LIV GOLF CHICAGO

September 20, 2023

Dustin Johnson

Pat Perez

Peter Uihlein

Patrick Reed

Rich Harvest Farms

4Aces GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome 4Aces GC, we have our captain, Dustin Johnson, we have Peter Uihlein, we have Patrick Reed and Pat Perez. Welcome, guys.

Kind of first question for all of you guys, you are the returning champions here at Rich Harvest Farms. You won LIV choke go last year. Tell us what you remember about this course and that tournament last year.

Start with you, DJ.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, the golf course, I think is really good. It's in really good shape. I haven't seen it yet this week but the boys were out there yesterday, said it's in fantastic condition. So yeah, I like the golf course. Obviously we all play pretty well here and had a good week.

PATRICK REED: Golf course is obviously a little softer than last year because of the rain yesterday. It was in perfect shape and I feel like there's some new pin locations that could happen this year compared to last year, and you know, we're looking forward to the great weather.

THE MODERATOR: What do you remember about the wind from last year here?

PAT PEREZ: Wind? I remember thankfully I remember Cap's ball hitting the pin on the last chip to secure that little one-footer to win the tournament. That was nice.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I can't believe it didn't go in.

PAT PEREZ: Yeah, me either.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Hit right in the middle.

THE MODERATOR: DJ, we heard the reason you came in a little bit later was that you were coaching your son's little league, first game of the season, I hear, back in Florida. So I just want everyone to know what a great father you are.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, I was supposed to. Obviously there was some bad thunderstorms came in yesterday afternoon, so unfortunately it got canceled but next week -- well, we've got a game Thursday and Saturday and then next Tuesday. So I'll be home for Tuesday's game.

THE MODERATOR: So we have a Party Hole here this week at Rich Harvest Farms, similar to the watering hole that we had in Australia. You had a major moment at the Watering Hole in Australia.

Are you excited for the Party Hole here this week and hope to do a little recap of what happened last time?

PAT PEREZ: I am. I birdie that hole every day and it was awesome. In Phoenix are, I never hit the green. I always got booed in 20 years, so I never gave them the show I wanted to.

Last year, or in Adelaide, it was just awesome. I made three birdies and yeah, the last one hit the hole, thank God, it went in and I just kind of went crazy for a second. It was awesome.

THE MODERATOR: So the 4Aces are currently sitting at the top of the leaderboard for the season-long team championship and you guys are also defending champions.

Peter, you have consistently been leading all season long in driving distance. How much do you think that has contributed to the success of the 4Aces this year?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Well, he's got to hit it straight (laughter).

PETER UIHLEIN: After this last round we played last week --

DUSTIN JOHNSON: He does hit it far.

PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, when it goes straight, it's a valuable asset.

PAT PEREZ: It was straight yesterday.

PETER UIHLEIN: It was straight yesterday.

THE MODERATOR: Rich Harvest Farms is ranked in the one hundred of America's greatest golf courses. What do you remember from last year? I know you weren't on the 4Aces.

PETER UIHLEIN: Last year it was fiery, pretty firm, fast. It was fun. It's a good golf course. It's fair. You can't really -- you can't really crap your way around -- I was trying to think of a word.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Fake it.

PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, you can't fake it around this course. It's fair. It's good. And like Pat said, there's some different hole locations I could definitely use. So it could be different this year. But the rough seems to be a little bit more down and the wind might not be up, so it should be fun this year. I like some of the changes they made with 18, making it a par 4 is pretty good.

17 just looks awesome. Looks totally different and it looks really cool. So yeah, it should be fun.

THE MODERATOR: Patrick you are you recall ranked No. 3 in the individual rankings. A win has been elusive from you this year, but you could secure one this week and shoot to the top of that list. How much is that on your mind?

PATRICK REED: Obviously I see it but I really don't try to focus on that as much as going out and playing good golf. If I go out and play the way I'm supposed to and have a chance to win late Sunday, not only will that help me out but also help the boys out and help the team out.

I think that's the ultimate thing is for us to go out and play well and visually, so it helps the team and allow that gap to get larger. Not really comfortable and don't really like the other teams getting close to us. But I feel like as a whole, as a team, we haven't really played like we did last year collectively, and if we get back to playing how we're supposed to as the Aces, then we don't have to worry about that.

THE MODERATOR: Only two more events till Miami. DJ, you guys are obviously in first place but Torque is hot on your tail. Are you guys thinking about that heading into Miami? You've basically already secured your bye and from then on it's match play.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Most important is to be top four. Obviously we want to finish first for us as a team. But yeah, as long as, really, as long as you're in the top four, that's really the biggest thing. But obviously we would like to finish the year strong with a couple victories in the last two events, and you know, get on a roll kind of going into Miami like we were last year.

Q. What do you think the main difference has been between the first half of the season and the second half?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: What do you mean.

Q. You finished on the podium five in the first six events but only once in the last five events. Seems like there's been a little bit of a drop-off, at least from your high standards?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I think like Pat said, we've got to all four play well if we want to win. Seems like each week, two of us are playing good and not all four of us. It's not the same two players. Patrick Reed has played pretty consistent. I've been a little up-and-down. Pete's been a little up-and-down. Pat's played pretty solid for most of the year but yeah we all four need to play well if we want to consistently have a chance to win every week.

Q. How would you assess the 4Aces' season to date?

PAT PEREZ: About the same. About the same. The main goal for us, yeah we want to win the next two and this and that but really the most important day of the whole year is Sunday at Miami. All scores count. We have a bye. Pete and I have to play well in the alternate-shot and the.

Boys will win their matches and Sunday it all counts like last year. So that's -- basically the biggest day for us is Sunday and playing well and repeating as champions.

Q. Patrick, you're third in points. Last year you were tied for second points at the end of the season. Probably a little bittersweet there. How much thought have you given to that and trying to avoid all those tie breaker situations?

PATRICK REED: I definitely try not to think about last year, that's for sure.

The biggest thing is to go out and play well. I'm in a position being third that you know if you don't go out and play well in one of these two events, somebody can hop you and knock you out of that position but at the same time, I think Taylor is only 19 points ahead of me, so if I go out and do my job these next two weeks, have a chance to win and get my first individual win in one of these events, you know, I might be able to climb up in the second.

Who knows, you get hot and you win them both, you just never know. You need some help from Cam but it's possible. You know, really for me, good golf takes care of everything, and I think that's the biggest thing kind of going in is taking it day-by-day and trying to get off to a fast start on Friday and just run with it.

Q. You and DJ finished tied for second last year. How much, if any, did Zach give you -- I'm sure he's got some course knowledge around here.

PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, it's always coming back to a course that you've played well at. So you have good memories, good vibes. The course, other than the rough seems to be down but pretty much the same as last year. The weekend a couple holes, the routing, but other than that it's pretty much the same.

Yeah if it gets that fire by the end of the week, it will basically play the same as last year, which is good. Yeah, it's better coming to a course that you've played well in the past than a course you've not played well, so that helps.

Q. Obviously we get to the end of the season, be a lot of changes in some of the team lineups. I assume you don't have any need to change for next season?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I don't see any reason to right now.

PAT PEREZ: Right now.

Q. You guys have played all over the world. What do you remember about Chicago, fans, Midwest fans and how they embrace the league, last year and what you expect of them this year?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I thought last year, coming here, I thought the fans were great. We had good crowds and the event was a lot of fun. So obviously this year, hopefully should be a little bit better, and you know, it's obviously a great venue. Yeah, the Chicago fans are great. Big sports town and hopefully we'll get a lot more people out this year.

PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, last year, final group with DJ and Cam and it was pretty awesome, big turnout. Pretty exciting. Obviously it was a fun finish. It was an exciting finish. I think this year it's only going to be better with, what are you calling it, the birdie hole, or what is it on 17?

THE MODERATOR: Party Hole.

PETER UIHLEIN: Should have known. Party Hole. I think it's only going to get better, so it's pretty awesome.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, 4Aces. Good luck this week.