CHUBB CLASSIC PRESENTED BY SERVPRO

February 15, 2023

Bernhard Langer

Tiburón Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for joining us here at the Chubb Classic. You're a four-time winner here in Naples. How does it feel to be back?

BERNHARD LANGER: It's always great to play in Florida, and this golf course is in phenomenal shape. It's fantastic, fast greens, very firm fairways, very tight golf course from tee to green, and yeah, got some good memories here in Naples in general. We've played on several different golf courses over the years, and I've done fairly well in most of them.

Q. You've had a remarkable career and accomplished a lot. What would tying and passing this mark, the all-time wins, mean to you?

BERNHARD LANGER: Well, anytime you do something that hasn't been done often or whatever before, it's an achievement and something special, and certainly would be. When I came out here and I saw Hale Irwin's 45 wins, I'm going, wow, that's incredible. I don't see that will ever be broken kind of thing. I'm one away from tying him.

It was difficult to get to this point. I'm very blessed and fortunate to have won 44, and now we'll have to see if I can get it to 45.

Q. You've always had the desire to play and the thirst for competition. Is that a big part of it?

BERNHARD LANGER: Oh, I'm sure it is. Some people just, they play the game for 20, 30 years and they say, well, I've had enough, I want to do something else, and they go on to whatever their interests may be. I've always loved the game of golf and enjoyed competing, and this is a fantastic Tour to do that.

Q. How would you evaluate your play coming into this tournament based on your first two appearances?

BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, I've played a couple extra, one in Portugal actually, and I came close. It hasn't been quite spot on. There were still too many bogeys, too many mistakes. But I feel like the game is not far away.

I think on any given day, any given week -- Morocco the greens were very difficult, very severe, and I got a little frustrated, and just lost it here and there and probably didn't play precise enough, and you have to be extremely precise here.

Q. Driving is such a premium on this golf course. Seemed like you drove it exceptionally well last year.

BERNHARD LANGER: Yes, I did keep the ball in play, which is difficult to do, because you've got whatever penalty areas left and right on just about every fairway, and when the wind blows, you've got to really drive your ball well. You've got to keep it in play, stay out of the penalty shots, away from them, and I did that for the most part.

Q. You see all kinds of variety of tests on this course. Do you relish that test in particular, that you have to hit it really straight, keep it in play?

BERNHARD LANGER: I do. We play different golf courses throughout the year. Every venue is a little bit different. Some courses favor the longer hitters, the bombers I call them. Others you have to be more precise and more straight, and this would fall into that category.

I feel my game is more geared toward this type of golf course than some other courses we play. There's courses where if you can carry it 270 in the air or 265, it never gets wider and there's less trouble, or you can reach home in par-5s or maybe drive a par-4, and I don't have that shot. I don't carry it more than 260 at best, sometimes 255, and it brings a lot of trouble into play on some courses. But here there's trouble everywhere, so it's not great to hit it 320 off the tee unless you hit it straight.

Q. Are you planning on playing in the desert at the new event?

BERNHARD LANGER: I am.

Q. Do you know the history of that golf course from when the women used to play there?

BERNHARD LANGER: I know the women played there, but I don't know a whole lot about the history of the golf course itself.

Q. There's a pond right off of 18 called --

BERNHARD LANGER: I know that one, where everyone jumps in.

Q. What's your thoughts if you win?

BERNHARD LANGER: I'd be happy to do that, or maybe we'll start a new tradition, who knows. First I've got to get there. That's a lot harder than jumping into the water.