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THE RYDER CUP

September 27, 2016

Ryan Moore

Minneapolis, Minnesota

JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 41st Ryder Cup. Pleased to be joined by Ryan Moore, the newest member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Ryan, it's been a little bit of a crazy 36 hours or so, 48 hours. Maybe you could tell us about the moment you found out when you got your phone call from Captain Love on Sunday. Where were you, and paint a little bit of a picture for us.

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, so I had gotten done with the tournament. I really wasn't lying to you guys; that he really had not told me yet, I promise.

I was rifling through my text messages, just making sure, or making sure I hadn't missed a phone call. But it was about 45 minutes after. I was in the parking lot kind of loading everything up. I actually missed his call. I was like, Whoops. I'm meant to be paying closer attention.

But I called him right back, and obviously I could tell right away it was a positive conversation. It wasn't, Ah, so, you know, need to talk to you. It was like, "Hey, Ryan, you want to go to Minnesota next week?" kind of conversation.

Obviously I was ecstatic. And until I got the phone call, I still really, I didn't know. I didn't know where they were at. But at that point, I knew I had done everything I really could in my power besides winning the golf tournament to show them that, you know, where my game's at and that I could be an asset to the team.

So yeah, it was an amazing phone call to get. And yeah, it's been a crazy 48 hours ever since then, really.

JOHN DEVER: So now that you're on site, you meet your team, how is the integration process going with your fellow players and such?

RYAN MOORE: It's been great. I've been having a blast. I mean, I know a lot of the guys pretty well on the team, have played with all those guys a lot over the years. I've been on Tour for 12 years.

But it's been fun, you know, to actually get to hang out off the golf course a little bit and kind of get to know everybody a little bit and the captains and sit around, hear some of their stories from past Ryder Cups and that kind of stuff. It's been great, and I'm sure there's going to be more and more of that through the week.

But, hey, yeah, I've had a blast so far, so just looking forward to the rest of it.

Q. Can you take us through the time line of when you got that phone call from Davis up until almost this point? Had you been fitted for clothes? Did you tell him who you liked as a partner? How far had you gotten in the whole process of this?
RYAN MOORE: Yeah, I mean, I've had to go through everything -- I had had the conversations about who I might want to play with or, you know, where they were leaning towards, what they might like to see.

But yeah, from the time I got that call, I went all the way back home to Vegas that night. Slept for a few hours. Got right back on a plane the next morning. Head straight back out here, got here yesterday afternoon.

And the funny thing is, I've been fitted for every team event, I think, for about the last ten years (laughter); every single one until this year, I had done the fitting. So I did not do the fitting this year. So apparently I'm not going to do it from now on, ever. Hopefully I stay about the same size so it's easy for them.

But yeah, I really didn't do it this year. But I had done it in the past enough; I think they had a good general idea of where I needed to be at. We definitely had to hem up a suit a little bit yesterday and do some of that fun stuff. But these are good problems.

But yeah, that's really gotten me to this point and I've talked to the captains a lot about different guys and what I want to -- who we might want to see together or who I would like to play with.

You know, I like the group of guys I'm playing with -- or got to play with today. They said there might be some shuffling in there. And honestly I'm comfortable with everybody. Obviously if you're on this team, you're a great golfer, and I'd be happy to be partners with anybody.

I think there are some guys that we might complement each other pretty well, and you know, will be fun to play with.

Q. Have any of those conversations involved talking to other players, what to expect come Friday, and what do you think, what do you expect to feel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday?
RYAN MOORE: As far as just the tournament, the pressure, that kind of stuff?

Yeah, we had a dinner last night. I was sitting there, sitting next to Zach, sitting right across from Jimmie. You know, just asking them questions and they were kind of filling me in on what to expect and just how to treat the week.

This is all very, very new to me. I've never been on any of these teams. Now, I've played them back in college, Walker Cup and I think a couple Palmer Cups. So yeah, I'm comfortable with the formats and understand how that works. But still until you've experienced it, there's nothing quite like it. But I've gotten great advice from guys on how to treat the week and how to go about it.

And once Friday comes around, you know, just be ready to go play some golf, basically.

Q. Were you surprised at all that you were the pick over Bubba, just given his World Ranking, and have you and Bubba talked about it since you've been here?
RYAN MOORE: I applaud Bubba for being here and for doing what he's doing. Honestly he's been a blast. I don't think there's any hard feelings there. I could have totally understood if he was the pick. I mean, he's a great guy. He's an amazing player and brings a lot to the table.

And I think it says a lot about him, just the fact that he's here and supporting us and wants to be a part of it. So you know, we definitely, you know, had a conversation. I actually sat next to him at dinner last night. So again, there's no hard feelings and we're both here to help this team do whatever we can to win in the end.

And you know, surprised? I don't know. I think I knew pretty well what I needed to do last week, and I kind of did it (laughs). I did it, but I didn't do it; at least getting into a playoff and showing the form of where any game is at right now and showing that I can make some putts when it matters. And you know, just showing that I would be an asset, and that's what I was trying to do last week.

And so in the end, I still don't think it was an easy decision. I still think it was tough just because how great of a player he is and what he can bring to the table. But in the end, they said they liked my game and they like where my game is at and they really liked how I fit with the team.

Q. How long ago does 2004 and Rush Creek seem and do you still have many memories of that event and that summer?
RYAN MOORE: Yeah, I still remember. That was the only other time I've been to this area. So it's nice to have good, positive memories of playing around here and winning a golf tournament around here.

But yeah, I have very, very fond memories of not only that summer, but that tournament, very specifically, it was a great week. Played a lot of really good golf that week. I'm not too old yet. I still remember that. It's getting there, though. I don't know. I'm starting to forget some of those things.

Q. With the Ryder Cup comes obviously a unique bit of pressure versus what you usually do on Tour. You're in a particularly unique situation as this last man in, the Billy Horschel rule, so to speak. Is there a different pressure that you might have internally on yourself to prove that you are an asset and to kind of prove Davis's last pick to be good?
RYAN MOORE: Not necessarily. I don't really look at a lot of that external stuff. I'm here to, like I said, be an asset to this team in whatever way I can. I'm here to play as good of golf as I can, be a great teammate and go out there and have fun and play some golf.

I'm not really letting that stuff, you know, affect me one way or another, just like I didn't let trying to get on this team affect me one way or another the last two months. I knew in the end, playing good golf was the answer. I needed to go out and show them where my game was at and that I can handle pressure and play well in those situations.

You know, that's the goal for this week, is keep doing what I've been doing. I've been controlling the ball nicely. I've been putting well. Those things are good in match play and these types of formats.

Q. Kind of along those same lines, everybody that's played in this event talks about that first tee feeling being something that doesn't exist anywhere else in the sport. Have you talked to anybody about that? Do you not want to talk to anybody about that?
RYAN MOORE: Yeah, I've definitely talked to different guys about that. Brandt was telling a funny story last night about his first one. Him and Furyk were partnered up and I think it was in alternate shot and he went ahead and was like, Oh, man, I don't even think I can hit this shot; Jim, why don't you hit it off the first tee. And he snap hooked it about 40 yards left, and he was like, All right, I guess we are all pretty nervous, it's not just me.

Yeah, I think it's something you can't really know until you've really been out there. I mean, shoot, for a Tuesday, I think I was a little bit nervous on the first tee, which I don't think that's ever happened on a Tuesday in my life. So I mean, it was incredible to see the support that's already here this week, to hear people cheering you on.

It's so different than what we do week-in and week-out; to have everybody or a large majority of people that are here behind you and your team and all those guys. It's not just about just one of us out there. They are out there trying to support everybody. I can already tell, it's a very different feeling being on the golf course. They are not cheering for this person or that person necessarily. It's for us and that's -- I think that's something that's going to be great. I'm going to really -- I'm going to enjoy that.

Q. Two things. One, of those ten previous team events that you were fitted for, did you ever watch any of those Presidents Cups or Ryder Cups? And then secondly, of the guys on the team, who have you maybe played the most golf with or maybe just know the best personally?
RYAN MOORE: Yes, I've watched probably all of them, or at least a little bit of them here and there. I mean, it's something I've always enjoyed watching. And again, I've wanted to be a part of one of these events, was beginning to think it might not happen. And you know, obviously I would have loved to have earned my way on and have it not be up to a captain's pick.

But as far as guys on the team, honestly, like I said, I've been out here a long time with all of these guys, and I've played a lot of golf with just about all of them. I don't think there's a guy on the team that I haven't played at least ten rounds with, even someone like Brooks. He's been out a couple years and I've played in a lot of tournaments with him, played a couple practice rounds with him.

As far as the people I'm closest with, I honestly don't really know (laughing) the answer to that. I'm not -- I'm not really sure how to put it. I'm anti-social maybe. Is that a nice way of putting it or a bad way? I don't even know (laughs). I don't play golf to be best buddies and hang out and all that kind of stuff. Now, I do enjoy playing golf with people and I'm not a jerk or anything, I don't think. Well, maybe I am, I don't know (laughter).

Someone like Zach I've been around a lot over the years; someone like J.B., we're the same age. We've played so many tournaments together, I mean, from amateur days all the way through. Someone like Brandt, I've played -- we were talking today about actually how he beat me in the Publinks. The year he won the Publinks, I won the year before, I won the year after, and he won the one in the middle and he beat me, I can't remember, if it was round of 16 or something like that, that year he won. So it goes back.

But there's a lot of guys on the team I've played a ton with over the years.

Q. Did you get the invite to Jack Nicklaus's house for the big dinner earlier in the year?
RYAN MOORE: That was the first I've heard about it, so apparently no.

Q. You must have seen the stories about that, most of the guys who were there were supposed to be in or around the team. When you saw that, did you really think that you wouldn't be here? Was that a moment, you thought, well, maybe my chance is gone and Ryder Cup was out for you?
RYAN MOORE: I honestly don't even remember hearing much about that, or maybe I just wasn't paying attention at that point. I think around that point I was way down any points list, to the point where they didn't even ask me to get fitted this year. That's why I didn't get fitted.

So I actually might have done it, but I didn't know it was happening. So yeah, it was honestly -- I wouldn't say it affected me really one way or another. I wasn't playing a lot of golf that time of year. I had a baby the end of May, so it would have been kind of around that time, so I had a lot of stuff on my mind and on my plate that was probably distracting me from all of that stuff that was happening.

Q. I got here late, so if you've answered this question already, please forgive me. Can you describe the phone call, where were you, what happened, and --
RYAN MOORE: Yeah, you totally missed it. I'm not going to again, sorry (laughter).

JOHN DEVER: Transcript.

RYAN MOORE: I can, if you would really like me to. I was just joking (laughs).

Q. The Walker Cup, is that the last time you played with a partner?
RYAN MOORE: I think I played the -- no. Yeah, that probably would have been -- no, I think I played in -- I think I played a Palmer Cup in 2004, in Ireland, so that would have been the last time. Yes, 2004. The year was right. That's 2004.

Q. Does it create any special challenges to you this week since it's been more than a decade since you've looked across a tee at someone?
RYAN MOORE: Yeah, I mean, it's different. It's different than what we do. But I don't think it will be a crazy adjustment. Like I said, I'm very comfortable with a lot of these guys and comfortable with their games. It's different having -- not someone be dependent on you, but a little bit, especially if you're playing alternate shot, wanting to get up and hit good shots.

But most important thing is that it's a golf shot, you know, and really just keeping it that simple. That's the advice of the people I've talked to on the team so far; hey, it's still a golf shot. You've just got to go up there and hit it. Don't worry about all that other stuff. It's easier said than done, but I'm looking forward to the challenge that it is.

Q. What were you planning to do this week if you had not been picked?
RYAN MOORE: A whole lot of nothing was what was going to happen this week. I had played a lot of golf; I had played eight out of the last nine weeks. So this would have been a complete week off for me, just at home with the family. But definitely happy I have something to do this week.

Q. You said earlier that Bubba Watson's been a whole lot of fun. Can you give a little bit of example, some color of what you mean by that?
RYAN MOORE: I mean, he's just being himself. He's always kind of goofing around and joking around and, you know, just making the environment, making the team areas -- he's a fun guy. He really is. So he's always goofing around, making everybody laugh.

JOHN DEVER: That's Ryan Moore, all-around good guy. Thank you for your time and enjoy your week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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