THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 20, 2022

Scottie Scheffler

Quail Hollow Club

Press Conference

Q. How does it feel different this year not having to wait on a phone call telling you you're a captain's pick?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I wouldn't say there's a huge difference. I think last year, definitely the waiting was a little bit different than this year. Obviously I kind of knew for a long time. It's something that's kind of been in the back of my mind for a while, and just excited that the week is here.

Q. What role, if any, did the Rahm match play into the success you've had this season?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think the team atmosphere and playing in front of so many people, that was the biggest stage I'd ever competed on, and probably still is pretty close to the biggest stage.

I think probably having the vote of my peers was definitely a huge kind of confidence boost for me. I think there was a few guys that really wanted me on the team, and I was able to perform well under that immense pressure.

It's always a little bit different when you prepare for those moments, but then you feel what it's like in the heat of battle, and when you go home and practice, you're actually able to prepare for that because you know exactly how it feels on the biggest stage.

I think going into this year I had that experience and I knew what it felt like in those moments, and I was able to perform well, and then when I went home I'm able to perform knowing exactly how I feel in those moments.

Q. How does the energy of this team compare to the last one?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: The energy?

Q. Yeah, the energy surrounding the team.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think the energy is pretty similar. Everybody is really excited to be here. We've got a good team again this year, and a lot of guys that are playing good golf right now. We're all just excited to get the week started.

Q. You seemed pretty loose out there during the practice round. Is that a good assessment of --

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think the practice rounds are pretty loose, keep things light. You don't want to take it too seriously the beginning of the week, especially this one being a four-day event versus a three-day at the Ryder Cup. The matches are going to be a grind and they're going to be really serious. At the beginning of the week it's definitely nice to keep things a bit lighter.

Q. You're obviously coming off a very impressive year. How are you looking to parlay that into this tournament?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, well, starting with last year at the Ryder Cup, it was definitely a lot of fun, and winning is a lot more fun than losing, so I definitely don't want to be on the losing side of any of these squads.

The approach to this week is going to be going out and just trying to get off to a good start in the early matches and then go from there.

Q. 12 guys on the team, putting together the all-match-play athletes, best players for the U.S. team. Who would you pick for driving, iron play, short game and putting?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Okay, wow, you're hitting me with a hard one here. I'd probably let Jordan putt. Might let him chip, too. He's pretty good at that kind of stuff.

Let's see, who else is on the team? This is hard off the spot. Who hits it the furthest? Finau probably? Cam Young? Yeah, I'd say Cam Young hitting the tee balls, and then maybe Collin with the irons.

Hope I didn't offend anybody on the team with that answer. I don't know if that was correct or not.

Q. You talked at Augusta about working your way around the course. Does playing in a match play environment free you up to take more risks?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't think so. You want to stay in position in match play. I think wearing a guy down, especially on a harder golf course like this, is a good strategy. Yes, you can take more risks, but I think always be in the hole is a really important part of match play.

Q. Compared to a year ago, what were those days leading into the captain's picks like? Were you looking at your phone waiting for a call?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's tough for me to remember that, but I think it was like the day after East Lake, so we were just kind of chilling at home, getting some rest. It had been a long three weeks, and the end of the year was definitely stressful with all that hanging over your head, especially with it being my first team and with it being the Ryder Cup.

I think Sam and I were in touch that day, and Sam kind of called me earlier in the day and told me that he got the call and said he wasn't going to be on the team.

So I kind of spent the rest of the day just hoping the phone wouldn't ring because I felt like the longer it went, he would get the bad phone calls out of the way early and then the good ones late.

Yeah, just a lot of waiting. Just a long day.

Q. It's no secret you guys are the favorites here. How do you approach that mentally?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I just try not to focus on it. I think the best approach is usually just going out and trying to do your best, and most of that involves ignoring the outside noise. Just because you're the favorite they don't give you any extra shots. We don't start 1-up. There's a lot of talented players on the PGA TOUR. Its' a very deep tour, and the internationals obviously have a lot of talent on their side, as well.

Q. Do you think if you and Sam do play together, the strength will be your relationship?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think Sam and I both play pretty similar. We'll see if we get paired together this week. I'm not exactly sure what the pairings will be. But definitely, yeah, I think the close friendship would help. We know each other's games pretty well and know each other's personalities well.

I think it would be a good pairing, but there's 12 guys on this team, so it really depends on what gives us the best matchups for each day, and I think the first two days we had 10 guys playing and then was it Saturday we have eight guys in each session. So guys are going to sit, and a lot of that's up to the captain to figure out. I'm just going to go out and do my best when I'm told to play.

Q. Today LIV Golf requested World Ranking points for their tournaments. Can I get your thoughts on that?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I don't know how the World Ranking exactly works. I don't know the ins and outs of how they deem tours eligible for World Ranking points. There's a board that does all that kind of stuff, so for me, I don't really have much to say on that. I don't really know. It's not up to me.

Q. Do you see yourself as a leader on this team, and what does that role look like?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think there's certain guys on the team that have played in a lot of these team events. I look at Jordan and J.T. as those guys. They're the longest tenured, especially Jordan. This is maybe his ninth team event, maybe eighth or ninth, something like that. So he's been on many teams, so I think there's certain guys where their voice holds a lot of weight.

Honestly, I couldn't tell you if I'm one of them. I know that Jordan definitely is. He's been around for a long time, and you've kind of got to earn your stripes.

This is my first Presidents Cup. I may have had the best year on the course, but in a team environment, things are quite different.

Q. What do you feel like your role might be on the team?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Just show up and try and do my best. I'm not going to get too much into the ins and outs. I think you can try to be a leader, but it doesn't really matter unless people are following you. If people have questions for me or need anything, I'll give them my opinions, but as far as the ins and outs go, the captains are pretty much our leaders this week. Captain Davis has done a good job getting everybody settled and getting us prepared for what we're going to do, and it's just a matter of going out and doing it.

Q. Being such big favorites, how do you prevent (indiscernible)?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I usually just kind of ignore that kind of stuff. For me, being heavy favorites doesn't give us any extra shots. Every match is going to start at even. If we don't go out and play our best golf, we're not going to win this tournament. I think that's the approach of all the guys. We've been preparing for this. We definitely don't want to lose this tournament, and we'll start on Thursday with just getting out and trying to get off to a good start.

Q. You don't seem to be fazed by almost anything that the outside world says. Last year it was, wow, Scottie Scheffler barely gets in as the last captain's selection. This year it's Scottie Scheffler is the best player in the world. Has any of that conversation changed your motivation or preparation for this team event?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No, I wouldn't think so. I'm still just another guy on the team. Whether I'm the 12th or the first guy on the team, it doesn't really matter. We're all going to go out there and try and do our best when our name gets called to go out and play matches. That's really all I'm focused on.

Q. Did last year's experience change your preparation in any way for this?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I wouldn't say so. I think last year I was definitely a bit more nervous going into the event just because I was the last guy on the team. That was obvious. I was the last guy on the team, and I didn't know how much I was going to be playing, and I think having the vote of a few guys on the team definitely gave me more confidence going into that event, and earning your spot is a little bit different, but at the end of the day I'm just going to go out and do my best when my name gets called.

Q. How much of your work this week is on the golf course compared to your work with a potential partner?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, there's definitely a little bit more, especially if we're going to be going out in alternate-shot. There's definintely a lot more you have to prepare for, whether it's golf balls -- that's a big one, just preparing because we all play different types of balls. Figuring out can I hit his ball off the tee, can I chip with it, can he hit my ball off the tee. There's a lot of ins and outs to that. So there is some preparation there, but at the end of the day yesterday I got most of my work in on the golf course to where I needed to learn this place because this is my first time on the golf course.

Q. Form is a fickle thing, as we all know, in the game of golf. What was your form like in March, April, May, compared to how it is now?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, form is a weird deal. Sometimes you show up and you feel great and you don't play your best. Other times you have horrible warmups and then you play your best after that. I feel like I'm still in good form. My game, I obviously was peaking at the beginning of this year. I had some great starts and really nice wins.

Winning is difficult out here on TOUR, so you've got to get the breaks, you've got to hit the shots at the appropriate time, and so just because you're in form doesn't mean you're going to be winning all the time, but I definitely feel like my game is in a good spot now.

Q. Do you feel for Trevor trying to build a team with all the curve balls, players leaving --

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, there's definitely some challenges there with guys leaving and not being a part of the team. It's definitely a challenging aspect for him. I haven't paid too close attention to what's going on. I've kind of been in my own little world. When I'm away from the course I try and get away, so I've seen a little bit of the stuff, but yeah, I'm sure it's been a hard job for him, but he's definitely very excited that this week is here.

Q. I'm not sure if you saw, but LIV Golf requested World Rankings. How do you feel about that issue?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, that's not up to me, that's up to the Official World Golf Ranking. I play golf on the PGA TOUR. Honestly I don't have much to say. I don't know the ins and outs of how the system works, if those golf tournaments are deemed eligible, if 54-hole events count, 48 guys. It's challenging. There's lots of ins and outs to that. I don't think my position in the World Ranking has any sort of effect on whether those guys will get World Ranking points or not.

Q. Do you feel like your ability to tune out makes you more focused?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think so. There's been a lot of stuff going on, as you well know. I think so. It's important for me when I get away from golf to really check out. I've got a good group of friends at home that I like to spend time with, and golf is definitely not a topic of conversation very often. So when we're at home I'm able to check out, and I think it's a strength.

It takes a lot of energy to play good golf out here, and so physically it's not as taxing, but definitely mentally it's very taxing. So when you get home and you're able to check out and do other things that you enjoy while still preparing for events, I think it's a skill.

Q. If you were to build a starting five for each team, you were named one of the starting five for your team. I was curious what are your thoughts on --

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Basketball?

Q. Yes, in basketball. What are your thoughts on being named to the starting five?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, thank goodness I got picked. I'm probably one of the few guys on the team who actually played high school basketball, so I'm glad they don't think I'm a total oaf when it comes to sports.

I know Finau is pretty good. I've played a bit with Sam, and Sam for having not played high school basketball is actually pretty good.

Did I hear Kis used to play a lot? Did I hear that right? Who's on the starting five? Oh, Jordan is good, too. I've played with Jordan.

Who's on the team? Let me think. Probably not Xander or Patrick. I feel like Kis might sneaky have some skill.

Just because I play with Sam, Sam is kind of a body. He'll play hard, he'll play some defense.

Q. Did you have an AIM growing up?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No, I wore long pants and collared shirts to school. I didn't have too many friends growing up.

Q. What's your familiarity level with this property, this golf course?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Monday was my first time on the course. Pretty new. I did play all 18 Monday. I played all 18 on Monday -- yesterday, sorry.

Q. What do you like about the layout? It's not the normal Wells Fargo routing.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah. I feel like this golf course has changed a lot over the years. It's a little bit softer than I would have imagined it, but it's in great shape. The rough is healthy enough to where you're either going to get some big jumpers, maybe a few tough lies. Bermuda is easy. You only need a little bit of grass to make it challenging, and the golf course is very long, as well, so I think it'll be a good test for the guys this week.

Q. How do you fight off being overconfident after everything you read?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, for me it's always just been ignoring all that kind of stuff. Just because we're favorites doesn't mean we start 1-up. Every match starts at even at the beginning of the week.

The PGA TOUR is very deep, and the international team is also deep. There's a lot will talent out on TOUR. Just going out and trying to do our best is probably going to be the best approach and just ignoring all that other stuff.

Q. If there were ever a LIV Golf and PGA TOUR event (indiscernible)?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's a big hypothetical. I'm not quite sure. Yeah, I have no idea. I don't know if we're going to see that anytime in the future.

Q. Is there any kind of talk in the team room about fantasy golf, like their 12 best against PGA TOUR's 12 best, what that would look like? Has that ever been discussed?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not in my circles. I think the PGA TOUR has a bit more talent than their tour does. I don't have much to say.

Q. What do you look for in a foursomes partner?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's not too much golf stuff for me. I just like a guy that fights. I feel like -- you said alternate shot, right? I just like having a partner that's going to fight. I feel like the matches are really long, and especially in alternate shot, I think a lot of guys expect to play perfect golf, and that's just not the case. You're going to get yourself in some spots that you didn't put yourself in, somebody else did, and it's just about fighting and getting back in play and just trying to grind out holes and win matches.

Q. What makes for a good four-ball partner? Four balls means four balls in play.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I would say the same thing. I think that's what I look for in a partner, someone that likes to fight and grind things out. I feel like that's a lot of what match play is, is not giving up on holes, not giving up on points and just kind of going out there and doing your best and going from there.

Q. Who are you most looking forward to being paired with this week?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I'm not really sure. I feel like I'm one of the guys on the team that could play with a variety of players, and so wherever captain puts me, that's what I'll be excited to go out and do. I'm just excited for the week to get started. I've been thinking about it for a while, and these team events are my favorite events for sure. Getting to play for your country and getting to play for 11 other guys on the team is really special and it's so unique, and so whoever I'm paired with, I'll be excited to go out there and grind it out.

Q. If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Probably want to be something cool like a bald eagle, fly around. I wouldn't want to be anything in the ocean. The ocean kind of scares me, so we'll go with bald eagle.

Q. Is there anything that you feel great about in your game coming into this week?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I feel like I'm still hitting it really well. I've got a few things I'm working on this off-season that are exciting for me. It's always exciting to kind of take a look back at the entire season and figure out how I can get a little bit better. So for me I've been working on this a little bit. I did get some rest when we got done at East Lake. I was pretty worn out at the end of the year, but I'm excited to be here this week and ready to play.

Q. Is there anyone maybe on the international side that you would like to be paired against on Sunday?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I wouldn't say I have too much history with any of the guys. Nobody has beat me in like the final round or anything like that that I can remember. Whoever I'm going across at the end, it should be a fun match. Like I said, the internationals, they have a deep team and a lot of talent, so whoever we get paired against on Sunday, it'll be exciting.