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ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 24, 2018

Avondale, Louisiana

THE MODERATOR: Like to welcome Jim Furyk and David Duval to the Zurich Classic.

Guys, it's a pretty interesting team. A lot of experience.

JIM FURYK: What you trying to say?

THE MODERATOR: Just talk about how you guys decided to get pairs up. Jim, we'll start with you.

JIM FURYK: David mentioned it to me last year about getting together and playing the event. We played a ton of golf together in our early years dating back to the web.com. A lot early on tour. We're good friends.

I think the beauty of this tournament, you think about folks out there listening, when they go play golf, their idea of golf is hanging out with their buddies, right? Friends, folks that they love playing golf with, enjoy being around.

That's what this event gives us. Dave and I been friends for a long time. I enjoy his company. Tabitha and Susie are friends, so to get back together is really what it's all about.

Q. David, your schedule is pretty limited as far as playing goes, but pretty full as far as being behind the camera.
DAVID DUVAL: Should be over there, right?

Q. Just talk about your expectations this week and playing with Jim.
DAVID DUVAL: This was about being with a friend, reuniting, having our wives together for a few days.

Expectation-wise, I don't know what they are for me. I don't get to participate out here and compete. There are certainly differences between playing golf recreationally and playing golf competitively.

Jim hasn't played a whole lot competitively either because of injuries, so we're probably the rustiest team in the field; certainly the least rounds played, you know.

So it's about going out and trying to hit some quality golf shots and enjoying the walk.

THE MODERATOR: Before we take some questions, you guys have a consume unique things. You've got the most wins of anybody in the field, both first and second with 13 and 17. You both shot sub-60 rounds. You've done it twice. What are the odds we'll see some sub-60 rounds this from you guys in this format this week?

JIM FURYK: Probably not in the alternate shot. I'll bet not to the alternate shot. I think the goal would be the four ball. How many sub-60s were shot in the four ball last year?

THE MODERATOR: You know, I think 60 was the low round last year, yeah.

JIM FURYK: 60 was the low round? So that's a goal. So basically what you're saying is we covered the entire field last year. Got you.

DAVID DUVAL: You know what? This is not an easy golf course. It tends to get windy. I don't know -- I don't remember the scores and what they shot, but you look at this young crop of players, and it's deeper and better than it's ever been.

So for us, I think as much as anything, we just go out and have a good time and see where the chips fall.

THE MODERATOR: You're also one of three teams where both players have won majors, so that's kind of unique, too.

Jim, I think you played here once or twice at course.

JIM FURYK: Once.

Q. What do you remember about it? What stands out in your mind?
JIM FURYK: Tough golf course for me. It's a very typical Pete Dye. Pete is good at -- you know, this was probably wetlands area. I don't want say swamp, but it was probably swampland area, wetlands. Pete is a master of taking some difficult pieces of property and making it interesting, making a tough golf courses out of it.

He's always good at having some awkward angles, making things look a little tougher than they are. For me, I found it is as a pretty difficult golf courses. I missed the cut here.

I'm anxious to have a partner that I enjoy playing with. David has a little more power than me. I think we can take advantage of that. He's going to play the golf course a little differently than I will because of that.

So having someone that can get the ball out there a little bit farther will be a big help me for.

THE MODERATOR: You played it a little more, a few times more recently, but what do you remember?

DAVID DUVAL: It's been a few years, yeah. Well, as much as anything, I've been coming here for a long time. Played at English Turn a bunch as well.

Just love the town here, the people, the culture. Everything that New Orleans is, we try to participate in and enjoy.

I think it's as good of a stop as there is on the PGA TOUR, and I'm just glad as such a fan of the place and the people here and at what ZÃ¼rich does that this format change has been such a boost for this event. This one is near and dear to my heart.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You guys mentioned you played together a lot. Based on my very limited ShotLink experience and research, looks like you only played once in a TOUR event, 2002; is that possible?
DAVID DUVAL: I don't know.

JIM FURYK: I have no idea. I know we played a lot on Mondays and Tuesday.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah.

JIM FURYK: So playing in a tournament, I mean, I don't know. That's going 15 years ago. I can't remember last week who I played with, so...

Q. Mondays and Tuesday, was that your typical...
DAVID DUVAL: Oh, yeah.

JIM FURYK: Yeah. I think even more than that probably at times. We had a span on the Web.Com Tour where I think we played eight to ten weeks in a row we played practice rounds together.

You know, you'll see guys band together as friends. You go over to the British Open, you'll see a bunch of the Americans get together and play practice rounds together; major championships.

Back then when we were young and traveling we were seeing golf courses for the first time, so we were playing a lot more practice rounds as young tour players.

As you get older and you played a golf course 20 times, you might go out on Tuesday just to see what the course looks like. But we were playing a ton of practice rounds back then getting used to the golf courses; maybe picking up a game or two against someone else and have a little fun.

Q. As two guys in your mid-40s, what's it like to be on today's tour?
DAVID DUVAL: I'm just glad you called me mid-40s.

JIM FURYK: It's been fun. I think you look at -- some of these kids are young enough to be our children, to be honest with you.

Q. Right.
JIM FURYK: So it's been fun for me and also fun to be out here just competing, seeing the way the game has changed. It's in great hands.

You get to see these kids play week and week out and talk about them.

DAVID DUVAL: I been watching it more from the other side where you're standing. I haven't played very much. I'm fascinated by how good and deep the crop of players is.

I don't think there is any question it's the best generation of players there has ever been. There are more and more of them and they come out, and I think a lot of it is because of the advent Of Golf Channel.

They've grown up their whole lives watching Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, so they come out with no intimidation. They feel like they know them. They just jump right in like they're playing their local club tournaments, and I think it's fascinating.

Q. What do you think the key to alternate shot is, and what do you think about the change this year they've made to the second and the last round, as opposed to the other way around?
JIM FURYK: Yeah, I just found out about that 30 minutes ago when I registered, that we would be going four ball on Thursday/Saturday and foursomes on Friday and Sunday.

I guess it's good. I think guys will be a little happier to probably start out in four ball. It's a little more comfortable; two balls in play. Thursday morning when the gun goes off, going straight to alternate shot, it can be a tough format.

I think I it's good to have someone you're comfortable with. It's good maybe depending on the golf course to have two different styles of games where you can take advantage of holes definitely.

It's a format where you can really separate yourself from the field. If you get out there and get in a nice rhythm of hitting fairways and greens and playing well, you can shoot a pretty good number.

It's a tough format. I've always enjoyed it, especially in match play I've really enjoyed it. I've never done it in medal play before, which adds even a little more stress.

DAVID DUVAL: I would echo that. When I played some of the team events it was always my favorite format. But with that being said, it's a different animal. You weren't really paying attention to score so much as you were your opponents, and you were only worried about one other team.

So I'm sure it's going to be a different feeling doing that on Friday and Sunday than it has in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups?

Q. How did you think that will be from a viewer or fan perspective and that there probably won't be as much volatility. Maybe on the Sunday, on the final round, foursomes, with four ball there is probably more opportunities to make birdies and maybe be some changes in the lead.
JIM FURYK: I still think there could be volatility; it just maybe come in a different fashion.

DAVID DUVAL: Right. Lot more of a hold-on as opposed to a catch-up, you know. I frankly think it's a good swap. I like it. You'll see the guys moving around that much quicker.

JIM FURYK: I may argue there could be more change on Sunday in foursomes than there is in four ball. If you go out there and shoot 5-under par in an alternate shot, you can make a huge, huge dent. Teams could easily shoot over par; where in a four ball, there may be even less.

Q. Do you feel like there will be more pressure in the foursomes format on the last day than a four ball format?
DAVID DUVAL: I would think so.

JIM FURYK: Yeah, for sure.

Q. I think most PGA TOUR players would agree they don't want to have an interesting format every week. They like the 72-hole stroke play. Do you think there is room on the tour schedule for maybe one more different format? And if so, anything you would like to see?
JIM FURYK: I think we do the Stableford; we have a match play event; we've got the team event. Can you think of any other?

DAVID DUVAL: No.

Q. I was thinking mixed gender perhaps.
JIM FURYK: Got you. We used to have at the JC Penney. I played in that a couple times.

Be difficult to maybe make that like an official event or official money or FedExCup points, but I wouldn't be opposed to having an event like that. I would enjoy it.

Q. What was the vibe like at the JC Penney? Is it something that could be replicated today?
JIM FURYK: Yeah, I think so. Again, I think it would have to be a late season. What was the vibe? I think it was fun. Very rarely do you get a chance to play with the gals and see what they bring to the table and their games.

Like I said, I enjoyed it.

Q. Before we let you go, one of the unique features of this event is walk-up music on the first tee. Are you guys involved in that? Have you chosen a song? Can you reveal what you're choosing if you have?
JIM FURYK: We just talked about it ten minutes ago in the locker room, so we're still coming up with it. We're going to ask Matt Kuchar his opinion and what he thinks we should do.

DAVID DUVAL: Maybe let him pick.

JIM FURYK: No, we should not let him pick.

Q. Do you guys like the idea?
JIM FURYK: Yeah, I think it's fun for the week. Yeah, I think it's fun. And having a different format -- you like it?

DAVID DUVAL: I think so because of the format. It's about something different and giving the fans and the players something different to experience, so why not?

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