LIV GOLF BEDMINSTER

August 12, 2023

Patrick Reed

Cam Smith

Trump National Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome our leader, Cam Smith, the captain of Ripper GC, and Patrick Reed from 4 Aces GC. Patrick, you shot a 1-under 70 today, currently sitting at 4-under tied for fourth. Tell us a little bit about your round.

PATRICK REED: It was just a frustrating day. I did the job off the tees. I hit most of my fairways. I was a little loose early on with the irons, but we started to straighten those things out, and the putter was just flat.

When you're around a golf course like this and trying to run a guy down like Cam, you have to make your putts.

It was just one of those days that it was frustrating on the greens. Hopefully tomorrow I can hit the ball like I did that back nine and just make some putts.

THE MODERATOR: Cam, you shot 4-under today, total of 9-under par, currently the solo lead by four shots. Tell us a little bit about your day.

CAM SMITH: Yeah, probably struggled a little bit on the back nine with the driver. Hit a poor shot off 3, I think, as well.

Other than that, it was pretty solid stuff. Felt pretty good with the irons, putted well, and grinded well through the middle of that round. I think kind of through the turn here, 9, 10, 11, had a few good saves to keep the momentum going, and managed to make a few more coming in.

Q. Ripper GC is currently tied for first alongside Stinger. You guys have another shot at getting on the podium. You're going for the individual win, but how much would it mean for you guys to have a Ripper win and get on that podium?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, it would be nice. I think collectively as a team we've all been trying to just work a little bit harder the last couple of months. Not really do anything different, just put our heads down, and you can see it kind of flourishing there a little bit.

Last week wasn't our greatest week, but it's good to see us at the top of the that leaderboard again, and it gives me motivation to go out there and shoot another low one tomorrow.

Q. Patrick, you're five off the lead from Cam, but the guys are saying that the way this course is playing, it still is anybody's game tomorrow, that you still have a chance to get this done. What's your strategy going in tomorrow, and do you think it's gettable to catch him?

PATRICK REED: I mean, it obviously depends on how many birdies you can make out there. Playing with Cam today, he looked solid even on the loose shots he hit. He was able to get the ball around the green and make pars on -- he got himself in trouble and was getting up-and-down. It's one of those things you've got to get off to a hot start, and being five back, you've got to make a lot of birdies.

You're going to need some help, but at the same time, if I hit the ball like I did on the back nine for the most part, I had a lot of really good looks. I just didn't make anything. If you do that for a full 18 and the putter gets hot, you just never know.

Q. You're a grinder out here, you always go to the range after you play --

PATRICK REED: Not this week.

Q. You're just going to go home and get some rest?

PATRICK REED: Go home and talk to my putter and hopefully it shows up. I'm hitting the tee shots fine. Normally it's just going to the range and trying to figure out, get comfortable with the driver and the 3-wood off the tees, but today I only missed two fairways, and I feel real comfortable with how I'm hitting the ball. I just got to make the putts. If I'm not making putts, it just puts more pressure on the ball striking.

I think that's just the biggest thing is to go out and reset and leave it all out there tomorrow.

Q. Cam, do you enjoy hitting the golf ball from the most ridiculous places on the golf course, having incredible shots and making birdies and pars? How do you always end up in these crazy positions and then end up shooting low scores?

CAM SMITH: Because I've managed to hit a terrible shot to get there.

I do enjoy it, actually. I love playing out of different lies and hitting crazy shots. I don't know, I've always loved to be creative, and I feel like that brings the best out of me.

Q. There was a point midway through the round where you and Phil were dicing back and forth for the lead. One makes a birdie, the other matches it. Do you notice that on the scoreboard, and what's your mindset in that kind of situation?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I think it's always good to have someone pushing you. I think the other two guys in my group played well enough to push me along, as well. Like Pat said before, they just probably didn't have the best day with the putter, but it was always about making birdies, it was never about hitting the middle of greens and two-putting.

It is nice to have someone there pushing you, especially when you're playing good and you're hitting your irons good.

Q. You're the second ranked player on this tour; do you feel like it's your short game that is what really is separating from most of the other players?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I think like today, I probably had to lean on my short game a little bit more than I would wish, but that's where it kind of helps having a nicer short game. When things aren't going your way and you can grind through a round and make some good pars. You never know when the driver and the irons are going to show up and you can start making birdies.

It's nice to lean on that, but at the same time, it's not nice to lean on it.

Q. They talk about how this course can jump up and bite you. How comfortable do you feel with a four-stroke lead?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, it's nice to have it. I wouldn't say it's close to in the bag yet. There was a couple of tee shots out there where it gets pretty narrow, and if the driver is getting whirly, you're hitting 3 off the tee. About as comfortable as I can be at a course like this.

Q. Cam, when it comes to Phil, a New Jersey crowd has a pretty notoriously close relationship. Phil talked about that; it's probably going to be pretty rowdy tomorrow for the crowd wanting to root for him to get his first LIV win. How do you balance ignoring all that noise while also still getting the win done and the team win done?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I don't mind a rowdy crowd. I actually quite enjoy it.

I think it's nice down the fairway, but once you're over the ball and you're trying to hit your shot, it's always just about committing to your shot and doing what you have to do to get it in there tight and keep making birdies.

Q. Patrick, you are notorious for the Sunday charge. Are we going to see that from you tomorrow?

PATRICK REED: I'm going to try to run him down. If not try to run him down, at least help the Aces get higher up that board.