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THE PRESIDENTS CUP

December 10, 2019

Xander Schauffele

Melbourne, Australia

Q. Now that the week is here and you've got a look at the course, how do you feel about being here this week?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Excited. Even more excited after we played. It was dewy and slow in the morning, I would say, for this course's standards. But as the wind picked up, the flies kind of went away, and the greens firmed up nicely. So it's a very fair and challenging course, I think. Lots of decisions to be made off the tee, as well as in the greens. Shot selections and trajectory. So I think it's just going to be a blast.

Q. What do you see as the biggest challenge out here?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: For me personally, probably just getting comfortable. Golf is so individual. We have our own teams that we share info with, but we're playing with partners. I would say that's probably -- I'd say weird -- just because it's different. Our team's cohesive so I'm not really worried about being comfortable come Thursday. It's just unknown factors lead to discomfort, but the veterans and captains are making sure that we're as comfortable, or me personally, I'm as comfortable as I can be day-to-day. So I'm just looking forward to it. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and the course looks awesome.

Q. Is there a particular player on your team that you look forward to most to being a partner with?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Not really.

Q. Anybody you have good chemistry with?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I like all the guys on the team. I think, I played practice rounds, more practice rounds with a few guys on the team, but for the most part -- today was fun. We played with Bryson with Tony. Freddie was our walking captain today. So it's cool. It's stuff that I've never done before. It's stuff that I've wanted to do as a kid. And now that I'm out here I think it's a lot of fun.

Q. What's it like having Tiger as your captain?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it's a little surreal. He's our playing captain, which is crazier. I think it's a very unique situation. He's so used to playing and handling his own business, so it's kind of funny to see him having to be a captain at times as well and hone us in and reel us in and have a conversation with a group of guys. So I think everyone on our team respects the guy more than anyone else, and we all think it's just the coolest thing that we're able to play for him and with him.

Q. What did you do on the plane trip?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I played some cards. I slept about, probably about seven hours and 30 minutes out of the 26 hours we were on the plane. So just walked around. Heard a couple stories from a couple of the veteran caddies, which was funny and then just laid low.

Q. Did you learn anything about your teammates that you didn't already know?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No, not really. We all share the same office and work space week-to-week so it's not like we're not familiar with each other. I think it's nice to get to know the guys on a more personal note versus like a week-to-week thing where we're just playing against each other. Here, we're sharing all our info and all our thoughts. So it's kind of cool.

Q. As a rookie, how different is, preparing for this, getting ready for this mentally than anything you've gone through?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it's weird. It's just different. It's different because I've never done it. There's a certain level of discomfort just because I've never done certain things. But at the end of the day, if I just do what I normally do, which is to play golf, that's kind of all that, all that there is to do. I get along with everyone. Our team gets along with each other, so there was no headache or anything going on, which is really pleasing. We're all having a good time. We're all laughing. Good camaraderie going on. So it's been a fun experience so far and I just can't wait for the tournament to start and kind of see how that flow gets going.

Q. Have you spoken to anyone about what that first tee shot's going to be like?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I have no idea. No one's talked to me about it. I think that they're just going to throw me to the fire, or not, either way. But I'll be ready come Thursday. And, yeah, it's just, I think Zach Johnson just said, you just realize that, hey, it is matches and you have teammates and whatnot, but you're just there to play golf. We practice and play and do everything all year just to qualify for this team. And what we do during the year makes us qualified to do this sort of team event. So it's pretty simple.

Q. And how are you holding up from a time-change perspective?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No. Really tired. Sleeping was easy. Waking up was easy, obviously, with the time change. I'm sure we're all going to want to pass out after dinner. So I don't think sleeping is going to be a huge issue for our team.

Q. You mentioned a couple times the chemistry between the team. The elephant in this room in particular right now is right over there. Have you discussed it?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No. You know, team stuff is, you put things aside, you know. I don't -- everyone's going to give him the benefit of the doubt, you know what I mean? No one's here to stir the pot. He got penalized for what he did and he hasn't addressed anyone. No one's really said anything, so I don't think it's a very big deal, in all honesty.

Q. You're really popular and a well-respected guy. What's it like for you or someone like you to get paired with someone who is going to be experiencing the vitriol?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I mean, I'm sure -- Patrick, he's a competitor and he's been in a situation like this before where he's gotten some heat and the guy just feeds off of it. I don't know how he does it. I don't think I would be as comfortable doing it. I think he just does his thing. He's honest to himself to where he just, he can play golf no matter what, through the fire, through the flame, call it whatever you want. I'm assuming he'll get heckled. I think he's ready for it. He knows it.

Q. Would it affect you if you were paired with him?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You know, I'm pretty laid back. I'm from San Diego, so I feel like my dad heckled me my entire childhood and life, so I think that maybe I'll be comfortable too.

Q. Has there been much reaction from the team or even your reaction looking at Bryson and seeing his new bulkier physique?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Oh, yeah, we have to pick on him. I mean, he just, he's always eating. I call him skinny. He just, he'll get a chuckle out of it. But he's a big dude. I don't even know what size he is. I think Lacoste had to customize a shirt for him. I have no idea. It might be a double XL, triple XL, I have no clue. He's quite a specimen right now.

Q. Other than the WGC in Austin, how much other match play experience do you have?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I've had, I have, let's see, I played in -- I won the California State Am back home. I played in the Western Am, I played in the U.S. Amateurs, I played a Public Links, U.S. Junior Am. So I've had play experience. Anything I play back home, money-wise, is always match play. I mean, that's kind of as close to or as comfortable as I can get relating to this situation.

Q. How much different do you think it will be being a team situation versus an individual at least the first three days?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think it will be lots of fun. We're so used to being in our own business, in our own way. And I think if I try to put myself on the first tee or throughout a couple rounds, if you're not having the greatest of days or if you're having a great day your teammate, your buddy, your whole team, honestly, can vibe off your energy, how you're playing, the captains can feed that information around and if someone's down or if someone's winning by a lot, whichever way it is, it will juice you up to do something special, I think.

Q. The Ryder Cup. Where were you?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: What was that? Where was I? Which one? I was not there.

Q. So were you watching at home?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No, I actually really didn't watch it. It was a weird time of day for me to watch. I caught highlights of it, but I was just at home on the couch taking some time off.

Q. Did it sort of make you want to get out and play?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, of course I was motivated to get on the team, I tried my best. Tony just, he, it was sort of like it came down to the two of us. He is a good buddy of mine, our teams get along great and he just played better than I did. So it was a very obvious. People were like, Are you mad or not? And I thought it was a very obvious thing for him to get the call and not me.

Q. Did it put the fire in your belly to do something special when you get the chance?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I think so. It just made me realize that, make it easy on yourself, just qualify for the team, don't sit around for a pick. So I think I kind of went with that mentality moving forward and it worked out.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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