THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 26, 2024

Scottie Scheffler

Keegan Bradley

Xander Schauffele

Sahith Theegala

Royal Montreal Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started. We'd like to welcome Sahith Theegala, Scottie Scheffler, Keegan Bradley, and Xander Schauffele to the interview room.

We'll turn it over to questions.

Q. Keegan, it had been a little while for you to have that feeling. Can you walk us through that birdie on 18, that reaction, just the emotions of today?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it was 10 years of pent up energy, it looks like, of not playing these. I just had such a blast out there today. It's really fun for me to be out here with these guys. I told Wyndham on 17 or 18 just how much I missed being out here and doing this.

What a great day for the USA, but we've got a long way to go.

Q. Scottie, Xander, to come out 5-0 right out of the chute, what does this do going into Day 2?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It means we had a really good day, and it means we are playing a completely different format tomorrow. We need to get back in the team room, get some rest and regroup for tomorrow.

Q. Xander, earlier this week Jim said you were one of the team leaders inside the locker room. What does that mean to you?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think the only thing I'm leading are probably words per minute. A little bit of what these boys are dealing with -- a few extra words than normal and a little bit of mental abuse here and there, but hopefully toughen them up.

Q. Sahith, what was it like for you today in your first match? Did anything catch you by surprise?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I don't think anything caught me by surprise. I was very nervous, and I expected to be very nervous, but I was -- I knew Collin was a baller, but just his presence and his calming presence and how he goes about his process, he's just a silent killer, man.

That kind of fired me up and settled me down, too, knowing that all these guys on this team are beasts, and just to be up close and personal with Collin, I've known him forever, we've never been able to play a team match together, it was awesome. It was super intense. I knew it would be. Just fought until the end.

Match play is a funny, funny thing. There's always some Mongolians and things go the ways that you don't think it would go. But yeah, it was really intense. To finish how we finished was awesome, to get a point.

Q. Scottie, it seemed like you and Tom Kim were engaging in some gamesmanship around 9, 10. From your perspective what was happening with you and your old friend?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: From my perspective, looked like he poked the bear, from my perspective.

No, I mean, I think we were 2-up in the match and he made a putt on 7, had a big reaction, and I made a big putt, as well. So it was important for me to make sure that we kept the momentum in the match, and then I guess he made a big putt on 8 and they walked off the green to the tee or something like that, and then I saw a video of him yelling at me, but I actually didn't notice any of that. I just kind of played.

And then 10, I don't really think anything happened on 10. Really not much, to be honest with you.

Q. Do you think that sort of thing adds to the excitement of a tournament like this?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, I really don't know. To me, it's all about just trying to get a point. Russell and I were fortunate to get a point today, and just get some rest, regroup, and get ready for a different format tomorrow.

Q. Keegan, I'm sure you've been thinking about this day, returning to representing the U.S. for a while. I'm wondering how the day compared to what your expectations were for it?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, this morning when I heard the National Anthem and I was seeing the boys getting ready, I was really emotional. It really took me by surprise. There's been a few times this week where I've been emotional about this week. I've said I didn't -- there was a point in my life I never thought I'd get to do this again.

To be able to be out here with a totally new group of guys and guys that really -- I'm not afraid to say, I'm 38 years old, and I look up to all these players here. It's really been an inspiring week for me, on and off the golf course. I just love being around them. They're funny, they're fun, and I just am really proud to be in the same room with them playing this tournament.

Q. Did you learn anything about any of these guys in particular today?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: I learned that they like to tell a lot of weird jokes. That's the number one thing that I've learned.

But truthfully on a serious note, what I've learned is how much they care for each other. I was of an era, I guess, where I felt like everyone I was playing against was my enemy, and I really regret that.

These guys care about each other. They want to beat them inside the ropes bad, but when they get outside the ropes, they're friends, the wives are friends. It's a much happier way to go about this life.

Q. Keegan, did you take anything from 10 years ago that you're doing differently now or that you might have learned from back then in terms of your approach to playing or just how you might try to settle down or approach the match?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, well, I really took for granted having Phil as my partner every year. What an unbelievable thing that is for a young player like me. I get to go out, play with one of the greatest players to ever touch a golf club, and I sort of became -- it was a norm for me.

I didn't have to go through the early week, who's my partner, what ball am I going to hit, am I going to play this match, who's it going to be with. I just had to show up and play. I'm really thankful for Phil for that.

But I made a putt on one of the par-3s, and I just can't contain myself. I go crazy. Then I have to, all right, bro, take a second and breathe before you hit this next shot.

But I always feel like I'm always trying to suppress my emotions on the golf course, and what I love about this tournament is you're able to let them out.

It's really just a blast.

Q. Was there some angst because maybe you didn't know who you were going to play with, or if you are going to do alternate shot, you've got to get used to somebody else's golf ball?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: No, I know who I'm going to play with. I think I just sort of took it for granted that I was playing with one of the greatest players to ever touch a club for so many years. But it's also been really fun for me to be out there. Phil was very much in charge of our group, so it's been fun to go out there and sort of -- I have a little different role to play.

I haven't played much with Wyndham, and now I know why he's so good. He hits a lot of good shots and makes a lot of putts.

Q. Sahith, on the 1st hole I noticed you saw your dad to the left of the tee box there and had a quick embrace. If you could describe that moment and what was that like?

SAHITH THEEGALA: Yeah, both my parents are the reason I'm here. My dad is the reason I play golf. It's just another full-circle moment. It's another thing I never maybe thought I would do, and I don't know if my dad ever thought I would do. He has more belief in me than I do sometimes, actually a lot of times. It's just awesome.

He's one of the most positive dudes ever and so optimistic. That was another great thing. I was really happy I caught him in the box there right before. It calmed me down a little bit more. Funny enough I didn't get them their inside the ropes passes quick enough, so I gave it to my coach and trainer and they gave it to him on hole 2.

I felt bad, they were just walking with the crowd on hole 1. I know I saw my dad getting ambushed by a bunch of fans, which is awesome. He loves it, too.

But it means the world that they're here. He's not afraid to show his emotions, and I think that's kind of where I get my emotions on the golf course, too.

Q. Keegan, a question about how much your Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup fortunes have changed in one year. I was thinking today, what role do you think "Full Swing" has played in that, because maybe without "Full Swing" last year -- you got left off the team, but that amplified it so much. Do you think that played a role in everything that's happened since?

KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, I hope they didn't choose me to be the Ryder Cup captain because of a TV show, but I'm really grateful for "Full Swing" and Netflix. They've been really great to me.

I have a really hard time being myself at golf tournaments. I'm a nervous wreck. I felt like it was an opportunity to show people the real me, how I am off the golf course. That's what I'm so jealous of these guys. They're themselves off the golf course. So I felt like I had an opportunity to do that.

I'm grateful that that's what people think, but I hope that my play and my passion for the Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup plays a bigger role than that.

Q. Sahith, can you tell me what Mongolians are?

SAHITH THEEGALA: I heard them laughing when I said that. I realize I didn't say the full phrase. Not race intended or country intended, but Mongolian reversal, I don't even know how it originated.

The first time I heard it was actually Fred Couples, a long time ago when I was watching TV. I guess it's just when your opponents are in a better place than you on the hole and you do something cool like make a long putt. It looks like your opponents were going to win the hole when you hit the approach shots in, but you make the long putt and they miss the short putt, and all of a sudden looking like you're losing the hole to winning the hole.

Thank you for asking to clarify that. Mongolian reversal, yes. Don't cancel me, please.