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THE PRESIDENTS CUP

October 6, 2015

J.B. Holmes

Songdo IBD, Incheon City, Korea

Q. J.B., a week ago you weren't on the team. Can you walk us through the process, what you were doing in Kentucky?
J.B. HOLMES: I was in Florida actually, but I was getting ready for off-season. I was just taking some time, resting. That only lasted about a day. Jay called me on Tuesday and just said Jim's hurt. There is a possibility that he might not be able to go. You would be my pick, so I just wanted you to be ready.

I had to get some plane flights lined up just in case. From that point I went out and practiced a little bit and it changed my mindset to come, not knowing whether I would or not. Then I was in touch with Jay throughout the week, but didn't really get the final call until 9:30 on Friday. Then Saturday morning the flight was at 7:30.

Q. What were you doing in the off-season? Were you playing video games?
J.B. HOLMES: Nothing. I was just going to sit at home and play some video games and just relax. It's been a long year. It was a great year for me. The first week off for sure I was just going to take a break and just hang out with my wife and the dog and play some games, go eat dinner and just relax.

Q. What video games?
J.B. HOLMES: I'm playing Destiny right now.

Q. Destiny?
J.B. HOLMES: Yeah.

Q. How excited were you when you got the call on Friday?
J.B. HOLMES: Extremely excited. One of my goals this year was to make the Presidents Cup team. It was obviously disappointing when I didn't get in there. But I feel bad for Jim. Obviously I know how much he loves to play in these things, but I was excited for the opportunity to get to go.

Q. What do you think of the golf course?
J.B. HOLMES: I like it a lot. I think it's great. I think it's great for long hitters. You've got some pretty big fairways and you can definitely attack it with your irons. It sets up really good, so I like it a lot.

Q. Do you have something that is a match play strategy for teams?
J.B. HOLMES: If they start moving around some of the tees. They're talking about they might move them up on a few holes. So there are some strategies coming off shorter par-4s. So as of right now there's not a whole -- I don't think there is a ton of strategy on a lot of them. You hit them in the fairway, hit them on the green, make the putt, that's the strategy.

Q. Do you have a person that now you've played in a Ryder Cup and you're playing in the Presidents Cup, do you have a preference like someone that fits you as a good partner in both formats?
J.B. HOLMES: There are a lot of good players out there. We don't know yet exactly what we're going to be doing. So I'm thinking alternate shot we have to look at trying to put people together that have similar games and similar distances. I think that's a good thing so they're not playing from yardages they're not usually at. And then best ball, you're playing your own ball there so you can kind of throw anybody together. I feel like personalities go together and a lot of great players on the team, so you can't really have a bad partner there.

Q. What do you think of the possibility of this with the last couple starts?
J.B. HOLMES: When I heard Jim got hurt, obviously it pops in my mind I thought there was a possibility that Jim does a whole lot of tournaments and there were three or four weeks in between there. So I kind of pushed it out of my mind. Said just go out and play, and whatever happens, happens it's out of my control. So I've really taken that approach every time I've teed it up. I'm swinging well, playing well, and just go from there.

Q. What were your plans this week?
J.B. HOLMES: Um, just rest. Really no plans except hanging at the house. It's been a long year. Just hang out at home with my wife and play with the dog and just be home. Haven't gotten a chance to be home very much, so just be home.

Q. What's helped you do so well when you did play Ryder Cup?
J.B. HOLMES: I've always really loved team events. I like match play. I think obviously being able to hit it a long ways and getting in front of the other guys and you get to see their shots and put pressure on that, I think that's an advantage in match play. I've just always loved team sports, and with golf being so individual, you don't get to be on teams very much. So I've really enjoyed the atmosphere and getting to have a partner, it's a lot of fun.

Q. Is there someone that you think would be a good pick for you this week?
J.B. HOLMES: I mean, we've got all kinds of great players out here. I'll be lucky to get paired with any of them. A lot of good players. All ranked highly in the world, so there are really no bad pairings out there.

Q. What's Jay been like in the team room?
J.B. HOLMES: Oh, he's been great. He's been a leader so far and just trying to keep it relaxed and have a good time. We've had a lot of fun so far.

Q. You've been on one previous team. What's Phil bring to the team?
J.B. HOLMES: He brings a lot of --

Q. What is the weirdest thing he's done already this week?
J.B. HOLMES: Oh, he talks a lot. He had some pretty baggy flag pants on last night. He has a great personality to have in the team room. He brings a lot of guys together. All the experience that he's had from the past.

Q. Does that matter, experience?
J.B. HOLMES: A little bit. I think you see a lot of younger guys coming out that have played really well, so I think it does help some for some of those, but definitely you see guys come in and play well right off the bat. Everybody that's played golf before has played match play before. You can say they're rookies coming into these situations, but they've been under pressure situations. They've won tournaments. They've been in situations where there is pressure, so it's hard to really call somebody that's played well enough to be on a 12-man team really a rookie even if it's their first time.

Q. Did you understand why Jay Haas went to Phil at 30 instead of you or somebody else?
J.B. HOLMES: Obviously I was disappointed in the pick. It's their decision. I understood why. He wanted some experience on the team, and that's definitely a solid pick and Phil has obviously played great in these events. So obviously I wanted it to be me, but you can't really -- it's his choice. Definitely not a bad pick.

Q. What would you have been doing this week if you hadn't been here?
J.B. HOLMES: I'd be at home, sitting on my couch.

Q. Watching at 3 o'clock in the morning or no?
J.B. HOLMES: No.

Q. When did you book your ticket? Was that ever strange at all to have a ticket booked and then basically know you weren't coming over unless it was bad news for someone else?
J.B. HOLMES: Yeah, it definitely was strange. They called me Tuesday saying that I would be the pick if Jim couldn't go. They said Jim's wrist was hurting. It was a possibility, so we had to set up some flights then. Yeah, it was a blessing and kind of a frustrating week at the same time because I was wanting to get some rest, but at the same time I knew I had a chance to go, so I was trying to practice and mentally prepare for going overseas and all the stuff you have to do.

Then again at the same rate you don't really know if you're going. But it was, like I said, Jim's a great player. He's played great all year and definitely deserves to play. I hate for him not being able to go, but definitely excited about the opportunity and the choice to get to come and play.

Q. The most important question, what do you think of your Avatar?
J.B. HOLMES: I haven't really seen it yet. I saw it yesterday a little bit, because when I first got here they didn't have it all set up. Being a late addition and everything, I think I threw them for a loop on the avatar. But any time you can get in a cartoon, I guess that's good.

Q. Are you playing next week?
J.B. HOLMES: No, I'm not.

Q. Were you planning on it?
J.B. HOLMES: No, I was taking off until China.

Q. You just going to do the one?
J.B. HOLMES: Right now coming over here we'll see how my schedule works out. So originally I was planning to be over here now and I didn't get on. So we'll see. I definitely need to get some rest and definitely take a break.

Q. Did you play extra tournaments trying to make the team?
J.B. HOLMES: No, I pretty much stayed to my schedule and took the rest that I needed to and tried to play well. I figured it would take care of itself whether I make it or not. Thinking about that while you're playing and stressing it's not really a good thing to be in, just to play your game and do your normal stuff, that's pretty much what I did.

Towards the end of the season I usually play most of those anyway. So it wasn't like getting down to the end, I wasn't really pushing it. So obviously I really wanted to make the team, but with the playoffs and everything coming up, I didn't want to play so many tournaments that I was worn out and still had to take a break.

Q. Did Jay call you? How did you find out you were going to make the team?
J.B. HOLMES: He called me Tuesday and said that Jim was injured.

Q. No, I'm sorry, how you didn't make the team?
J.B. HOLMES: Yeah, he called me. He called me and told me. I think it was a couple hours and he told me he was going with Phil. Obviously I was disappointed. I wanted to be on the team very much, but I understood his picks and I wished him the best over here and told him to go kick some butt.

Q. So when you heard you would probably be on the team if Jim couldn't go, who called you then? The Tour?
J.B. HOLMES: Jay called me.

Q. He did. So it was kind of a reverse?
J.B. HOLMES: Well, he had a tough decision. There are a lot of great players out there. It's really hard to say if he makes a good pick. That's also according to how people play or whatever, but he's got great players here, and golf is golf. There are going to be some weeks you're hitting it great. The ball might not go in the hole and you might not have the best score, but you've got great players here.

It's hard to tell four weeks later if somebody's going to be playing great. We've seen this game before. Some day someone shoots 75, and the next day they shoot 64. So I think overall it's good to see the full year and how they've played like that. He has great players here, and he had a tough decision with a lot of good people he could have played.

Q. Do you feel you have added pressure because of the captain's pick and the way it came about?
J.B. HOLMES: No, he had pressure in all these. I'm thankful to be here and happy to go at it. I mean, it's pressure, yes. But I was pretty close in the points so I felt like no added pressure. I felt like I played well enough to get on the team. The way it worked out I was able to get on the team, but it's pressure in all these events. So I don't feel like I don't belong. I definitely feel like I belong here, and I played well enough to be here.

Q. Who was the first person you called when you found out you made the team?
J.B. HOLMES: I don't remember. I think I called my agent first because he was trying to set up -- we had been talking and he needed to set up flights for parents and everything. So I called him to see if he could get that stuff going because it was pretty short notice in 12 or 13 hours before we had to leave. Then I called my father, and then I called my caddie, so I kind of let everybody know as soon as I could.

Q. Who is here with you this week?
J.B. HOLMES: Well, my parents came, and my wife's here and obviously my caddie came with me.

Q. (Indiscernible) would you give a shout out to the troops that are watching, and just a message of my name is, and thank you for your service and hope you enjoy it and something like that? Whenever you're ready. If you can just look at the camera?
J.B. HOLMES: My name is J.B. Holmes and I want to thank all the troops over there. It's amazing what you guys do for the country and letting me be able to do my job of playing a game. It's not really a job, but I really appreciate everything you do for the country. It's amazing, and just thank you so much.

Q. Because of the U.S. success in Ryder Cup, does it feel different at all from what you've seen so far like in the team room and that kind of stuff?
J.B. HOLMES: Yeah, I've played in one Ryder Cup and the team rooms have been similar I feel like. We've got a lot of guys that had to be here and trying to work together as a team and a unit and trying to figure stuff out like that. But so far it's been pretty much the same.

Q. Did you get a good look at everyone else's avatars?
J.B. HOLMES: I haven't. I focused on the golf course when I got here and practicing, and I haven't really looked at the avatars.

Q. J.B., you've been in the team room with Phil. What do you think fellow players and others say he is a great leader in the team room. What are the aspects that he has as personality?
J.B. HOLMES: He has that take charge personality and he gets to the forefront and talking to everybody and tries to really make the team feel more of a team. It's such an individual sport, and this is the few times a year you get a chance to be a team, and he's just really friendly and about all the players coming together.

Q. Is he as valuable off the golf course in that team room as he is on the golf course?
J.B. HOLMES: I mean, he's a great player, so that's a tough way to say. Any time you can get a personality that everybody likes in the team room, that's definitely an asset.

Q. (Indiscernible). Can that be somewhat of an intimidation factor?
J.B. HOLMES: You have so many great players here and they're the top players in the world. Anytime you can get it a little bit, I don't know if you necessarily call it intimidation or whatever. But if we can be -- if I can be 20 or 30 yards ahead of the guy that I'm playing in match play, that definitely feels like it gives me an advantage. Obviously with the shorter club, also seeing what they get to do. If it's a tough pin and they hit it in a bad spot, and they have to be aggressive and hit a good shot in there, you have to be a little more aggressive.

I definitely think it's an advantage. Like I said, intimidation. There are a lot of world class players here, I would say that.

Q. Do you feel like you be matched up (Indiscernible)?
J.B. HOLMES: I think it would be a good pairing. It's a long hitter's golf course I feel like, but that's up to the coaches. We'll just have to wait to see when they come out with the pairings. It will be great to play with any one of those guys. But I'm just happy to be here, so I'll play with anybody they want to put me with. Just excited for the opportunity, and it should be a lot of fun.

Q. What about the green speed? Is it comfortable to you or a little bit faster?
J.B. HOLMES: Yeah, they're a little bit slower than we normally play on. But in the same sense you can say that, there are a lot of undulations in these greens. So a lot of hills and everything. So if they did get them really fast, it would be difficult to keep the ball on the greens.

So the speed they have, that's pretty good for the amount of slope and stuff they have on the greens. So we've got some putts that are really fast downhill, and you get some putts that are slower uphill.

Q. You mean to say there are a lot of undulations on the greens?
J.B. HOLMES: Yeah, the greens.

Q. So the speeds adjust?
J.B. HOLMES: The speeds adjust on the hill. A little bit slower and the ball will stay on the green. They've got them real fast. If they got them to 12 or 13, I don't know if they have enough pins because there is enough slopes and stuff on the greens. But they're not slow. I mean they're good speed. But with the slopes and stuff on the green.

Q. Considering the slope?
J.B. HOLMES: Yes.

Q. In team play the relationship with your partner is important. Do you have any particular player or players that you feel comfortable playing with?
J.B. HOLMES: They're all great guys. I'm comfortable with all of them. It should be a lot of fun this week. We'll see who we're paired with, and it should be fun. We've got a lot of great personalities and great players. Anytime you can get paired with any of those guys, I feel like we're in good shape.

Q. Tell me a bit about the golf course. What are the challenges they're going to put up this week?
J.B. HOLMES: It's a longer golf course. They've got some wide fairways, so the greens have a lot of undulations, so you need to know where you need to hit it going into the greens with your iron shots. But it's good. It's really good. I like it. It should be a lot of fun. I think it sets up for some longer hitters and you've got to take advantage of a few holes. It should be fun.

Q. How fun is it putting on that red, white and blue and getting together with a bunch of your mates?
J.B. HOLMES: It's unbelievable. I played Ryder Cup before and this is the first Presidents Cup. Anytime you can get a chance to represent your country, it's pretty amazing just to have that opportunity. I'm excited for the week to start and just enjoying every minute of it.

Q. What about the difference between the feel? I mean you played the Ryder Cup, you played at home. You had the thrill of playing close to home. Now you're at the opposite end of the spectrum where you're playing in a Presidents Cup, which you're kind of far away from home. You notice, it's only Tuesday, but the difference in the feel between the two?
J.B. HOLMES: Definitely it hasn't been quite as many -- this is the first day they've had you go out. So not quite as many people, but a different feel and obviously a different country. It's a different feel, different language.

But the people here have been great. It's been a lot of fun. Obviously it was my home state and everything so definitely a different feel, but still an amazing feeling and opportunity to be here.

Q. How is it you came to Korea for the first time?
J.B. HOLMES: This is my second time here actually. I came here about ten years ago. So, yeah, I like it. It's been a lot of fun. Course is amazing and weather has been great so far. The people are very nice, so it's been a great experience, and just looking forward to the rest of the week.

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