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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

September 17, 2019

Billy Horschel

Surrey, England

Q. Your first-ever European Tour event. How excited are you about the week event?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I'm excited. I've been trying to get over to Europe to play a few European Tour events over the last few years, and unfortunately hasn't worked in the schedule. This being one of the key ones, I grew up watching this event on TV.

This event has always been a soft spot in my heart. When the schedule worked out with the new schedules on both tours and moved back to September compared to May, I was like, go ahead, sign me up. I'll be there.

Q. You said you watched it as a kid. Any particular memories or players you remember?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Colin winning it. I think three years, back-to-back twice, I can't remember. Just some memorable shots, memorable holes. I remember watching a couple years ago when Alex Noren played an unbelievable final round to come-from-behind and win. Matteo Manassero. There's a lot of memories from this golf course, and it's even better in person than it was on TV.

Q. What were your first impressions playing out there?
BILLY HORSCHEL: It's just a beautiful golf course. I think it makes you think around the course. Too many times in America, we just get up on tees, hit drivers. You don't have to really think about where to hit it. You know, same things into greens, where you miss it on a green is really not that important a lot of weeks.

Here, you've got to be smart where you put the ball in the fairway, especially going into greens, you can put it in some bad spots around the greens, you miss it and really make it hard to get up-and-down. Just a really thinking man he's golf course. A course that I love playing. These are courses I absolutely love playing. Just got a nice feel about it, built into the trees, around the trees. It's just got a nice feel.

Q. Arnie is the only American winner 40-odd years ago. What would it mean to add your name to the trophy alongside his?
BILLY HORSCHEL: It would mean a lot, not just for Arnie, but you think of the people that won this event. It's a historic event. It's comparable to our PLAYERS Championship, and since I feel like it's a major on our tour, and The European Tour feels like this is a major for or them on their Tour. It's a very historic event, a lot of tradition.

To be able to come over here and add my name to the trophy would mean, it would truly mean a lot to me because for the other fact, it would show that I am a world player. I am a world-class player and that I can go around the world and win at spots in the world not just America. To be a world-class player, you have to be able to go outside your comfort zone and play in countries and courses you're not used to and play well and win. That's something I've always wanted to do and hopefully I can achieve.

Q. European Tour players play more in America than PGA Tour players playing over here. How important is it do you think to work both ways?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I think it helps a lot both ways. It helps both tours when you have European Tour players come over to play in America. On our tour, I think it just -- it makes -- you see at our events when European Tour players come over that aren't used to playing in America, the crowds are even bigger. They are excited to see -- when Tommy started coming over a couple years ago, and Rory and Francesco -- a guy like Matt Wallace, Matt Wallace has had a lot of success over the last couple years, he comes over to the States, new name, but the fans know who he is.

Same way coming over here. There's a lot of Europeans that watch a lot of European Tour and watch a PGA TOUR golf as well. It's been great to come out here and see some of the fans that recognise me. It means I've done something well, at least. But I think it helps both tours. It helps and brings both tours up to a level that both can be financially successful, but also know that the level of play on both tours are very equal.

Q. What would it mean adding another BMW title to the trophy cabinet?
BILLY HORSCHEL: I've done well in BMW events. Winning the BMW Championship in 2014 at Cherry Hills, one of our FedExCup playoff events and then add this one, as well, I would have to say, let's just keep playing BMW, wherever BMW holds an event, I probably should play it. Adding another event with BMW would mean a lot. They are a great sponsor. They love golf. They have been in golf for many, many years and they take care of a lot of good players, as well.

Just being able to win an event with a sponsor that truly loves being in the game would go a long way.

Q. You said you came over a bit early. How are you feeling? How is the game feeling coming into the week?
BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, feels good. I always try to come over a day or two earlier than I normally would at an event in America, just to get accustomed to the time and everything else. It's a little bit different for us because we don't travel, really, beyond many time zones, maybe three hours in the States during a season. We go to Asia but that's a little bit different. It's unusual for us to do the five-, six- seven-hour time changes that the European Tour guys are a little more accustomed to.

The body feels good. The game feels good. We've been working at home with our teach, Todd Anderson, and get back into some of the stuff I did well in '13, '14. Just got in some bad habits. If anything, I feel a couple days behind. I lost about five or six days due to Hurricane Dorian that ravaged the Bahamas unfortunately, and we got lucky that it didn't do anything in Florida. But still shut down practice time a little bit. So just a little bit behind but I feel like the game's pretty close, and I'm excited to play well this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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