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TAYLORMADE DRIVING RELIEF supported by UNITEDHEALTH GROUP SKINS MATCHMay 17, 2020Rickie FowlerDustin JohnsonRory McllroyMatthew WolffJuno Beach, Florida Q. With the winning team of Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy. You guys are the best players in the world. You're coming down the stretch. You have all this money on the line, but it's not for yourselves, as you talked about during the telecast, Rory, so when it got that competitive, what was it like for you? RORY McILROY: It was good. It was nice to feel it again. It's only -- what's it been, nine weeks since THE PLAYERS? It feels much longer than that. Obviously we just went through a very unprecedented time, and we're used to feeling like that week in, week out, so to be at home for these few weeks and not feel that, it was nice to get back out here today, even though we're in -- it's a different setting than what we're used to, but to get those competitive juices going again, it was nice to feel it. Q. Speaking of the nine-week layoff, Dustin, we were wondering what the game was going to be like. I know you weren't happy with the way you hit the ball all day long, but when you needed to you came up really big. Between the two of you, how did you get the job done today? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, well, obviously Rory hit a nice shot there on the closest to the pin. I actually thought I hit a really good one. But you know, it's just how it goes. It's partner golf, so you've got to rely on your partner some, and I relied on him a little more than I wanted to, but it was fun, and it was all for a good cause, so I really enjoyed being out here today. He was talking about when we go back out, this is actually how it's going to be a little bit, for the most part. There's going to be no fans, it's just going to be us and some TV cameras. It was kind of nice to get out and kind of see and feel what it will be like a little bit. Q. Rory, last thing for you. You gave that fist pump and a little bit of a roar when you won the six skins at 17 in the playoff, closest to the pin for the $1.1 million to get the victory for you two. How bizarre is it for you guys who are used to playing in front of hundreds of thousands of people all week and millions on TV to have basic silence here today? RORY McILROY: Oh, I would have loved to have given my partner a high five. Like it was a team effort. Like DJ said, he didn't play as well as he wanted to, but when he needed to, he hit two of the best shots all day into 18. He turned it on when he needed to. It would have been nice to give him something or a high five, but obviously we can't in these times, but yeah, it's going to be different. It's going to be different for a while, and we're just going to have to get used to it. But DJ made a great point; it's been nice to get out here and see and feel what it's going to be like. Q. Joined now by Matt Wolff and Rickie Fowler. That came all the way down to the finish and then some. How would you sum up the day, Rickie? RICKIE FOWLER: It's just fun being out here, being able to play golf, play with some of our close friends for a really good cause, or multiple causes, but all kind of central around COVID relief. Yeah, it's all a bonus just being able to play golf, a good heated battle. We had some fun. Unfortunately I saved my worst shot for the last, but I felt like we both played just fine today and enjoyed the competition. But we're out here because of something a lot bigger than golf. Q. Speaking of the competition, we were all wondering what your games were going to be like after a nine-week layoff. How intense was it out there at times, especially coming down the stretch when things got really, really tight? MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, I think coming down the stretch was when I played the best. The rough was a little shaky for me. I was definitely nervous playing with the best players in the world, and then like Rory was saying, throughout the round for a bigger cause than just yourself, and what we're all playing for is COVID relief and everything like that. You know that you're playing for a lot bigger cause. But like I said, it was a lot of fun, and I was just happy to be a part of it, and looks like we raised not only the money that was already pledged but I think I heard somewhere in the middle of the round that we raised an extra $3 million on the GoFundMe page and stuff like that. I think what we came out here to do we accomplished, and like I said, it was a lot of fun, and I'm just happy to be a part of it. Q. Rory, you guys are in good shape here on 18, $1.1 million on the line on this hole. You told me when you walked off the tee, "I'm starting to feel it a little bit." What's going on? RORY McILROY: Yeah, especially over that putt there on 17, that was a big one to halve that hole and get up here. Yeah, it's different when you're not really -- when you're not playing for your own money; you're playing for someone else's or you're playing for another cause. You know, it sort of starts to weigh on you a little bit. It's nice to see DJ and I are up there and both have birdie putts. Q. All four of you guys are among the best players on the planet. Now talking about Seminole, you were one of the catalysts, Rory, to make this happen. How proud are you of this moment? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I'm really proud. Look, it's a huge effort from everyone involved to put this event on, but obviously Jimmy Dunne, the club president, obviously I have ties to this golf club with my dad being a member, but with TaylorMade, who sponsor all of us, UnitedHealth Group, who are a partner of mine, really proud just to be a part of an event to entertain people at home on a Sunday afternoon but also to raise money. Q. Well, here are the winners, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy, a deep breath, a sigh and then a big fist pump, and it was only 120 yards. What were you thinking when that ball was in the air? RORY McILROY: I didn't know whether to tell it to get up, get down, stay long, stay short. I wouldn't be known for my wedge play. I was feeling a little pressure there. Matt hit a decent shot in. It's only 120 yards but it's a tough shot. So just to see it land on the green and stay there, because these Seminole greens, the ball can do funny things when you think it's in a good spot. Look, really happy. It was an awesome day playing with DJ, Matt, Rickie, all of us out here for a great cause, and yeah, it's been awesome. It was nice to get back on the golf course and get back to some sort of normalcy. Q. Dustin, along the lines of what Rory was just alluded to with the charity dollars that you guys raised today, you've done a lot of really neat things in your career. Where does this day stack up? DUSTIN JOHNSON: It definitely stacks up there. Not only how much UnitedHealthcare Group donated, but also you got through telling us how much we raised just from the people watching and calling in. It's incredible what we did, and obviously it's very nice to be a part of something so cool. Yeah, just to get back out and play golf again, and a little bit competitive. It was a lot of fun. Q. I've got one question about bringing live sports back, and any message to the fans? RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, I'm obviously excited for live sports to come back in any way, shape or form. With golf coming back in June, other sports -- I know NASCAR is coming back, baseball, some other things are going to fall into place, but sports is a big part of live and culture in the U.S. and around the world, but ultimately we want to make sure things are as safe as possible and safe enough to go play whatever sport it is. I know the TOUR has done a great job of making sure that we're in a safe spot to move forward at Colonial at the start of June, and like I said, this COVID thing is bigger than all sports, but sports is also a big part of life and culture. If we do it right, it's going to be a very positive thing, and I'm looking forward to being back competing, and I know everyone is looking forward to watching golf as well as plenty of other sports. Q. You have some bragging rights now winning both long drives, earning $450,000 for the team today. Are you going to remind Rory, Rickie and DJ about that later in the season when you see them? MATTHEW WOLFF: Well, Rickie was kind of talking himself out of the long drive before it even started. With Rory, DJ and myself, we're definitely the longest on the TOUR, I'd say, along with a couple other guys, but yeah, the most important thing was raising money for charity. I think a couple other people donated on 14 and raised it up to $350,000 for that long drive, so that was pretty awesome, and I'm just happy that I probably hit the straight he's and the longest or both of those holes. I mean, it was just a lot of fun, and I think everything that we did today was awesome, and we achieved our goal of raising even more money than we thought we were. It's a great cause and a good time. Q. Rory, how much did playing today with a little competition together make you even more excited to return to golf in June? RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was nice to sort of feel those competitive juices, especially coming down the stretch when we needed to hole some putts and hit some good putts when we needed to, I guess. A nice little introduction back to what we usually do week in, week out, and yeah, excited to get back out and play and play on the TOUR in June. Q. DJ, thoughts about playing without your caddie Austin and carrying your own bag? DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, obviously this course is not too tough of a walk, but definitely have a little more respect for the caddies when they're -- especially they're carrying a lot bigger bag than what we were carrying today. But it was a lot of fun to get back out and play with Rory, Rickie and Matt. I think we had a good time. We raised a lot of money for charity, so I'm really excited about that, and then also the TOUR is starting up here soon, and really looking forward to getting back out there and competing again. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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