LIV GOLF PROMOTIONS

December 11, 2024

Barclay Brown

Santiago de la Fuente

Fred Biondi

Riyadh Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Barclay Brown from England, Santiago de la Fuente from Mexico and Fred Biondi from Brazil. All three of you are making your LIV Golf Promotions debut this week at Riyadh golf club. As players starting their professional careers, what is it about LIV Golf that appeals to you as players and wanting to be part of the LIV Golf league?

BARCLAY BROWN: Yeah, it seems like it's brought some fun to the game, and it's something different, and guys are enjoying it. There's a great opportunity this week. Anywhere to play at the start of your career is something that you're going to jump at.

SANTIAGO DE LA FUENTE: Yeah, like he said, just having status, somewhere to play, and obviously LIV is going in a good direction, having all these good players, and also I have a couple friends that were there, the entire torque team. Just having a place to play and not beating myself with that amount of tournaments that they have to play nowadays in other tours.

FRED BIONDI: I think for me, obviously a place to play, and obviously playing with top players in the world week in and week out all over the world, obviously it's pretty special. Just playing professional golf, and again, playing with these guys is a dream. It's a good opportunity this week.

Q. Team golf is obviously a huge part of collegiate golf, elite amateur golf. You've all played Walker Cups or Palmer Cups. Team golf is obviously an integral part of LIV Golf, as well. If you could choose to be part of any LIV Golf team, which one would it be, if you could choose?

BARCLAY BROWN: I'm not sure how familiar I am with the teams. Are they going to move around this year with the relegations and stuff? I don't know, I guess there's an English team, right, so maybe I should say that. Majesticks.

SANTIAGO DE LA FUENTE: I mean, if I have to choose one, I would probably say torque, but I know Joaquín is not changing that lineup. Probably that or Fireballs, just to be able to keep speaking Spanish with everyone.

FRED BIONDI: Yeah, I would say, again, no preference I don't think, but like Torque I know a couple of the guys, but I know Sam pretty well, too, from University of Florida. I know he's in the Majesticks. Obviously anywhere would be awesome to play.

Q. Santiago, LIV Golf has been staged in Mayakoba the past two seasons. Can you describe some of the impact that LIV Golf might have had in Mexico, and is this one of the factors which made you want to qualify for LIV Golf?

SANTIAGO DE LA FUENTE: Yeah, it's just the impact that it's had all over the world, growing the game and bringing more attention. Like some fans that probably they weren't interested in golf because of whatever reason they had, and then LIV Golf is so much fun inside and outside the course. I feel like it's just growing the game all around the world, so that's part of it, and that's why I like it, too.

Q. Fred, there's a strong Latin American contingent on LIV Golf. Have you spoken to any of the guys about their experience on LIV Golf over the last couple of seasons, and what's it mean for you to see these guys performing at the top level?

FRED BIONDI: Yeah, I look up to all these guys for sure. They've obviously accomplished a lot of things in the golf world and that's something that I would love to follow in their footsteps in.

Yeah, I haven't spoken too much about it other than briefly, and they all seem very happy, and they love what they're doing right now. It's obviously really cool to see.

Q. Fred, can you take us through the last 18 months since you won the NCAAs and what that experience has been like? I think you played like 42 times since then, so it's been a busy schedule.

FRED BIONDI: Yeah. I feel like -- I didn't know it was 42, but I knew I played a lot. Right out of college, I had Korn Ferry status for that year, and I played pretty much the remaining of that schedule. I went to final stage of Q-school, and that first I'd say six months on the Korn Ferry was a struggle. I had some good finishes early and then went on a missed cut train for a bit.

Then got some PGA TOUR starts and had some success late there. Had a couple high finishes there, and then went and finished 10th at final stage, so had full status for this year.

I started the year well, but then again, just had some good Tour finishes, too. I got some sponsor exemptions into that. But just obviously not nearly as well as I wanted to. I lost my card this year, played a ton, so there was a lot of frustrating times for sure. There's a lot of learning involved to it, and I know my best golf is in front of me.

It was tough times but a lot of positives, too, and a lot of upside to it.

Q. Is there one or two things that you learned the most that you're just like, wow, I didn't even expect that?

FRED BIONDI: Yeah, I had some success in college, but it wasn't always great. I had some success in junior golf but it wasn't always great. I'm still pretty naïve to some things, and I think you kind of live and you learn, and it's different for everybody. What makes me good might be different than what makes Santi good or Barclay good. It's all different.

I think learning a little bit about myself and what works for me, if that's the management part of the travel or the practice or the fitness part of it or more towards, like, okay, when should I work on this part of my game, what should I feel when this is happening, those little things I think I didn't do a good job as much as I worked really hard and I practiced really hard and I gave my everything. If you're not doing the right things, even though you think you are, you're not really going to get much better.

But it was good the last couple months to have a little break and sit down and kind of clear my mind and understand what happened, like what do I need to do better. I'm willing to do anything to get better. That was the main learning, I think.

Q. Barclay, I think you played against Caleb in the Walker Cup if I recall. Were you watching much of his progress this year? Is it kind of intriguing? All you guys are really young and he's the youngest player on LIV. How much is that kind of a motivation factor?

BARCLAY BROWN: Yeah, I hadn't seen him really since then until the Dunhill a month or so ago. So I caught up with him there. Seems like he's doing well. He's enjoying it.

I remember when that news broke when we were back in college. Definitely some people jealous of such a great opportunity. I'm happy for him, and it's -- we're talking about when you're starting your career, you want somewhere to play and something solid and compete against the best in the world, and that's the dream, really.

Q. Santiago, you were talking about that you've been in contact, know the guys at Torque. What, if anything, if they told you what life on LIV is about or maybe some of the things that you think you might enjoy if you were able to win a spot this week?

SANTIAGO DE LA FUENTE: Obviously they've been enjoying it, and that's all they talk about. They've been having so much fun playing, between International Series and LIV, just being able to have some time with their family. I would love to get a spot and just compete out here.

Q. About the format, the last two days are basically survive and advance and then 36-hole final. Do you have to kind of adjust your mindset at all with kind of a unique format versus just a four-round stroke-play event?

BARCLAY BROWN: Maybe a touch towards the end of rounds if you're in any certain situation. But I think with 60 or 70 players and the top 20 getting through, it's not anything crazy that you have to do. I think if five people made it through each day, then maybe you'd pull driver out everywhere and hit your putts a little bit harder.

But I think keeping it solid for those first couple of rounds should be good enough to get you advancing. So I don't think it's anything too different.

SANTIAGO DE LA FUENTE: I would just say you've got to go out and play your own game. Anything can happen, especially in Q-schools. I don't feel like we have to adjust that much. Like you say, it's 20 out of 70, 64 players. It's a lot of players, but you still have to go out and play well. Just go out and do your own thing, and the rest will be taken care of.

FRED BIONDI: Yeah, just I think good golf will take care of it. I think you just kind of stick to your game plan, obviously, depending on where you stand on the last couple holes if you might need to press a little bit harder or not.

But I think good golf is good golf, and if you good out and put a good round together, it should be fine.