THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 20, 2022

Cam Davis

Quail Hollow Club

Press Conference

Q. The captains were asked to build a starting five for basketball, if you guys were to go head to head, and you made the international team. What are your comments on making the starting five?

CAM DAVIS: For basketball? I shot some hoops over the last couple of years, but I can't jump. I don't think I'd be a very good addition to that team. We're a pretty athletic team. I take it as a good compliment because I wouldn't say basketball is one of my strengths.

Q. Is there a sport that you guys, that your team could maybe take them on if they were maybe favored in basketball? Is there a different sport?

CAM DAVIS: We've got a couple of Australians, so maybe a little bit of cricket. I don't know. We've got a really good spread. We could be pretty good at most things, I reckon, and really good at a few. I can't really think of them.

Q. Let's say as a team you guys played hide and seek, who would be the hardest to find?

CAM DAVIS: I was going to think who's the skinniest so they could hide behind the trees. That might be me at this point. I don't know, I might have to go me. I'm pretty good at finding a hiding spot.

Q. A couple questions actually about the Asia-Pacific Amateur, which you played in a couple of times, I think it was in Korea and Hong Kong. First off, could you just speak to the impact that that event had for you as you came up the amateur ranks and before you became a professional?

CAM DAVIS: That sort of stuff is huge for that region. The biggest tournament we can play close to home. We traveled around and got to play a lot of really cool courses that otherwise we'd never see.

Just having the opportunity to qualify for a major that had that sort of goal starting out a week. You don't really get those opportunities as an amateur, except for U.S. Amateur, British Amateur, and to have one close to home that was more for our region was unreal.

Almost got a really quick start to the end of my amateur career and start of my pro career through that event. I am really grateful for the opportunities and the people you meet through that one.

Get a lot of green jackets out there and a lot of people from the R&A that you can hopefully end up seeing their face a few more times as your career goes on. But it's a great way to end your amateur career and kick start the pro career.

Q. Was that the first big amateur event you played in that was on that scale or were there other? You mentioned the British Amateur.

CAM DAVIS: I did the UK, U.S. summer amateur swings since I was part of the Golf Australia program when I was 17. I played a lot of big events, but that one always felt great. They look after you so well, it feels just as big as the U.S. Amateur or British Amateur.

Having all the important people out there, having what's on the line there in front of you, it feels as big an event as any of the others.

Q. Do you have any specific fond memories from your time playing? Is there anything that stuck out to you as a really cool aspect of it?

CAM DAVIS: I think it was just like (indiscernible), having a chance to win the tournament and being really close. Not getting over the line kind of sticks out as like a bit of a sore memory, but at the same time, I played some of my best golf as an amateur in a really big environment at that tournament.

It was a great way to finish my amateur career in that sort of way. I used that as my last event. If I made it, if I won and got a start in the Masters, I would have waited just a little bit longer to turn pro. But at the same time, give it one last really good charge, and I have some really cool memories playing great golf coming down the stretch close to getting my start.

Q. If this team can pull off the victory, how big do you think that will sit for the rest of your career?

CAM DAVIS: I think to be a part of the first team to get it done in the States, I think that's a mystery, and I would be absolutely stoked to be a part of that.

That's what we're all driving for right now, and to have it work out in favor at the end of it would be icing on the cake to an awesome preparation for this event.

Q. When you see the U.S. Team has been given so much favoritism on paper or whatever it might be, how does that steel your grip? Is it just free wheeling, let's do our best and see what happens?

CAM DAVIS: There's no reason to play safe or do anything like that. We're doing match play. We play aggressive. The golf course is set up to play aggressive. There's really nothing to lose for us. We're in a win-win situation, but at the same time, we all really want to win this thing.

We all feel that all of us playing well, there's more than a chance to get that done. So we're really, really excited to get started.

We won't be surprised if we see ourselves winning matches, and I think that's a really great place to be before the tournament starts.

Q. How are you doing coming out of your shell in the team room?

CAM DAVIS: It's great. This is the first time I've experienced team atmosphere since I was an amateur. Guys you normally see on the range, you're having a chat and asking their opinions on how to get shots and their thoughts on game plan and strategy. I think everyone coming together and getting all of that knowledge out, I think I'm learning a lot more a lot faster than I would have just by watching people.

You don't really want to get in someone's head and asking them questions while they're also preparing for a tournament, but right now we're all trying to help each other get the best out of each other coming into this event. So I'm really enjoying it.

There's a lot of people I've looked up to, and now to feel like I'm one of them and kind of playing alongside them, it's a really cool feeling.

Q. Any specific nuggets you've picked up in the last few days you can give us?

CAM DAVIS: A lot of it's just to do with the approach to how to hit out of some of this rough, some short game shots, some distance control stuff out of the rough, some fairway shots.

This rough isn't long, but it gets some fliers and some different lies with some different strategies, kind of get the ball on the green. Putting that into practice now.

At the same time, a lot of it's mindset. We want to have that putt to win that trophy. So get ourselves ready for that and start thinking about that now.

It's just been a lot of fun really, and I'm really, really enjoying the way it's all been going so far. Can't wait to get started on Thursday.

Q. I have some fan questions. They're a little lighter. What's a place you've always wanted to travel to?

CAM DAVIS: I've always wanted to go to Europe, just in general. Like I would love to go to Switzerland, Poland, up that part of the world. That's somewhere I've never been before.

I've been to most continents around the world now, but that's somewhere I'd love to go.

Q. What animal would you be and why?

CAM DAVIS: I don't know. I like dogs, so I might be a dog. Hopefully I'm a good one. Someone would like me.

Q. If you don't mind -- we're texting back and forth with fans, and someone texted, oh, this must just be a chat bot and it's not a real person. We wanted to send a video back to have someone say this isn't a bot. It's real. Tell your friends.

CAM DAVIS: This is me. This is real. I'm answering these questions and having a good time doing it.

Q. How do you balance the feelings of obviously you're super proud to have made your first team, but have it under circumstances that were quite unusual. What are your emotions about being here?

CAM DAVIS: I'm just super excited to be a part of it, to be honest. It's been pretty crazy over the last few months. We've just dealt with it as well as we can, and I feel like the team that we've got here is going to do great. I think we're all super pumped.

I think a lot of us being new to the team almost makes it seem a little bit more angrier than it might have even been. I'm sure the guys on the team right now are just as motivated as ever to make the cut.

To be honest, we all feel like we're all out right now with our games and the way we're approaching this golf course. It's actually a really good setup. Great chance to see if we can upset it.

Q. How has Trevor kind of shepherded you guys through this rather turbulent process?

CAM DAVIS: He's been passionate about us being as prepared as possible. To the dinners we've had, to the trip we had out here a couple weeks ago, to just even earlier this week the last couple of days, it's just been eyes forward. We've got a job to do. We've got the best chance we've ever had to do it with the preparation we've got and the strategy we've got in place to try to make it all work.

We've all bought into it 100 percent, and I can't wait to go out there and represent because we're all just super proud to be a part of it.

Q. How would you describe your game? Does it seem particularly well suited to this golf course?

CAM DAVIS: Yeah, I'd say -- I mean, it's a longer, bigger golf course. I think there's a little bit more room to hit driver, especially with the rough a little shorter. It's not as much of a penalty to miss the fairway.

I think, if you can hit 60 percent of your fairways and hit it pretty long and hard, it's going to be a big benefit out here. Most of it's going to be done on and around the greens. The greens are going to be really fast. Being in the right place underneath the hole or on the right side missing it with your iron shots is going to be really important.

It's pretty speedy out there already, and I'm sure come the weekend it's going to be even more speedy and even more firm. Right now it's in a really good place, but I'm sure it's going to get tougher. I think we're all ready for that, and our focus is we just need to be out there.

Being out of control, just adjusting to the green. If you can hit a fairway with the driver and get it out there far enough, wedges into these greens is going to make a huge impact versus playing a little shorter and trying to fit 5-irons and 6 irons into these greens.

It's a risk/reward golf course, and I think that really suits match play because it encourages the aggressive shot. Getting the ball on the fairway with my driver, that's going to be really good step forward for me.

Q. Have you played much team match play over the course of your life?

CAM DAVIS: I played a lot in Australia actually. There's a lot of team golf coming through. We played in club competitions with seven eight-man teams. We played state competitions with our state teams. Or as a national team playing against other countries.

I absolutely loved it, and I actually felt that a lot of my best, sort of my biggest steps of improvement came through those environments because you're surrounded by people and bouncing new ideas off each other and learning at the same time and pushing each other forward. That's kind of the environment we've got here as well.

We've got guys who have done this for a long time, guys who have only experienced it for the first time. That just all melds into hopefully a team of guys that brought out the best in each other and everyone lifts to the level of the occasion. This is a pretty big occasion, and I think we can do that.

Q. There's been a lot of chatter just about how big of favorites the Americans are. Their spread is like 6 1/2 points. People are saying it could be decided. Do you guys pay attention to that and use it as motivation or kind of ignore it?

CAM DAVIS: To be honest, we all know, if we play well, it's not going to be like that. We feel like our best golf is more than enough to be, not just in contention, but enough to win a lot of matches as well. I don't think any of us are thinking it's going to be a steamroll the other direction.

If it is, well, everyone was expecting that, but I do believe that everyone here knows that playing their best golf out here is going to get a lot of wins on the board.

Q. Is there a certain freedom that comes with you guys feel like you might not have anything to lose given the expectations?

CAM DAVIS: We're trying to turn the tide of the stretch of events out here in this tournament where it hasn't gone our way. All we've got is the opportunity to turn that around for the first time in a long time, and there is a lot of freedom to that.

We can all just go out there and give it our best. We feel like, yeah, it could be an upset, which would be awesome. I think for this tournament it would be awesome. For Presidents Cup in the future, it would be awesome to start having a bit more of a back and forth rather than a bit one-sided. It would be great to be part of the team that kind of gets that started.

Q. How did it feel having a fellow Australian like Adam Scott on your team, kind of mentoring your team? What's that mean to you as another Australian and the team?

CAM DAVIS: I mean, I've looked up to him pretty much my whole golfing life.

Q. Really?

CAM DAVIS: He was just getting started winning major tournaments when I was starting watching golf on TV. I remember watching him win THE PLAYERS in 2004. It was him and Tiger Woods for me.

Being alongside him and playing as a peer rather than someone who's just trying to figure out and learn underneath him, he's really made everyone feel very comfortable and feel like equal members of the team.

It's great to have an Aussie accent on the team as well, but at the same time, it's awesome to feel like I deserve a spot on this team alongside him and we're going to be in this together.

Q. Any specific advice Adam shared with the team that's especially helpful?

CAM DAVIS: More than anything, it's just he's been here before, and if we're in position to win this thing and have a putt to win the tournament, you've got to want that putt and feel ready for it.

I think Trevor and everyone has got everyone in that head space. Yes, we really want that opportunity, and we would love to have the chance to get that putt. Yeah, I can't wait for hopefully my turn, but if it's someone else, we're all going to be 100 percent in for them as well.

Q. At this point heading into the Cup start on Thursday, what is the part of your game you're most pleased with?

CAM DAVIS: Right now my iron game's really strong. I think that helps out here. My distance off the tee is good to carry a lot of the bunkers out here. If we can get that ball on the fairway as often as possible, that's going to be, I feel like, an advantage if we can take some trouble out of play.

Makes the par-5s a little easier and some of the shorter par 4s a little bit easier to get the ball closer to the greens.

Q. Any parts of your game you're concerned about?

CAM DAVIS: Not really. I mean, everything's been pretty solid. It's just trying to see if we can really up that level come Thursday, start making a few more putts, get those chips a little closer, and get the ball on the fairway as much as possible with that driver.

If we can get over a certain distance out and keep it in the fairway, there's multiple shots around that are going to be safe. Everything's pretty good. Everything's been pretty solid.

Q. You like the way Quail sets up for you in your game?

CAM DAVIS: Yeah, I like big courses. I like courses with a lot of water around, things that kind of really zone your eyes into specific targets. I think, when it's wide and there's nothing out there, it's easy to get a little bit lax on that.

So I really like the small targets and long targets. I think getting into a rhythm out there kind of turns that into a strength for me.

Q. If you're playing alternate shot, how do you decide which golf ball to use with your partner?

CAM DAVIS: To be honest, I think if someone is concerned about it more than the other, then just use that ball. I mean, premium golf balls these days aren't too different, even across all the different brands. I've been using the same ball for a long time, but I'm pretty sure a couple of shots on the range with one to feel it's a little softer, a little spinnier, a little harder. It's pretty easy to make adjustments.

To be honest, I'm pretty happy playing with whatever we need to that day. If we both have the same ball, that's awesome. If we both have to kind of mix it up, even to the point if there's an important shot to the hole and whoever is doing that shot wants to have their specific ball, you have to do that as well.

I think keeping it consistent across the round isn't a bad idea just because you want to be hitting the same ball. But if you're seeing the same shots, seeing the same spin. You can see his ball spin back on one green and you use a harder ball that doesn't spin, it's kind of hard to get a feel for it.

I think it's going to be more person to person, but for me I really don't mind whatever would end up in my hand.

Q. Are you making any equipment changes this week?

CAM DAVIS: No, all the same.

Q. Cam, have you seen anything or played in an atmosphere like you'll experience on that 1st hole on Thursday or Friday, what that might be like for you?

CAM DAVIS: No. I mean, that's the biggest grandstand I think I've seen around the 1st tee. I've experienced winning tournaments and having a crowd around me trying to play down the stretch, but usually that's at the end of a week where you've been playing great all week and at that point you're in the zone, in a rhythm.

I think this is going to be the first time I'm starting with that atmosphere right at the 1st tee. To be honest, the way I'm taking it is I've earned that crowd by playing well. So try to treat it as though you've already played well all week before you even turn up to that tee, and that crowd is going around you because you've earned it.

So I'm really looking forward to the atmosphere. I try and take it as if it's going to bring the best out of me.

Q. Have you talked to anyone about that, what that might be like?

CAM DAVIS: I don't think anyone on the team is going to experience what -- this sounds like one of the biggest build-outs there's ever been for a sporting event in general, let alone golf. I think everyone is going to be a little bit with not quite as much of an idea as you might have experienced.

I'm sure that Adam and Hideki have seen this many times, but some of us -- I think Mito might have experienced it coming down Sunday with a chance to win the tournament. Other than that, that's the sort of level you're playing at. I think a lot of the younger guys out here are just waiting to see what that experience is like.

Not only will it be great this week but also help them moving forward in those situations again because that's where it comes out.

Q. If they had a PGA TOUR-LIV golf event, would you play in that?

CAM DAVIS: I enjoy playing in big tournaments, yes. I'm happy with my power play. If that leads to playing on a PGA TOUR team, I'm more than happy to play.

Q. Do you have a strategy for sort of lowering your heart rate when you're about to hit a pretty intense shot?

CAM DAVIS: I like to get it up a little bit, to be honest. I feel like I play some of my best golf when the heart rate's up a little bit. It's easier to pick a shot.

To be honest with you, when you're stuck between hitting it soft or hitting it hard, you just hit it hard. The hands come out of play a little bit, you use your body a little bit more, and that leads to some of the best shots under pressure. I've played my best golf when I've been a bit nervous. It's actually comforting to feel that way.

I think for a long time I felt like if you're nervous and your hands are shaking, you can't make that putt because you feel the putter is moving, but there's no reason you can't make shots when you're a little elevated.

To be honest, that's what we all play for is feeling like that. If we get a whole week of feeling like that, it's going to be pretty cool. So I can't wait.

Q. Do you try to psych yourself up then, or do you kind of just let the moment take you?

CAM DAVIS: To be honest, I spend most tournaments trying to psych myself up. If anything, I find myself getting a little flat unless you can start building a crowd around you by playing really well.

I feel like over the last couple of months I've gotten a lot of late tee times on Sundays and have had that sort of elevated heart rate given to me by the situation. I think this is definitely going to be a week where the situation is going to give you that elevated heart rate.

Q. Are you going to be throwing some pretty big fist pumps in the process out there?

CAM DAVIS: I've never been much of a fist pump thrower. If they have been thrown, they might be a little wonky. I think I'm out of practice. I need to give myself as many opportunities as I can so I can dial it in when Sunday comes around.

Q. What's the Cam Davis pump up? How do you get yourself elevated?

CAM DAVIS: It's just breathing. Slow breathing slightly to calm you down, cross breathing will speed you up. This week I think it's going to be slow breathing so you're not overly elevated. I think an 8 out of 10 is a pretty good place to be. I think 8 out of 10 is going to be minimum this week.

Q. Do you listen to music at any time?

CAM DAVIS: I never listen to music even training on my own. I don't know. Listen to music with the crowd getting pumped up, that will be pretty good.

Q. If you had to, out of the 12 guys on the international team, build your ideal match play player, who would you pick to be driver, iron play, short game, and then putter?

CAM DAVIS: I think Hideki would be great for the irons. I think Adam Scott is one of the best drivers there is. He's a great guy to add to the bag. Christiaan's been putting amazingly this week -- well, this year, and I'm sure this week as well. Actually, Tom Kim has got a short game on him. I've seen that today. He's chipping them in, and everything is close from everywhere. So that would be a pretty good grouping there that I feel like quite a lot of guys have putts that are going in right now, just like that.

So you might see a few guys in their ultimate match play form coming out this week.

Q. Tom Kim, obviously a great young player. We've also heard that he's a bit of a jokester in the team room and helps bring together some of the Koreans with the English speakers. What does he bring to the team for you guys?

CAM DAVIS: He's been awesome. Really positive, really high energy, which I think is great. I think, if anything, a lot of the guys on this team have been traditionally pretty reserved, and it's great having a young guy on the team. Obviously his first time as well to just come in here with an energy like this is the biggest moment of his life. It kind of brings everyone else into that sort of frame of mind, like this is a really cool big situation.

I'm sure he's like that all the time. To be honest, this is the first time I've spent time around him. I'm enjoying it. I could see myself spending more time around him after this week because he's a lot of fun. His attitude is almost matching that of Trevor, which is, for as many guys being as passionate as he is, it's awesome.