Q. That is your first time enjoying at Doral. What are you hoping to get out of this week in preparation for Augusta?
Properly, I haven’t seen the course, but. Not a lot I can say in that regard. I’ve seen this event right here many instances on TV, and I understand how a lot of a problem it may be. I feel having a high-quality golf course, a high-quality difficult golf course earlier than a serious generally is a great point to get your self prepared and possibly work on among the photographs that you could be want the week after like they have been mentioning.
Simply merely having to execute these photographs in competitors setting earlier than you go to a serious might be actually useful.
Q. So we now have 13 LIV gamers which are enjoying subsequent week, final yr, first, second, third, and fourth place have been Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, all LIV Golf gamers this yr. What do you guys suppose the percentages a LIV participant successful this yr?
That may be a very exhausting query to reply. However you recognize, there’s fairly a number of main champions in LIV, and there’s a few which are Main Champion high quality golfers. So simply pure numbers, when you go along with math, wouldn’t be the very best, however I’m assured that considered one of us can get it accomplished this yr.
Final yr it was such an odd couple of days for you guys, at one level, you have been 5 behind Brooks, and coming again and having to play so many additional holes on Sunday. Simply what do you recall from that? What’s your largest takeaway from that victory?
I feel probably the most you’re referring to, I feel it was on 7 after they known as it. I’ll was 4 again. 5 minutes into the subsequent day, I used to be two again. It’s very exhausting to say as a result of with the cease web page and all of the climate, it was a really totally different Sunday. It was very a lot about coping with the weather and going about your individual enterprise. You had to consider it’s the top of the third spherical and deal with ending robust after which enjoying properly the remainder of the 18 holes, proper.
So in my thoughts, I needed to actually separate these two days, put your self in place, after which Sunday spherical, within the afternoon, attempt to get it accomplished.
My largest takeaway, it’s exhausting. I hold going again to among the up-and-downs that I made. I imply, Phil was mentioning it. It’s a golf course that the place you’re allowed to overlook — I do know he’s explaining it means too simply, in the best spots. However when you’re in sure spots you may get these up-and-downs.
There’s two moments: The up-and-down on 6 to get the lead for the primary time, and the second shot on 14 from the timber, which like he defined, you’ve room. You continue to must execute, and there’s hassle lurking all over the place. However hitting that shot to 4 ft and hitting that birdie putt to take the four-shot lead with two to play have been the 2 keys to the event in my thoughts.
Q. Rory yesterday mentioned he doesn’t consider golf in its present state is sustainable. Do you agree with him, and do you suppose that the circuits must be reunited?
I feel I agree with that assertion, yeah. Each time I get requested a query like this, I say the identical factor. I feel there’s room for each. It’s so simple as that. I feel we now have the chance to finish up with a good higher product for the spectators and the followers of the sport, a little bit bit extra selection doesn’t actually damage anyone. So I feel — I feel correctly accomplished, we will find yourself with a a lot better product that may take golf to the subsequent degree worldwide, and I’m hoping that’s what finally ends up taking place.
Q. I feel that is the primary time since 2017 that you just’ve performed the week earlier than Augusta. Have you ever modified any of your strategy this week?
Is that true, ’17? The method has been the identical. On the finish of the day, it’s the way you make the most of the scenario and the way you put together main into this week. I really was glad to have a event this week as a result of going into Augusta defending is admittedly the primary main championship I’m relying on the venue. Being at dwelling this week might have been a little bit more difficult attempting to manage these ideas. However having competitors, you simply, you recognize, you’re right here to do your job and it’s nice practise in the direction of subsequent week. I feel in any means, it’s going to assist
Q. Once you did your convention name for the Masters a pair weeks in the past, you clearly had put quite a lot of thought into the menu. You wore a tie, which usually individuals don’t do this for the media. However clearly you cared lots and I ponder when you can simply converse to that and the way a lot it has meant to you to be the Masters Champion, how a lot you replicate on it, and if it’s type of weighing on you or when you’re occupied with it lots going into subsequent week?
I put — I wouldn’t say quite a lot of thought as a result of I feel for a very long time I knew the thought of what menu I used to be going to serve if I have been to win. I wished to showcase a little bit of the place I come from and to be honest, Chef José Andres was quite a lot of assist however like a great head chef, he took over instantly. So you recognize, he did quite a lot of that.
However the principle factor why it was so emotional was that precisely. Like considered one of my grandma’s dishes was going to be served on the Champions Dinner and it’s just a bit little bit of me and the place I come from, which has similarities to possibly José — Ollie and Seve, possibly not Seve, regardless that we grew up shut to one another, there’s sure variations.
It’s simply an honor to have the ability to do this, proper. It’s a practice in contrast to every other like many issues that week. To be a part of that choose group of people who received that event and put on that inexperienced jacket with satisfaction and be answerable for the menu is kind of unbelievable. Positively one of many highlights of the week however for some cause undoubtedly one thing I’m nervous about. I don’t know why. But it surely does appear a little bit daunting having to face up in entrance of that group and provides a speech regardless that I do know each single considered one of them has been in my place, a few of them greater than as soon as. I don’t know, simply appears — you’re going to be in that room with the legends of the sport, nonetheless lively and nonactive, and that’s one thing actually cool to have the ability to say and be capable of share.
Q. Have any of you guys been to Augusta this spring and in that case, are you able to simply discuss what it was like, any adjustments, something, or was it only a enjoyable spherical or was it extra to attempt to be taught one thing?
I’ve been there, yeah. I wished to return a minimum of as soon as earlier than Masters week. I didn’t need the primary time again at Augusta Nationwide to be event week, proper. I wished to get quite a lot of these feelings out of the way in which, and in addition see the golf course, see if they’ve accomplished any adjustments. , fairly shortly when the rating man got here out, I acquired one million texts saying that it was 35 yards longer. Properly, we’re going to see what they added and what they modified.
It’s a little bit of each, proper. I’m attempting to see the golf course and be taught a number of new issues and be taught what they’ve modified and simply attempting to have enjoyable. I used to be capable of — a member who hosted me, I used to be capable of carry considered one of my greatest good friend and share that have with them. It was a little bit of each. In my thoughts, it was attending to expertise these feelings of being again, going to the Champions Locker Room and seeing my title up there, and so forth.
In comparison with a yr in the past, how do you come into this? Do you’re feeling brisker? Do you’re feeling sharper? Do you’re feeling in any means totally different, and do you’re feeling totally different? Lots has occurred to you over this yr. Do you’re feeling a distinct individual in some methods as properly?
No, I don’t really feel totally different as an individual in any respect. I don’t suppose I ought to, proper. It’s a little bit totally different. I received lots early on final yr after which I went on a little bit of a month or so the place I didn’t play my greatest. Went to Bay Hill, performed poorly. Went into Match Play, performed poorly. I really feel totally different in that sense.
At the moment I knew I used to be able to enjoying actually good, proper. Clearly I had accomplished all of it yr however that month was a little bit of a droop, which in a bizarre means helped going into that Masters. I used to be an amazing favoUrite, however Scottie was nonetheless extra of a favorite than I used to be.
This yr I really feel like I’ve been enjoying actually good golf however not over that hump of successful but. I’m assured now, and I’m equally assured on my sport just about any given day of the yr. I feel that’s how any competitor needs to be. However that is that distinction of how I’ve been enjoying the previous few months. I’m snug. Just a little brisker, if something, going into these subsequent few weeks, so trying ahead to it.
