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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

September 17, 2017

Marc Leishman

Carmel, Indiana

AMANDA HERRINGTON: We'd like to welcome Marc Leishman, BMW Champion. Marc, you've been at this table everyday this week. You're sitting here now with two trophies.

How are you feeling about this win, Marc?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, feel awesome about this. It's a long week when you lead everyday. Takes energy out of you. I was pretty tired last night and didn't sleep very well.

That five shot lead sort of -- it's just enough that you shouldn't get beat but not quite enough that you are out of reach.

Really happy, nice, especially with Rosie making a run at me late there on the back-9 to hold him off. Ended up winning by five shots but really a lot closer than that.

Q. What are you most proud of?
MARC LEISHMAN: I think -- well, a few things. Going wire to wire, first time I've done that on a PGA TOUR event. Backing up, that back-9 last week at the Dell and, you know, when the pressure got put on and on that back-9 by Rosie I reacted with birdies.

Didn't get too, I don't know, to worried, just tried to keep doing my own thing and give myself chances and managed to roll a couple in there at the end which was nice walking up the last there with a bit of a buffer.

Q. Leish, after this win, do you think your reputation will change?
MARC LEISHMAN: Who knows? Yeah. I mean we've spoken about that a lot this week. It's just nice to put four good rounds on the board and in a really big event and, like I said, backing up what happened last week was probably the most satisfying thing for me.

Q. And going back a couple of weeks ago, do you feel like your season could get any better? Do you feel like you had anymore wins in you or you've been so consistent, six Top-10s, a win, do you feel like your season could get any better before this?
MARC LEISHMAN: I mean you come to every tournament to try and win it, especially after last week my game was in a good spot and I felt confident with my game and so, yeah, you're trying -- I had my sights set high for the FedExCup and trying to get into the Top-5 and, you know, with these sitting here it's nice to have the trophies there and be in that Top-5 and really if I have another good week next week, who knows what might happen.

Q. Marc, as Justin started to make that charge and got within two, did you start thinking back at all to Boston and is there anything you did differently coming down the stretch this week than two weeks ago?
MARC LEISHMAN: Well, I guess I was a little less aggressive, just trying to give myself chances. I didn't want to give it to him, wanted him to earn it.

If he was going to make a run I wanted him to keep making birdies rather than me throw a number in there and hand him the title.

I thought if I kept trying to make birdies without trying to do nothing stupid that hopefully it would be enough to hold him off. I managed to do it.

Q. Marc, no matter what happens next week, you're surely going to go into the Presidents Cup as one of the International team's hottest players.
What is it going to be like for you going in as perhaps the leader of the pack and no longer the underdog?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it will be fun. We'll need to be on our games with obviously the American team being as strong as it is and obviously they'll have the home crowd.

It would be tough for us. Going in as a leader I guess is something new to me with all the good names that are on the team. It's a nice feeling.

Q. Quick follow, do you still defer to Major winners, Adam, Jason, et cetera or do you -- how does that work I guess from --
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, they'll definitely be the leaders. Scotty is really determined to try to get this one. I know he's at home working on his game now and be ready to go.

Obviously we've got a few Major Champions in -- quite a few Mayor Champions on our team and not only on the team put the Vice Captains and Captains, Captain price and Ernie Else, multiple Major winner, Geoff Ogilvie, Tony Johnson, Mike Weir.

It's a really good group. I feel like we can get our bond really well early in the week that will really help us later on in the week if -- hopefully when we get a chance to win it.

Q. Marc, how big was that putt on 15? You hadn't made a birdie in awhile, Justin closed within two, downhill and 16, you come back with another birdie, almost seemed like you were more excited for the birdie on 16. Little fist pump there, too.
MARC LEISHMAN: Fist pumped on both of them, which is pretty rare for me, actually. I felt like I hit a decent wedge shot on 15 and just didn't react how it might have. To make that was kind of a bonus and then hit a really good tee shot on 16 to finish in the rough, good second shot and that part was -- I'd say that was a little bigger than the one on 15 because it gave me, I guess, it was four shot buffer at the time.

So, you got to do something pretty drastically wrong to lose a four shot lead with two to play. With a par 5 there, you just never know.

Q. Did you know you broke Tiger's tournament record with that birdie?
MARC LEISHMAN: I had no idea. I know he's won a lot of times. That's a nice record to have.

Q. Were the boys there at Bay Hill when you won?
MARC LEISHMAN: They were. They ran out on to the green but a little premature (laughter). Saw the chance to birdie the last of the little hug and kind of, "Come on, get off."

That one on 18 was really special today. I'll enjoy it. Not worried about getting out of the way for the guys behind us trying to win the tournament.

Q. Did you ever think you'd win two big events in one year?
MARC LEISHMAN: You dream. I thought my game was in a good enough spot but, you know, having one win in 8 years it's hard to imagine winning twice in one year and two big events like they were.

It's really I guess obviously set me up for next week firstly but for next year as well. Yeah, very excited to have won from, like I say, especially after what happened last week.

Q. What was the big improvement in your game from 2016 to '17?
MARC LEISHMAN: My driving. Being on the fairway and further up the fairways, pretty huge advantage. That really takes a lot of pressure off the rest of your game I guess. You can be more aggressive.

Obviously the putter is great but the -- changed it to the new Epic Driver at the start of the year and that made a huge difference. That would be one.

Q. Today there was about a 20 minute delay when Sergio was getting a ruling on 18. Where were you and were you affected by that?
MARC LEISHMAN: No. We didn't even have to wait on the tee, actually. I hit a 3-iron off the tee. I could have hit one right there, the tee shot.

No, didn't affect me.

Q. When you go consecutive tee shots without being able to hold on to the club, does that make you nervous at all?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yes, definitely.

Q. Can you elaborate?
MARC LEISHMAN: So, I was trying to hit -- fairway finder. Didn't really have a first name. Start it down the left and hit a spinnie cut and comes back into the fairway. Certainly spinnie cuts way out on the heel.

The one on 4 was a pull which is not as bad and the one on 5 went into a terrible spot. Actually why -- I wasn't able to get over the bunker at 250.

To get that good one at 8, the middle of the driver, that really got things going for the rest of the day, gave me confidence to get moving.

Q. It was an emotional scene out there with your children. What are their names and what are their ages?
MARC LEISHMAN: Got Harvey is our oldest one, Harvey. He's five. People think it's Javier, sometimes. Is that short for Harvey? Oliver, who we call Ollie is four, and Eva is two months, yes, just E-V-A.

Q. Marc, if memory serves, two years ago you were playing tournaments that you didn't necessarily feel that YOU wanted to be playing because you were trying to stay in the Top-60 in the world.
How do you explain that to two wins in a season in such a relatively short span?

MARC LEISHMAN: Lot of things. Probably a lot less happening off the course now. That's probably the biggest thing.

You know, lot was going on then. But now everything is great off the course. I'm happy. Just my golf game feels better than it ever has in all respects. Not only the driver but putting better than I ever have, irons aren't too shabby.

Everything is feeling really good but I think off course stuff is really, really important. That's going well, having a good wife good kids, yeah, is the key.

Q. Sorry to bring this up one more time, but Audrey said you're rather obsessed with the backyards, sometimes mowing it twice a day. Surely you're not into -- the actual mowing? There's got to be some kind of stress. What is it?
MARC LEISHMAN: It's definitely stress relief for me. It's very rare I'm out twice a day (laughter). Yeah, everyday I'm out when I'm home. Neighbors think I'm crazy.

But getting out there -- and it's a bit of a workout for me. I'm not -- I'm not a gym rat at all. I haven't ran in about ten years. But I do try to stay somewhat healthy and in shape but that is like a little work out -- it's probably 150, 200-pound mower I'm pushing. Good workout. Yeah, stress relief, I guess.

Q. You think a lot out there?
MARC LEISHMAN: Going in my nothing box in my head. I think about nothing.

Q. What is that like?
MARC LEISHMAN: It's great. There's a comedian that has a thing and talks about men's brains and all men have a nothing box in their heads. That gets me into my nothing box.

Q. Marc, two wins now, Top 15 in the world. Is there any part of this that exceeded even your own expectations for yourself?
MARC LEISHMAN: I mean you set goals, I guess a little bit. I always thought I was good enough to get into the Top 20 but, you know, thinking you're good enough to do it and doing it are different things.

So, yeah, I didn't actually know that. That's pretty cool to go into the Top 15. I don't know.

Like I say, in my own head I thought I could do it but actually doing it is a different thing. That's another thing that's pretty satisfying about today.

Q. Have you ever set unrealistic goals?
MARC LEISHMAN: No, I don't think so. I've never made one to say I'm going to get to No. 1 in the world or anything like that. I feel like, you know, with the life I live that's probably very hard for me to do that. Don't practice a lot on weeks off. Spend a lot of time with my kids and I feel like you have to dedicate -- you have to dedicate your whole life -- not your whole life but you have to work very, very hard.

I'm happy doing what I'm doing now with the life I've got and the way I'm playing and all that to be happy with where I am. Obviously I want to keep winning tournaments. So, you know, who knows.

Q. What would be the ideal way for you to be remembered when you're done playing? Marc Leishman, there's a guy who --
MARC LEISHMAN: I've never really thought about it, to be honest.

Q. Got the nothing life.
MARC LEISHMAN: Exactly. You want to be remembered as a good bloke and someone who hopefully -- well, performed well under pressure, reasonable amount of pressure today and I dealt with it pretty good, I feel like.

Last week was obviously a different story but bouncing back from that I was a very determined person and was determined not to let the same things happen again.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: All right. Marc, we'd love to keep you longer but we'll let you go and celebrate. Well done this week.

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