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HYUNDAI TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 6, 2016

Patrick Reed

Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

ALEX URBAN: Welcome Patrick Reed, defending champion, to the interview room here at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

You won in a playoff last year, pretty exciting finish and you made an eagle down the stretch. Talk about how that win set up your season. I know you had a few good finishes so far this season heading into the tournament, and just how you're feeling, what it's like to be back here at the site of your victory last year.

PATRICK REED: And to be in a place like this, very special. You don't have very many of those views when you step up on the first tee, that's for sure. Anytime you can come back, always means you did something well last year. And I started off the year with a win right here, which is nice and hopefully I can play some good golf this week and contend on Sunday again.

Q. How well does this course fit your game and how much confidence do you have after last year here?
PATRICK REED: I have a ton of confidence, that's for sure, especially with winning it from last year. The golf course fits my eye really well. A lot of the holes, seems like I can work it right-to-left and I've worked really hard this off-season on not only working the ball right-to-left but also working it left-to-right, so I can have both shots. I think that was key and I think that's what allowed the succeed I had toward the end of the season really led into, and I was getting more and more comfortable with the golf swing and looking forward to getting started.

Q. You've been dancing around the lead for the last six tournaments worldwide. What is it going to take to get back into the winner's circle for you? Is it one put here or there?
PATRICK REED: Just about. It was one -- 71st hole just off the green in China and a lot of the other times, it seems like it's one putt here or there.

Q. The weather can change dramatically, quickly, here. Tell us what it was like for you out there today, how did it start and how much could the weather play a factor this week?
PATRICK REED: Well, if it was like today, it can play a pretty big factor. Today, started on 10 at 8:00 in the morning and hit my drive. And when I was driving up the cart to the fairway to my ball, it was blowing so hard and it was raining. I hit 9-iron from 114 yards and didn't even get it to the green. It went a good probably 101 or 102 yards. Played completely different than it did the past couple days.

I hit 4-iron into 13, which normally is a wedge, but at the same time, you turn around and you play holes like 12, and you can basically drive the green. So it just all depends on what you're going to kind of get dealt and hopefully go out and have a game plan for every condition so you know how to play.

Q. A lot of attention and headlines on Jordan, Jason, Rory, Rickie, the Big Four --
PATRICK REED: Not up to me on that. It's more on what the media thinks. All I can control is really what I do and play golf and just try to get better with myself and the game and everything else, because if I take care of myself and improve day by day, then at the end of the day, that's all I can control.

Q. Do you feel your game is at the point where it's as good as any of those guys and that you can compete with them week-in and week-out?
PATRICK REED: Well, right now, I feel like my game is the best it's ever been. I'm definitely trending in the right direction. A couple of my weaknesses I'm improving on and that's all I can really control. Haven't seen the guys in a while. I don't know how they have been playing. So kind of really hard to say if I am playing as well as one or playing better than somebody when really, just kind of all depends.

Q. There's a sort of shift that we're in now, guys having success right out of the gate. Can you kind of feel this generational shift going on, being part of it, especially with Tiger being out and not knowing when he's coming back and Phil 46, that sort of thing.
PATRICK REED: Phil's 46? I didn't even know he was 46.

Yeah, it's one of these things that it just seems like the younger guys coming out of college, they grow up watching guys on TOUR and just keep on trying to strive to get to that point. So they keep on improving and getting better, and seems like all the young guys are just working hard to get to that point. Just like every sport, you look at football back in the day, guys were smaller. Now they are bigger, faster and stronger. Same thing with basketball. Just seems like that is kind of the trend that golf is going in now, as well.

Golf is a funny game. You can be in your teens and win four events or you can be 50 and win four events. That's just the nature of the game and it depends on who has it that week.

Q. You talked about addressing weaknesses. What are some things you want to do better this year?
PATRICK REED: Mainly hit a cut. If I need to, I can go and hit a cut. It seems like there's more and more right flags throughout last year compared to normal, going back and looking at different pin sheets and all that, it seems like the flags are now tending to go close to the edges and close to the right side.

With a draw of the golf ball, I need to kind of know how to get to that right flag without taking unnecessary risks by starting it off of the green and working towards it.

Q. A lot of guys have been talking about the game from a hundred yards and in and it seems like everybody is looking at their wedge game and seeing how they can do that a little better. Is that something that you paid particular attention to?
PATRICK REED: I think that's a normal thing that every TOUR player tries to get better at is wedge scoring clubs. I would say from pitching wedge on down, being able to get it close from off the green -- inaudible. You don't have those a ton, but when you do, those are green lights no matter where the flag is to try to hit it close enough to have a kick-in birdie.

Q. How long were you able to put the clubs away for and what's the longest you've ever gone?
PATRICK REED: I had ten days where I didn't touch a club, but I only had a three-week off-season. Not really stopped. Just keep on grinding, keep on playing.

Q. What did you do during those ten days, anything fun?
PATRICK REED: We had our anniversary. We had a birthday. We had Christmas. It was kind of just a bunch of holidays and hang out with the family and have a good time and try to get ready for the season.

Q. Do you worry if you were to take three months off, for example, would you be a little worried about, could I get up to speed in time to win this tournament?
PATRICK REED: It just all depends by person. Me, I love to play, I love to compete. So I don't see myself ever really taking three months off.

But if guys are used to take long breaks, they should have no issues to step back into it. They might be a little rusty when they get here for the week. But come Thursday, I'm pretty sure they have preparation to be ready tomorrow tournament time.

Q. How impressive is this field? We've got yourself, obviously four of the top six in the World Rankings, Davis Love kind of keeping an eye on potential Ryder Cup guys, and guys from The Presidents Cup here. How impressive is this field?
PATRICK REED: It feels great. It's really strong this year and that just shows that the guys really think this is an important event. Winner's only event like this is something special. Any time you win, it's just one of those events you always want to come and want to play.

Also back home, it's 40 degrees, who knows what, if that. Anytime you come over here and get some sunshine, get some nice hot weather and get some views like this, it's always a nice get away to come play.

ALEX URBAN: Thanks for your time and good luck defending this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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