LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL SERIES: LONDON

June 9, 2022

Hennie du Plessis

Charl Schartzel

Centurion Club

Press Conference

The Moderator: Thank you for joining us for the post-round press conference following the first round of the LIV Golf Invitational London. We have leaders from Team Stingers, Hennie and Charl to talk about their rounds today.

Q. How was it being on the same team, but not playing together? Did you know the scoring?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: There was enough leaderboards out there, so it was very interesting. At one stage I saw three of our teammates, including him and Branden Grace up at the top. You know, just a little bit of a different aspect to what we used to play, now you've got individual and team.

I actually felt on 17, my 17th hole, the first hole of the course, I had a 5-footer for bogey and I knew my scores was counting for the team. I was more worried to make it for my team than I was worried for myself. Yeah, we were conscious of it and you could see the leaderboards.

HENNIE DU PLESSIS: Yeah, same as he said. You can see from the first hole, you can see what's really going on. That's the beauty of this format. You can see what's going on and it's all happening at the same time, so it's pretty exciting.

Q. Can you talk about your back nine?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Yeah, 6-under, I actually wasn't aware of it. It's such a weird way of starting, when I turned on 18, I made that eagle and I was sort of -- I had so much adrenaline and I was relieved, having a good finish. And then I was like, no, you've got to play another two holes. I knew the back nine would play a little easier with the three par 5s and the way the wind was blowing, that they were all reachable, and you know, I just, I putted well today and I gave myself a lot of opportunities on the back nine.

Q. How would you describe the atmosphere out there? Did it feel like a regular tour event, something different?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: You could feel it's different. Just where you started, I was standing on the third tee box for about ten minutes, and there was nobody with me. And eventually I took my phone out and I was phoning Graham. I said "Graham, mate, were you? Am I on the right tee box?"

There was that sort of -- that made it very different for me than what you would be used to being announced on the first tee.

But then once you got going, it was just golf for me. But I tried to focus and hit the shots. You know, the start was a little bit different.

Q. Charl, you're one of the 17 players who were named by the memo as you were on the second hole today. Were you surprised at the timing of that announcement, or had you been given my forewarning and what do you make of the whole thing?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Is that what the PGA --

Q. The PGA --

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: Well, Jay said it. He said that's what he was going to do. So in a way, it probably wasn't a surprise, and I guess the timing, you know, we needed to hit a shot for him to have put a statement out.

So yeah, it's unfortunate. I would love -- I respect the PGA TOUR a lot and I would love to be able to play on, and for that matter, play wherever you want.

Q. How much have you discussed this, the PGA TOUR ban, the litigation you guys might have faced, the resigning, how much have you discussed with the other players here this week?

CHARL SCHWARTZEL: I mean, the talks do go around. I guess spoke a lot in a group of guys that we hang around.

Yeah, you know, it's not something that you wanted to do. I played all over the world for 20 years pretty much wherever I wanted to, and you know, this was another opportunity for me to play on a different tour. Yeah, I mean, like I said, I respect the PGA TOUR. I respect The European Tour; in fact, all the tours that's out there. I hope it changes one day.

Q. Can you just talk about that four-hole stretch where you had three birdies there right after the turn, and overall about your game?

HENNIE DU PLESSIS: I mean, I've been putting in some good work this week. So I mean, I know I'm hitting the ball well, and I mean, it showed obviously. I hit some pretty decent shots, a couple close. Yeah, I mean, obviously happy with the result.