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RBC CANADIAN OPEN

July 19, 2016

David Hearn

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

DAVID HEARN: I think today, I'll be presented with the jacket. It's starting to sink in and become a little bit more real. It's something that I've looked forward to for a long time and it's starting to get really close. I'm excited about the opportunity of getting down there and experiencing the Olympic atmosphere. It's going to be a great competition.

Q. A lot of talk about pulling out; was that ever a concern or consideration?
DAVID HEARN: It's something I definitely looked at. You've got to respect the personal decisions that the guys have made to not go to the Olympics this year. We still have a tremendous field even without the players going down. It's something I look at, the Olympic committee and everyone has kept us informed with.

Everything that's been going on, I feel like the risks are becoming more and more minimal. I feel very comfortable and confident. I wouldn't go down there if I didn't feel that way. I think the experience of representing your country and being an Olympian outweighs the smaller risks that are there right now.

Q. You've known that you've been on the team, you were pretty much cemented as one and two, you and Grant. Did you ever waiver on your opinion that you were going?
DAVID HEARN: No, I think I definitely did my homework and looked into everything I needed to do to feel comfortable. Talked with my family. My family is 100 percent behind me. They think it's an incredible opportunity and thrill to represent your country at the Olympics. With golf not being in the Olympics for so long, I think it's going to be a huge thrill to be back there to try to defend the gold for Canada.

Q. How do you feel about your game going into the Olympics?
DAVID HEARN: I feel very good. It's been a little bit of a transition year for me with some of the stuff on the golf course but I've done a pretty good job with it. Last few months I've been playing some great golf. I've been very consistent, very steady. Sort of waiting for sort of break-out rounds.

Coming back here to the RBC Canadian Open, obviously a lot of great memories and emotions from when I was here last year. The outpouring of support from the Canadian fans is something I'll never forget. Hopefully this year I can get right back into contention, have a great week again this week and that will kind of gear me up for the Olympic Games.

Q. How much research did you and your family do to the concerns, the whole medical side of the Zika virus?
DAVID HEARN: I did a fair bit. I definitely, like I said, the players made those decisions and you have to respect that. There is a risk. But I feel like everything that I've researched and the way the COC has kept us informed; the International Golf Federation has done a great job of keeping us up-to-date with all the information. I feel all the risks are very minimal at this time and I'm not concerned too much about it.

I think it's unfortunate that this has kind of overshadowed the competition that's going to be going on. We still have a tremendous field that's going to be down there and it's going to be a great competition.

Q. What have you heard about the golf course?
DAVID HEARN: I haven't heard a ton about it. I've had a chance to look at a view of it. Our coach, Derek Ingram, has been down there on the ground a few times and had a chance to look at it. It's going to be a little bit more of a linksy-style golf course.

From what I understand, at this time of the year, despite the fact it's the Summer Games, it's their winter season in Rio. It's going to be a little bit cooler and breezy. There could be some interesting conditions. I think that being that no players have seen the golf course, it's going to be a very fair competition and it should be a good one.

Q. This is the largest world stage for anything, maybe the World Cup soccer; are you going to allow yourself to enjoy it and to be an athlete, so-called Olympian?
DAVID HEARN: Absolutely. I think that's part of the thrill of being an Olympian is to soak in the culture and atmosphere. We on the PGA TOUR week-in, week-out, we play 35 events a year. I don't play that many personally but we play that many on TOUR. We play a lot of majors and great events.

But to be an Olympian is something that outside of golf, these athletes work at these for their whole life. This is their one moment and time to shine. I'm going to really enjoy watching these athletes compete for that one moment in their lifetime and hopefully I can have a special moment down there as well and come back with a medal, as well.

I'm definitely going to take some time to appreciate the other sports and try to soak in some of the culture. I think it's going to be a great experience.

Q. Will you do the Opening Ceremony?
DAVID HEARN: I'm planning on being down there for the Opening Ceremony. I'll be down there to take that in and the competition starts the following week, so I'll have a few days to watch some of the events and take some of it in.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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