LIV GOLF TULSA

May 13, 2023

Bubba Watson

Cedar Ridge Country Club

RangeGoats GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Bubba Watson, the captain of RangeGoats GC. You played awesome today, 6-under, you're currently in third place. I think this is your best showing to date. What's going on out there today for you.

BUBBA WATSON: Just as the time goes on, I mean, a year ago, basically a year ago in Tulsa, I hurt my knee, had surgery, had to sit out for a while, nine months, give or take nine months I was out. Every day, every day that I practiced, every day that I trained, every day I work out, I get to -- I'm gaining on it.

All coming together. Have good vibes around here. I shot a 63 at the PGA Championship here last year. It's been good to me. I'm looking forward to a battle.

I started off struggling today, but then I fought hard coming back. This is what I want to do. I want to feel those nerves tomorrow. I want to get in contention again. That's the only way to have a chance to win is to get into contention.

Q. Today seemed to be a Saturday surge for the captains. Is it the conditions of the course or what do you think it is?

BUBBA WATSON: Those guys are really good. I got lucky. You know, it's one of the things, that's why we're the captains. We've done something in our career. We've fought hard in our career. We've battled in our career. We've won a few tournaments. We're all pretty decent, all of us here in the field, but captains are -- most of the captains are pretty decent. I might be last, but I'm up there.

Q. This is a big week for the RangeGoats this week. You guys have so much support out here. Do you think that's also contributing to the excellent play?

BUBBA WATSON: Yeah, for sure. I mean, this is what we want to do. We want to battle and get in there. Talor is like the honorary chairman this week, so for him, he's probably a little tired after two big wins and traveling back and forth and doing charity stuff.

But hopefully we can all play well tomorrow and scare that victory again, and at least get on the podium somehow.

Q. This is your eighth start since coming back. When did you start to feel like the rust is gone?

BUBBA WATSON: I'm scared to death out there. It's never gone. Today I got off to a rough start, just thinking about things, focused on the wrong things. That's what's going to keep creeping in there. It's crept in there for 15, 16 years when I was on the PGA TOUR. It's always going to be a battle for me, but the rust is definitely -- I believe the rust is gone. Now it's the shot making of knowing where to miss it and strategy on the golf course. You haven't had it for nine months, so each day you're gaining on it.

Q. Obviously you were very happy for Talor the last two tournaments, but how much of a motivating factor is it to see a teammate win in terms of your individual performances?

BUBBA WATSON: Well, you don't want to be the last on the team. You want to battle. All four of us are battling, and not be last, because it's pride. Pride and ego are on the line. Forget the rest of the field, but your own team. You want to be third at worst.

That's the battle we're all facing. We're all facing pride and ego. That's everyday life. But then on the golf course, as well.

Q. Do you feel like you'll be maybe in the shadow a little bit and be able to chase in that lead group because you're -- I don't want to say it's a two-horse race, but being in third and a little bit further back, is it nice to be in that setting?

BUBBA WATSON: I truly haven't seen a leaderboard yet because we get shuttled in and sign some autographs. I don't even know how far back I am. My thing is just do what I can do. If I can shoot another good round of 5-under, 4-under, 6-under, if they beat me, they beat me. I can only do as good as I can do. That's the goal. That's the mindset. When I get to the first tee I might throw up and think about the bad stuff, but as of now I'm trying to focus on my game and think about how I can help the Goats, and that's the whole goal.

Q. Does this feel like a good course to chase from do you think?

BUBBA WATSON: I mean, any course is a good course. You saw Talor a few weeks ago in Singapore, right, he had a 10-shot lead give or two and went back to a two-shot lead. I promise you he was a little thirsty, he was like, I need to swallow, get something to drink. That's the name of the game is just trying to beat yourself. You're going to have thoughts come in your head and you've got to get them out of there and just play golf.

Q. Knowing today very soft, receptive greens, are you surprised more people didn't go 65, 64, 63 on a day like this?

BUBBA WATSON: No, because of pin locations. They put pin locations in the right spots, make it tough, the ball is going to spin more. Distance off the tee is going to be shorter. You're going to have longer clubs into the holes.

The impact of the ground with wet grass is always different, so yeah, no, this is just something that normally happens. It makes the -- we were all hitting fairways, so it just made the distance different.

Q. You mentioned the pin locations out there. It looked like they tucked a lot of them. Talk about your overall strategy. Were you aiming at a lot of them or were playing toward the middle of the green? Talk about that a little bit.

BUBBA WATSON: I normally don't aim at them. I usually curve it. You're trying to shape it to the hole or I'm trying to shape it to the hole. I can think about No. 9, I had a 9-iron in there, and I tried to shape a 9-iron because of the slopes. I tried to shape it in there, hit it in there 20 feet or so.

No. 15, par-3, pin was tucked back right, and I hit a 7-iron and roped it in there about 20-, 25-yard draw, trying to hit it in there, shape it in there, but starting it where my miss would be on the green and then just tried to turn it in there. You're just trying to attack different ways. Some guys can hit it straight, some guys can't.

Q. I seen you hit a decent amount of fairway woods off some tees out here. Is it just the positioning of the bunkers there or maybe a visual why you've been doing that?

BUBBA WATSON: Yeah, like No. 3, first hole, with that wind I can't really -- it's too dicey to try to go over that unless you're into the rhythm, so the first tee shot I wasn't in rhythm or my body is not ready to swing like that. So it's a perfect little 3-wood, and then I only had 9-iron in there, had 155 yards. It wasn't that big a deal. But I hit it good.

Q. My question is about the ribbing that goes on inside your team. You guys have a great rapport, all four of you, but it seems like the ribbing is starting to branch out a little bit towards different teams. Can you talk about like how that helps you come together as a team when you're going up against the 4 Aces, you're going up against the Majesticks, going up against the Crushers, et cetera?

BUBBA WATSON: No, it's good. That's what we want. We forget sometimes that golfers are just entertainers. That's what we're doing. We're out here trying to hit shots and pull off shots that other people want to see or can't do or want to do, and that's what it's about. So for us, this is fun. Golf is the last thing I'm truly worried about in my life. I've got a beautiful wife I'm trying to make happy, and I've got two kids I'm trying to guide the right direction, and then I've got three other kids I'm trying to guide in the right direction on the Goats.

But this is what makes it fun, right? Like anytime we rib each other on the other teams, there's certain guys that you can do that to, there's certain guys you know be a little bit nicer to, but Ian Poulter, I want to rib that guy every day. What did he shoot today? I know I beat him.

But yeah, we know it's in jest. It's just in fun. Who doesn't want to beat the Aces? Everybody is going after the Aces. They won last year. They're hot again. So yeah, it's fun, but it's not serious, the jokes and stuff. As long as I beat Bryson, that's all I care about.