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ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 23, 2019

Avondale, Louisiana

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome into the media center Tommy Fleetwood and Sergio Garcia, partners here for the first time at the Zurich Classic. Just tell us how it came to be you guys playing together. Tommy, obviously you had good success here last year.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think it worked out really nicely with us both being Zurich ambassadors and both being really close friends. I think it was just a conversation that we had, and the opportunity was there. And it was just perfect timing really, so it was great. Luckily, like Sergio didn't like completely shut me off and say I don't want you. So it's nice. I've been looking forward to it for a while now, so it's great to finally get here.

THE MODERATOR: Sergio, what do you think it'll be like to partner with Tommy?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, I'm excited about it. Obviously like Tommy said, we're good friends. We had some -- even before the Ryder Cup, we've known each other for a while and had a good relationship. Yeah, we're excited to partner up. Obviously it's also nice to -- like he said, we're both Zurich ambassadors, so it makes it even extra special. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, having a good week and see if we can be in contention.

Q. Just was curious which of the two formats do you feel like you guys will play stronger in? Is there one other than the other, maybe foursomes over four-balls?
SERGIO GARCIA: Obviously best ball is the easier of the formats. I think probably four-balls is the one that if you play well, you can move a lot more because most of the guys out here, they can play, so in four-balls, most of the guys are going to shoot at least 5-, 6-under par on their rounds. So unless you really go crazy and you shoot 10 or 11, it's difficult to make a gap. But in foursomes, if you play well and you shoot 4- or 5-under par, you can make a big gap there. I think if we can manage to match up nicely there, play consistently there, I think that we'll have a good shot.

Q. Is the confidence you gain from playing well in this event, does it differ at all from playing well in a normal stroke-play event kind of moving forward? You come here kind of searching for something, is it easier to kind of work something out on your own or in a team format?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I think it's comforting playing with a teammate. I think it's nice to have -- whether it's good or bad, it's nice to have that backing from somebody out there on the golf course, especially if you're close to that person.

It's quite an exciting week in a way that there's FedEx points available. There's a chance to play well. There's no World Ranking points, but there's like a lot to gain from it and not really much to lose, in a way.

Like generally there's nothing that we're trying to do any different than what we do in any other week, but you just have that sort of added luxury of having -- for me definitely, I've got a great partner this week, so I've got the luxury of having somebody to fall back on if it's not going great. But I think everything stays the same, but there's really nothing to lose and everything to gain this week.

Q. Do y'all remember when you first met? And other than that --
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: When we first kissed? (Laughter.)

Q. Yeah, exactly. And did you before this year imagine teaming up for this event?
SERGIO GARCIA: I think briefly -- I don't think -- I mean, he's obviously quite a bit younger than me, so we didn't really meet in our amateur days, but probably I think one of the years he came out on Tour, so I would say probably about five or six years ago.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, '12 was my first year on Tour.

SERGIO GARCIA: So five, six years ago, something like that. And what else did you ask, sorry?

Q. Before this year could you imagine teaming up with him?
SERGIO GARCIA: I don't know. I guess it just came nicely. I think that it worked out well. I don't think you really plan on, oh, I'm going to play this year with this guy, that year with that guy. I think you just fill it as you go along, and I think between the last couple of years that we've gotten a little bit closer together and the Ryder Cup and everything, we really felt comfortable with each other, and I kind of -- we talked about it a little bit and felt good, felt right, and hopefully we'll go out there and prove that it is right.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, we'll see.

Q. Tommy, what did Frankie think about you teaming up with Sergio? I thought you guys were partners forever.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, he's not speaking to me since.

You know, Fran is fine, and everybody does their own thing throughout the year. Me and Sergio spoke about it quite a while ago, as well, and like I say, it works out perfectly for us that we can play in this event together. But no, Fran is fine. He's not fallen out with me too bad. But I might have some making up to do.

Q. Sergio, if I could ask you, did you watch the Masters on Sunday, and what did you think of Tiger winning, just thoughts seeing him do that after so many people said he couldn't do it again?
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, obviously I did watch it. No, it was fun. I think it was a good match-up with everyone that was up there, and then obviously as soon as Francesco gave him a little bit of an opening, he came around with some really good shots, on 13, 15, 16, to give himself a lead. It's nice, like I said, it's nice to see, and it's impressive to see someone, even being Tiger, as we know how good he is, to come back from four back surgeries, and to be totally honest, probably about three years ago we all thought that -- we didn't know how long he was going to play for because he was struggling to play five tournaments a year. So to be able to do that, it's very impressive, and we'll see where he goes from there. But it's all the credit in the world to him.

Q. For both of you guys, what have been some of your favorite memories since the Ryder Cup? And did you guys do anything as a team like get tee shirts made or leave any reminder around the locker room anywhere of the final result?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: When did we have dinner, everyone? Dubai?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Yeah, so at that DP World at the end of the year, that was the first time we'd all got back together as a team, and that was really cool. That was like Thomas's last little thing being a captain. We all had dinner together, so it was really nice. It's my only Ryder Cup I've ever played in. Sergio has got a lot more experience than me.

But I think when you've been through that week together, just you always have those memories and you always have that togetherness that you've all become that family for that week. Sort of every week no matter where you bump into one of your teammates, you have that together. You have that sort of to look back on it. That's been really cool for me, just that relationship, and that's something that's in common with all of us week in, week out. Not necessarily always a special moment, but just having that bond that you gain from having those weeks.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, I've always said that, too. Obviously Ryder Cups are amazing, and I've been fortunate to play a good amount, and the connection you get with the crowds and everything, it's amazing. But to me, the closeness that you get with your teammates -- I felt like I made some of my best friends, I've made them in Ryder Cups. Like I knew the guys before, but like I knew Luke Donald before, but in the Ryder Cup by playing together and being a team, you get closer. You become closer. Same thing with Westwood. Obviously I didn't play with Tommy, but everything that you share in the team room and everything is just so special. It's one of the things that I love the most about the Ryder Cup.

Q. Sergio, you just mentioned Luke and Lee. I was just curious if there was something about playing with the English guys that seems to bring out the best in you in team events.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Hope so.

SERGIO GARCIA: No, it's just one of those curiosities, I guess. I've been fortunate to match up well with a lot of guys from different countries, obviously from different European countries in Ryder Cups. But yeah, I mean, I've done well with Englishmen. We're going to try to keep that run going.

Q. What's the team song this week, and who's going to dance the most probably on the first tee?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: I can't remember what we ended up with now.

SERGIO GARCIA: I think we've got "Radio Gaga," Queen.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Sergio will dance more than me.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, I'm a big Queen fan. I'll leave the dancing to Tommy.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: That's fine. If I have to man up, then I'll do it. If I have to step up.

SERGIO GARCIA: I'll just hold him.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Come out in my pink shorts.

SERGIO GARCIA: There you go.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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