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TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP BY COCA-COLA

September 22, 2015

Rickie Fowler

Atlanta, Georgia

MARK STEVENS: We would like to welcome Rickie Fowler to the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP by Coca-Cola.

Ricky, you entered the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP by Coca-Cola at No. 3 in the FedExCup standings. Talk about your goals coming into the week and then we'll have some questions.

RICKIE FOWLER: I think the goals are pretty simple. Win. I think that will take care of a lot of things.

It's been fun to finally play well through the playoffs, get a win at Deutsche Bank and be in a position where I can control my own destiny here at East Lake.

And I think that it's been fun to watch the playoffs as a player, as fans and spectators, there's been a lot of good golf. Obviously, Jason playing well, with the year that Jordan's had, Rory back playing well. So looking forward it a good fun week here. Good competition.

MARK STEVENS: All right. Thank you. Questions, please.

Q. Entering this week in the top-5, how does that change your mindset or how does it affect it coming into this week?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, actually being here in a good position, unlike my past visits, controlling my own destiny, knowing that if I win, I win the FedExCup. It's also with where my game is and the wins that I've had this year, coming in with a lot more confidence, knowing that I can win here. Just continue to do what I've been doing. Only have to beat 29 guys. But they are the guys playing the best.

Obviously, like I talked about, a lot of guys playing well right now, so it's going to be a fun week. Definitely going have to earn the win here.

Q. You've mentioned all the other fellows here and your kind of, your generational group here. How much are you all pushing each other, do you think?
RICKIE FOWLER: We're, I know probably consciously pushing each other and at the same time. Guys are being pushed, whether they know it or not.

It's a lot of fun to see your peers and your buddies play well. Because at the same time it kind of motivates you to do the same.

I know last week playing alongside Jordan and Jason, watching Jason play very well the first two days and Jordan got things going, I was just trying to tag along.

But you can push each other along as well. So it's fun to have the guys playing well, it brings out the best in everyone else and this week's going to be a good hard fought battle.

Q. What will you look at in deciding when you cast your ballot as you do every single year since you've been on TOUR, for Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, the wins, on the Player of the Year side. Majors. Majors are big.

With what Jordan's done this year, it's pretty amazing.

Jason's making his late charge, so he's not making it any easier on the voting side of it.

Rookie of the Year? I mean you look at the two guys that are really standing out between Justin Thomas and Daniel Berger. It says a lot for Berger to earn his way here to East Lake and the TOUR Championship, so. Yeah, the guys, all of us voting, have some tough decisions to make. It makes things harder when guys are playing well.

Q. You guys have arguably the longest season of any athlete. If the season had ended after the last Major, obviously you would have fewer wins. What have you gained in just this last couple months of play?
RICKIE FOWLER: It's hard to really look at it when the season's ending and stuff like that, other than playing through the playoffs and knowing that this is, being the TOUR Championship, this is the cut off, this is where the FedExCup champ gets crowned.

Other than that, really just trying to play as well as possible and being ready to play at every event we show up at. After this, I have a week off, straight to Presidents Cup, to Vegas and China and so it's not like anything really slows down much.

November, December, we get a little bit of slower time. But, really, like I talked about, it's all about being ready to play and bring your best to the table when you're showing up at events.

So, in a way I don't really look at it as this is the season ending and I'm going to go try and make things better and change things for the next year, because we're straight into it. Just try and continue to get better, continue to work on the same things that Butch and I have been working on and continuously try and get better.

Q. When you have your peer group, when you're all so competitive right now and you have to be ready to play your best every week because of that, is there a down side to that in terms of just emotional fatigue or any kind of where it's tougher to maintain that high level?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well this year I probably played the least amount of events that I have in my career, and part of the reason is to make sure that I'm ready to go when I do show up at events. Because, yeah, being -- playing at the highest level, being in contention and trying to go win golf tournaments, it is more so mentally of a grind than it is physically.

I can stay at home and go play 36 holes every day and go have fun with the buddies, but that's a lot easier to do mentally than it is being out here playing against the best players in the world for just a couple weeks at a time.

So, the rest and recovery is a big part of continuing to play well throughout the year and over the course of your career.

Q. Have you given any thought to what you would do with the 10 million dollars and is it any -- is it difficult for you to keep that out of your mind as you're playing this week?
RICKIE FOWLER: I mean, yeah, it's, it would be a nice little bonus. I haven't thought a whole lot of how a little bit may be used in the near future, but I think the biggest thing is trying to cap off a great year so far.

It would be pretty special to have a chance to win it all, especially with the years that Jordan and Jason have had. And to be in the top-5 with four other great players that have played very well, it would be fun to see it come down to some guys that have a chance to control their destiny being in contention. It could be -- it could come down to the last hole.

There's a lot at stake this week. It's going to be fun. But, no, once we're out there, not really worrying about the money. You just want to beat everyone this week and get that trophy at the end.

Q. Looking ahead a little bit, you're on the IGF rankings as qualifying for the Olympics, if you stay there. What are your thoughts in playing in the Olympic games?
RICKIE FOWLER: It would be -- really, any time you get to represent our country, whether it's the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup, back to the Walker Cup and different team events that I've played, it's always a lot of fun.

To be able to represent the U.S. and be there for opening ceremonies, closing ceremonies, it definitely would be something that I would like to experience. If I continue to play the way I've been playing, then I'll be there. Can't really say a dream come true just because golf hasn't been in the Olympics for so long.

But I've always enjoyed watching the Olympics and thinking about how cool it would be to walk in opening ceremonies, closing ceremonies and to be there to be around the best athletes in the world. And then on top of that, get to go try and win a gold medal for the U.S., it would be a great experience. So I'm looking forward to having that opportunity.

Q. Watching you guys play last week when you're walking around it's almost like just a Saturday out with your buddies. The way you and Jason and Jordan are getting along. What is Jason like to play with, specifically, and what great truths do you talk about while you're walking the fairway together?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, we definitely have a great time out there. In between shots chatting it up, walking the fairway and fairway to green. It's a lot of fun, because we are good buddies, we enjoy playing together. We also enjoy trying to one up each other out there and beat up on each other. That kind of goes back to the motivating side of it, as far as I like to see those guys play well, but I want to play better.

So, it is fun, especially when we all get playing well and it was cool to see what Jason did last week and to have a front row seat those first couple days. It was very impressive. He's definitely made a name for himself at the top of now world No. 1, very deserving. He's played incredible this summer. It's been kind of a long time coming for that to happen.

And, yeah, golf's in a great spot right now, we got a lot of guys playing well and hopefully we can all continue to do that.

Q. Sunday will mark the end to a pretty incredible PGA TOUR season. Not including your self, what's maybe your most favorite memory or moment that you'll take away from this season?
RICKIE FOWLER: Outside myself, probably seeing what some of the other young guys have done. How Jason's played and getting multiple wins this year. It was fun seeing Jordan knock off a couple Majors. Now it's just time for me to join the party on the Majors side. But so on my side, obviously, THE PLAYERS is what stands out but it's been fun to see some good friends of mine get some wins.

Q. You mentioned Jason and Jordan in the Player of the Year conversation. And you mentioned the value you place on Majors. But if you or Rory were to win this week, would it change your vote or how you vote?
RICKIE FOWLER: No, I don't think that that would change the vote really at all. I don't think him and I are in the talk for the Player of the Year right now. So, no, I don't think that changes a whole lot. We have some, we have a tough decision between the two of those guys.

Q. What kind of goals did you set yourself this year and how many of them did you check off?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well the main goal was to win. We got a few of those. So that was a success there. Playing well through the playoffs, getting here to East Lake for the TOUR Championship. Really the only one that I didn't get was winning a Major. So, I guess we'll keep that one on list for next year.

MARK STEVENS: Okay, thank you for your time. Best of luck this week.

RICKIE FOWLER: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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