PIF SAUDI INTERNATIONAL POWERED BY SOFTBANK INVESTMENT ADVISERS

February 2, 2022

Marc Leishman

Royal Greens Golf and Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Marc, thank you for joining us here at this preview press conference for the 2022 PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank investments. Your debut Saudi experience; how are you feeling being here?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, enjoying it. First time I've actually been anywhere in the Middle East. It's a pretty cool spot. Enjoying my trip so far. The golf is great. Conditions are perfect, and yeah, excited to get this tournament started tomorrow.

Q. How has it taken you so long to get to this part of the world?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I guess just the timing of the tournaments. All the tournaments early in the year on the Tour, it's a long way away from here, and it genuinely doesn't fit into my schedule, but this year it worked out, and definitely happy to be here.

Q. You've had a steady start to the year. What would success look like to you this week?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I mean, all the guys that are playing here come here to win. It's a long way to come to try and play for a top 5 or a top 10, and I'm certainly looking to leave here with a trophy. Hopefully I can play well and make the putts and see where we end up on Sunday night.

Q. This is the first time the Saudi International has been hosted as an Asian Tour sanctioned event with an enhanced prize fund. How pleasing is it for you to see golf events like this on the Asian Tour?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I've played a bit of golf in Asia, obviously being from Australia, early in my career. Played on the Korean Tour, did a lot of travelling throughout Asia, and it's great to see the guys getting to play for a big purse like this. It can be expensive travelling around the world to play golf, but to have this opportunity is pretty awesome for the guys who play the Asian Tour week in, week out.

Q. The colour of the red sea, is it bluer than Port Phillip Bay?

MARC LEISHMAN: I believe it's definitely bluer than that. Yeah, we couldn't believe it yesterday. I mean, I've been to a lot of cool places around the world but never seen an ocean so blue.

Q. Coming back to the Asian Tour before you cut your teeth before you went to the States, what did that do for your career, playing all those events in Asia?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I think it certainly makes you tougher as a golfer I would say, playing in different cultures. I think that's the biggest challenge is playing different golf courses and grasses and all that, but I think the culture is adapting to new cultures, new foods. I had to broaden my horizons a little bit when it comes to food. As a 21-year-old travelling around Asia, I felt like I was pretty adventurous until I got over here.

But no, it's good.

Q. The news of the kind of Super League concept that's coming up apart from the noise that goes with it, what do you make of the concept itself? Is that a good thing for golf, something you'd like to see?

MARC LEISHMAN: I think competition is good for golf. I don't know the exact details of it yet, but as an independent contractor and golfer, I feel like you've got to explore all options, and I think, yeah, the competition as far as golf goes will help, help the game, and I'm excited to see where it goes.

Q. Is the team aspect of it something you'd like to see? We all get a bit tired of 72-hole stroke play every week. It's different, isn't it.

MARC LEISHMAN: It is different. It's something new, something different. I said earlier I had done some travelling around Asia, I think this is maybe golf's (indiscernible).

Q. Particularly the team concept in golf, I think there's a bonding that happens there more than most places, so that would appeal to you and your compatriots I would imagine?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, any team sport is fun. I grew up playing football, cricket. We only get to play golf as a team at the Presidents Cup and the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Yeah, it's certainly different. Yeah, I don't know, it can be pretty exciting.

Q. You've obviously grown up as I have with Greg Norman. Do you sort of admire him, what he's doing, getting involved trying to help promote the game and fill a void that's not been taken on board by major tours? Do you admire that?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I think he's -- (indiscernible) I do think that's a good thing that he's done. We've spoken about growing the game and all that, and I think this is something that could do that.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Marc.