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PGA Tour: Patrick Cantlay Speaks on Career Start Number 4 at AT&T Pro-Am

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 18: Patrick Cantlay of The United States plays a bunker shot for his third shot on the first during Day Three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 18, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Patrick Cantlay speaks to the media ahead of the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach about his history at the event.

PGA Tour: Patrick Cantlay addresses the media prior to round one of the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

JOHN BUSH: We’ll get started. We would like to welcome Patrick Cantlay into the interview room. He’s making his fourth career start at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Patrick, if we can get some thoughts on being back here at Pebble Beach.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I like it here. It was my first top-10 finish as a pro here, I think in 2013, and then came back here and started my, I guess comeback, you would say, here and made the cut, which was an accomplishment for me at the time. So I really like the golf courses this week and it’s always nice to play in California, so I’m excited to be here.

JOHN BUSH: All right. We haven’t seen you since a 4th place finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Just talk a little bit about what you’ve been up to since that point, the state of your game, and how things are going.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, so went over to Abu Dhabi and played there and have been in California practicing. Got some new sponsors and everything’s going good. Just getting ready for the new year. I love playing on the West Coast, so play this week and play L.A. next week, and everything’s gearing up for the Majors and once the season starts to get going in April. So game feels good, played well in Hawaii, and I like it in California, so I’m excited for the next two weeks here.

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

Q. Can you talk a little bit more about that first event back after being away so long, playing here and what that felt like and why here. I mean, it’s cold, it’s not exactly the most conducive place for a guy with a, coming back from a back problem.
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well, the reason to come back here, I think it was, one, I was coming back on a medical and didn’t obviously have great priority to get into events, so it was one of the few events that I was going to get into on the West Coast. But I had had some success here before and I like the golf courses, so that kind of outweighed the cold weather. And it was actually, it was brutal weather that year. It was rainy and there were delays. But it feels like once every three years the weather’s really nice, once every three years the weather’s really bad, and one of the other years it’s kind of marginal. So it looks like it’s going to be sunny and pretty here this week. So I just like the golf courses. I think they suit my game. And Pebble Beach is one of my favorites, whether it’s in competition or just practice rounds.

Tee Times: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

Q. Did you play here very much at all before you turned professional? Was this a place you came to and played much?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I didn’t. I played one round with my dad here maybe when I was about 12. But I would hear stories about all the guys that were older than me play the California Amateur here, but by the time I was old enough to play it, it wasn’t here anymore, so…

Q. Nice timing, right?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, that would have been great.

Q. Anything you remember about that round with your dad that sticks out?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I remember it being really foggy. And I was probably too young, my dad probably still beat up on me that day. He was a good player.

Q. I would have been curious when you came back here in 2017 what your expectations were in terms of how long it would take you to get back to where you thought you should be, and that led to kind of a different kind of thinking of what do expectations even mean? Is there a difference between practical expectations and far out expectations?
PATRICK CANTLAY: In a weird way it was an accomplishment to finish a golf tournament, just because I hadn’t played in one for so long. So on one hand, I was just happy to have played a whole golf tournament and not had any serious pain. And then on the other hand, I was happy to have made the cut just because when you’re out for that long, of course it’s reasonable to have doubts about your game or how you’re going to hold up. It had been over three years since I had played an actual tournament. I think I played a U.S. Open qualifier, but not, like, a four-round tournament. So coming away from the week I was happy to have made the cut. I think I finished around 45th or 50th or something like that.

Q. 48th.
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted and I felt like I could have played better, but I was happy about making the cut and playing as well as I did and it gave me confidence going forward that I hadn’t really lost much and I was still the player that I used to be.

Q. You’re definitely in the running for the Olympics, you’re definitely in the running for the Ryder Cup. Is it too early for you to be thinking about those or are they on your mind?
PATRICK CANTLAY: There’s so many big events between now and those two events, and I think the way to get there is to focus on all of the events between now and then. And those would be big honors and they’re definitely big things that I would like to do and they’re goals of mine, to make those teams. I think Olympics would be really fun. And after Presidents Cup I can’t wait to play a Ryder Cup because I’m sure it will be — all the great things about the Presidents Cup will be even more amplified during a Ryder Cup, so I’m very much looking forward to that. But it’s not, because the way you qualify is through playing well in the big tournaments, just makes sense to have all your emphasis on those and look at the Olympics or look at the Ryder Cup as a potential bonus or reward for playing well.

Q. How would you describe your level of satisfaction with what you’ve accomplished since your comeback?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I think after the first year I was very satisfied with making the TOUR Championship with a limited schedule and making a TOUR Championship with really, no really goals or expectations to make the TOUR Championship at the start of the year. Like, I wanted to play really well and obviously get my real card after coming back from a medical, that was a goal, and competing at tournaments to win. But it didn’t really occur to me to have a goal to make the TOUR Championship or something like that. So after that week, after finishing the year as well as I did, looking back, I was pretty satisfied. And then I would say since then I don’t really associate the rest of the two years of golf after that with a comeback. That first year felt like kind of a comeback and then after that I felt really confident and comfortable playing out on TOUR and I didn’t really associate the next two years with a comeback, more a resumption of just me playing tournament golf.

So with that being said, looking back on it, I’ve played really well the last three years since I’ve come back, really consistently, had some chances to win, won a couple events, and qualified for the Presidents Cup team and played well there and that was really fun and really exciting. So I would say all in all, it’s been good. And I feel like now I’ve seen all the golf courses multiple times in multiple weather conditions for two or three years now, which I think is an advantage, and I’m excited to go back to all those places that I like to play with the experience that I have now and the confidence that I have now and see what I can do.

Q. How important do you think distance is in your success?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well I think it would be ignorant not to look at people that play well and say distance isn’t a big issue or a big component of all the good players’ games. So, yeah, it’s definitely a huge component of me playing well. And I’m hitting it a lot farther than I did when came back and probably hitting it farther relative to other players than when I first turned pro. And I think part of that is putting an emphasis on it and part of that is just maturing and getting older. But, yeah, I mean, it’s a huge part of the game and to ignore that or to say it’s not that big of a deal, I think would be a mistake because guys are hitting it farther and the golf courses are suited for that.

Q. Do you think distance is a problem in golf?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Not for the amateur player. I think all the equipment and all the stuff is great for the amateur golfer and can’t get any, it can’t, the ball can’t go too far for a 10 handicap. So in general I would say no, some golf courses on TOUR, yes, but most golf courses on TOUR, no. If I were to play Cypress Point this week, yeah, it would be a problem at Cypress point because there’s a lot of holes that you can’t hit driver or a lot of holes that other guys would hit driver, 7-iron and I’m hitting driver and a sand wedge or driver and a gap wedge. But for the majority of golf courses we play out here on TOUR I would say no.

Q. You mentioned all the big events that you’re going to play before the Olympics or Ryder Cup and of course first major’s two months away. Wondering what your mindset is going into Augusta this year, given the fact that you came close last year, you had a chance and does that change your mindset I guess about how you now look at the tournament knowing that you got your self in the lead and at least gave yourself a chance?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Right, well, until I played the weekend last year I hadn’t shot any really low scores at Augusta and then I shot pretty two good scores on the weekend, especially on Saturday. So I think any time you put in good rounds like that at a golf course that you’re going to come back to it shows you that you can do it and it shows you kind of how to do it and gives you confirmation that your game plan or the shots that you see on that particular golf course work. I really like the golf course and I think it is obvious that you need some rounds out there and some experience out there to play it as best as possible. So having success there last year and knowing that I can play the golf course really well and liking the golf course, I like the golf course, I think it suits my game, I think will only bode well for me in the future, especially this year.

Q. When something like that’s over, how much do you think back on the tee shot on 16, after the tournament’s over.
PATRICK CANTLAY: I mean obviously I think about it, any tournament you would play and you hit a shot that you wouldn’t have rather hit, you think about it. I think what’s interesting about that hole in particular is it’s just the opposite of what you see. So you would rather be short sided in the bunker or you would rather be rather even pull it long left of the green than you would hit it where I hit it, even though it doesn’t look like that. And I think I knew that, I just made a bad swing. But the fact that I know it and I still did it makes it maybe a little bit more painful, but that’s kind of the nature of the golf course. So, yeah, I mean of course I would have liked to have hit it to this far (Indicating) and gone to the 17th tee. But there will be plenty more years for that.

Q. I’m sure you would have. I think what I’m curious about is, when you’ve come close to winning a tournament, how often do certain shots linger once the tournament’s over and did you find that Augusta that it maybe lasted longer or stronger, just because what have it is?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think that inherently playing a big event like that you think about what would have, what would have, could have happened more than say another regular tournament. But looking back on it, if I would have played halfway decent Thursday, Friday, and had the weekend that I had, I would have won by a lot. So I played really well on the weekend, I played really well Saturday and the first 15 holes of Sunday to give myself an opportunity and sitting at home at dinner on Friday night no one would have thought I even had a chance at all and so the experience that I gained from it is invaluable going forward and as long as you draw on the positives from it and don’t linger too long on the negatives but learn from them, I think you’re best off going forward.

Q. So do you think more about 16 and 17 or Thursday and Friday?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Well, brain-wise it’s really hard to think of all of the mistakes you made Thursday and Friday because there were so many, but it’s easy to say, yeah, that’s the easiest hole location on 16, you should make a birdie and go to the 17th hole and that maybe might have put me in a playoff or something. Yeah, it’s easy to say that because all the work that it took to get there Saturday and the first part of Sunday makes you think like that. But it’s hard to think of it in terms of pieces of the tournament. I think all the shots I hit over four days, it added up to like whatever it added up to, 11-under or 10-under or whatever it added up to. You got to look at it as a whole instead of focusing on little bits and pieces because you can drive yourself crazy one way or the other. You wouldn’t talk to somebody who made eagle on 15 on Friday but missed the cut by two and say, Did you really, like did you when, coming away from the tournament, did you think about how good you played the 15th hole if you eagled it Thursday and Friday, but you missed the cut. So I don’t think you should do that the other way if you mess up a hole or hit a bad shot on Sunday.

Q. Have you ever surfed and if not why not?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I have surfed. I try everything once, twice if you like it. But I didn’t like it, I wasn’t very good at it and for me to keep doing things that I’m not very good at takes a lot of will power. And surfing-wise, just the whole process of it, you got to buy the board, find somebody that knows how to surf, go out there, the California water’s really cold, put your wet suit on, wax your surf board up, go out there, maybe you don’t catch any waves, for me I could try to catch as many waves as possible, I’ll keep falling over, maybe not even get up. So I never got into it. My dad played golf, he never surfed.

Q. So you went and chipped and putted instead?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Chipped and putted, yeah.

Q. Did you do any other sports as a kid?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Basketball and baseball.

Q. Were you any good?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I was good enough to make the all star team and pitch and play short stop when I was about eight or 10 and by the time I was 13 I was playing right field, so I figured it was my time to exit.

Q. What happened?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I wasn’t getting bigger or faster, I was probably biggest compared to everybody else when I was about 10 years old. By the time I was 13 or 14 I was one of the smallest kids, and the kids were a lot bigger and stronger and growing mustaches. And I was like 5′-3″ and instead of hitting doubles, I was lining it out to the second baseman, and I didn’t have a chance. I was slow — and basketball was even worse. I could shoot and that was about it.

JOHN BUSH: But the golf thing has worked out pretty well for you. Patrick, thanks for your time.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Thank you.

Pebble Beach, California

February 4, 2020

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Team Ireland

PGA Tour: Graeme McDowell Recaps Victory Last Week and Previews 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 02: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland poses with the trophy during Day 4 of the Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club on February 02, 2020 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PGA Tour and European Tour professional Graeme McDowell revisits last week’s victory in Saudi Arabia and also previews the upcoming AT&T Pro-Am.

PGA Tour: Graeme McDowell previews the 2020 AT&T Pro-Am

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Graeme McDowell to the interview room here at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Graeme, great win last week. How satisfying was it to travel over here coming off a win and then going to a place like Pebble Beach where you’ve had so much success in the past?

GRAEME MCDOWELL: Yeah, absolutely. Long journey coming here but when the sun shines there’s no better place in the golfing planet to be. I love this event, this and the Dunhill Links, any time the weather’s half decent, they’re some of my favorite weeks of the year. I play with a buddy here this week and we rent a nice house. And it’s a fun week, but at the same time, obviously, here to try and continue to play well. Feel like the game is certainly trending in the right direction, and obviously, would love to have a nice week this week. But the win last week was important at a lot of levels, just to get me back up the rankings, get me back in a couple of the WGC events, which is really important, the major championships, and get me back in the right direction again. So very pleasing. Ticked a lot of boxes and hopefully I can use it as a springboard to kick on for a big year, big season ahead.

Tee Times: 2020 AT&T Pro-am

THE MODERATOR: Of course, this is the 10-year anniversary of your win at the 2010 U.S. Open. What is your favorite memory looking back at that victory.

GRAEME MCDOWELL: Yeah, it will be 10 years in June. Lots of great memories that week, of course, but probably coming up the last and just having that two putts from 25 feet to win a U.S. Open. You visualize that as a kid standing on the putting green and then all of a sudden you’re like, Well, yeah, I’ve got two to win a major championship here. So just special memories. And obviously, kick started a pretty amazing five or six years of my career and can’t believe it’s going to be 10 years in June, but a lot of good stuff’s happened. Excited to be kicking back up into the top-50 in the world. And one of my big goals is get myself back up in the top-20 and have a chance to experience that back nine at a major championship again with a chance to win. So that’s really the goals for the next three or four years. And like I say, last week has really given me that little bit of a boost, given me an opportunity to get in back of some of the big fields, which is where I want to be.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up for questions.

Q. I want to clarify something first. I’ve never heard of anyone standing on a green as a kid in twilight saying, I’ve got two putts for the win. You’re supposed to, like, make this for the U.S. Open, aren’t you?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Oh, yeah.

Q. Did you ever say, Look, I just got to lag this down there to 2 feet?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: You’re really getting hung up on the details there. Yeah, that’s true. It’s a valid point, this one, yeah.

Q. Let’s move on.
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Put it this way, I’m glad I had two (laughing). And I think my last thought before I hit the first putt was, Well, at least if I 3-putt, I’m in a playoff. So that took the pressure off me.

Q. You mentioned top-50 and the importance of that a minute ago. I’m curious from, let’s say, a couple years ago when you’re in the 120 range, how far does 50 look when you’re there?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: It feels unbelievably far away. It really does. I think I was in the top-50 in the world for, I don’t know, five, six years. And when you’re on the outside looking in — when you’re not in those WGCs and the major, the WGCs especially, they nearly have a self-perpetuating World Ranking cycle, making money for both tours, when you’re on the outside looking in, yeah, it feels an awfully long way away. So top-50 was a big goal coming into this year. I don’t want to say — I achieved it faster than I expected, but 47, we need to establish ourselves inside of that, you know, you could be one week away from falling back outside of that. So obviously establishing myself back inside of that top-50, which is getting up into the top-30, top-20, that’s what I really want. But I think this will pretty much get me in Mexico in a couple weeks time, pretty much guaranteed World Match Play, which is really important to me, and I think Memphis as well. So just to be back in those, I think I’ll appreciate them a lot more this time around. I think all those years where you just, it’s expected, maybe you don’t appreciate what it is and what they are and how important they are at the time. So I always felt like if I ever got the opportunity again I was really going to appreciate it and not, never take it for granted and prepare well and make sure I continue to work hard, because you just don’t know when this is going to go away. I think that’s probably the biggest thing the last three or four years was just realizing that you’re not invincible and that this sport is very fickle and it will go away some day. I think I tasted that little bit of mortality probably this time last year and I realized that I needed to, if I ever got the chance again, that I was going to work hard and do the best that I possibly could with that opportunity.

Q. Could you explain why you think players don’t come here when they have the opportunity to spend, like you’re going to spend three days, I think it’s with Brown, isn’t that the guy?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Yes.

Q. Why would you not come to this when you have those opportunities?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: I really feel like a lot of players look at this event as a little bit of, you know, it’s an unnecessary distraction having to play with another amateur, or another pro and another amateur. I feel like I have always looked at this as an opportunity — I’ve always enjoyed the format, going back to my early days in the Dunhill links, I played, I think one of my first AT&T’s I played with Ray Romano, speaking about distractions. I played with him and Kevin James. I think he was shooting a HBO documentary that week on trying to make the cut and we ended up getting beat in a card playoff for him to make the cut. I’ve always enjoyed the distraction. I like the idea of that it’s not just about my golf ball, that I’m reading my partner’s putts and worried about where his shots are, and I’m nearly getting, not totally immersed in yourself in a team event, but it just takes the pressure off the individual. And if you can relax and enjoy it, your own ball nearly takes care of itself and you do better than you expect.

But when you look at the list of people that are here this week, I mean, it’s some of the most high-profile CEOs in America. You get a chance to meet potential sponsors, great friendships with people that I stay in contact with a lot. Just really important people. I mean, it’s weird to come into an event when you’re potentially not the most important person there, you’re certainly not the wealthiest person in your group by a long stretch, you know. So you’re surrounded by successful people and it’s a great opportunity to meet other successful people in other spaces. And listen, I get why guys don’t like this event from the point of view it’s six-hour rounds, the weather can be a little dodgy here, for sure, and like I say, there’s a lot of distractions here. So you look at a guy like Phil who has won here what, five times? He gets it, and has certainly hasn’t struggled corporately in his career, and I think a lot of that is down to the way he’s able to embrace a week like this and take it for what it is. It’s an important opportunity to connect with people, some of the most important people in business. So thankfully I’ve always enjoyed it. I enjoy that side of the game, I enjoy the relaxed atmosphere this week. And obviously, my kind of relationship with this part of the world is fun and I love the walk. There’s no better walk in golf than the 4th tee at Pebble out to that 10th green. It doesn’t get much better, especially when the sun shines like today.

Q. Getting back to Fergie a little bit on that. Now you’re at 47, how far away does 20 and 30 look?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Feels a little closer. But making those big leaps, when you start getting up to the business end, requires big finishes in big events. But the fact you start getting into the WGCs, you start creating opportunities for a lot of big chunky World Ranking points, wins in Punta Cana, don’t really have those chunky World Ranking points that you’re looking for as opposed to, like, a top-5 in a WGC or that. So it becomes doable. It becomes achievable again. And I’m certainly, last week didn’t have that emotional feel that maybe my win in the Dominican last year had. The win in the Dominican last year was, it was about my employment status, you know? It was about having a job to go to here in the States for the next couple years. The win last week was more about this is the journey that I’m on to get back to where I want to be and it just felt like a rung in the ladder. It was, obviously it was an important victory, but it felt kind of like I was ready for it and certainly ready to take those next steps, hopefully back up into the, onto the big stage again and give myself a chance to get in the back nine at an important event again soon.

Q. You spoke in Hawaii about getting away from a little higher launch for a wee bit of distance to getting back to G-Mac kind of golf. When did the light come on?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: You know, we talked about it. I started working with Kevin Kirk back in August last year. I think the event in Medinah was my first week with him. And there’s no doubt, I started to hit the ball very high, for me. I’ve always been a guy who never struggled to hit it low and I always struggled to kind of flight it from 200, 250 yards. In the search for a little bit of distance, my attack angle with my driver went from about 2 degrees down to about 2 or 3 degrees up, so I changed my attack angle by nearly 5 degrees, which is a lot, and I drove the ball really well for a period but then it really started to affect the way I was hitting my irons. I was hitting my irons so high and I really could not keep the ball down very well at all. So my good wind game had kind of disappeared a little bit. I was struggling to flight those balls back down into the breeze. So one of the first remits I had for Kevin when I started working with him was I wanted to get my the ball flight back, I wanted to start flighting the ball down again. And that’s probably one of the most significant changes that he’s made with me is really getting my flight back down. He’s got me teeing my driver back down a lot lower than I was. I always teed the driver very low. I would go for fitting sessions with these equipment companies with drivers and they would be like, Have you ever tried teeing it up a little higher? And I’m like, You’re about the 85th person that has said that to me. But, no, I like teeing it low. But everything’s high launch, low spin, so let’s tee it up and hit it four on the up and spin it low. So I tried that for a while and, like I say, I drove it okay, but it affected everything. So I’ve got that ball teed low again, I’m squeezing it back out there. Like, Honolulu, for example, I really flighted my irons fantastically. And last week in some windy conditions that really stood me in good stead again and I’m back driving the ball a little bit more like me. It’s not particularly long, but it’s in the middle of the fairway and it’s pretty playable and it’s nice to be kind of cheering back into the way I used to play a little bit more, rather than trying to play a game with which I’m really not that familiar. So I’ve got the flight under control which is very pleasing.

Q. When we talked in January at Kapalua, you talked about attitude a lot, about how a quote from Drew Brees had an impact on you and how Kevin’s changed your attitude a little bit. But you talk about these technical things, I’m curious, that certainly helps your attitude when you see the ball going where you want it to and whatever, but it’s the chicken-and-egg thing. What was first? Was your attitude altered first or was the golf swing producing shots that changed your attitude?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: I think that’s a fair question, for sure. No, it has to be golf ball first, attitude second. You can’t think your way out of a really bad swing. If you’re just not swinging it good, it doesn’t matter how good your head is. You’re just not going to be able to think your way around a golf course when you’re not hitting it good, simple as that. So, yeah, golf ball back under control first, and then sort of plug a really, really good attitude on top of that and put it all together a little bit. So, yeah, it’s easy to think good and have a great attitude when the ball’s going in the general direction you’re aiming it. When it’s not, that’s when the toys come out of the pram a little bit.

Q. Have you had time to think about how your schedule now could change or will change?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: There’s a few question marks still. Augusta is still a big question mark for me. I had a little look at it, certainly changes up a little bit. I think if I play Mexico, I think Honda is going to have to suffer, which is an event I haven’t missed in 10 years. But you just can’t play every week, unfortunately. And Dominican, I can’t go and defend down there. So World Match Play problems, which is a great problem to have, but one part of me is disappointed that I can’t go down there and do the right thing and defend my title, even though part of me was hoping I was going to have a problem. But, so, yeah, it’s certainly a little bit of a change. Augusta I think is the Monday after Match Play, so I’ll have to be top-50 by then. So we’ll see what happens there, but very, very excited with some of the new additions to the schedule for the next six months. We’ll see what happens.

Q. Given that you had kind of turned the corner with the victory in March, what was it between then and August that led you to just feel like you needed to try something new with a different coach and what was it that made you choose Kevin?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: It was probably a little bit of the inconsistency in my play from about just pre-Pebble, a couple weeks before Pebble I was just having some good rounds and was having some average rounds and just wasn’t really happy with the general consistency of the way I was hitting the ball, down to the ball flight stuff I was talking about. Even at Pebble, at the U.S. Open, I remember hitting a few shots and in my mind I’m just like, man I just cannot keep the ball down here, this is not good. I had this left shot going on around The Open Championship time at Portrush, I just had this left and I could not get it fixed at all. So it was, yeah, it was general inconsistencies. At the end of 2017 I toyed with the idea of getting an American-based coach. It really boils down to the fact that Pete Cowan has been by my side for the last 14, 15 years and he still is part of the team, but since I fell outside of the top-50 I just really wasn’t getting a chance to see Pete enough. Pete does most of the WGC’s, all the majors, all the big stuff and I really just wasn’t having enough time to see him. And then I wasn’t really able to get it fixed over the summer what was going on and I was like, right, now’s the time. I just asked around and I got some ideas from people who they thought the smart guys are out there, coaching guys were. And I interviewed a couple of guys and I just settled on Kevin. I just liked his attitude, I liked the sort of energy that he brings to what he does. I liked the way his guys swing it. Patrick Reed, Johnny Vegas, both got great technique, great golf swings. He’s been a breath of fresh air, he really has. Like I say, Pete’s still a huge part of what I’m doing and Kevin’s actually worked under Pete quite a lot, studied under Pete so he speaks the same language. So I really didn’t feel like it was a massive deviation from what I had been doing, which was important to me. Like I say, he’s brought a lot of simple stuff into my practice, just better practice, more organized practice and I really, he’s just brought some really good stuff to the team, which has been I really feel like it’s been massively important for me for the last five months.

Q. Length isn’t everything, but how much harder is it to win in this era for a player like yourself for a player like Webb Simpson, who also won in the same weekend as you, would you say?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: How much harder is it to win? It really depends. Golf-course related of course. Thankfully, there’s still Hilton Head’s and Hilton Head’s and —

Q. Pebbles?
GRAEME MCDOWELL: Pebble, there you go. Thanks. Yeah, I mean, you know, it’s funny, I look at a golf course like Phoenix last week, I haven’t been to Phoenix since 2006 because JB Holmes won back-to-back there and I thought, well that’s the end of this place for me. And I spoke to Adam Long today and I played a bit of golf with Adam the last few months and he’s a good kid and I just said, he finished 8th I think in Phoenix last week and I said, Can we, as in the mere mortals, can we get around Phoenix. And he said, yeah, it was firm and fast and he felt like you could still play around there. I looked at the leaderboard and I feel like all I saw was Tony Finau and J.B. Holmes and Wyndham Clark guys that I know all hammer the ball. Thankfully, there still is more to golf than hitting it 350, but there’s certain golf courses that you feel like you are two shots behind per round standing on the first tee because guys are going to be getting on 5’s that you can’t get on and you just you’ve got to do it a different way. But I don’t know, I mean, I think a guy like Webb — Webb’s long, I mean, he’s not a short hitter, he’s just short relatively speaking to the — it used to be there was only three or four uber long guys, now there’s like 34 of them. So it’s just, there’s just more guys hitting it a long way. But for me I feel like I’m long enough to compete 90 percent of the time. And that’s okay. I’m okay with that. There’s going to be 10 percent of the time where you’re just like, well, this is not really kind of my kind of a joint this week, I’m going to have to either putt the eyes out of it or I’m probably not going to have a chance to compete this week.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much and good luck this week.

GRAEME MCDOWELL: Thanks a lot, guys.

Pebble Beach, California

February 4, 2020

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Team USA

PGA Tour: Justin Thomas Recaps Top 5 Finish at Waste Management Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 02: Justin Thomas plays his second shot on the second hole during the final round of the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Justin Thomas speaks with the media following his final round at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in which he secured another top 5 finish.

PGA Tour: Justin Thomas recaps final round 65 at 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. Birdie four of your last six maybe the highlight birdieing 16 with the Kobe jersey on. What was this week like for you with what happened a week ago?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I mean it’s always a fun week here in Phoenix, somehow it gets crazier every year with the fans and the amount of people here. But, no, I mean, it was, I guess, a somber week, if you will, it just is, a lot of us playing with heavy hearts. A lot of my good friends from the West Coast area are big laker fans, big Kobe fan and I just kind of became a Kobe fan, just for being a fan of his and loved the way he went about everything. I have a couple Kobe jerseys so it was a no-brainer for me to bring them and wear them on 16.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. Good week, good finish for you today. What was going right for you today?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I hit it a little bit better today. I really, to be perfectly honest I don’t feel like I played very well this week. I got it around really well and I managed my game tremendously and sometimes weeks like this can give me more confidence than winning, as crazy as it is. I mean obviously I would have rather won, but to not have my best stuff, really drive it very, very average, iron game not very sharp, and not really have a hot putter once this week and still to hopefully be able to squeak a Top-5 is pretty good.

Q. I know you’re a big sports fan. Who do you like tonight?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don’t know. I love watching Mahomes play so I’ll probably be pulling for the Chiefs. Good buddies with Gary Woodland so I couldn’t do that to him, so I guess I’m going to go with the Chiefs.

Q. Do you think you’re feted to win this thing one of these years?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I feel like it’s definitely a good course for me. I feel like if I would have played well this week I would have had a really good chance to win. I just kept getting it around, I never once got hot, I never either could make some longer putts or could hit it close enough multiple times in a row to get anything going. So I was very, I’m very, very pleased with how this week turned out for how I felt like I played.

Q. Something click today?
JUSTIN THOMAS: No, I mean I didn’t do anything special today. I hit a wedge in there close on 2 and I made a good putt on 5 and I hit a wedge in there probably 12 feet on 6. And then all my birdies on the back nine were pretty easy, they were short range. I just felt like I did everything I should have done, I mean this course you can birdie, I mean 10 to 12 holes out here, 15 holes, it’s, you just, it’s hard to get it going when the greens are get a little bit firmer like this and they tuck some of the pins but I just felt I could never really get anything going to go low.

Q. Was there any point on the back nine where your focus shifted from trying to put a good number up to potentially trying scare the leaders?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Absolutely, I thought when we were on — I thought when I was walking up 14 I saw the leaders at 15, which I was just couldn’t believe and I was at 11. And I was like, man if I somehow can make about — I had a 35- or 40-footer — I was like if I can make this and eagle either 15 or 17 and birdie 16 and 18 and we can post 16- or 17- they got to at least look at it. That’s all I wanted. And I was — I bombed with that tee shot on 17, that just was bad, I would at least like to have a look at eagle there. But overall I can’t be too disappointed with the last six holes.

Q. Is the zone a thing in golf? I cover a lot of sports, basketball, a guy gets hot they stay hot. Does that happen here?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It didn’t happen today but it definitely happens in golf. I think any of us will tell you that when you get rolling — I mean a round like today, I don’t want to say far from, but it definitely wasn’t. When you get in that 7-, 8-, 9-, 10-, 11-under range and you’re just borderline unconscious it’s a pretty cool feeling. It’s hard to explain.

Q. Curious what you thought of the crowds this week as compared to previous years and not just 16 but the whole experience.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it gets crazier every year. You expect that, you know you’re getting it, so it’s not like it’s a surprise, at least it isn’t to me. And, I mean everybody has their bad stories and their good stories. Fortunately I thought this week it was fine, you’re always going to have a lot of noise and a lot of drunk people yelling stuff, but I guess that’s the Phoenix Open, that’s what it is from time to time, but, no, I mean, it was great, 16 was awesome as always and very, very enjoyable experience.

Q. And how does it compare to other tournaments, like just the size of the crowd?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It’s not even close. You can’t relate this to any other tournament that we play because it’s different. I think I would say 70 percent of the people here maybe don’t come even for the golf they just come for the fun and hospitality and the tents. And there’s a lot of people out here for golf but when you have however many hundred thousand people that’s a lot of people.

Q. Did you and Tony talk about Kobe at all, you both wore jerseys.
JUSTIN THOMAS: No.

Q. He’s your Presidents Cup teammate and all that, he’s vying for the win here. What are your thoughts on your game now, are you a little surprised that he hasn’t picked up a W since 2016?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, we were talking about that today because he obviously handles the pressure really well. I mean, look how he’s played in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup and that’s, I mean, personally, I think the biggest pressure you can get. I mean, I felt stuff at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup that I’ve never felt in a tournament before. So he’s handled that tremendously. So I mean it’s, the thing is you can’t, I mean, no offense, but you got, you’re going to be hard on him because he has been there and hasn’t won, but it’s hard to win, there’s only one every week and you never know when he might go on a little spree and win three or four of six or seven events. Or he might not. That’s the thing that, I hate to say it, but the thing that sucks about this game and the thing that’s great about it is you just have to stay in the right frame of mind to let it happen if it comes.

Q. How much fun is it for big hitters like you to play this course as the second longest driving average on TOUR?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, it’s fun, it’s I feel like I have a little bit of an advantage, I would say mostly into the greens. But when you hit 50 percent of your fairways like I did this week it’s not too much of an advantage.

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 2, 2020

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PGA Tour: Tony Finau Talks Playoff Loss at Waste Management Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 02: Tony Finau plays a tee shot on the 11th hole during the final round of the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

PGA Tour professional Tony Finau speaks to the media following heartbreaking playoff loss to eventual winner Webb Simpson.

PGA Tour: Tony Finau speaks with the media following playoff loss at Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. I know it’s tough to talk right now, but 2-up with a couple to go. Hey, Webb came after you. He made some birdies, tied it up, and I thought you had two great looks at 18 that just wouldn’t go.
TONY FINAU: Yeah, I hit good putts. You know, the first one I hit really good, I thought I made. It would have been nice. It just slid past the hole. Second one, similar line, a little bit further, decided to play a little bit more break and it didn’t break this time, so hat’s off to Webb. A couple birdies coming home and if you’re going to get beat that’s how it should happen. I definitely didn’t give him the tournament. He took the lead from me early and I got it late, but unfortunately, it’s how the cookie crumbles today. And it’s bitter week as I look back on it. But man, lots of stuff to be learned. And I love Webb. I think the camaraderie that I have with him as being one of my best friends out here, it’s, it would have been hard for either one of us to take this victory from each other. He got the upper hand this time, but I love that guy, and that’s one hell of a finish. If you’re going to birdie 18 a couple times you’re probably going to win.

Q. You went from leader to chaser, up 2 with a couple to go. Describe the range of emotions on the back nine and in the playoff?
TONY FINAU: It was crazy. I knew I had to be patient, no matter what. I was going to have a chance to win coming down the stretch if I just kept plugging along. And it was a little tough out there, really firm. Back nine, I thought it was hard to get really close on a lot of those holes. And I mean, I played nicely, coming down the stretch I had some looks. 15, 16, 18, I had some looks to win the golf tournament and they didn’t go my way today. So that’s how the cookie crumbles and I’ll be back on the horse and ready to go again in a couple weeks.

Q. You were in control most of the day. What would you say was the turning point where the tournament started to slip away?
TONY FINAU: Man, no real turning point. Even with a couple shot lead going into 16, I knew I probably still needed to make at least a birdie or two to kind of separate myself. And Webb did what he had to do. He birdied 17 and 18 and ended up birdieing the playoff hole. He’s a great champion and hat’s off to him. I’m a huge fan. He’s one of my best friends out here and I love that guy.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. While this stings now, what can you learn from this going forward?
TONY FINAU: Yeah, just learn my game’s in a great place early in the season. I feel good. I had a chance, a great chance to win this week. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, but my game’s better than it’s ever been. I have more confidence than I’ve ever had. And again, if you know anything about me, I’ll persevere through anything. If you want to say this is a stumbling block or whatever it is, to chase this next one, but I’ll knock it off soon and will be on my way.

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 2, 2020

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PGA Tour: Webb Simpson Recaps Playoff Victory at 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 02: Webb Simpson poses with the winners trophy after winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 02, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

PGA Tour: Webb Simpson speaks with the media following his playoff victory at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open about moving to the top 10 of the OWGR as well as number 2 in FedEx cup points.

PGA Tour: Webb Simpson speaks with the media following playoff victory over Tony Finau at the Waste Management Phoenix Open

THE MODERATOR: I’d like to welcome Webb Simpson, winner of the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Webb, 10th start here, five top-10s, a couple of close calls prior to today. So with that said, the win moved you to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, just, obviously, a great week for you. So just some initial thoughts.

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I flew out Monday to see Butch Harmon in Vegas and so I started the week off right, I think, just getting a checkup from him. And two weeks of rest, I came in feeling ready to go. Slow start on Thursday. And I knew after Thursday I was going to have to put together a few good rounds and I was able to do that, Friday, Saturday. Today was a lot different. Today played tougher. I thought the pins were very tough, by far the toughest day of pins, course was longer, we had wind, we hadn’t had wind all week, so everything today was harder. So to get in a couple under felt nice. And honestly, there on 15 when I drove it in the water, Tony hit a great drive. I didn’t think it was over, but I thought I’m going to really have to do something special to get back in it. And thankfully I birdied the last two to have a chance and then repeated in the playoff. So it feels great. It’s been a year and a half since THE PLAYERS, which is a long time, but it feels great.

THE MODERATOR: I’ve heard you say a couple times down on the green that when it comes to playoffs you haven’t exactly had the best of luck. How did you treat it differently today to get the job done.

WEBB SIMPSON: I think what I learned at RSM was I relaxed a little bit. I felt like regulation is over, I just kind of let my guard down instead of treating it as another hole, the 73rd hole and continuing to stay very focused and very hungry to hit good shots. And I just tried to do that today, and thankfully, same club off the tee, same second shot, almost to the exact same number and it was a very similar putt. So I think getting frustrated after RSM led to being better prepared for today.

THE MODERATOR: Open it up for questions, please.

Q. Paul was saying that you have “step by step” on your wedge. What’s that about? Can you explain that?
WEBB SIMPSON: So I was reading an article about Jeff Bezos and their company mantra or company phrase is “step by step”. And the article was just talking about how he’s always tried to take every step and the company take every step, whether little or big, but treat it really carefully and do the best they can at each step. And I just thought this is a game with so many elements, players, we’re playing outside, that you can only control so much. And so about two years ago I made my focus step by step, just, you know, when I go in the gym, I’m going to do the best I can, when I’m practicing, the best I can. So it’s just a reminder for me to take care of the little things and the big things seem to take care of themselves.

Q. Has it been on your wedges that long?
WEBB SIMPSON: At least a year, maybe longer. Yeah, maybe a year and a half.

Full Leaderboard: 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Q. What does it say to the guy who ranks 160th in driving distance, not only can hang out here, but have the kind of run you’ve been on? And secondly, have you done anything to sort of chase distance or add distance?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I hired Cornell Dreesen, a trainer, three years ago and we set out on a journey to get longer, but very carefully because precision, accuracy, distance control is something for me that’s always been a strength and has to be a strength for me to play well, because I don’t hit it that far. So we just went really slowly, and my speed is more. We have picked up a mile and a half to two miles an hour for the last two years and so we have made jumps. But I just didn’t want to do it overnight. I didn’t want to really take away from something that I’ve always done, which is when I’m, for the most part, playing well, hitting fairways. And we have the luxury on the PGA TOUR to pick where we want to play, which is a really nice luxury to have. And so I, on purpose, stay away from certain places that I don’t think give me good chances to win. And so I think for me not hitting it that far but playing well the last couple years is a lot of being smart about where I’m playing. And I don’t mind playing longer tracks, but it’s just harder to win.

Q. You’ve been on quite a run really since the middle of last summer. But did — at any point, did all those runner ups, I think four of them, did any of that wear on you at all that you had come close but not won?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think the thing that was helpful and encouraging to me that I kept telling myself was, I wasn’t in contention at Memphis when I finished second. I had a great Sunday. Rory shoots 61 at RBC, JT posted and shoots 62. Tyler Duncan birdies 17 and 18 at RSM, which is incredible on those two holes. And so I think it could have been easy for me to get down, but as you look at those tournaments, guys played great and that’s the way the game goes sometimes. Sometimes you get handed a trophy, somebody bogeys a couple for you. And but more times than not you got to make birdies and those guys did it.

Q. You’re back in the top-10 in the World Ranking for the first time since 2012. How would you assess or compare the state of your game currently to back in 2012?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think it’s more well-rounded. I think I’ve had a lot of experience since then, learned a lot. And I really, I mentioned this a couple times, I think, but a couple years ago I was just a little bit tired of being inconsistent and I wanted to be a more consistent player. And I started looking at the weaknesses and really learning from golf tournaments, whether I finished second or 30th or missed the cut. And so I think just becoming more a student of the game and a student of myself has helped. So I do feel just more well-rounded now. And I think my time in the gym has led, not necessarily to a lot of yards, but it’s led to just more consistent feeling in my body when I show up to the range. And that’s a big deal. We’re playing at different time zones, different environments, weather, and so to show up with the same body week-in, week-out is actually a lot more important than I thought.

Q. Talk about your two putts on 18. They looked like almost similar length and similar area when you made them.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, the first one was — I had it right center, Paul had a ball out, so we split our reads. I went right edge or I think that’s what I did, right edge. And, yeah, he helped me there. And then in the playoff it was a little shorter, more break, I was closer to pin high and that was a cup out right to left, and that one we agreed on, which made me feel better. And that one caught the right side.

Simpson Talks Overcoming Playoff Struggles

Q. On the playoff streak, which ended at four today on the losing streak, did you think about 2017 when you lost to Hideki on the fourth playoff hole? Did you say, Oh my goodness, Tony and I are going to go after this again for four or more holes?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it came out. I was riding out and asking what holes we were playing and they said we were just going to stay on 18 for crowd purposes. But, yeah, past memories come up, but it happened so fast, we sign our card, we get in the cart, we tee off, it happens really fast so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think.

Q. Was there a point where you regretted breaking the belly putter and the time period that you went through struggling with some anxiety with putting?
WEBB SIMPSON: No, I mean, I broke the putter in November of 2014 and so Japan, Dunlop Phoenix was my first event with the short putter. And Paul and I just agreed that if we get a year under our belt before the ban happens, it’s only going to help us, even if we struggle. And that was a tough two years, but my dad always told me, You got to hang in there. Like, no matter what life throws at you, your job throws at you, you just got to hang in there. Not that it’s always going to turn out well, but if you’re not ready for things to turn around, then they probably won’t. So I just kind of, there was many frustrating moments, for sure, but I hung in there and tried a lot of different stuff and finally found something that works.

Q. You and Tony are Presidents Cup teammates and you know him pretty well. How hard is that when you play so well at the end to finally break through and then see what it does to the other guy? Golf can be so brutal.
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, it’s hard. I actually thought about that out there. He’s one of my good friends on TOUR. We’ve talked about playing together in team events as partners. I’m comfortable with him. I love his caddie, Greg. And so that part’s hard. I mean, we’re after the same thing. You never want to see a guy mess up. In a perfect world you hit great shots and your score’s one stroke lower. So I hope he doesn’t feel bad about today because he played great. He was over par and then he birdies 12 and 13 and hit great shots coming in, and he’s a world class player, as you guys know. I don’t have to tell you. He’s going to be around for a long time.

Q. As a man of faith, all this week has been focused on the death of Kobe Bryant along with the seven others. Tell us what that means. Every time you went to 16 there was lots of Kobe stuff going on. Think about that as your place as a man of faith?
WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I mean, I tell you what, for a guy that I never knew, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced sadness for the death of someone that I never knew like I did with Kobe. And my caddie and I were talking about it the other night and I asked him, why do you think, you know, this one feels different? I mean, many, many people have died in my lifetime that I knew of, but I think just it hit home to me, he’s seven years older, he’s 41, he has four kids, I have five; he has four daughters, I have four daughters; and he seemed like he was at a place in his life where he’s so excited about what’s going on around him, what he’s giving back to, what he’s involved in. So I think that made it hard, but I hope his wife Vanessa and his kids have felt what we have seen with what people are doing and how people are talking about how he impacted their life. So, yeah, I watched the Lakers game the other night and LeBron, the tribute, so I’ve been thinking about it all week. And I love what they did on 16 today, 24 on, 8 left. My caddie and I were actually trying to figure out that last night. We’re like, I’ve never seen that pin, what are they doing. And we didn’t really think about it until this morning. But, yeah, I mean, my heart’s still heavy, as I’m sure the world’s is, it’s going to be awhile.

Q. What is your schedule going forward for the next month or so and then how do you hope this kind of sets you up for the year?
WEBB SIMPSON: All I know right now is that I’m going to play in Mexico and THE PLAYERS. After that I’m not sure. My schedule picks up starting with the Masters and I play a good amount there after that. So I’m trying to pace myself. The fall, there’s so many good events I’m going to play in the fall, but, yeah, this is a nice start to the season. I hadn’t played a lot so far, so with the FedExCup the way it is, it’s nice to have a few good finishes where I don’t really have to play.

Q. To piggy back off that Kobe question, you mentioned your heart being heavy still processing it, but when the 16th is today is always looked at as a celebration, does that help?
WEBB SIMPSON: I think so. Even LeBron said that the other night, that they’re going to have to turn, at some point turn the sadness into celebrating his life and I think that was well said. Yeah, I think it’s just back and forth. One moment I’m sure that people around Kobe’s family are laughing and telling stories and then at another moment they’re crying. That’s what we experienced with my dad two years ago, you don’t really know what you’re going to do until you go through it, but it feels better celebrating it. You got to get the tears out and be sad, but it feels good talking about the stories and what he meant to people and what he did in people’s lives, that part helps you grieve better, I think.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Webb, congratulations.

WEBB SIMPSON: Thank you.

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 2, 2020

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Team Austria

European Tour: Lucas Herbert Speaks on First Career Victory at The Omega Dubai Desert Classic

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 26: Lucas Herbert of Australia celebrates with the winners trophy after the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 26, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

European Tour professional Lucas Herbert speaks to the media following his first career victory coming at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, beating out Christiaan Bezuidenhout in a two hole playoff.

Lucas Herbert talks first career victory and Australia Day at following the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Q. 50th appearance, first win on The European Tour. How does it feel?
LUCAS HERBERT: It feels pretty good. Yeah, I finished Top-10 quite a few times and that was a pretty cool rush but to win is something else. It’s just such a good feeling, and all of the bad times and all of the hard times and all the missed cuts, they made up for that feeling on the 18th green there when we won.

Yeah, it’s pretty good.

Q. And on all days, particularly special, today being Australia Day? g
LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, I mean, just the fact, everything that’s gone on back home, if I can a little bit of joy to the guys who are struggling back there, yeah, it’s real special, and go back and celebrate with the guys, brilliant.

Q. A lot of heritage with this event, 31 years. How have you found your time in Dubai?
LUCAS HERBERT: I love coming here. Down in the marina and down in the beach there, it’s a phenomenal city. Obviously the golf course here with that backdrop is something else. It’s pretty cool to watch golf shots take off into that. Love coming here and it’s definitely one of the first events on the schedule when I write it down the end of this year.

Full Leaderboard: Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2020

Q. How did you find the course itself; pretty challenging?
LUCAS HERBERT: It was brutal out there. That rough was up pretty thick. Those greens were baked. That little bit of rain through sort of the back nine kind of helped, because otherwise, those things were a lot to deal with.

So it tests so many parts of your game. It almost felt like a major in a way with the amount that you sort of just had to plan where you miss shots. It wasn’t necessarily about trying to hit it close. You just had to make sure that you didn’t miss in the wrong spot, and you know, thankfully that’s what I did.

Q. And then thoughts going through your head through the playoff? Obviously going through 18 twice must have been pretty difficult at the time.
LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, I mean, I was so proud of the way that I obviously wedged it close and forced that into extra holes. I made probably a poor swing on the first tee shot and obviously a horrible swing on the second shot on the first playoff hole but I was pretty quick to work out what was going on there.

I felt like I knew what I did and I was able to correct that for the second playoff hole and felt like I hit two really nice shots there and really put the heat on Christian and kind of made things easy for me there at the end.

Q. Will you be back here next year? Going to be training in Dubai the week before and defend your title in 2021?
LUCAS HERBERT: Usually it’s back-to-back with the Abu Dhabi event last week, so I mean, this is one of the first events I’ll put on the schedule. It’s a great event. It’s awesome golf course. Obviously suits me. This week, when it’s tough, this is perfect.

Yeah, if I’m fit and healthy, I’ll definitely play this event next year.

Q. Any of your friends or family or you have been personally affected by what’s going on in Australia?
LUCAS HERBERT: Not with these fires, no. None of my family or friends have lost anything, but I think the wildlife’s been the biggest thing affected. Just surprising the number of deaths that are with wildlife. You look online with social media and see the donations that are being made. Like the things that celebrities and sports stars are putting up for auction, it’s phenomenal. They are getting behind everyone so much.

There’s a big sense of community within Australia that we are going to fight these fires and get through them. Fingers crossed for a little bit of rain; that might help, as well. Luckily, I don’t know anyone affected by them, but it’s still pretty bad.

Q. Can I ask you, it’s been a great run for Australian golf at the moment, Adam Scott winning before Christmas. We saw Cameron Smith win in Hawai’i.
LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, if I’m part of that club, that’s a pretty good club to be a part of. I think we’ve got some great players obviously playing. We are pretty well populated on tours around the world.

So yeah, it’s always great to see us Aussie guys succeeding, playing well, winning. We all get behind each other, so yeah, I’m glad I could add to that list.

Q. And talking about adding names to list, you look at that trophy Tiger Woods winning, Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy, Thomas Bj�rn. Good to be in that sort of company, as well?
LUCAS HERBERT: That’s pretty cool. I know Rory won this start for his first European Tour win, so we are both in that club. That’s a pretty cool club to be a part of, too.

Q. Can you just talk to us about the 18th hole, the playoff, the first time, what were the thoughts going in your mind, and the shot that you hit, what did you tell yourself?
LUCAS HERBERT: Which shot.

Q. The first playoff hole.
LUCAS HERBERT: Second shot, yeah. We said at the start of the week, anything more than 250 to the front edge, we weren’t going to go for the green and it was 246. So it was right on sort of the go number.

I kind of thought before the playoff, Christian is pretty short, and he’s probably going to get home in two. Actually I was quite surprised he got home for two in that second playoff hole. I thought if I could use the advantage of getting on the green in two. It’s a pretty hard pin to pitch at. So I thought I would use my advantage there and get it up on the green; that might be helpful. Obviously didn’t make the greatest swing there with the second shot.

But then from there hit — like I spoke about it with my mental coach that we’re going to make some bad swings and some — there’s going to be some unlucky breaks out there, and if you look back at anyone who wins tournaments, no one does it perfectly. Everyone hits poor shots here or there and everyone has a bad break, and it was just a poor shot.

Thankfully I had the worst shot I hit with the week with the best shot I hit of the week to force the second playoff hole. And obviously with Christian hitting it in the water on the last in regulation and feeling like he had that and lost it, it might have put enough pressure on him that that second playoff hole birdie was good enough to win.

Q. Winning so early in the year, two-year exemption, which is virtually a three-year exemption, what does that do for your career and schedule-wise rest of the year?
LUCAS HERBERT: These are questions that I have not even thought about. I mean, goal early in the year was to play well, try and get myself into bigger events like try and get myself into WGC events or whatever, those kind of stuff, majors.

I haven’t even thought about what this is going to do, but the bigger events we can get into, the better, and hopefully I’m looking forward to try and play in those, and you know, win again. That would be great. It was a pretty good field, so I wouldn’t mind doing it again.

January 26, 2020

Dubai, UAE

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Team UK

European Tour: Tom Lewis Speaks on Valiant Final Round Effort at The Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Tom Lewis of England plays a shot during the final day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai on January 26, 2020. (Photo by KARIM SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

European Tour professional Tom Lewis speaks with the media following a final round 74 which led to a third place finish at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

European Tour: Tom Lewis addresses the media after coming up just short at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Q. Given everything down the stretch, a brave put at 16 to keep the dream alive but you’ve come up short. Reflect on the day?
TOM LEWIS: It was always going to be a difficult day. Found the wind was down out of the left, a lot of time I was struggling with that wind, and I think around here you can’t miss greens. Around here, it’s going to be difficult. The greens look so fast and I think when that rain came in, it slowed it up and I think that’s why you see a lot of my putts came up short coming in.

It’s a shame, but I gave it a go and when I holed that one on 16, I thought, here we go, might get a couple of birdies, but just didn’t happen.

Q. Obviously the 68 shot by Christian and Lucas, tremendous scores. Put them into context for us, because they played in the worst of the weather?
TOM LEWIS: Yeah, I don’t see that out there. I thought anything around par, maybe 1-under, would be an amazing score. To be able to shoot 3- or 4-under par around here today, it’s hard to see, but I think Lucas has had a good night the night before, so I might have a word with him to see what he’s doing.

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Q. Tied for third position takes you around 50th in the world. Will depend on results in America tonight, but certainly you’re closer to the dream of playing potentially in the Masters in April. Is that a particular goal?
TOM LEWIS: Top-50?

Q. You’ll be around Top-50?
TOM LEWIS: Well, that holds me up a little bit. I don’t know. I really don’t know how the World Rankings work. I just know that it would be lovely to go to the Masters. To keep missing out on that every year, especially with the start of the career I’ve had, I’ve never been there, and hopefully I can keep playing well, play well next week and see what happens over in America, try to get into some events, maybe they will let me play a few, and maybe I can get in the Masters.

January 26, 2020

Dubai, UAE

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Team UK

European Tour: Tommy Fleetwood Speaks on Huge Bounce Back Second Round at Omega Dubai Desert Classic

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 24: Tommy Fleetwood of England plays his third shot on the third hole during Day Two of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 24, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

European Tour: Tommy Fleetwood speaks with the media following round two of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in which he shot a score of 65 to rebound from his first round 75 to make it inside the cutline.

European Tour: Tommy Fleetwood speaks with the media following round two of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Q. 75 yesterday, 65 today. Just tell us about that from your point of view. 10 shots in one day.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it’s a good change. Yesterday was disappointing, I actually felt like I played okay, I had a real shocker on the greens. At the end of the day those bad days have to get better. But the positive is we practiced for a bit yesterday, I came out this morning, practiced my putting again, felt like I had a better idea of what I was doing. And that just — it doesn’t always work out like that, but just lucky that the bit of work that I did put in paid off today. Really felt like I, at times, I didn’t need hit it that great, but at times I did hit it really well today, and I just made putts, made up-and-downs and that makes a big big difference when you’re playing golf.

Q. Putting itself obviously improved significantly. Once you were out there and you sort of got your self through the cut line in terms of, I’m probably safe now, is it then about narrowing the gap to the top and does that change your mindset?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think you never really want to think about the cut, but obviously when you start off at 3-over the first priority is to make sure that you made the cut and play for the weekend. I think that’s, I mean that is the first priority every time you peg it up week-to-week as professional golfers is to make cuts and make money. So, yeah, like that, first and foremost is try and get your self in the cut line. I feel like I navigated the front nine really well and the course has played so much harder this so you can’t take anything for granted, but I felt like once I got through the front nine, the back nine with three par-5s, feels like there was more chances on the back nine. So I felt very comfortable walking to the 10th tee. And just — but at no point was it trying get your self up the leaderboard, try and make the cut, it was just about doing my best, really. I’m not going to go through all the process stuff, but it was all that and at the end of the day it was a very, very good day and I was just happy that I got some momentum building. And like you say, not out of it yet.

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Q. There was some attention obviously because you’ve got this record cut run going, people are discussing it saying 2018 43 tournaments, now makes 44. Even you must be impressed with that, it’s pretty darn good stuff.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, it’s something that I’m very proud of. I think that — I said before, I would like some more wins possibly as well, but to play week-in week-out and there’s always, it’s so easy to I think make excuses that, I wasn’t putting well this week or, like yesterday, I could have easily said, I’m putting terrible this week, just put it down to that and let’s get on with next week. And yeah, to have played that consistently over that course of time is something that I’m proud of and I think it shows a lot about how I go about things, about the people that I work with and the preparation that we put in, because I’m not going to have played well all those weeks and the standard of golf’s getting higher and higher, so something I’m very proud of, I’m sure it’s going to come to an end at some point, but for now just happy that I’m still here for the weekend.

January 24,2020

Dubai, UAE

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Team Ireland

European Tour: Padraig Harrington Speaks on Long Absence From Omega Dubai Desert Classic

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 24: Padraig Harrington of Ireland plays his second shot on the sixteenth hole during Day Two of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 24, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

European tour professional and major championship Padraig Harrington speaks with the media following round 1 of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

European Tour: Padraig Harrington speaks to the media following opening round of Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Q. Just how good is 71, 1-under par, feel in those conditions?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah I’m happy because I finished strong. I 4-putted second hole today, my 11th, so at that stage, I had thrown away a few shots. I did the same at the par 5, 13th. I took four shots from nowhere. I was feeling bad. But it really got windy on that last nine holes and I made a couple of really good up-and-downs. I’m pleased with the finish.

Q. Give us your opinion on the way the golf course is playing. Some players are coming in saying it’s too firm to be this narrow and you can’t get it on the fairway.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, I’m happy with my driving. It is tough to hit the fairways. But it’s not playing long with the heat.

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If you want to sort all the professional golfers out, just give us firm greens. The chip on the last hole, probably had 40 feet of green and all I’m worried about is chipping it in the water on the far side. Firm greens really sort us out and we find it difficult. If you do miss the fairways, coming into firm greens, it’s very difficult. Firm, fast greens, I could see guys, if you get on the wrong side of things today, you would be moaning. If you’re on the right side, you’d think this is the way golf should be.

Q. You’ve played this championship seven times before but not since 2004. Is it Ryder Cup Captaincy that’s brought you back?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I’d normally play farmers in the States at this time of the year, but I want to be around the European players. And these are the big events on The European Tour; they always have been in the Middle East. As Ryder Cup Captain, I felt I should come.

I’m delighted to be here, as well. I think they are important events, but they are also some of our best events in Europe; the quality of the golf courses and the conditions, they are good events to play in for sure.

January 23, 2020

Dubai, UAE

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Team USA

European Tour: David Lipsky Talks Difficult Setup and Equipment Change at The Omega Dubai Desert Classic

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 24: David Lipsky of United States plays his second shot on the ninth hole during Day Two of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 24, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

European Tour professional David Lipsky speaks to the media following his opening round 68 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic about the difficult conditions and his recent change of equipment.

European Tour: David Lipsky speaks to the media following the opening round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Q. Wonderful opening round of 68 in difficult conditions. What did you do well today?
DAVID LIPSKY: I hit a lot of fairways and greens, and out here with the way the rough is, and how firm the greens are, you’ve got hit fairways to attack pins. Greens are so firm that coming into the greens from the rough is really tough.

Q. What about the mind-set teeing off when you know it’s going to be difficult because the course setup is obviously difficult and then the wind got up?
DAVID LIPSKY: I was fortunate. I was first off so the wind died down my first six, seven holes. Took advantage of those. But the rest of the round was a grind. Just trying to plot my way around the course and give myself as many putts as I could for birdie.

Q. What is the most difficult part of the challenge out there?
DAVID LIPSKY: Definitely the wind. With how tight the fairways are and how they are always at angles, finding the fairways is tough out here and that’s key.

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Q. New equipment, tell us about that.
DAVID LIPSKY: Yeah, switched pretty much everything. No club contract. I can use whatever I want. So I like the freedom, and it’s ended up working out for me.

Q. How about the testing? How did you decide what suits you?
DAVID LIPSKY: I had a manufacture send me a bunch out to my home in the US, and I was practicing and playing with everything for the last month and a half.

Q. Must have felt a couple shots better than that, the way the course is playing at the moment?
DAVID LIPSKY: It’s hard to get close to these pins and I just tried to give myself as many birdie putts as possible today, easy two-putts for par, very stress-free.

Q. New season, new year, and you have change in the bag. How much comfort do you take from not being tied down? I know Sergio is going through a similar scenario and we’ve seen Brooks go that way. Are you getting overwhelmed with a lot of options?
DAVID LIPSKY: A little bit. I just use what I like and how it performs. That really helps give me confidence, so I don’t need to try to fit into any one particular manufacturer. I can just use what I’d like, and it puts my mind at ease out there.

Q. Starting on the 10th today, looks like the back nine might be playing a little bit easier, but the birdie at 12 was probably one of the ones you’re most proud of, I think in the top 5 last year, not a single player birdied that hole all week.
DAVID LIPSKY: I made like a 30-, 40-footer there. That pin is tucked really close to the left downwind, it’s like almost impossible to hit close. You’ve just got to give yourself an opportunity like I did and just hope you make the putt.

Q. Do you have your eyes on any targets, goals this year? We know last season wasn’t where we’ve seen you play before. What do you really want to get to this year?
DAVID LIPSKY: I just want to put myself in contention more often, a little bit more consistency to my game. I worked really hard in the off-season with my swing coach and I’m seeing it play dividends right now.

January 23, 2020

Dubai, UAE

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports