LIV GOLF CHICAGO

September 14, 2024

Sergio Garcia

Bolingbrook Golf Club

Fireballs GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome the captain of Fireballs GC, Sergio Garcia. You posted an incredible 5-under today. It puts you at 6-under, only one shot off the lead. Tell us about your day.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, no, obviously very happy about it. Yesterday I didn't feel great with my game. Today felt a little bit better but not probably as well as I've been swinging the last few months.

But I fought hard and made a couple nice pars when I had to and a couple nice saves. Then some of the good birdie opportunities I had, I took care of them.

Obviously the course is not playing easy. Very, very pleased with my round.

THE MODERATOR: Posting a bogey-free round out here in conditions like this is extremely challenging. Talk about how hard it actually is.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, it definitely is. It's a combination of a bit of wind with a course that is playing firm, firm and fast greens, and firm and fast fairways with small greens. Small targets, kind of a little bit like Valderrama. A different look to it, but the targets are also small like that.

You have to be very, very precise, and that's probably why it's not easy to go bogey-free. But I'm very happy that I was able to do that.

Q. You are fighting for that third-place position to take home third overall for the season. You've had an incredible year. What has it been about this year that's just catapulted you to so much success?

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, just keep working, keep working hard, not only on the game but mentally, keep believing in yourself. Sometimes it's simpler said than done. But that's what it comes down to. Obviously you're going to have some doubts here and there.

I think that accepting it is also important, realizing that you're going to hit bad shots, and obviously you're never happy about hitting bad shots, but also you have to cheer yourself up when you hit a good shot.

I've been able to do that, and I think because of that, I've been a lot calmer on the course. I'm really appreciating the opportunities that I get here in LIV and in the majors and stuff. I'm excited about it.

Q. Does it give you an extra boost of confidence knowing that you can come out here and contend with today's top players, with the Jon Rahms, with the Brooks Koepkas? Does it give you a little bit of extra confidence knowing your game is still at that elite level?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, of course. I still feel like I've got a lot of game in me. I'm very fortunate with my body. My body has been very good to me. I've pretty much -- haven't had any injuries throughout my career, so that obviously helps a lot.

If you take care of your body, I might not be the strongest guy out there, but I'm probably one of the fittest because I very rarely miss any weeks.

I think that obviously means a lot, and I'm very proud of that.

Q. You're going to be battling on that first tee tomorrow with Rahm on a Sunday. Are you going to have any nerves on the tee? What's your strategy for tomorrow?

SERGIO GARCIA: I'm sure there will be nerves. It's normal. You're playing to win another tournament, and there's always going to be some nerves, and it's a good thing. It means that you care. It means you're excited about it.

You've just got to do the things that you know what to do to kind of keep yourself -- keep the RPMs on the heart a little bit lower. It's as simple as that. We'll give it our best shot tomorrow, and it's going to be fun, obviously, playing with Jon.

Q. Sergio, how much were you thinking going into this week about trying to catch Tyrrell and finish on the podium for the season-long race?

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, it's obviously there because it's nice to finish in the top 3 if you can. But obviously finishing in the top 5, finishing in the top 10, it's important.

You never know -- just as a personal feeling it's nice to finish top 5 or top 10 here on LIV with the quality of players that we have, and you never know what might happen in the near future, if some of those spots -- we might have a chance of getting in some of the majors.

It's something that obviously you're trying to achieve, and it's nice for me to see myself up there throughout the whole year.

Q. Did you sneak any peeks at how he was doing today?

SERGIO GARCIA: Tyrrell? No, no, I obviously saw that he shot 3-over yesterday, and I think I saw he made a hole-in-one. I saw the replay as I was coming up here, but I haven't seen anything else.

Q. What would it mean to have a two-win season if you can get the job done tomorrow?

SERGIO GARCIA: That would be amazing, but there's still a lot of golf to be played. I want to go out there and give myself the best chance possible, then we'll see what happens. If I go out there and I shoot 4- or 5-under and Jon shoots 6 or 7, there's nothing to do. Obviously just shake hands and congratulate him.

But I think for me, it's important at my age and with my career and everything that I've been able to achieve to keep putting myself in this situation. It obviously means a lot.

Q. Did you think when you came into this week and you saw the course during practice rounds that this was going to be a course that you were going to like?

SERGIO GARCIA: I mean, it's a little bit the kind of golf course that I like, small greens like Valderrama. I always like those kind of courses.

It's obviously a totally different look from the tee than Valderrama might be, but the targets are similar.

I've always enjoyed those kind of courses, and obviously it's been working great so far this week.

Q. Have you felt since your win this year freed up? How has that affected your play since then?

SERGIO GARCIA: No, I mean, obviously it's great. It's great to be able to win anywhere in the world. It's obviously even better to be able to win a major, and obviously it's amazing to win here at LIV, because like I said, because of the quality of players that we have.

But no, I think that I kind of got freed up a little bit before that happened and realized some things that I wanted to do out there on the golf course and some feelings that I wanted to have, and obviously then winning and winning at Valderrama, it makes it even sweeter.

But at the end of the day, like I've always said, the only thing I can do is put myself in that situation, give my best out there every single time. Sometimes my best is better than other days. That's all you can ask yourself for.

Q. You alluded to it, the longevity of your career, competing out here in your 40s. What have you done specifically to keep your body in shape and your mind in shape to compete and be at the top of these leaderboards?

SERGIO GARCIA: I've always stayed very active. I'm not going to lie to you, I'm not the kind of guy that is a very gym kind of guy. I've gone through that probably in my 20s and early 30s.

But I like to stay very active. Obviously I like to -- I've played a lot of soccer. I still play a lot of tennis. I play other sports that keep me in shape. Obviously my wife keeps me in shape. She's even fitter than me.

All those things happen, and running around two little kids that are super active also keeps you very fit.

It's been fun, just like I said, staying active and doing things that you love doing, that you enjoy, and at the same time that can help you with fitness.

Q. Currently the Fireballs are sixth and I wanted to know if coming into the week you guys had your eyes on possibly jumping into that fourth spot and how that would benefit you guys going into the finals.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I mean, obviously a lot of things have to happen for us to be able to get that spot. But at the end of the day, the only thing we can do is just give it our best shot and see what happens.

I think that we're finishing the year quite strong, nice and strong, and unfortunately maybe at the beginning of the year we were a little bit more erratic, and that kind of put us in the situation we're in.

But we'll give it our best shot until the last day, and then it doesn't matter. Once we get to Dallas, if we can get a day off, perfect, but if -- obviously I don't think we can get to top 3, but we can be fourth or fifth, then obviously we can get one of the early picks.