THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 20, 2022

Billy Horschel

Quail Hollow Club

Press Conference

Q. Just wondering this week, is there any holes so far you've been out there or parts of the course that really fit your game? Or spots that you can take advantage or you think you have good looks out there?

BILLY HORSCHEL: This course, played it in 2011 and 2017, Wells Fargo and PGA. It's a good golf course, always has been, always been one of the top ones on the PGA TOUR. There's going to be a lot of holes won with par. It's challenging out there.

Greens are obviously very slopy and very fast. But for only being here for the third time, I feel very comfortable with the golf course. I feel very comfortable with the shots you've got to hit off the tee.

I know Rory McIlroy has played really well here because he likes to hit that high draw that fits his eye, but you don't always have to draw it, and I've been hitting left-to-right shots. Even the holes going right to left, I'm still fine hitting a left-to-right shot.

I don't think there's a course that I don't think I could ever play. That's what we all think. I just think it's about executing the golf shots.

Q. Has it sunk in that you made the team? Has there been a moment over the last two days since you flew up here that it kind of hit you?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I think it hit me when I walked into the room Sunday when I got here, and I had the five, ten minutes of sort of enjoying it and thinking about everything.

Since then it's been down to business and not -- not taking it for granted, but at the same time being very happy and very pleased to be here and soaking all of the experience in because you just never know what happens in the game of golf.

Q. Knowing how badly you've wanted to make one of these teams, does all the noise and the circumstances surrounding this event, do you wish it was under slightly different circumstances?

BILLY HORSCHEL: No. I mean, I know there's been a lot of chatter about it on both sides, at least the players who went to the LIV TOUR. Then as Max sort of indicated Sunday after he won, there was a lot of people on social media that like to chime in.

What he's heard, I've heard as well, I only made the team because the LIV guys left the TOUR. I mean, those are just people that don't know what the F they're talking about. If they would have seen the points list when they left the TOUR, Max and I were clearly in the top 12. So it doesn't bother us one bit.

Q. You won obviously on the DP World Tour, but those points don't count. Do you think now that the PGA TOUR is a world tour, do you think that you guys should get points for events that are outside the PGA TOUR?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I don't know, that's a tough one because then you have to -- I just go to being in PAC meetings and the discussions are always about the off the field events. A lot of guys -- not a lot, but several guys in off the field events get way too many points. The winner gets 300 points. The guy that places second in a PGA TOUR event gets the same amount of points.

So one of the old notions of what people -- excuses or reasons they stay behind that is the guy who finished second at Arnold Palmer, do we believe he played better than the guy that finished 1 at Puerto Rico? They get the same amount of points. Who played better? Who played more against the better competition? Who played on a tougher golf course?

So we can't even figure that out.

Q. But that's FedExCup.

BILLY HORSCHEL: That's FedExCup points. But how we get points for this is by FedExCup points.

Q. The European team has a separation between World Ranking Points and DP World Tour. So they can play anywhere and they get credit for playing there if they play well.

BILLY HORSCHEL: So by that notion, you're thinking maybe we should go to a World Ranking Points system and a points FedExCup system possibly. That's the only way it would work.

Because I don't think we can say -- you know, giving someone points for playing well over on the DP World Tour, how do you make that equal to what it would be on the PGA TOUR or make it reasonable either way because, if someone -- just knowing our PAC meeting conversations on points in general -- and I know this deals with the Presidents Cup team -- this would be one of those lively debates in there about that.

I'm 35 years old. I've got about ten more years of making the team. So that's four or five more teams possibly, and you know what, I'm fine with the old system, but if they want to change it up, then I'll let someone come up with a system that works better than what we've got now.

Q. I hate to stay with points, but the LIV players sent a letter to the World Rankings.

BILLY HORSCHEL: I saw that.

Q. They played a couple of events. They're kind of demanding points. Where would you stand on that?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I follow the rules. I always have. You ask someone -- I don't like doing it. It gets me in trouble. That's always been the way I've been growing up except for one thing. I have a heavy right foot, so I do break that one rule in the car a lot.

But listen, there is a process in place, and they've got to follow that process. For them to be awarded points right away, that would go -- that would set a precedent for future Tours that they would come along.

I've been consistent about this for four or five months now. All of those guys knew, when they left the PGA TOUR, there was a good chance they may not get World Ranking Points anymore. Unfortunately, they were told that they were going to get World Ranking Points by their colleagues.

That's what they feel, based off of Greg Norman and the people over there, feel like they should get World Ranking Points right away. That's not going to happen. That's not the process in place. And for Greg to continue to attack Jay Monahan, Keith Pelley, and say there's a bias in place for not awarding them World Ranking Points, just follow the rules. They don't meet the criteria right now based off their TOUR to be awarded World Ranking Points.

Everything I know, which I know very little about the World Ranking Points system in general, but I know it's a year to an 18-month process before they even get World Ranking Points.

So just wait it out. Meet the criteria. They don't meet the, from what I've been told, first nine things, eight things on the criteria list. They don't have an average field size of 78. They don't have a cut. They don't have open qualifying. They don't award points or spots to local qualifiers. They don't have a Q-School. All these things that they don't have.

I know they've got a couple things that they switched up to try to get World Ranking Points, but they still don't meet a lot of things on that criteria list of the knowledge I know of how the process goes.

They knew when they signed that contract and took all that money what could come in the future for them. As I said in the beginning, they had to weigh those decisions and what the outcome could be by going there and the things they may not get in the future. They made that decision to sign the contract and take the money.

Q. Do you have a problem if 18 months, two years from now, they did get World Ranking Points?

BILLY HORSCHEL: That's a great question. Honestly, I haven't thought about it.

Selfishly, yes, because those guys left the TOUR, and they did it in a way that I don't see a fit that is right. Someone left in a different way that I have more understanding for. In the game of golf, should they get World Ranking Points at some point in the future, if they meet the criteria, if they meet everything on that checklist, it would be hard pressed for me to say they shouldn't get World Ranking Points.

If they met everything on the criteria list and everything by the book that the OWGR requires of every Tour going forward.

Q. You do realize you do not have to meet every criteria to be getting World Ranking Points?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Correct, you don't. I'm very aware of that, and I understand there's been exceptions made in the future or in the past, but I'm not the one sitting on the board. I'm not the one saying what criteria they have to meet, but there's a list in place, and if the people on the board say, you know what, we may not have gave that one Tour because they're a lower Tour, we let them on this criteria, but we're going to be sticklers on this criteria.

It's no different than a judge in a courtroom making a decision of a sentencing hearing based off someone's -- whatever they're being sentenced for and having different sentences and that judge decides to follow the book to a tee on that one, and this one the judge decided to be a little more lenient.

Like I said, it's way above my pay grade and my -- I can't say care factor. But just way above my pay grade.

Q. Billy, you give honest answers. If there were ever a PGA TOUR-LIV team event, would that interest you?

BILLY HORSCHEL: There was this conversation, I don't know when it was, and it was discussed. Yeah, I wouldn't mind playing in it, but at the same time, you've got to look at things -- what would the PGA TOUR benefit from that? Nothing. If we win, we're supposed to win. If we lose, it looks bad on the PGA TOUR.

So it's really a lose-lose for the PGA TOUR in that situation, and LIV's got everything to gain from it.

But as a player, we're all competitive, and I have great relationships with a lot of those guys and I would love to compete with them. I was looking forward to playing the Presidents Cup and maybe getting paired against Cam Smith, who's a really good friend of mine. If somehow there was a little LIV-PGA TOUR competition, I would love that. I would love to play against Cam Smith or one of my good friends, Ian Poulter or something like that.

Like I said, I'm not the one who makes that decision. There's more that goes into a decision like that. I wouldn't fault the PGA TOUR or anyone saying this doesn't benefit us going forward. I see that side of it, and I'm fine with that.

Q. Have you thought what Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday is going to be like on that 1st hole with the build-out and what that emotion for you it going to be like?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Yeah, it's going to be really cool. I think what everyone -- you've got to understand. And what everyone's been building -- I'll say this in a nice way. It's not a bad way. I'm not trying to make me look good.

But everyone has been building me up because of how much energy I have and some of the celebrations I have on the course at times, but a lot of that is organic. A lot of that's natural. It comes to me, and then it just is a natural reaction to things.

So when Davis says, we've got to rein Billy in with his energy or we want Billy on the 1st tee pumping everyone up, I'm like you're killing me here. You're like pumping me up -- not to fail.

Q. Are you going to pump the fans up at all?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Guys, I don't know what I'm going to feel like on the 1st tee. It's different. I mean, if you get me out into a Florida Gator stadium on the field before a game with 90,000 fans, yeah, I'm going to go crazy. There's 90,000 fans there. It hits me, and I kick into a little different gear.

I don't know what I'm going to feel, but I'm like, man, everybody's pumping me up to be this energizer, like this cheerleader type player for the team and everything. I can be like that. But I want you to understand it may not happen because we may not need it. I don't want to let everyone down because they're not going to see the energy, the celebration.

I'll tell you one thing I won't be doing. I won't be shotgunning any beers or drinking in the stands with the fans.

That's one thing I won't be doing. Not that I fault the players in the past, but it's just not my style.

Q. Billy, is it within the realm of possibility that, if U.S. Team scores so many points, that Sunday becomes essentially a victory lap?

BILLY HORSCHEL: Anything's a possibility, but I mean, it's never been done before, and I'm not a stats guy, but I'm going to say the percentage of it being done is very low. We've still got to go out there and compete, and there's still a really good international team over there with a lot of up and coming players.

So I'm going to say the possibility is very slim.

Q. When you're such a big favorite, how do you prevent over confidence from creeping in?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I think all these guys know this, you just focus on yourself, focus on what you need to do. You don't listen to anything. Neither of these guys have ever listened.

Scottie Scheffler is the greatest example. What he's done this year and gone to certain events being the massive favorite and still being able to win events and everything has been unbelievable. And even some he didn't win, he finished second or third, that shows you he can put the noise behind him and everything.

J.T., Jordan, Max, and Sam, all these boys in here, and the six other guys that will be in here tomorrow, we know how to deal with it. This isn't nothing new for us.

We haven't had any conversation about that because I think we all know what we need to do to be able to compete this week.

Q. Billy, do you agree with the idea that, in order to succeed as a professional golfer, you've got to be at least a little bit selfish?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I believe to be successful in life and to be the best in your profession, you have to be selfish. You have to be selfish. It doesn't matter if it's golf. It doesn't matter as being a journalist. It doesn't matter as being CEO of a company. You have to be selfish to be successful and be the top at your profession.

So, yes, in the professional game of golf, you do have to be selfish. The people around you -- you know, your family, your friends, your support system -- you've got to have people who understand that because sometimes it is a little lonely for them and they're not getting everything they need. They're great people in understanding that for any of us to be successful and be the best that we can be, we do need to be a little bit selfish at times.

Q. You make the choices you make for your career, and you have your support system, they get it, you're doing the right things for your career. Despite all that, is there any part of you that struggles with personal guilt? Saying I know I had to do this, I know the people around me get it, yet I still feel guilty for missing X or making X decision or whatever.

BILLY HORSCHEL: I've got three kids at home. You know what, I completely get it. That's why what my wife went through in her addiction and her alcoholism sort of brought a new light to a lot of things, and I've become -- we both -- my wife Brittany and I both have become better at being more present when we're around each other, when we're around the kids.

I've done very well at, when I go home, making sure I leave golf at the golf course and not thinking about how do I get better the next day? What do I have to do to get better? Just the constant of trying to improve.

But, yeah, it's tough for them, and I thank my family and friends enough because there are times that I sort of get in my own little bubble and forget where I am at times. It's crucial to make sure that, when you have that time, you're present. And that's why, even at 35, I've already got -- and I've had these feelings for a little bit now.

I don't know if I will play this game past the age of 45. I don't know if I'm going to play the Champions Tour because my kids are going to be at a certain age I want to be around them more. I want to be at sporting events more.

We all have sacrificed a lot in this game of golf. I've missed going on trips with my friends and our couple friends and going overseas and doing all these adventures. At some point missing all that and still continuing to play golf sort of weighs on you. And it's like, you know what, I want to go live my life outside the game of golf.

That point will come for me down the road, and I'll enjoy that next stage of my life when that happens.

Q. Billy, do you feel like a rookie?

BILLY HORSCHEL: No. I know it's my first Presidents Cup and I'm experiencing everything for the first time and I'm soaking it all in and I'm really excited to be here and to finally be a part of a team, but I'm going into my 14th year on the PGA TOUR.

So this is still a game of golf. When you tee it up, it's still golf. It's nothing new. The whole experience is learning the process. I'm asking a lot of questions, why we do certain things, why things are done this way, just for my own knowledge and understanding.

Then also, hopefully when I make future teams, I'm just a little bit more prepared for that going forward.

Q. Eight years ago you were the hottest player in the world and you didn't get selected. I realize it was a close call in the timing and all of that. How did that whole experience feel?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I had a kid two days later, so I could have cared less honestly that I didn't make the team. It did suck when I watched the Ryder Cup the following week and the U.S. not play very well and understanding that I felt like I could have helped. Whether my presence and me being there could have helped us win, I don't know.

Yeah, watching it, it sucked not being part of the team, but I had a newborn baby in my arms and I was a happy man.

Q. Did it make you want to make these teams more?

BILLY HORSCHEL: No.

Q. You already wanted to?

BILLY HORSCHEL: You've got to understand, my desire burns so hot that I can't go any higher. I'm always -- to make these teams, to get better in the game of golf, to achieve the things I want to in the game of golf, the desire to do this and motivate me is the highest it could possibly be. There's no higher ceiling. There's nowhere else for it to go.

Q. Finally, is there an insane amount of SEC trash talk happening on this team right now?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I'm not bringing it up, let me just tell you that, because I've got nothing to trash talk about. Kis has been pretty good about it. Sam and I, both our teams aren't very good, so we can't do much talk about it.

There's always college football talk around this time, whether it's on the PGA TOUR or in the team room. It's exciting. We all love to have a little banter back and forth.

Q. Billy, you've got 12 guys on the team. If you had out of your 12 guys pick someone to be the perfect driver, iron, short game, and putter, how would you build that perfect match play player?

BILLY HORSCHEL: I think Max Homa is driving the ball really well right now. He's swinging it -- I watched a little bit last week. He's swinging it so good right now. What he's done over the last 18 months has been impressive.

I'm trying to think of all the guys on the team, 12 guys. Yeah, I would say with length and straightness, he's right there.

Iron play, I'd either go with Jordan or Justin. Wedge play, I'd go with J.T. probably. And putting, Sam Burns. Sam's a really good putter. I played with him at Zurich, so I see a lot of it.

Then the demeanor and the calmness of a player mentality-wise right now, I'd go with Scottie Scheffler, just what he's done.

You can't go wrong. I could take any part of these guys, and it would be unbelievable. To pick one from 12 guys, it's tough. Man, I'm leaving this guy on the bench and that guy. You could pick each part of our game and piece it together, and you'd get one helluva player.