LIV GOLF LAS VEGAS

February 7, 2024

Kevin Na

Danny Lee

Jinichiro Kozuma

Scott Vincent

Las Vegas Country Club

Iron Heads GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Iron Heads GC to LIV Golf Las Vegas. We are joined by Scott Vincent, Danny Lee, captain Kevin Na and Jin Kozuma. We'll start with our two Las Vegas residents, Danny and Kevin. This is a home game for you guys. Tell us what it means to have an event in Vegas for you guys this week.

KEVIN NA: I'm really excited to be in Vegas. It's special when you play at home and you have all your friends and family come out and watch and support you. We play this golf course quite a bit, Danny and I, with some of the local pros in town. We play together. We've had some good matches out here. We enjoy playing here. I think it's a great golf club with a lot of history. We're excited that LIV is here and giving back to local communities, and looking forward to a good week.

DANNY LEE: Kevin said it all, but hopefully I do better than last week.

Q. Are you happy to have a home game this week? Are you driving back and forth from your house?

DANNY LEE: Yes, I get to drive my nice car and I get to sleep on my bed.

KEVIN NA: All those cops out there, please, if you catch Danny speeding, let him off with a warning.

Q. Do you guys have any recommendations for people visiting here on the best Las Vegas spots to try while in town?

KEVIN NA: Yes. Danny, you tell them --

DANNY LEE: Strip clubs?

KEVIN NA: Geez. Well, we are in Las Vegas.

Q. What about best restaurants in Vegas?

KEVIN NA: Danny and I, we go to Carbone a lot in Aria. I'd say sushi, I like Morimoto at MGM.

DANNY LEE: Best Korean barbecue is DOMA.

KEVIN NA: That actually my friends and I, we own it together. We went out to dinner there a couple days ago as a team, and I think the Cleeks are going tomorrow. I'll make sure that they spice it up for them so they've got some competition.

Q. Scott, you had a very exciting week last week. You welcomed a new baby into your family. Talk about what last week was like for you.

SCOTT VINCENT: Incredible. Such an honor to welcome a new person into this world, and my wife did an amazing job. She's the rock right there.

We called him Judah, and we're excited to have the privilege to raise him. He's doing great. Everything went really well, and mom is doing great. Just a really happy family right now.

Q. You arrived to Mayakoba and then left pretty much immediately to get back to Denver for the birth, right?

SCOTT VINCENT: Yes, got in on Monday and then got about six holes of practice in on Tuesday and got the call, so off to the airport and back home for a couple nights and then back to Mexico. Yeah, a little bit of a roller coaster. It was all good practice for me just dealing with things that are uncomfortable and all over the place to try and just get better at that. It was good.

Q. What's it like having your brother out here praying with you?

SCOTT VINCENT: It's amazing. He's such a great player. I love having someone that pushes me as well and a little more motivation each and every week to just be my best, which will hopefully help him be his best. It's great.

KEVIN NA: Is it true he gave you some grief for him winning his first event as a team? Let me apologize first. I'm sorry.

SCOTT VINCENT: He hasn't said anything, but I think as a team, we have a few things that are a little bit of unfinished business that I think we want to get to. This is the perfect week.

Q. Jin, welcome to LIV Golf. Can you tell us a little bit about what your first two weeks out here on the Tour have been like?

JINICHIRO KOZUMA: Last week was the first week on LIV, and I was very nervous. But I guess the team supported because I felt really welcomed by the team, especially Kevin Na. I got in comfortably, and hopefully I can play really well these two weeks.

Q. Jin, what has your experience been like being an Iron Head? You just mentioned the team was really supportive. Tell us a little bit about what it's been like being on this team.

JINICHIRO KOZUMA: I was able to blend into the team like really easily. Just hopefully I can play really well and get to the top and maybe win. Hopefully win.

Q. Jin, any experience playing this golf course, and does it suit your game at all?

JINICHIRO KOZUMA: First time on the golf course. I played nine holes yesterday, so I got to see the course. It's very tight but not too long, so I think it'll fit my game.

Q. Kevin, you've won twice in Las Vegas. Is this your week?

KEVIN NA: I think so. Somebody asked me, is it nice being home. I said, yeah, you get to sleep in your own bed, have a lot of the advantages. The disadvantage is I've got three kids at home. The disadvantage is every time I get home it's Daddy, can you play with me. But looking forward to a great week. My record has been really good at home. Something about being comfortable. I've played this golf course quite a bit. I think it fits my style of game.

I'll tell you what, I felt decent last week. An average week, but I felt like my game was better than how I finished, so I'm looking forward to a great week.

Q. Any experience playing this golf course?

KEVIN NA: Yeah, I play here quite a bit. Danny and I play money games. I think I'm ahead on that game.

Q. Danny, tell us about this golf course. Do you like it? It suits your game? Are you happy to be here?

DANNY LEE: It suits our team very well. I think it's kind of like -- I would say it's a very similar course to Japan. It's very tree-lined, narrow fairways, no out-of-bounds or hazards like last week.

KEVIN NA: There is quite a bit of out-of-bounds. What do you mean?

DANNY LEE: Last week. But yeah, I think we've got a good chance, and I really like this course. Like Jinny and Kevin said, it's not very long. You've got to hit your fairways and hit your wedges close and hopefully that putter works.

Q. Scott, do you have any experience here?

SCOTT VINCENT: I got to play nine holes yesterday, but I also came out about a month ago and just had a look at the course and everything. Always fun to see how it changes just over a month to what it is right now. It's looking awesome. Fairways and greens and everything are just so good.

It's exactly what they've said. I like our team's lineup here. These are some of the best wedge players next to me. I like their chances.

Q. Kevin and Danny, I wanted to ask you to go through your history of deciding to live in Las Vegas, why you decided to move here and put a home here.

KEVIN NA: My brother after he graduated from UCLA he wasn't sure what he was going to do, but once he realized what he wanted to do, he wanted to go to grad school at UNLV, I said, hey, why don't I move out there with you and we'll get a place together, and we'll see how it goes. I really liked it, and I ended up staying.

Q. How old were you?

KEVIN NA: I was probably in my mid 20s and he was probably in his late 20s.

DANNY LEE: I've only been living here for just over two years. I was in Dallas for quite a long time. Probably 12, 13 years. I got sick of Dallas, and I wanted a new start, so I came to Vegas, and I'm loving it. Strip clubs.

KEVIN NA: New sponsor for the Iron Heads?

Q. Scott, I wanted to ask you about your brother. The first round last week he led the field in driving distance, and that's kind of one of his things, obviously. Just curious how he got all the distance and how you guys -- do you guys talk about it?

DANNY LEE: Scott is no short hitter.

KEVIN NA: I think Scott is sexier, though.

Q. In terms of your game, his game, and obviously there's a few differences there.

SCOTT VINCENT: Yeah, like a little bit of his history, he had a really bad injury in college where he had to red shirt a year. It was that bad. Kind of since then, he's worked extremely hard on his body and his strength, and that's what allowed him to keep playing and why he's got to this point where he hits it so far.

You can't discredit what he's done. He's worked really hard. He deserved all the distance and acknowledgment that he gets for it. It's impressive to see how far he's come and the journey he's taken to get there. A lot of credit to him for that.

Q. Do you see people that are surprised by his length off the tee?

SCOTT VINCENT: I don't think everyone realizes how far he actually does hit it. But a few people that played with him last week and then saw me have been like, does he really hit it that far? It's like, yeah, he does. But quite often he's just kind of dialing back and keeping it in play, but when he does let one go, it's amazing.

I think more and more people will get surprised as time goes on.

Q. You're the only team that represents four different continents --

KEVIN NA: Interesting.

Q. I just was wondering if that makes you LIV Golf's global team?

KEVIN NA: Yeah, I'd say so. I think we are Team Asia. Obviously Japan, Korean descent, both born in Korea, and Vino being the Asian Tour International Series money title winner, I think that puts us as Team Asia.

But I know what you're saying with Vino being from Zimbabwe, Danny with the New Zealand passport. I know what you're saying. But I'll tell you what, I think we're team Asia.

Q. How do you lean into that? What kind of things do you do maybe just as a team itself --

KEVIN NA: A lot of rice and more rice.

Q. The rule changes where all four of you count now in the final round, can you talk about that and how that might actually level the playing field somewhat?

KEVIN NA: I don't think it levels the playing field, honestly. I don't like it. Sorry, Jane.

I think making it three out of four was really exciting because when you make all four scores count, it's going to favor the stacked teams. Our team is great. We can flat-out all play. There's nothing wrong with that. But what I'm saying is when you've got a stacked team, I think they have an advantage.

Yes, can we play in certain right weeks on certain golf courses and win? Yes, we can. I just think it's more exciting when it's three out of four because there's nothing wrong with one guy sitting on the bench where his score doesn't count and three guys playing well and they're rooting for him. I have no problem with that.

Q. When you say "stacked team," can you define that for me?

KEVIN NA: The team that they spent the most money on. Sorry, Jane. (Laughter.)

Q. Did you voice your opinion when you heard about this?

KEVIN NA: Nobody cares what I think. Come on.

Q. That's why I asked you, because I didn't care what you thought.

KEVIN NA: No. The answer is no.

Q. Kevin referred to it a little, but this is another home game for you, and Shriners being an important part of your career and wins there, what's it been like not being able to play Shriners when that week has rolled around?

KEVIN NA: I miss it. I think my friends and local fans miss me. I really loved playing that event. I love TPC Summerlin. I enjoy practicing there and playing there. I feel like that was one of the home courses that I use out here.

Is it disappointing? Yeah. But I think eventually over time that things will be sorted out and I'll be able to go back and play in front of a home crowd at Shriners.

But for meanwhile, I'm really excited to play here on my new league at LIV Golf. I think this is a very exciting and unique format that the fans will learn and get to love more. If this is the trade-off I get over that, I'm happy.

Q. We've never really talked about your decision because you were one of the first to go. You were in the first group to play. What were the weighing factors in making you make the jump?

KEVIN NA: There was a few. The biggest thing was the schedule because of having three kids at home. I was able to be home more with the kids. I don't want to miss out on much. I know Vino is experienced that with two kids himself.

Number one was family. Financially it was very appealing. Look, I didn't play college golf, and I've played an individual game for 22 years of my professional career. It's still an individual, but to have a team aspect, and I wanted to be experienced and try something different and something unique, and I think I'm really enjoying it, and being able to call these guys my brothers and go out to dinner, play practice rounds, hang out, and have the same passion and have the same goals together and work hard together. I think it's been a very exciting journey.

I know we haven't played our best, but look, it's a part of the process, and the progress is fun. I'm really enjoying it.

Q. Can you talk about what the fans are going to see when they're out here. They've never experienced LIV Golf. How are they dealing with the team aspect? How are they dealing with the shotgun start and having to sprint around the course to catch everyone?

KEVIN NA: I think this fits the modern world where things are more fast-paced moving. You're going to see a lot of golf shots at once. You're going to see a lot of excitement, entertainment at once. With the music going on, you're never going to be bored out there. You don't have to be hush-hush quiet. It drowns out a lot of the small noises.

I think it's more exciting. I think fans are going to notice that, and once they find a team that they like and they want to root for, they don't only just root for one player, they root for four. To be part of a team that you support, to have their gear on, to have their hats, shirts, sponsors, and know the team in depth by their players' bio, whether it's sponsors and whatever the team chemistry is, I think there's more to cheer for and more to follow.

I think once they get a taste, I think they're going to love it.

Q. How do they do that, though, if they're a fan of your team and you're on the 3rd hole and Danny is on the 7th hole?

KEVIN NA: Well, same with individual golf. If you like three players, they all could be on a different team. That's why we have the great app that you can follow. You can watch the shots. You can watch the highlights. There's more ways to do it.

Nobody wants to be out here for 10 hours. We get done in four and a half. There's a warmup. You see everybody warm up at the same time, so you go to the range, you can watch all four Iron Heads warm up at the same time. You can't have it perfect in all worlds, but there's a lot of aspects that's positive that you've got to look at, where the guys warm up at the same time. You can show up in a practice round. You can watch all of us maybe play a practice round together.

There's a lot of positives to it.

Q. Are you guys going to the Super Bowl, and who is your pick to win?

SCOTT VINCENT: I'm rooting for the 49ers, and I'll be watching with my family at home.

DANNY LEE: I am not going there, and I don't even know who's in the finals.

KEVIN NA: I'm going to say Kansas City Chiefs. I think they're the favorites. I think they're looking good. I'll be watching at home. We'll see what happens. I'm excited more about the halftime show, though.

JINICHIRO KOZUMA: In Japan there's not a lot of football going, so not a lot of information. But I'm here, why not.

Q. Did you pick a team?

JINICHIRO KOZUMA: I don't know.