THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 27, 2024

Jason Day

Adam Scott

Mackenzie Hughes

Corey Conners

Tom Kim

Royal Montreal Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started. We'd like to welcome the International Team members, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners, and Tom Kim to the press center.

Q. Adam, I guess all the years you've been doing this, to be part of today had to be pretty fun.

ADAM SCOTT: Incredible. Incredible day for us. To come back and show everyone what this team is made of after a tough day out there yesterday is just incredible.

We've got a big day tomorrow and a bigger day Sunday. I think we can enjoy this this evening and then come out incredibly focused. This team knows what it's capable of now.

Q. We've been hearing whispers of a motivational speech on the ride over, Mackenzie, from you. Is there truth in this? Is that something that happened?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: I spoke, but there was a few other guys that spoke as well. The main message was just keep your head high, spirits high, and we all believed.

Today was obviously a great day, but it starts with believing that we can do it, and the whole bus, everyone in that cabin believed.

Q. Was it emotional when people were speaking?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: No, we're just having fun. This is like the most fun group to be a part of. We sang. We laughed the whole way home last night. We were on the bus this morning, and the vibe was great. We just knew we had a lot of golf in front of us.

We came out here today focused, heads held high, and got the job done.

Q. Jason, can you just talk about the chip on 18. It was really quite nice. If you could go through the shot.

ADAM SCOTT: Quite nice? It was unbelievable. (Laughter).

JASON DAY: Yeah, I don't want to hit the shot again if that's what you're saying. No, it was great. Obviously, I didn't put Bez in great positions out on the golf course. So it's a team effort. I have his back always. He's got my back. It was an absolute pleasure to play with Bez today. Made a lot of clutch putts.

That chip shot on 18, or the flop shot on 18 was downhill. The lie wasn't that great. It was wet. So I was just trying to understand the lie a little bit more through the practice swings. Is it going to bounce? Is it going to dig? Just for how wet it is.

Then just pushing my awareness out as much as possible to my target and the flight. Then once you start thinking too internal, like at the ball, that's when you start thinking a bit too much and you can get in your own way and think about -- there's a pause almost where you start to -- your mind wanders. So I was just trying to push my thoughts to the flight, where I was going to land it, and just focus on that, kept on focusing on that.

Then as soon as I hit the shot, I knew it was going to be good regardless. I think halfway through the shot I had my hand up, just knowing it was going to be a good one.

Going to 17 and 18, we wanted to make sure we gave those guys a kind of like a very easy win on 17, not to the point where they had to hole a putt or we miss a putt, and then the momentum switched really quickly for us on 18. So we just wanted to kind of give it to them really quick and then obviously focus on 18.

18's tough. It's difficult. After those guys hit it on the right, you just don't know what's going to happen. But I'm glad to hit it down to close and have to force Brian to hit a chip shot in the hole.

Q. For Corey and Mackenzie, did you get a sense, while you were still on the course, what was going on this afternoon elsewhere? And just down the stretch, once you were done, just being spectators and teammates, what was it like as it was all unfolding?

COREY CONNERS: I would say the crowd was in it from the get-go for us. We were definitely aware of some of the big cheers ahead of us knowing that some of the guys were winning holes. Certainly for me, it inspired me to want to get some of those cheers for us.

The atmosphere was great, and cheering on the other guys -- being at home feels pretty special and getting all the support we got out there on the golf course and the whole team got was amazing.

Q. My first question is for Tom. Yesterday you said that you'd like the fans to be louder. Were they loud enough?

TOM KIM: They were unbelievable today. They definitely brought it. Obviously these guys had to go out and play. I sat out, but the crowd, I think, plays a huge role.

I think the reason why we were able to play so good today, other than these guys going out and performing, was our fans backed us up. I think that gives you momentum, that gives you energy. Just they played a huge factor in our win today.

Q. As a follow up to Corey and Mac, obviously you guys had a lot of attention. What did it mean to you to hear "O Canada" on basically every hole, especially the 1st hole and your final hole?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Like Tom said, today the fans really brought it. We felt that from the get-go. Corey mentioned that the 1st tee felt a lot different today than it did yesterday. Just electric all day.

I joked to Corey on No. 2 tee, I said how many times will we hear "O Canada" today? What was the over-under? Starting basically at 1 hole, maybe fell just shy, but unbelievable day. The atmosphere was buzzing from the get-go.

It obviously helped that a few guys went out early and got some leads. Then Corey and I got out there and got the lead as well. It just felt like the momentum was really infectious. You hear the cheers around the golf course, and you knew which cheers were for which team, which was really cool today.

I said after my match, it felt like the crowd really pulled us through those matches. We need more of that the rest of the week.

Q. Adam, when you have lost a few of these before, when you're down 5-0, just between last night and this morning, how do you go about maintaining some element of belief? Like how do you get that throughout the team room when you are kind of used to losing something?

ADAM SCOTT: No doubt yesterday was a tough day for us. The scoreboard, which is the only thing that matters, looked terrible. But we have the support team around us that dug deep and told us there wasn't much in it. It was closer than the scoreboard showed. Our spirits were high going back on the bus last night, some time together in the team room last night, kept the energy going, the spirits high.

I think we all came out here today playing for our own pride really, and I think that started it off the right way, and the crowd carried us through the day, which was incredible. Hearing those cheers, knowing it was for our team on other holes across the golf course, that's got to be motivation for us for the rest of the week.

Q. Mac, just curious how you were able to manage your emotions today. You talked early in the week of being really high and having to bring yourself back from that. Was it easier because you were paired with such a good friend?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, I definitely said this numerous times today already, but Corey is the absolute dream alternate-shot partner. You always felt like he had your back, and not just as a friend, but just his game is so solid that you always had that guy behind you.

Yeah, just the most unbelievable day. We had a great feeling coming into the day, and I felt like all the guys were believing. Obviously to go 5-0 is a bonus, but we knew what we were capable of and went out and did it.

Q. Adam, in all of your days playing in the Presidents Cup, how does this one rank?

ADAM SCOTT: Well, right now it feels pretty special. It feels great. I'm just so proud of all the guys today for sticking in, coming out with a great attitude and lifting their games.

It puts us right back in this tournament. There have been some other good days. I remember we won 6-0 one day in South Africa, which is a long time ago. Right now I'm enjoying this very much.

Q. You said a couple times that this team is different. Can you just distill it for us what is different about this team?

ADAM SCOTT: I think there are some things, there are dynamics in these teams that are almost, it's undescribable. It's just a feeling. I haven't thrown those kind of feelings out there very much, but we were all up here a couple weeks ago, and I've rested easy for a couple weeks coming in here knowing this team is put together.

I don't know exactly. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but there's a confidence. Maybe it's the personalities. It's all those things. I felt very, very confident in this team.

Q. Tom, you were like an "Energizer Bunny" today in a cheerleading role. It's a 12-man team. What was it like for you sitting it out today, not being able to hit a shot competitively while you watched this amazing comeback unfold?

TOM KIM: Obviously, I felt like I played great yesterday, and then knowing that I was going to take the day off, as a player, you want to go out and perform, but at the same time, this week isn't about performing, it's about being a good teammate.

When I knew I was going to sit out, I told myself what can I do for my teammates to go out tomorrow and feel the energy because our crowd wasn't going. I had one goal today, and that was to get there before everyone got to the 1st tee and get the crowd going for my guys. Our fans brought it. Our I-N-T fans really brought it today, and I couldn't be more thankful.

I just wish they could bring it on the weekend as well because we're going to need it. It was so much fun to be next to my teammates and just go nuts. I'm starting to lose my voice a little bit. But these guys just played so unbelievable, and I'm so grateful.

Q. Adam, the Internationals hadn't won a foursomes session since 2005.

TOM KIM: I was three, by the way. (Laughter).

Q. Just game-wise, why do you think this team and today was different?

ADAM SCOTT: Like I said, I think one thing going for us today was we were coming out to play with our pride on the line. We got kicked pretty badly yesterday. There is a confidence amongst this group, but we got brought down to earth today, and we came out today and all lifted our levels.

This team is very capable of pushing the U.S. Team all the way this week, and today was a good step for us to make it a big fight this weekend.

Q. Corey, this is your first win at the Presidents Cup. I'm wondering, how is it to get this monkey off your back, and especially this way, with a good friend beside you?

COREY CONNERS: Obviously it feels good. I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to get some points on the board this week. Awesome to be able to do it alongside Mac.

Yeah, it's a fun team to be a part of, and it's a fun fight. Hopefully can get a few more points on the board this weekend.

Q. Jason, you talked early week about how this event, you didn't always have your full buy-in, and it's kind of been a process for you. I'm just wondering what it's been like yesterday and today, that flipping of emotions as you feel like you have fully bought in?

JASON DAY: No, I've definitely bought in. I bought into the leaders of the team, Mike and the assistant captains. I've bought into Adam Scott. I've bought into Tom Kim. I've bought into all these guys.

Like Adam said, it's hard to put your finger on how to describe why this group is so different to the other groups that we've had. But looking back like at any good team, it starts with leadership, pulling everyone in the right direction, giving ourselves a goal and making sure that everyone, support staff, players, and captains, are all pulling the right direction. We can't have one loose thread pulling away because that unravels the whole team.

There's been an eye opening for me to be able to sit up here, and I feel honored to be a part of this team. It goes down as one of the greatest golfing moments to be able to be a part of this team. Yeah, I'm very thankful.

Q. Adam, is there a difference in terms of how you got to five apiece? If it was 2 1/2, 2 1/2 both days, can you ride momentum?

ADAM SCOTT: I think right now we've got a bit of momentum going, for sure. If we can get off to a great start tomorrow and get the crowd on our side again with some good play, then hopefully we can keep it rolling.

But like you said there, they're going to want to do what we did today. So we're going to have to be on it, be focused, and keep our levels high because that team's no joke. We're going to have to fight really hard if we want to be in there on Sunday afternoon.

Q. Mac, how did you feel after the birdie putt on the 2nd hole? And how did it help you for the rest of the day on the green?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Honestly, I actually felt quite good after the 1st hole. I hit a very average approach shot on the 1st hole, and my partner lagged it up there really close, which I think kind of eased my nerves a little bit. Then, yeah, the putt on 2 kind of felt like that was my first big step of the day.

Yeah, from there, I felt quite good. Obviously you feel like there's this huge rush of adrenaline running through you all day. It's a bit of a drug. Honestly, it's an incredible feeling. The crowds really amplified that feeling.

Yeah, that start was definitely nice for just feeling comfortable and my nerves.

Q. Tom, as someone who spent today watching the action, I'm just wondering what the coolest thing you saw was?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Si Woo?

TOM KIM: Yeah, that was pretty sweet. Telling them, "come on, boys." That was pretty good.

I think the coolest thing I saw was every single one of those matches. How we were yesterday, I felt like as a team we were so confident going into today knowing that things were going to be different.

Gosh, these guys are just so good, and I'm afraid to play them, play against them after this week finishes. It's not going to be fun. Just these guys coming together as a team, hitting the shots when we needed to, bringing the crowd, using the crowd, and me being like a 0.1 percent of a cheer, I think that's what I'm most proud of, just as we came together in tough moments.

I feel like it's going to set us up good for the weekend.

Q. Jason, can you just take us through that chip shot on 18, the difficulty of the shot and then also just what was running through your mind?

JASON DAY: I explained a little bit earlier, but I'll probably talk about it a different way.

They were going to get up-and-down regardless, so I needed to hit a good shot. The only way to hit a good shot is to picture the ball landing -- I tend to see the ball rolling, and then I add the picture to what the flight needs to do after the fact. I needed to hit it stone dead. I didn't want to give Bez a putt for the potential win or halve or whatever it is.

My mindset was just to make sure that -- you know, get it pushed my awareness out, make sure I land it on my spot, but try and get the flight where I need it to be. I don't know, it was weird, like it was one of those ones where you could have left it short of the green pretty quick or get something firing.

Yeah, I think the biggest thing was just making sure that my awareness was not right at the ball, it was out at the target, and try and not let or attach myself to any thoughts that would come through my mind because it's pretty easy. I've got a ton of people standing behind me. I can see the guys, the American side is sitting pretty good on the other side.

But just trusting in that process, that's kind of how it happened, and I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to be able to hit a shot like that under those conditions because what we're doing right now, playing in this team format is going to help us in the future playing down the stretch in other tournaments. So this is great experience for me.