|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
THE PRESIDENTS CUP MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 12, 2019Patrick ReedMelbourne, Australia CHRIS REIMER: Thanks to the media for being with us and Patrick Reed for joining us. He was in Turkey during the Presidents Cup captain's selection, so first off, congratulations on being selected for Tiger's team. Looks like you'll be playing alongside Tiger, which is good news, I think, for you guys as a team. I think everybody was fired up to hear Tiger picked himself as the Presidents Cup returns to Royal Melbourne Golf Club December 9 through 15. Patrick, first off, I know you haven't played in an event at Royal Melbourne. What have you heard of the golf course, the area? What have other players or caddies or anyone in the golf world told you about Royal Melbourne? PATRICK REED: I think first off I've heard that the fans and the area is absolutely amazing, and you know, they're always really behind their sport, and because of that, we know it's going to be going into hostile territory and that they're going to be pulling hard for their team, especially being a place where it was our one loss during the Presidents Cup. That being said, I know our team is really focused on going in there and really making sure that we're really focused and out for the ultimate goal, one goal early, and that's to earn as many points as possible and trying to play some great golf while we're over there, and I've heard about the golf course that it's an absolutely amazing golf course. I've heard it plays really firm and fast, and depending on what the weather is, when the wind picks up there, it's a true test of all aspects of your game, whether it's full swing, short game, mental game or just thinking your way around the golf course because there's a lot of different ways to play it. I can't wait to get over there and play the golf course and see the area and just go to battle with my guys and hopefully at the end of the week come back with the Cup. CHRIS REIMER: You mentioned Tiger is a player you've looked up to for a long time. What was it like to get a call from him telling you that you're a captain's selection? PATRICK REED: Well, it was amazing. Being the first situation I've ever been where I had to be a pick, it's a nerve-racking one because I feel like the biggest thing is mentally, it takes a toll. You really have to focus on what you're doing at hand and that's to play good golf to try to make the team. Rather than worrying about who's going to be picked, every time you go out there the only thing you can do take care of is doing your job and that's to go out and play good golf and try to keep your name at the top of the leaderboard so you can put yourself in that position. Definitely was fired up to get the phone call from Tiger saying that I was a pick and that he can't wait for me to be a part of the team and that I'd bring a lot to the team. That means a lot, especially coming from one of the greatest golfers ever to live on this planet. For him to trust in me and the team to trust in me means a lot because it means that I've worked hard and that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, and that's try to go out and play the best golf I can. CHRIS REIMER: Your seventh career victory at the Northern Trust during the FedExCup Playoffs, and then you played well over in Asia with a 17th finish at the ZOZO Championship and a T8 in China at the World Golf Championship HSBC. Q. I wanted to ask, given the situation and you kind of touched on this a little bit, but given the fact that you have never been in this situation before, that you had to wait to be a captain's pick, what were the emotions like, and what are your expectations going into what will be a little bit different than what you experienced in the past? PATRICK REED: Yeah, I think the biggest thing was it was a big sigh of relief. You know, to be one of the guys on the outside of the top eight, you know going into that period of time where you have to -- before the picks, you have to not only play but also play well, just because you're going and play doesn't really mean anything. You've got to actually back it up by playing some good golf, and I definitely dug myself a hole earlier in the year but not having played the type of golf that I'm supposed to be playing, and I felt like things were turning into form going into the Playoffs, and to be able to win that first event definitely helped out, moved myself up the rankings, but I knew there was a lot of work still to be done. To go in and know the situation I was in, to go in and play good golf and at the end of the day if that's all -- really the only thing I can do to put my name on that list, and to be able to play the way I did towards the end of the year, feel like my game is where it's supposed to be, playing some solid golf, to get that call just meant a lot. It definitely was a very tough period of time because you always -- you just never know. It's always an unknown. Q. You seem to have a bit of a reputation of a bit of a bad boy of American golf, an intensely divisive figure. Is that fair, harsh, or how do you feel about that? Is it something you revel in, enjoy? What's the feeling there? PATRICK REED: Personally I just feel like I just have a lot of passion for the game, and go out -- for some reason I love to go in and basically feel like my back is up against the wall and go out and try to prove something every week I play, whether it's during a team event, whether it's at home, just go out and try to prove myself and to go out and play good golf. You know, it's just been something that's always been a part of me. I like to show my emotion on the golf course and show my passion for the game of golf, try to grow the game of golf, and go out there and just do my job, and that's to play the best golf I can and try to win as many times and win as many points as possible. Q. And clearly obviously Tiger has picked you and says everyone on the team will embrace you. Is there anyone in particular you'd like to play with during the course of the Presidents Cup? PATRICK REED: I think the biggest thing is it's hard to pick one or two in particular guys to go out and play with in this moment considering we haven't seen the golf course. Once they get over there and I'm able to see the golf course, all of our guys, we're going to really know kind of, okay, who would best match up with who, and depending on the golf course setup and stuff like that, because really I could see myself playing with any one of the guys. It's going to depend on who we feel best suited for each player depending on the golf course and the setup. Q. Is there anyone in particular you'd like to go head-to-head with on Sunday afternoon in the singles? PATRICK REED: Ooh, whoever is playing best on their team. For some reason I've always loved to go up against the best, and the thing is it all depends on who's playing the best that week because any one of their guys just like any one of our guys, we're at the level now that it literally goes week by week depending on who's playing the best and who could win the golf tournament, whether it's a stroke play event or match play event. For me I've always just loved to go up against the best guy, so whoever is playing the best I'd love to take him on on Sunday. Q. At any point leading up to the picks, did Tiger discuss with you at all what happened in France, and if not, were you concerned that that might have any impact? PATRICK REED: Honestly, no. Tiger and I and all the guys talked after France way before. That was all put to bed, and we all talked about it. We've all moved on, and we're all just really getting excited for this year and to focus on going out and doing what we're supposed to do, and that's to play the best golf we can, win points, and have fun while doing it. Q. Obviously starting at Gleneagles, you sort of positioned yourself as a leader, a guy who really embraced the format. You had very good Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups leading up to last year. Can you say what happened in France? Is it just as simple as your game was off at that point? Or is there anything more to it? PATRICK REED: Honestly, I feel like it was just the game was slightly not where it needed to be, and on top of it, their team from top to bottom, no matter what, played just absolutely amazing golf. When a team is playing that well and you're having to go up against a team that's playing that solid, you have to play just as well and have your "A" game, and I felt like my game was just a hair off, and fortunately I wasn't really able to do anything good in the team part, and then when we got to singles, the game started to come back into form a little too late, unfortunately. But at least I was able to clinch the singles match and felt like that put together the correct type of golf that I'm supposed to be playing. Q. "Captain America" has to be the best nickname for any sports star from the U.S. I would have thought. How did that come about? That's the first part. Secondly, what does it mean to you to play for your country and put on the stars and stripes as a uniform? PATRICK REED: Well, the nickname actually came from fans whenever we were playing over in 2016. You know, it means so much to me to play for our country. I mean, I've always -- any time I can wear red, white and blue and represent our country, it means so much more to me to be able to play. Now all of a sudden you take an individual sport and now you're not just playing for yourself or your team, you're playing for your country and playing for everyone, whether it's just people at home that watch sports, whether it's our families or whether it's all the way to our veterans who are out there and basically giving us our lifestyle to be able to sleep at night, sleep safely at night. My job is easy; I get to go play golf rather than our veterans out there and our military is out there keeping us safe. Any time I can help represent our country, try to bring some joy to our country means a lot to me, and any time I can wear red, white and blue it's always something that I cherish and will never forget and love to do. It's also why I have always carried my folded American flag that has traveled with me every round of golf I've played or practiced. Q. I just wanted to ask you, when you had your chats with Tiger, did he sort of give you any advice about how he wants you to play? Does he want you to continue to play your natural game being very passionate, possibly riling up the crowd a little bit? Is that kind of -- he didn't say he wants you to tone things down or anything like that? PATRICK REED: No, Tiger has always just told me and told all of our guys, be who you are, go out and play golf, and at the end of the day, go out and do your job, and that's to go out every match you go out and play, go out and earn a point because that's really all you can handle. It's something that I've always done. I mean, if I go out there and I try to be someone else or do something differently on the golf course, now all of a sudden I'm playing away from my strengths and my golf game. That's something Tiger doesn't want from any of our guys. He wants us to go out there, feel relaxed, go out and do what we do and play golf. Q. And just following up on that, Tiger sort of said on the call last week, he wasn't exactly sure how much he would play Down Under, but would you like to see him out there as much as possible, or is it just a good thing to have him around the change rooms and a presence on the side, as well? PATRICK REED: I mean, when it comes down to whether it's Tiger Woods playing or any of us playing, we're all going to know as a team and sit down with Captain and figure out who we feel like is not only playing well at the time but who we feel like has the energy and the endurance to go depending on how many matches they're playing and what teams we're going to send out that we feel like is going to be the best for our team to be able to win points and to be able to keep the Cup, because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether you get called to play one match or whether you get called to play every match. The only thing that matters is you go out and do your job. Whenever you get your name called, you've got to go out and earn a point. Just depending on how everyone feels and how everyone's game is is going to depend on how many times they're going to be playing. Q. You made some comments around the process for picking the pairings at the Ryder Cup and suggesting you didn't have any input. Are you comfortable that you'll have input into who you play with in Melbourne? PATRICK REED: Yeah, honestly, I feel like that was whatever Captain Woods and the rest of the assistant captains will tell our players as we're talking on whether it's pairings, whether it's the format or who plays, who doesn't that day, et cetera. I feel confident in our team and our guys that we're going to make the right decisions on who's best fit for the team to go out and play, and at the end of the day, whenever my name gets called out to go play, that's the point when I go out there and try to focus as much as I can and do my job to earn a point, and when I'm not called out there to play, I look forward to going out there and supporting my team. Q. You and Tiger were 0-2 at the Ryder Cup last year. You mentioned earlier you'd like to see the course first, but would you welcome the opportunity to play with him again, or do you have someone else in mind at this stage? PATRICK REED: Yeah, I mean, I would love to play with any of the guys, whether it's Tiger -- any of the guys. Really it's going to come down to who we feel like as a team best suits (audio interruption). It wouldn't be right for me to say that I want to play with Tiger or I want to play with (audio interruption). I mean, as I said, for me, honestly, it would be unfair for me to say whether I want to -- that I should play with Tiger or play with this guy or that guy because we haven't seen the golf course. It all depends on the golf course on who matches up well with each other depending on the strengths of the golf course, et cetera. Honestly for me, I would go to battle with any one of the guys on the team and feel confident that we could go and do our job, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to who we feel like the best match-up is for each golf course. Q. Patrick, I wonder if you could please give me an example based on your experience of having Tiger as your assistant captain in your pod at the Ryder Cup in 2016. What makes you convinced that he'll be a good captain in the Presidents Cup? PATRICK REED: I mean, honestly, his just expertise and advice about the game of golf, whether it's picking apart a golf course, whether it's how to handle each kind of situation for a player, and him not only getting to know the guys but also knowing their personalities and knowing what makes them tick I feel like is amazing. Especially with him being an assistant in the pods, he gets to know a lot of these guys, so he kind of knows who would match up well with who depending on different formats and stuff like that, so he already has that insight. To think that 82 wins, any time Tiger Woods says something, everyone is going to be listening because of how much success he's had on the golf course, and I feel like that's a good sign of a great leader is not only can he get everyone's attention, but also he has all the wins to back it up. Q. Do you feel that the last Ryder Cup did anything to tarnish your reputation as Captain America? Do you feel any pressure to live up to that at the Presidents Cup this time? PATRICK REED: I don't. You know, everyone has bad years no matter what. You know, I mean, I felt like when it came down to head-to-head, to be able to win the my singles, I'm still undefeated in the singles at Ryder Cup. But it's one of these things that you have to go out and play the best golf you can, and the way you take care of whether it's nicknames or whether it's just a rotation or anything, is just to play good golf and go ahead and win as many Cups as possible. At the end of the day, I know that's our biggest focus on this year is to go out and do our job, and that's to win the Cup and bring it back home, considering this is the place that we did lose to. We'll make sure that doesn't happen and that the Cup comes back with us. Q. I had a similar question about how you felt Tiger would do as captain, and having had him as an assistant captain twice, was there ever any -- maybe especially the first one, any sense of intimidation or just being afraid to fail for him, and do you think that would have subsided by now? PATRICK REED: I think the biggest thing is with us, we've all gotten to know Tiger, when he came back from injury and all that kind of stuff, so I feel like with all of us, we've all played with him in the past, and the guys that have been on the teams when he was the assistant, we got to know Tiger off the golf course, and I felt like he made it comfortable for every guy to know him and to get to know him, just not on the golf course but also off, and because of that, we all seem to kind of get along and click very well with him, so we're all comfortable around Tiger, and at the end of the day, I mean, who wouldn't want Tiger Woods as your captain? It's amazing. I feel like all of us are just going to embrace that in year and that situation and go out and play the best golf we can, not only for ourselves and for our country but also for him. CHRIS REIMER: Thank you, Patrick, and thanks again to the media joining us on the line. I know we all look forward to being down in Melbourne December 9 through 15 at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club and seeing the U.S. Team, Patrick Reed included, take on Ernie Els and the international team. Thanks, everyone, for your time, and Patrick, good luck in Dubai, and we'll see you in Australia. PATRICK REED: Thank you, and thanks, everybody, for coming on. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|