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WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2016

Patrick Reed

Greensboro, North Carolina

DOUG MILNE: Patrick Reed, thanks for joining us for a few minutes here as the 2013 Wyndham Championship winner and fresh off the trip down to Rio.

With all that said, just some comments. On the way in you were talking about the trip to get here and the decision to get up and play 9 holes in the hottest part of the day the other day.

With that, just some comments on being back here at Sedgefield.

PATRICK REED: It's awesome being back. We really, really regretted not coming last year. It was one of those things that throughout the schedule I felt like if I take a week off before The Playoffs then going into The Playoffs I'll be fresh, should have good Playoffs and The Playoffs didn't really pan out very well.

I didn't play great during The Playoffs but the whole week of this event last year I'm at home just watching it and just killing me, "I should be there, that's where I won."

I was regretting the decision and this year there's no doubt I was going to come and play and started getting closer to the Olympics and having the opportunity I might be on the Olympic team, I was looking at the schedule being that means you're going to have 7 in a row.

It's still the thing that went through my mind is what happened last year of not coming and not playing and really regretting that decision that I was like, "It doesn't matter. I'm coming and playing because this is like home to me, going and getting your first win with my wife on the bag." Awesome to be back.

DOUG MILNE: With that I'll turn it over and take a few questions.

Q. Patrick, before looking ahead, if you could kind of describe what the Olympic experience was like for you now that you've had a few days removed from getting back from Rio.
PATRICK REED: It was awesome. They exceeded my expectations. You know, you really don't know what to expect when it's the first event and it hasn't -- golf hasn't been there since 112 years and so you didn't really know what to expect when you got there.

You didn't know how things were going to be really run throughout the whole week. But, no, it was flawless. You get down there, the people were great. There was a lot bigger turnout than I expected out on the golf course with the galleries and, you know, just the traveling to and from, the security and everything, it was awesome. You felt safe.

That was a huge key for a lot of the guys is the security and that kind -- the Zika and really, what I heard about the Zika, of course everyone is going to worry about any kind of diseases or anything like that.

I didn't see a single mosquito all week. I take that back. I saw two and that was actually in my bedroom (laughter). Really, there were no really concerns and when we landed and once you get on the property, I mean you feel great. Felt awesome and really fun event. Just hopefully stays in for awhile and hopefully I'm back in 2020.

Q. What's your favorite memory of the week? Anything stand out?
PATRICK REED: Probably was when we -- well, the two -- my two best memories there, the first one is probably whenever I first arrived because, like I said, you don't know what to expect. You fly in and once you get on-site and you see all of the rings everywhere and you see all the people, you see the flags from around the world, you see all the Rio 2016 Olympics, the signs everywhere, just kind of putts chills down your back thinking one, wow, I'm an Olympian and, two, we're here and get to go play. That was just amazing.

The other one was watching Phelps win his 20th Gold. I never been to a swimming competition ever before in my life and Justin and Kess swam their whole lives.

I heard Kess was a really, really good swimmer. When he got midway through high school, "I don't feel like swimming anymore."

To go over there and kind of be a part of that and the whole team as well the same time we're all sitting together, it's so crazy to see how excited people get over literally a ten second race.

It's ready, go, they're in the water and out of the water. It was so cool to watch. I've never seen one before, only on TV, and it was amazing.

Q. When did you get back into the States, what was the transition like to get here and mentally how hard is it going to be to go from being in the Olympics to being here?
PATRICK REED: Mentally there's not going to be any challenge. The main thing is to make sure you're fresh, you know, not -- you're not going to have any highs or lows now that the week is over. Make sure you get focused on what you're trying to do this week and stay fresh. Because that's probably going to be the hardest thing is to make sure you keep your energy level up.

And we flew out Monday. The whole team did the Today Show Monday morning, 7. We had to leave -- staying at 7:30 in the morning, all got on a plane at 1:00 p.m. and flew to Miami. I was in the air again in less than 30 minutes after I landed. Got in here close to midnight. So, it was a long, long trip. It was a lot of fun to hang out with the guys and having a great time.

It was a long one and when we got in I decided that I'd come out, have my coach, we'll play -- play 9 holes Tuesday and practice and play Wednesday in the Pro-Am.

It was a great decision yesterday. Got out here at 10:00, yeah coach, get to work. By 2 we decided to hit the first tee shot on 10.

From 2 to about 4:30 we're playing 9 holes and it was the hottest I've ever seen it. I remember looking at Justine and Kess and my coach, it is hot.

Halfway through that 9 holes I was just like, "Kessler, what do we have? Kessler, get the yardage. Hey Kessler, you want to carry me now? What do we have in?"

It was tough. But it was good. I needed to get some work in. I haven't quite been completely happy with my play recently. I play golf tournaments to try and win and keep on the Top-10 and haven't got the W. So, I keep on trying to improve.

So, I knew I had to get some work done. I'm going to get a little work done later today. It was fun and can't wait to get started this week.

Q. Patrick, how do you think the course is going to play this week and what's the biggest challenge with this course?
PATRICK REED: It's going to play great. The golf course always plays really well. I haven't really checked the weather this week yet. I don't know if any rain is coming or anything like that.

If there is no rain, it's firming up and getting really fast. These greens are the fastest, firmest and the most pure I've ever seen them. The superintendent deserves a pat on the back for what he's done to this golf course. It's in immaculate shape.

You know, it's one of those that before in the other years I played and the year I won even if you hit it above the hole, of course, you have to respect the putt. You still have a chance. You know, you could stop it either next to the hole or maybe one, two feet by.

I had a couple putts today from 8 feet that literally just get started and if it didn't -- doesn't go in it's 5, 6-footer back. They're really fast. Going to put more premium on ball-striking and really positioning the golf ball.

Q. Back to the Olympics, do you think the excitement of this year's Olympics will create some real interest in four years from now in Japan?
PATRICK REED: Oh, I would think. You know, I don't know really because I know they might change some things for 2020 so I mean even if they kept it with how it was, I feel like almost everyone would play because it's an experience.

When you go over there it's so much fun. We had a blast. And, you know, it's not only fun on the golf course because you have fans from all over the world, all different flags going, you have different languages going, you have everyone in the world, doesn't matter any differences they have or anything, they're all coming together and all coming together on the golf course.

It's not like all these other sports where 10, 15 second races or two minute races. You have six hours a day, four days in a row and the whole world has come together.

It's so cool and it was awesome to see and one of those things that I hope that just keeps on growing and growing because I felt it really helped not only with golf being in the Olympics and stay in the Olympics but I felt it really helped grow the game that one week. It needs to continue.

Q. Patrick, two questions. First, now having played in the Olympics, would you like to see the format stay the same for next time or would you like to see it tweaked and, if so, what would you suggest?
PATRICK REED: I would like to see it tweaked. I was thinking what would be pretty cool is so you take the top 15 in the world and those countries.

So if you have every country -- so let's say 30 countries. We have 30 total countries playing. You have two man teams and you start at the top and the top 15 in the world -- say there's three Americans, then that means there's four guys, so there's two, two man teams because I noticed in all the other sports, I was flipping through channels and watching -- as I was flipping, had like 10 channels, all of them were Olympics channels. Down there got to see every event I wanted to.

One of them was beach volleyball. When I flipped I was like, "Wait a second, that's Canada versus Canada. How is that possible?"

I found out there's other teams that you can have multiple teams in the same country. So I think they should do 30 countries, two man teams, stroke play where you have to count both of them.

Because what I felt like is just like in normal stroke play event that you play anywhere in the Majors, if you make the cut or you're in the event and you're bottom half, you're not really playing for anything.

You're out there, playing for your country but, at the same time, you have zero chance of getting on the podium unless you shoot 50, which is not going to happen.

So, I feel like if you have two man team stroke where you have to add the score on everyday, it doesn't matter if you are 6-under or 6-over, you have to grind throughout the whole time.

I think that also help grow the game because if you're playing well or you're playing poorly you're really having to grind the entire way and the people that are out there watching, if they're sitting on a hole they're not coming by and seeing someone kind of go through the motions and as it goes on you're seeing guys really grinding.

And also that would have been I felt like a pretty, pretty cool kind of thing because you're going to have someone cheering for someone. Even last week when we were playing, there's four Americans there, we're all cheering for each other but really at the end of the day we're all trying to beat each other.

The same thing for any other of these players, they're cheering for their country but, at the same time, they're wanting to win.

So if you have someone also to cheer for you also get the guys going back out on the golf course, cheering everyone on. Almost kind of like a Ryder Cup thing, you're the first match, you finish, you're back out on the golf course watching everybody, trying to cheer them on. I think that would be pretty cool.

Q. Speaking of what you just mentioned about the Ryder Cup, I guess that's now where your turn your thoughts to. What are your hopes over the next few weeks leading up to it?
PATRICK REED: Hopefully play well and get a W so I don't have to worry about it. Really, I'm thinking about it, of course, it's always in the back of the mind. Right now I'm really trying to focus on playing well this week.

If I play well this week, take care of this week and play well next week, then I don't have to worry about it and hopefully don't have to rely on the pick.

That's something that I would love to do is go out there and earn my spot because there's nothing like having that satisfaction of going, getting inside the Top 8 and staying there because that means you played pretty well and I feel like I've played really well all year, I haven't quite capped it off with a win.

Because of that, since Barclays last year having 20 Top 15s and 15 Top 10s, I'm an 8 because I haven't had to win. I need to keep on plugging and hopefully get over that hump.

Q. My question was Ryder Cup-related. You just answered it.
PATRICK REED: I'm shocked you only had a couple.

DOUG MILNE: Patrick, thanks for your time. Best of luck.

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