ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 24, 2022

Patrick Cantlay

Xander Schauffele

TPC Louisiana

Press Conference

DOUG MILNE: We'd like to welcome the winners of the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele. Congratulations on your seventh and fifth wins respectively on the PGA TOUR. Earlier this week we got some good comments from you guys, and it's probably a better feeling to be in here Sunday night. If we could get a few comments on the win and being together this week.

Patrick, start with you.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, it was a great week. Second time we've played this event, and we were looking forward to it since last year. We really always enjoy being with each other, both on and off the golf course, and we both played exceptional this week and had a great time doing it.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, pretty much the same thing. We've had a ton of fun off the course as well as on. It's just been -- I was personally and I think Pat was, as well, looking forward to coming back. We've done so many team things together that we know we're capable of doing better than last year. So pretty happy with the turnout this week.

DOUG MILNE: You're either in the top 20 in the FedEx or moved into the top 20 in the FedEx. You told me PGA is next for you. Just a quick little takeaway on what you felt best about your games individually that you can take away with kind of the best part of your game?

PATRICK CANTLAY: Mid-range putts and kept the momentum going, especially in best ball. It felt like whoever had the putt for birdie on that hole, especially if it was a makeable putt, we tended to make it. This week especially playing best ball two days, making putts is huge.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I have to agree. Obviously there's not much to take out of alternate-shot, but what Pat said in best ball is true. I feel like we didn't really putt very well last year, and we did make a lot of those kind of knee-knockers, some more par in alternate-shot but mainly for birdie in best ball.

Q. You got the eagle on 7 and then had back-to-back bogeys and the lead all of a sudden got to one. Did you realize it at the time or did you find out later?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It really wasn't -- Pat hit an unbelievable shot into 7. Just one of those shots you kind of see on coverage and you're like, I don't know how that ball got there. It was a pretty thing to see live from my angle from the fairway. So I was happy to sort of clean it up for him since he hit such a great shot in there.

Yeah, I feel like those bogeys were pretty much my fault, put him in bad spots on 9 and 10 with an 8-iron and a wedge in hand. Pat is really good at staying calm and staying present. That helped me stay calm and stay present. We weren't really too worried about where everyone else was at, just trying to focus on what we do best.

Q. This is a simple question but I'd like a complex answer if I can get it from you. How did you become friends?

PATRICK CANTLAY: We played together in college around, so we knew each other, and then really bonded at Presidents Cup. Fred Couples, he's amazing as a captain, especially that week, and so him and Tiger basically decided that they were going to put us together through all our time and playing well and enjoying hanging out with each other, we just became fast friends.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I don't know, it's not a very complex answer. If you want one you can probably get one from Pat at some point today. It pretty much started there.

I think Freddy and Tiger saw sort of our games matching and sort of how we carry ourselves and that matching. No real surprise that we get along so well ever since --

Q. We heard about the card games, et cetera, on the plane ride; is that right? Is that where it sort of first started to bond? And what made you realize you actually are similar and have connecting features?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, usually when you spend a lot of time with someone you sort of maybe stop liking them as much, and so Pat and I, we spent several hours playing cards. He kicked my ass, unfortunately. I got lucky on the ride over and then his auto pilot is much better than mine on the way home. I am stubborn and I didn't want to quit, and that was a huge mistake. We spent a lot of time there.

Yeah, we've spent more and more time together and we've started to get along more and more. It kind of speaks to our friendship in that sense.

Q. I know it got to the point where you asked him to go to Napa not that long ago before the Ryder Cup where you also played very well together. How did you take it to that level and to bring the significant others into it and tell us about that trip and how that helped you do this today.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think we both needed something to look forward to after the year ended. I know I really enjoy that, especially three weeks in a row and a grueling stretch like that. It just felt natural. We're both pretty relaxed and low key and both West Coast guys, grew up in southern California, so I think we balance each other out and really complement each other, and both on and off the golf course we have a great time. It was just really natural. It was what I really wanted to do and looked forward to after concluding the season.

Q. Girls get along, too, right?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, that definitely helps. Pretty much what Pat said. It's oftentimes where we will kind of say what is kind of on our mind and what we'd like to do, and it may not be the top thing on everyone's list, but for some reason it seems to be the top on our list and that's usually relaxing and being kind of low key in that sense. The Napa was a no-brainer.

Q. Five-shot lead going into the final round; did you talk about strategy last night and this morning as to how you might play?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No. We knew what we had to do. We knew that we -- it was comforting knowing that we had that five-shot lead. The wind has been up all week, and it can kind of get the best of you if you try and press in certain moments. We obviously needed that lead to be comfortable coming down the stretch on that back nine, to sort of play bogey-free golf or just kind of playing for par in a sense. But no, we sort of knew -- we didn't even have a conversation about it. We knew what we needed to do.

Q. Especially opening up with six consecutive pars, did you feel like the eagle at 7 might jump start the round a little bit?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Absolutely. It jump started the round. We needed something to go -- obviously a birdie would have worked, but an eagle is even better.

Q. Xander, on Tuesday you talked about being kind of frustrated with your year so far. Getting this win are you feeling that sort of vindication or getting things rolling down the stretch?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It's interesting. I obviously found a really good partner. He played unbelievable golf this week, made me feel comfortable. He brought the best out of me on the course. Yeah, there's a lot to take from this week. But for the most part kind of worry about enjoying it right now.

Q. You said you played in college; you've seen a stat of this before. This was obviously when you were a little older and you had a struggle that day, but you do remember it? Run me through whatever that was.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I remember it. I don't think Pat really remembers it. He has this ability or strength to go into sort of an auto pilot mode where not much fazes him, hence Patty Ice. He was kind of in Patty Ice mode at UCLA when we played. I think he shot 65 and I shot 78, something of that nature. I sat there and I was like, this guy is a lot better than me at golf. That's kind of what I thought at the time. It's kind of funny, full circle, here we are.

PATRICK CANTLAY: I think it was 63.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Sorry, 63. That sounds right actually.

Q. You were obviously younger, but perhaps the takeaway was you saw what you needed to get to, what you needed to do?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I believe you were the No. 1 amateur in the world at that time. But he had me down for a 72 after the round. He handed me my card, and I was like, I wish. He just had no clue what I shot. I didn't want to know what I shot, either. Yeah, it was definitely something for me to work towards.

Q. Can you put into words how this is different, winning this together as opposed to your individual wins?

PATRICK CANTLAY: I felt like I did half as much work as a usual win. I probably won't be as tired tomorrow. Xander played great all week. I think anytime you can share success, I think that makes it just a little sweeter. Similar to a Presidents Cup or a Ryder Cup, winning a match and then winning both the Cups that we've played in together, it just adds to it and makes it a little more -- like I said, a little sweeter because shared enjoyment and shared success is just that much better.

Q. Is it an assumption we should make that you'll be playing those team events together pretty much every time and not splitting the duo up ever again?

PATRICK CANTLAY: That's up to the captains. We'll take it one at a time. If you can get DLIII on the horn, he'll let you know.

Q. Y'all shot 8-under on the back nine yesterday. When y'all left you had a five-shot lead. I know you probably thought it wasn't over yet, but how did you feel after 8-under? Was it almost like a no-hitter, you don't want to talk about it until the end?

PATRICK CANTLAY: No, it felt really good. It was exactly what we needed to do at the time. I think that's really how both of us go about it is really focusing on the task at hand, and we did a great job of that basically all the way throughout the tournament. There weren't very many slip-ups. The middle of the round today we both would have liked to hit a couple better shots, but with that lead we did everything the right way and really closed out the tournament exactly how we wanted.

Q. If you're Patty Ice, how do you describe Xander? Does he keep you a little looser? Does he help you in that regard? You seem very stoic and focused when you're going through a round.

PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, I think that's just me. I definitely can be exactly myself with Xander, and I don't think twice about it. He knows exactly who I am. I think that really benefits both of us. We both feel like we can be exactly ourselves and don't have to put anything extra on.

DOUG MILNE: Patrick, Xander, congratulations.