LIV GOLF ADELAIDE

April 23, 2023

Marc Leishman

The Grange

Ripper GC

Quick Quotes

Q. How did that feel?

MARC LEISHMAN: It was unreal. Yeah, it was nice to get a few putts rolling in and get the crowd going a bit. Had a few moments early in the week, but I just was -- there was a lot going on, and I was having so much fun all week. It was nice to finally put a good score on the board today. Changed strategy a little bit. I think I was a little bit too conservative early in the week.

Then yeah, a little bit more aggressive today, and it paid off.

Q. Was it everything you thought it was going to be? There's been buildup for a while for this event in Australia.

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I think I expected it to be huge, somewhat like this, but this was just -- I was saying this morning, I've had chances to win majors, albeit not in Australia, to have the home crowds like that, that was a highlight of my golfing career, along with all my wins. You can't separate wins, which one was better than another, because they're all special in different ways.

But on the whole, this week was really, really special and something I'll remember forever, and hopefully we can keep coming back here for years to come.

Q. We're all talking about two --

MARC LEISHMAN: Well, everyone is talking about two, not just the Aussie guys. I think you go where -- there's a lot of big markets around the world, and you go to places that are going to really support -- not saying everyone isn't going to support because there's been a lot of sold-out crowds everywhere we've gone.

This was on a different level. This was everything like Carlos was saying today, that this had a real major feel to it, even more than some majors, and I feel the same way. A special week I think for Australian golf, a special week for LIV. Yeah, I think this -- me and Cam will have a bit of a hug later on tonight. If we weren't, which we were, we were already very happy with our decisions, but this has certainly verified it, if it needed verifying, which I don't think it did.

Q. Was there one moment or one memory that will stand out for you this week?

MARC LEISHMAN: I mean, there's a few.

Q. Especially on 12?

MARC LEISHMAN: That was after play, so that's good. First shoey I've ever done.

I mean, all the long putts I holed, the cheers from the crowd, seeing the look on kids' faces when they see you. I mean, there's a lot of moments, but giving balls to kids, and you can see it just makes their day, or even just giving them a high five or an autograph or whatever it was.

But one that sticks out from today was I hit it way right on 3. I was over near the beer stand between like picnic tables, and I hit this little flick wedge off a real tight lie, zipped it right next to the hole to about three inches. That was a pretty special time.

But there was many, yeah. It's going to be hard to get the smile off my face for the next few days, and I finished probably 20th.

I think all us Aussie boys will be better for next year's hopefully two events, but definitely one event, for having done this this year. I mean, it's really good to get the first one -- I won't say out of the way, but good to have this experience and know what it's going to be like because it was a big week. I've never been so tired as I was Friday night walking off the golf course.

Like I say, I've been pretty close, but I've been in contention at majors. I think I was more tired after that. It was cool.

Q. You mentioned the contention in majors. It's obviously an amazing feeling. In terms of the golf, is it one thing that this is different and entertainment, and maybe "exhibition" is a dirty word, but --

MARC LEISHMAN: I wouldn't say it's exhibition. Yes, it's different, but I mean, there's room for more than one golf Tour around the world. There's many golf tours around the world. This is just more competition to those other golf tours. Certainly exhibition, yeah, that's not the case. Everyone is playing so hard out there.

But different is good sometimes; you look at one-day cricket when that started and Twenty20 when that started. There's different formats of a game, and this is a different format, but at the end of the day, it's still golf, it's just a shorter form.

It's exciting. I think the music and all that, it brings non-golfers to the golf course or to a golf tournament, which I feel like Twenty20 cricket did, the short format, don't have to be there for 12 hours. I think it's great. There's room for more than one tour.

Q. It focuses more on the entertainment element of professional golf?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, exactly. There's great players, so many major champions and people that have been close to winning majors, people who haven't even been close to winning them, but -- so many good players, and the entertainment factor is good. Yeah, it's great.

Q. Did you get any sense from the non-Australian players how much they enjoy this week?

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, yeah, definitely. A lot of the guys. I won't name any names, but were talking about, we have to have more events down here because if this is how it's going to be supported, this is where LIV is going to make their money. Obviously they've put an investment in -- well, not LIV, but they've invested in this Tour, and of course they want to get a return on their investment. This week is a pretty good indication that it's a product that will work, has worked, this week.