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THE PRESIDENTS CUP

December 10, 2019

Marc Leishman

Melbourne, Australia

Q. Maybe some comments on being back here for the Presidents Cup in your home country.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I mean, it's obviously great to be back. I enjoy playing in Australia. To play in a Presidents Cup somewhere where I grew up is something I've wanted to do forever. Well, since being here in 1998 when the internationals won. To be here as a player and hopefully to contribute to what's going to be a big team effort, yeah, it's exciting. The course is great, the crowds are going to be good, and I'm certainly excited.

Q. Do you feel as a team you've got an advantage here or do you feel there's no real advantage?
MARC LEISHMAN: It's hard. It's just a course where you have to play good. Maybe jet lag and that, a few of us have been here a little longer, it might be a bit of an advantage. But the Americans have such a strong team. We need all the help we can get. The course sets up pretty good for a lot of the guys on our team, and I feel like we've bonded a lot better this year compared to the past with the Presidents Cups that I've played in early in the week. Generally by Saturday we're really comfortable with each other. I feel like we're comfortable with each other now. So I think that's going to be a good thing for us, as well.

Q. With the pairings, we've seen the Aussie guys, the guys who know the course better being paired -- would you rather be paired with someone who you can guide around the course or do you think that would be an advantage?
MARC LEISHMAN: I think local knowledge is pretty big around here. I mean, I won't say that I won't get paired with Cam, but I think I'll probably be paired with other guys who maybe -- not need guidance. We learn new courses every week, but I think it might be good to have some experienced guys with the younger guys, as well. We don't know exactly what Ernie is going to do, but you probably have a good idea with the pairings after the practice round today what he's going to do.

Q. Patrick Reed was introduced as The Excavator on the first today --
MARC LEISHMAN: As what, sorry?

Q. The Excavator. He made some comments obviously a couple days ago. Do you still feel that strongly about it, and has it changed at all for you or is it something that's gotten your attention?
MARC LEISHMAN: I mean, I only saw what everyone else saw. I guess we've all made up our own minds about it. Yeah, I think we're just going to let that one go and try and beat him on the course. I think we've said enough or I've said enough about it. I don't need to add any fuel to the fire. But yeah, I think it's going to be -- yeah.

Q. Is it adding some tension to the week, though, do you think?
MARC LEISHMAN: I don't think so. Maybe possibly for him, I don't know. Yeah, I don't think it's added tension. We're pretty relaxed, the internationals, as a team. It's a big week for all of us, but we're just concentrating on playing well. We know we have to play well to beat the Americans, and that's what we're preparing for, for battle, and we know it's going to be one, and we hope we can come out on top.

Q. What would it mean to you to win a Presidents Cup in Australia?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it would be huge. Like I said, I was here in '98 when the internationals won. I've been on three losing teams. One was very close, but two of them weren't. I know the older guys on the team -- everyone really wants to win. We've been on the wrong side of it quite a few times, and we want to turn that around. We feel like it's a good place to do it. If we don't play well, we won't beat the Americans. We have to go out there and play good golf and see how we go.

Q. What has Ernie done to try to get this team to gel?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, we played a lot of practice rounds together throughout the year, starting very early in the year. So just having that familiarity with people, I think with the other guys on the team, I guess past years we haven't -- the team hasn't taken shape until pretty late. I feel like this year the team took shape quite early and we've been able to play some practice rounds together, so just getting to know each other. Not really talking about the Presidents Cup, just talking about anything. It's a good -- the younger guys feel more comfortable in the team room, and comfort is a big thing to play good golf.

Q. Can you talk about some of the challenges the course presents?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, they're pretty severe greens. They're fast. They're firm, very firm. I mean, firmest we've played since maybe Carnoustie a couple years ago. Yeah, if you aim it straight at the pins it's not going to end up there. You've got to hit it in a certain area to get it in another part of the green with the right speed and the right shape. It's a great golf course like that. You can't just aim it straight in the hole. You have to know where the slopes are, use them and play the right shot to use them. It's a great golf course in that respect.

Q. (Indiscernible).
MARC LEISHMAN: I think so, yeah. My body is feeling good. My energy levels are good. Past Presidents Cups I've had a few back issues. But you play through injuries all the time. Everyone on TOUR does. I think this is the best I've prepared. Playing on three losing teams, it's not fun losing. I don't really want to be on another one. So I've done everything to get into the right shape with my game and losing a few kilos, as well. Not just for this week but for the rest of my career hopefully. Yeah, I feel like this is the best I've prepared.

Q. (Indiscernible).
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I don't think you want to talk about losing too much. It's like driving down the highway, you don't want to talk about the truck that's coming straight at you because you'll probably drive into it. So you don't want to feed that losing, but yeah, it's not fun, and we've talked about it, and I really want to get that fire from the very start. Hopefully we can get it and make some putts and get the crowd behind us.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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