. I’ve not always done well in the Middle East. I feel like I’ve grown to improve, and actually I feel comfortable and it is such a great place to play golf.

I always feel like when we get to this stage, you’re throwing yourself into the game and it’s the first couple of weeks out and you can practice and you feel like you want to be here and you feel really good.

By the end of the year, it’s a great thing to have such a great event and yeah, just always feel like I’m very into golf when I get here.

CLARE BODEL: Is it important, do you think, for momentum to have a good start in the desert? Obviously you won in the region before going on to win The Race to Dubai. Does that help?

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It definitely helps. I don’t want to put too much pressure on it because the year goes quick, but it is a long year in general. You know, so when you play good or bad, I think it’s important to keep the same attitude, so just because you’ve done well last week, doesn’t mean you come into this week feeling great, everything’s fine. You want to prepare and play this week like you missed the cut last week almost and make sure you’re pushing. There’s things everybody wants to improve. There’s things that people have worked on over the winter that really you’re only going to find out how it goes when you get under pressure.

So you know, you don’t want to put too much pressure on it but clearly people like Shane, myself, Sergio, Danny, they have won majors after winning early on, and in particular, last year Shane and myself, and ’17, I ended up winning The Race to Dubai. It clearly makes a very nice difference if you do well.

Q. You’ve probably grown up — trying to be respectful — you’ve probably grown up reading about Lee Westwood winning victories around the world. The fact he’s won over four decades, what does it say about his longevity in the game, and as a fellow Englishman, would he be an inspiration to people like yourself?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I think Lee — I think longevity, it’s going to be like the standard word used for him now. I think the thing is, you know, just because he’s — what is he, 47, 46? His swing hasn’t changed since he’s about 20 and it’s been working fine for the last three decades, so it might as well work in this one.

I think he’s in a really good place himself at the moment, and it’s a different inspiration now. Because you watch him play as a kid, and now you know, as well as he is a competitor, I class him as a friend and somebody that we can speak to and great to hang around with and learn off. I think we’re all lucky to have Lee out on the Tour and absolutely if you can aspire to somebody, Lee is a fantastic person, looking at his career and the way he’s played and how good he’s been for a long time. It’s very, very impressive. I think he’s a great person to have around.

Q. Just as a follow-up to that, obviously we know the role Lee had at The Ryder Cup in France, and got a long way to go to get back as a player, but how much of an achievement would that be if he could do that?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: 100 per cent, yeah. I loved having him around. He was the vice that was around me for two or three rounds, and he had a very calming influence. I guess when you’ve been there for ten, you’re pretty used to it and he knows what he’s doing. There’s no reason why he wouldn’t be on The Ryder Cup Team. I think we’d all love to be there. As a player, I think he’s got a lot to give.

Of course people, it’s going to be something people talk about now that he’s won the first event of the year, and I actually thought he would be on The Ryder Cup Team about six months ago. I think he’s been playing consistently really, really well for a year and a half, two years, and with a win, I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be on the team.

Q. I missed the tee time over here, so I don’t know if you’ve been asked about this or not, but second at the DP World Tour Championship, second in Abu Dhabi; you must be sick and tired of being bridesmaid in the UAE?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It’s better than third. You know what, sometimes — I think one thing that I am learning is that — I think the great thing is, and the positive thing is, I’m putting myself up there now, and last year, I looked at the year and it was clearly frustrating that I had not won an event when I felt like I played some great golf.

Sometimes people just play better. You know, Jon in DP World played the best golf — he played the best golf throughout the year, really, and deserved to win The Race to Dubai. He played the best golf that week. I came up one shy last week; Lee was the best player on the weekend.

You know, there’s plenty of times that’s going to happen, but I’m not going to crumble at this at the moment. Of course, it’s so easy to look at, I missed the cut on Friday or I could have done this better. The great thing is that I’m there or thereabouts and if I can keep going that often enough and keep doing the same things, eventually get it will be my turn. I’d like to be the one that wins, but also, I’d rather be the guy that’s second or third or fifth and if I can keep my golf consistently, and if this is the level I’m playing at more often than not, then it’s a very, very good thing.

Q. Is there something about desert golf that you really like? Is there something technical about the golf course or something that really suits your eyes?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Not really. No all honesty, Abu Dhabi has felt like a hard golf course for me for a long time. I think after 2017, I turned up in 2018 and felt like it suited me a lot better but even this year there’s shots that just don’t fit my eye that often and I feel like I could do better on this course. I feel this course, I almost feel more comfortable on it than Abu Dhabi, but I haven’t played anywhere near as well on it.

I’d like to feel that the way I work and how I try and improve certain areas of my game, that generally most golf courses I feel like I’ve got a chance of competing on and doing well on. So just so happens that the Middle East has been very kind to me at the moment.

Q. Do you ever take much of an interest in the field at the start of the season? Obviously it’s been new names coming about, a 15-year-old this week, new young talent every week. Do you take an interest or do you just carry on?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: No, I’m very self-focused, really. I love the game and I love following the game when I’m kind of not playing, if you like. I still enjoy watching it on TV.

But I think, yeah, I just think any time I come to play, it’s how do I get the best out of it. I don’t really look at rankings too often. I just think there are extra things to think about that get in the way. Players, to be honest, there’s so many new players coming through, I think so many different dynamics to the Tour these days, I think last week is a prime example of how strong the standard is. That golf course, and the way Friday played, the cut nearly went to 2-under around this golf course, and that’s an unbelievable standard.

So guys are getting younger I guess, and new faces that are coming out that are hungry and talented. It’s always changing, but all I can do is improve myself, really, so I try and stick to that.

Q. You just said that you love playing golf in the Middle East and your record is pretty impressive here. When you do win at the start of the year, is there a temptation to add a couple of events as the year goes along?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I guess so — our schedule was done and started before Christmas and we’ll pretty much stick to that. There might be one that comes out or one that gets added it in. It really won’t change much.

I guess I’m getting used to the notion the last two years; trust yourself to play well when you decide you’re going to play and not just bulk up and play. I’ve always been somebody that plays a lot, and I think that as you get better and as more things arise, if you take this year, for example, hopefully there will be a Ryder Cup.

Hopefully there will be an Olympics and hopefully I’ll get all the way through to the end of the FedEx. You know, hopefully I’ll be at DP World in a chance to win in The Race to Dubai, and I think there’s so many things that go on in the year and I think it’s important that you trust yourself and you’re going to do the work and you’re going to play well when the time comes and not just get carried away with just trying to play all the time and hope for a result, if you like.

That’s something I’ve done in the past. Maybe that’s the wrong way of putting it, but it’s just different, and as my career is progressing, hopefully it keeps going in the right direction, and it is about knowing exactly what you’re going to play and not changing it and backing yourself to play in those events.

Q. What is an ideal stretch for you? Is it two weeks, three weeks, four weeks?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Honestly, I don’t really have one. I think more than four is getting a bit carried away, and I’m not somebody that likes to play one week on and then two or three weeks off. I definitely like at least two, but no more than four and then take it from there.

Like you say, so easy if you play well for three weeks in a row, so easy to carry on because you know you’re playing well. But yeah, it’s going to run out eventually, so you need to rest up.

Q. I was going to ask you about the major venues this year. Apart from Augusta, what do you know about the other three venues? Do you feel as though when you go to majors, you have the talent to be a Major Champion?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I hope so. I’ve been very close. Things could have gone either way in one or two majors in the past.

I haven’t played St. George’s, ever, and I’ve never played Winged Foot, but I know they are obviously very classical U.S. Open and an Open venue. I played Harding Park; I played that in the match play and enjoyed it. Actually played well that week and obviously Augusta is Augusta.

The majors are the toughest tests and that’s it. They challenge every part of our game. They challenge your mental side. They challenge patience and if you’re up there with a chance to win, they challenge how ready you are to go on and win those events. Unfortunately it’s not happened for me yet, but like I say, hopefully my career is progressing in the right way to eventually become a Major Champion.

Those are really the events that change your life or change your career. They can definitely add to your career. Any time they come around, like I say, it’s a test, really, because everybody wants to win those ones. You can put so much emphasis on, which is actually right, and some people are better at winning than others. I think last year, preparation, I got a couple of things wrong; disappointed but you learn, and hopefully I’ll be better at that this year.

You’re talking about second-place finishes in the last couple events in the UAE or second-place finishes in the in majors, the positive thing is they’re second-place finishes, I’m up there plenty of times, and hopefully it’s just a matter of time and eventually it will be my time and I would love to get one whenever that is.

CLARE BODEL: Thank you, Tommy.

January 21, 2020

Dubai, UAE

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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European Tour: Lee Westwood Revisits Last Week’s Win and Previews Omega Dubai Desert Classic

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 17: Lee Westwood of England acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during day one of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 17, 2016 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

European Tour professional and 25 time winner including last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship speaks with the media ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic, talking last week’s win, preventing injury, and the Super Bowl.

European Tour: Lee Westwood previews 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic

BRIONY CARLYON: We welcome our latest winner from The European Tour, Lee Westwood, to the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic.

It’s great to have you here this week, but question on everyone’s mind is how you celebrated on Sunday night.

LEE WESTWOOD: I think because I had not had a drink for nearly two weeks, it affected many he really quickly. So I was a really cheap date for somebody, after about four beers, I felt I was flying. I just went to the sports bar and watched Liverpool beat Man-United with Thomas Björn, so he was pleased. A few beers, a few pints of Guinness. Went back around 3.00 for a chicken shawarma some chips, watching the 49ers. It was a perfect day, really, round of golf and watching the 49ers get into the Super Bowl.

BRIONY CARLYON: We spoke a few days ago, 25 wins on The European Tour, and obviously how much that meant to you, but have you had time to process its in past 24 hours or so?

LEE WESTWOOD: I think the more you win, the more you get used to getting back to being on an even keel, really. A lot of people, if they are won early in their career, they struggle to bring themselves back again, but I’ve won a lot of tournaments and I’ve won weeks back-to-back.

Full Leaderboard/Tee Times: Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2020

Obviously over the years, I’ve had to really kind of evaluate everything, take it all in, process it, if you call it that — I hate that term — and then get ready for the following week.

Yesterday I came up, hit a few balls, but being here, letting people congratulate me, kind of being around, being present and getting that out of the way, let’s me focus on this week’s tournament quicker.

Q. I would imagine you’d been inundated with people congratulating. Any in particular?
LEE WESTWOOD: All of them, really. Anybody who’s texted me, they are all my friends and they obviously are all very special. Everybody from Gary Player and Greg Norman to Ronan Keating and Robbie Williams. It’s a fairly broad spectrum of friends I’ve got. You know, got like 150 WhatsApps to reply to, 70 text messages and 30 e-mails. I love all the congratulations, but by the end, I was sending the thumbs-up back (laughing).

No, it’s great. I’ve got a lot of good friends, friends from years ago when I was at school sending me e-mails, and that’s really nice.

Q. Not just from golf, larger than sport —
LEE WESTWOOD: It’s nice, kind of — I don’t know how to put it, like you say it wasn’t just golf. People, you know, nearly 47 and he’s hanging in there and still got the drive, four different decades.

Yeah, it’s obviously a big achievement because nobody’s ever done it before. I’m proud of that, and you know, come back down for this week and get focussed on trying to play well again. I might play great and not win this week. But obviously playing great is a priority.

Q. I think I’m right in saying that you’ve been fairly focused in terms of not suffering from various ailments and injuries.
LEE WESTWOOD: I really have.

Q. How have you addressed that? Is it exercise or what you eat or whatever it is?
LEE WESTWOOD: I tell you, what I just spoke to Helen, my fiancé, she’d tell that you my diet could be better, and there’s times when I drink a little bit too much.

But over the years, I’ve worked out a lot and I’m very fortunate to play practice rounds with people like Greg Norman and Nick Price, Nick Faldo in the early years and Gary Player and just obviously impressed upon me working out. I don’t so much need to be skinny, but I’ve always concentrated on maintaining the areas of my body that take a battering, knees, back, shoulders, I’ve done a lot of exercise over the years on them to try and prevent injury, really, rather than getting an injury and then having to fix it. I’ve only really been out once and that was when I tore a calf muscle, basically.

Q. You see various injuries nowadays, ailments.
LEE WESTWOOD: I think also the way I swing it — well, without knowing, I was fortunate when I was a kid that I played lots of different sports. I didn’t start playing golf at five years of age, so I played lots of different sports, rugby, football, cricket. I was a good runner. And all those kind of give me a base, a physical base to work from.

I was just a strong lad growing up and pretty fit. Then I started playing golf at 14. I do sometimes worry about these kids who start playing golf at the age of five now, because golf, you’re bending over, you curve your spine that way, you rotate, as well. It’s not the ideal movement for a six- or seven-year-old kid. You’re just going to end up.

Q. Do you think five is too young?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think, yeah, it probably is. Mentally, you’re not ready for golf at that kind of age. It’s a pretty draining sport mentally, and certainly look at my son, if he’d taken it up at a young age, he wouldn’t have enjoyed the game as much as he’s enjoying it now. He just started at 13, 14 years of age, which I did.

Yeah, I’ve been lucky with injuries, but I’ve also done the work when it’s needed, going to the gym in my late 20s. I probably should have gotten there earlier, but just didn’t switch on quick enough. So I got in the gym around my 30s which coincided with getting to No. 1 in the world and I did a lot of hard work with Steve McGregor kind of from 2006-ish to 2012, which is going to be a good foundation. I’m back working with him again.

So you know, doing a lot of leg strength and flexibility, and a lot of work on my back to try and pull my posture into line. In golf, you’re always like this (hunched over) you need to open them up.

Q. From a 23-year-old who won in 1996, there was so much show of emotion, you running after the ball when you made that long putt at the Scandinavian Masters to the celebrations now, just tell me, how much has the celebrations changed, and also, how much has the week after winning, say, your first tournament, if you just look back at it, and now after winning the 25th tournament, the week after, players go through a lot of highs, highs almost, not any lows. But what have been your experience?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, that putt — I don’t have quite that energy anymore.

But yeah, you’re right, the following weeks used to be difficult. I took the week off, actually, after winning Scandinavia and I came back and missed the cut. It was difficult. Your first win, you’re obviously in a dream world and it’s very difficult. You’ve not had that experience before, so you don’t know how to handle it. It just comes with experience and winning more tournaments. Now, you know, it takes me — it took me, you know, a day. My drinks are a bit more grown up and my celebrations, as well (chuckling). No more shots.

Q. And nobody has done the UAE quadruple, when I asked you in Abu Dhabi, as well. Is that something that’s a thought as you go into this week?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I didn’t even realize it happened to be honest until people started talking about it. It’s not something that even registered with me. But obviously it’s nice to do it, and I think as a golfer, you just — you should just focus on the bare facts, break it down trying to play well that week. If you’re good enough and you play your best game, then you’ll have a chance of winning out here.

Q. When did you hook up again with Steve?
LEE WESTWOOD: About March last year. I had a sit-down with him. Didn’t really fully commit to it and didn’t get into it, but he’s always trying to get me back into the gym and doing stuff like that. If somebody pushes me to something, I just kind of shut off, and I think now he’s kind of learning to just tease me in there. I went on holidays, Thailand over Christmas and the new year, and went in every day. Maintenance stuff, exercise work, shoulder blades, more flexibility in my shoulder. It’s all based around just trying to swing the golf club and injury prevention, really, and he obviously said gaining a bit of weight, it’s easy to turn fast, when you don’t have to shift all this fat around.

Q. So team Westy would be Steve, Ben, Phil, Rocky, Helen?
LEE WESTWOOD: Helen, who was caddying for me that week, yeah. I try to bring them all together, and so we’re all singing off the same hymn sheet.

Q. You obviously talked about the Ryder Cup on Sunday, but have your other goals changed for this year as a result of how well you played last week and the win, obviously being in the majors, in particular?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I didn’t really have any goals. My goal is simply, you know, this is the work with Ben, the goal is to work on the mental side of the game because I feel like that’s where — that part of the game, if anything, has been lacking and that’s going to enable me to play my best more often.

So I’ve been working on that part of the game, and it is basically just go out, try my best, have fun, and just control what I control. You know, the movements in my golf swing and stuff like that. I know if I get it in the right positions on the golf plane, I hit the ball straight, and you know what, shock; if I hit the ball straight and starts holing a few putts, I’m talented enough to win tournaments, and if I win tournaments, I move up with the World Ranking points and move up the Money List and start qualifying for World Golf Championships and majors and possibly at the end of the year, The Ryder Cup Team, who knows.

Q. In Abu Dhabi, if we really look at the entire tournament, first round was not your best round?
LEE WESTWOOD: I played well the first round.

Q. Just looking at the scores. But what I wanted to ask you is that I saw you on a few holes with Eddie and Poulter and you were really having a blast and you were really enjoying the round, even though those two or in the really playing as well?
LEE WESTWOOD: They struggled a bit. But to answer Martin’s question, my goal is to just go out there and have fun and if I’m playing with two lads that are friends of mine and that I get on with, and I love Eddie’s sense of humour; and I’ve always gotten on with Poults and you know what Poults is like, he’s like a peacock out there, bouncing around, chest out, and he just makes me chuckle and he gets me in a good mood.

You know, first two rounds of the year, nobody we’re just out there really breaking ourselves in for a year. I played solid over the first two days, and then obviously played better over the last two days, you know, started holing a few more putts. My stats were pretty good over the first two days. I hit a lot of fairways. After three rounds, I hit as many fairways as anybody, so it wasn’t like the first two rounds was a bit scrappy or anything.

Q. Get a text from Padraig?
LEE WESTWOOD: I haven’t, no. He’s probably trying to not put too much pressure on me, not that he could.

Q. When you have played as much as you have, and when you have won as much as you have, is there anything else that you look forward to in your career, and what’s kind of the legacy that you’d like to have?
LEE WESTWOOD: My legacy, I don’t want — when I die, I don’t want people to sit down and golf be the first thing they mention about me. I want them to focus on other things. You know, he was a nice lad or you know good fella and you could always go towards him. He was never nasty to people. He always tried to do the right thing, and then he won a few golf tournaments.

Q. 49ers is your team?
LEE WESTWOOD: Since the late 80s, Jerry Rice — they only showed one game a week in England. Channel 4.

Q. Can I ask you one last question? Of all the 18 holes over there at Majelis, which one is your favorite and why?
LEE WESTWOOD: There’s a lot of good holes on this golf course. I think 6 is probably the toughest hole. You know, you’ve got to hit the fairway, narrow green — well, it certainly helps if you hit the fairway. But I think 18 is a cracking finishing hole. Always provides excitement.

But I think as far as looking at a hole, the 8th is one of the most spectacular holes, and also with the new tee on 9, 9 is going to be one of the sneaky hard holes again this week. Got to hit the fairway. I mean, I haven’t been out there yet but I like the way everybody is talking about it. They have added a little bit of length. It’s just a golf course that I’ve always enjoyed playing. Whenever I’ve come out here on holiday, I’ve come here and I’ve always enjoyed playing this golf course. Obviously you look the results, you’d say it suits me.

BRIONY CARLYON: All the best this week.

January 21, 2020

Dubai, UAE

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Professionals

European Tour: Victor Perez Revisits Final Round 63 at The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 19: Victor Perez of France celebrates after putting in for an eagle on the eighteenth green during the final round on Day Four of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 19, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

European Tour professional Victor Perez speaks to the media following his incredible final round of 63 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in which he finished in a tie for second with total score of -17 under par.

European Tour: Victor Perez speaks to the media following final round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Q. You’ve made incredible strides this weekend, today alone out in 33 coming back in 30 for an incredible 63. What was the difference?
VICTOR PEREZ: Really hard to tell. It was one of those things, you just play and you kind of get in the flow of the round, and obviously I felt like I needed to have a good round. I felt like I was well-rested starting the first tournament of the year.

I felt like I had a really good off-season preparing for the upcoming 2020 season, and obviously very pleased to be able to hold a fourth round on the first event of the year. It’s one of those things, I started to make a few putts. I feel like I putted very well this week, which is always needed for this kind of performance and obviously delighted.

Q. I think you had a well-needed break, as well, because after that incredible win, Alfred Dunhill Links, you went on to make some incredible results at the WGC and some Rolex Series. What have those results done for your confidence?
VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, obviously a lot of confidence from these tournaments. Just thrive on these moments. I think you take a lot from it, and you try to take all the positives.

Full Leaderboard: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

I think it shows you that you can do it at that level, and then obviously you come into these types of tournaments feeling a lot more comfortable compared to 12 months ago when this was my second Rolex Series Event. So obviously it’s a lot different than it was 1 months ago. It shows how quickly things can go in this game and obviously I’m going to try to keep on going.

Q. This time last year when you walked off the course in Abu Dhabi, you were 13th in the world and today you stand in the Top-50. What a difference a year makes?
VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, it shows everyone that it’s doable and that I can get better. You see guys playing really well, but it’s about me to continue getting better.

Obviously I’m very pleased with where I am, but I think it’s a continuous process, and you always try to learn. This year is going to be brand new again for me like last year was, being my first year on The European Tour last year, and this year I’m going to be getting in some majors. So obviously this will be all new, so it’s learning, and that’s the great thing about golf, you always learn, good or bad, really.

January 19, 2020

Abu Dhabi, UAE

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Team UK

European Tour: Matthew Fitzpatrick Talks Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and 2020 Season

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 19: Matthew Fitzpatrick of England lines up a putt on the on the eighteenth green during the final round on Day Four of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 19, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

European Tour professional Matthew Fitzpatrick speaks with the media about his hot start to the 2020 season as well as recapping his performance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in which he finished in a tie for second place with a score of -17 under par.

European Tour: Matthew Fitzpatrick recaps Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Full Leaderboard: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

Q. A final round 67 here in Abu Dhabi, and the incredible Rolex Series performances that you bring continue. How do you feel about today’s performance?
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Good, yeah. Apart from one missed putt, wouldn’t take a shot back, and to come off the golf course, that’s a great feeling, despite not enough to win, it’s been a great week.

Q. It’s very rare that we see you not have two great putting days in a row. It looked like after 2,3, and 4 we were going to see one of those days today?
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: Yeah, definitely. Front nine I felt like could I hole everything and managed to hole one putt for par, which was nice to keep a bit of momentum going.

Yeah, just on back nine, just couldn’t make a thing. It was just one of those days, but hey, that’s golf. I’m delighted. It’s a great start to the year, and sort of you’re always a little bit nervous when you come into the start of the year after taking so much time off. So to come back and play as well as I felt I have done is a positiv,e.

Q. You took a share of the lead after 4 and I’m sure would you have noticed on the leaderboard Tommy making a run today. At what point did you think things weren’t turning for you after the turn; that you might pull something or stick to the process?
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK: That Tommy Fleetwood, he’s so annoying. He just comes from everywhere, but yeah, he’s definitely one of those, I have to stick to what I was doing; and he’s probably the most disciplined golfer I’ve ever played with, just picking targets and sticking to them and not even being tempted to be greedy, really.

January 19, 2020

Abu Dhabi, UAE

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Team UK

European Tour: Tommy Fleetwood Talks Closing Round 63 at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 19: Tommy Fleetwood of England tees off on the 16th hole during Day 4 of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 19, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

European Tour and PGA Tour professional Tommy Fleetwood speaks to the media about his final round 63 and his 29th birthday. Fleetwood finished the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with a final score of -17 under par and in a tie for second place.

European Tour: Tommy Fleetwood revisits closing round 63 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Q. You’re 29 years old today, one more than that number to the turn, 63 to close. Tell us about it.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: It was good, really good. Felt like the whole week, really, gradually got better. Felt like I struggled on Thursday. Had a really about practice session and played really good Friday when it was really tough conditions. Felt like I played so good yesterday and hit a couple of ropey drives and missed a couple of putts and 5-under was really the worst the could have been and then today just got out and played great, really.

It’s weird, a little disappointed on the last, just got the tee shot way, and even then, the last, the wedge, can’t seem to get it right all these years. But you couldn’t really complain about 63, final day.

Full Leaderboard: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

Q. You know how the final few holes are playing. Is 17-under going to be a little shy?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, I’m pretty sure. I don’t want to call it, you never know, but I’m pretty sure. I think Lee obviously looks like he’s playing really, really good, and with sort of — yeah, the way the last four holes played, I think 15 is a nice wind for that pin and it’s always a pretty flat green, and 16, 17, 18, you’re hitting tee shots downwind. Looks like Lee is playing great. I’m happy to have put a weekend’s golf in and it’s a nice start to the year.

Q. Incredible 63 in your final round. You must have felt disheartened that every time you’re making tremendous strides through the field, Lee is making birdies matching yours?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think you just concentrate on what you’re doing and every time, every week we play, somebody is going to play great golf and at the moment that’s Lee. I’m very, very happy with my weekend, felt like I played some really good golf.

At the end of the day, golf is very, very difficult and there’s so many top, top players now, I think this week shows the standard when the cut was nearly 2-under and it felt so difficult, and then you always look at the winning score. The winning score is better than what you think it is and to have another good result in these events is great. Just happy with my own performance, and if Lee goes on to do it, then fair play to him.

Q. Is there one part of your game you’re most satisfied about coming back, new tournament, new season?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think the week’s been satisfying in a way that I struggled on Thursday, and I think after — I’ve been practicing really well, and Thursday, got out there, didn’t play as well as I wanted to. I said after the round, I think it was good in a sense that the tendencies showed up, I can work on them, come back the next day and try again. As the week progressed, my prep’s been good and my iron play has been brilliant, especially over the weekend, I feel like it’s been as sharp as it has been for the last year and years gone by.

Putted well over the weekend. So the game is progressing. My short game this week, I didn’t make many bogeys; that’s something to be happy with. It’s always the first week of the year, and you never quite know what’s going to turn up, so happy that I performed, happy with how I feel and it was nice getting the juices flowing really, on the last, knowing that I could post a score.

January 19, 2020

Abu Dhabi, UAE

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Team UK

European Tour: Lee Westwood Speaks Following 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Victory

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 19: Lee Westwood of England poses with the trophy after the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 19, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PGA Tour and European Tour professional Lee Westwood speaks with the media following his 25th European Tour victory and 44th victory overall coming at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

European Tour: Lee Westwood talks to the media following Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

CLARE BODEL: Lee, second Rolex Series win, your 25th European Tour win; 40-something worldwide; you’ve won in four decades —

LEE WESTWOOD: That’s the one.

CLARE BODEL: That’s the one. Pretty good day?

LEE WESTWOOD: Very good. I felt pretty comfortable all week, and not sort of wanting to say how good I felt, I’ve been swinging, but more trying to keep a lid on how good I felt I’ve been putting.

I don’t know why it is, I put in a lot of hard work with Phil Kenyon and I’ve been working with Ben Davis on the psychological part of it, but I really felt quite calm on the greens this week and rolled a lot of good putts. That was the key to winning, really. You’ve got to putt well to win any tournament, but especially these in the desert because the greens are so immaculate, you know that everybody is going to hole their putts.

It was great, and like you say, four different decades. Feel really old when somebody says that, don’t you. Luckily most of you have been here throughout, so I know you’ve all aged, as well. Looking at hair, for starters.

CLARE BODEL: Talking about being one of the more experienced gentlemen on Tour, you said that one of your ambitions now is to make The Ryder Cup Team again. Is that something that’s now at the forefront of your mind, as you beat three young pups who were also amongst it to second place?

Full Leaderboard: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

LEE WESTWOOD: It’s not only an ambition, it’s only come to the forefront of my mind, that now I’ve got a chance to make The Ryder Cup Team. I thought I was done in The Ryder Cup to be honest as a player. I’ve played ten, and I really enjoyed watching everybody else suffer in the last one.

You know, now I give myself a chance to play, so yeah, I’ll just play week-in, week-out, just to see. I’m not going to increase my schedule or anything like that. I’m just going to play week-in, week-out and see where that takes me. But I’ll be playing in all the big tournaments again. The World Golf Championships are all on the calendar now and obviously every major, so who knows.

CLARE BODEL: And just a bit about this tournament, a place that you’ve played quite a few times over the years. How special is it to win here in Abu Dhabi?

LEE WESTWOOD: It’s great to win. I’ve played well here in the past. Obviously a couple of years ago, Helen caddied for me, the first time she caddied and we finished Top-10, and the first time I ever came, I finished second I think to Martin Kaymer, tied with Henrik.

So it’s a golf course I’ve always felt like, yeah, it suits me, but you know, just never really quite putted well enough, but this week certainly did. What did I make, four bogeys all week? That’s pretty good golf.

CLARE BODEL: Certainly a good week.

Q. The four decades thing, you’re the first to do that. You think of the names who haven’t done it, Ernie —
LEE WESTWOOD: I can’t see it being five (laughter) but you never know, do you.

Q. How much pride does that give you?
LEE WESTWOOD: It gives me a lot of pride to set new sort of targets for everybody. That’s what sport’s about, isn’t it. I’m surprised I’m the first one to do it.

But you know, I’ve been out here a long time, this is my 28th season. So yeah, I’d like to add a few more to that. But I think it just shows the level I’ve played at for such a long time, longevity in sport is difficult to achieve.

And obviously I kept myself supremely fit a finally tuned athlete over all those years and paying off now. I feel as healthy now as I ever have playing golf. Don’t groan too much when I get out of bed in the morning to put my socks on; you know what that’s like.

I’ve got like a new commitment to the gym. I was in there this morning and I did 40 minutes’ cardio, trying to get a bit of weight off, just so my body functions a bit better in the golf swing.

If I’ve got that kind of drive, then I feel like I can continue to move on like this.

Q. And the tears, you’re not really known for your emotion but they were obviously flowing on the 18th.
LEE WESTWOOD: It’s Tim Barter; every time I talk to him, he makes me want to cry.

No, I think it’s to do with handling my emotions really well on the golf course, and when it’s all over, that’s the time it just releases and I can let myself go. It just happens to be that Tim’s always there (laughing.)

CLARE BODEL: Quickly, hate to tell you, but you’re not the first, but you’re in a very elite group along with Des Smyth and Mark McNulty.

Q. On the Senior Tour or European Tour only?
CLARE BODEL: We’ll work it out.

Q. You’ve talked to us a lot in the last couple of years about just going out there, and there is still a massive competitive drive that is still coursing in your veins.
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, Ben has instilled in me the fact that I’m playing the game I love for a living, and I should enjoy it, and sometimes it gets to the point where you don’t enjoy it enough.

You know, we’re lucky to be doing what we’re doing, and a lot of people are far less fortunate. I’ve tried to go out, if things are going wrong, I don’t really lose my temper anymore. I’ve never been a club breaker, but I don’t really get wound up too much. I’ve become much more analytical and less emotional on the golf course.

He’s tried to impart that on me, and I think that’s just spreading through my whole game and my putting everything, and I’m on a very even keel; and if the ball doesn’t go in, the ball doesn’t go in. The only thing I can control are the movement and the actions I’m doing to roll it on line to the hole. It might hit something or I might misread it, but I brush it off and move on to the next, and it’s served me well.

Yeah, that’s kind of the way I’m trying to play it now.

Q. You’ve shown you’re just a big softy, really.
LEE WESTWOOD: Sorry?

Q. You’ve shown you’re a big softy, really.
LEE WESTWOOD: I’ve always known I’ve been a big softy.

Q. Is that why it means more to you, maybe you thought these days were gone? And even before Sun City, because it had been a few years, hadn’t it.
LEE WESTWOOD: I certainly wasn’t playing well enough and hitting the ball well enough and putting well enough to win golf tournaments.

Yeah, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’98 I think I won eight tournaments in one year, and 2000 I won eight tournaments and year and ’99 I won seven or something stupid like that, and they were coming along like taxis, and I didn’t appreciate it enough, I don’t think, and now I appreciate it and I appreciate all the hard work that has to go into it.

I was working hard back then, but winning was coming easy, and I think that’s just because I was a young man and I was rolling with the momentum of it all.

Q. I think Tim mentioned you’re up to 29th in the World Rankings and that gets you in all the majors and WGCs. What’s that mean to qualify so early in the new season and have the assurance of being in those events?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, you can make a plan, can’t you. You can schedule a little bit better. I was going to play this week, Dubai and Saudi and then I wasn’t sure when I was going to play again. I know I’m going to play at the Honda in Palm Beach Gardens, but I didn’t know whether I would be going into Mexico the week before and I didn’t know whether I would be in the Match Play.

So I probably — well, I’ll definitely go to Mexico and I’ll play the Honda, and then I might try to get a tournament in between then and the Match Play. I’m playing the week before the Masters in Texas; they have been good enough to give me an invite, and then obviously the Masters.

But I won’t play a massive amount more. I’ll still probably only play 24, 25 times a year. That’s just the way I feel like I’ve got to play now to turn up to a tournament and be in the best possible shape to compete.

I think gone are my days of playing 30, 30 events a year. I am 47 in April and body and mind just won’t take that quite as well.

Q. How do you think about Francesco Laporta? I’m an Italian journalist.
LEE WESTWOOD: I was very impressed with his game. He got a couple of brutal breaks out there in bunkers. He got a plug lie on 13, which is probably the worst lie I’ve ever seen in a bunker. And then he plugged it again under the lip on 14.

But yeah, I thought he’ll learn a lot from today I think. He needs to work on his game a little bit, but I think there’s definitely the makings of a tournament winner there.

Lee Westwood Talks Landmark Victory on European Tour

Q. This is a landmark 25th win for you on The European Tour and 44 professional wins. You had an off-season in Thailand and you tested clubs. How are you going to celebrate this now?
LEE WESTWOOD: I didn’t take my clubs to Thailand. I had no intention of playing golf there. I was just there to relax and a lot of sleeping, and I did have a couple of glasses of rosé and a couple of beers.

After Thailand, I decided to do Dry January, which right now seems a massive mistake (laughter) and I’ll do really well to get through tonight without a drink. Everybody’s offering me one, but I’ve held out so far. Normally you’d see me with a glass of champagne or Corona in hand, but I’ve managed not to have a drink so far.

I’ll give you an update tomorrow whether I’m still committed to the cause. But I would like to. I would like to get right through the next two weeks and then we’ll see. I’m trying to lose a bit of weight, so I can’t really drink.

Q. As impressive as your putting was throughout this week, even your driving was outstanding. I thought it was one of the best exhibition of driving from anyone in the field this week. Just talk to us about the driving aspect.
LEE WESTWOOD: I’ll tell you a little story — my driving was very good this week,, but it’s down to the work I’ve done with Robert Rock.

He sent me a text last night and he said, “Don’t tell me that I’ve actually won something that you’ve never won.”

And I said, “Give me a day.” So I can’t wait to text him (laughter). So now he’s not won something I haven’t won. I’ve got my name on there, as well.

But yeah, obviously the key to playing good golf is getting in the fairways, especially on a golf course like this. You know, work the ball right-to-left and left-to-right whenever I wanted to and I hit a lot of fairways. I think I hit the most out of everybody before the final round. Golf courses like this play easier if you can play from the fairway.

Lee Westwood previews next week’s Dubai Desert Classic

Q. Next week, Dubai Desert Classic, is now the only tournament in the UAE that you have not won. You’ve even won The Race to Dubai. It’s like the UAE quadruple waiting for you to happen over there. How are you looking forward to that now?
LEE WESTWOOD: I’m just looking forward to Dubai Desert Classic, anyway, because I think it’s one of the best tournaments on The European Tour calendar.

I love playing the Emirates Golf Club. Hence, I played well in the past. I finished second a couple of times. A bit unlucky to lose to Miguel in a playoff a few years back.

So I’m looking forward to going back there with some form and you’ll see me on the range tomorrow afternoon working on my swing and preparing properly for Thursday to try and hit that first shot down the fairway and go on from there. Carry the form in from this week.

Q. When you walk on the range next week and all the young guys congratulate you and shake your hand —
LEE WESTWOOD: I’ll have no idea —

Q. What will you say —
LEE WESTWOOD: I’ll have no idea who most of them are. I suddenly realized a few months ago why everyone has their name on their golf bags; it’s for people on me; you walk along there, who is that lad on the range hitting it 330 yards.

I’m always open to people coming and asking questions, yeah.

Q. If you were asked, in a short sentence, what’s the key to winning over four decades?
LEE WESTWOOD: Hard work. Yeah, you’ve got to be dedicated and you’ve got to love it and you’ve got to love practicing. Because there’s no shortcuts. It’s just hard work. You know, when you think about leaving the range in one afternoon, going and sitting by the pool or having a beer or something like that (shaking head) stay on the range another hour.

A few years back, there was Tiger, myself and Vijay were the last three on the range, and it wasn’t a coincidence that the best players are the hardest workers.

Q. Your amazing Ryder Cup career, and then it seemed to end on that jarring note in Hazeltine last time. Just wonder how much you’d relish the chance to put that right in Wisconsin?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I didn’t really feel that jarred by Hazeltine. You know, I’ve been on losing Ryder Cup teams, and I’ve been on seven winning ones. It’s a big honor to represent Europe in The Ryder Cup.

I was joking when I said, you know, I would love to play another Ryder Cup as long as I’m good enough. I wouldn’t want a pick, but if I qualified, I would definitely play.

So you know, I’ll be trying my hardest, there’s no doubt about that, but you can’t control qualifying for a Ryder Cup Team. You can only control what you do that particular week, and obviously like this week, you win lots of points and it moves you up the list. I’ll just be trying to do the small things right and it will lead on to the big things, like qualifying for The Ryder Cup Team and other things like that.

CLARE BODEL: Thank you, everyone. Congratulations again, Lee.

January 19, 2020

Abu Dhabi, UAE

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Team USA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Full Leaderboard Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLARE BODEL: Thanks, everyone.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

January 14, 2020

Categories
Team USA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

January 14, 2020

Categories
Professionals

European Tour: Brooks Koepka Previews Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brooks Koepka touches on recent struggle with injury

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
January 14, 2020