LIV GOLF PROMOTIONS

December 13, 2024

Ollie Schniederjans

Riyadh Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Ollie Schniederjans. Well played today. We'll start with the regulation play. 3-under par round of 68 here in the second round of LIV Golf Promotions at Riyadh golf club. Talk us through your round and anything you were feeling out there.

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: Yeah, I thought it was a decent round. The front nine, it was windy. I thought the front nine was tough. I was surprised that it took 3-under to get T20, actually. But the wind died down and the back nine had some birdie holes.

I had a stressful day. I made a lot of -- I hit every green, but I had a lot of -- I kept hitting it three feet by and having to make three-footers, so I'm just toast right now, and I've got 36 holes tomorrow.

Q. Just going on to that epic six-man playoff, have you ever been part of a six-man playoff before, and what was your --

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: I have not. Nope, never been in a six-for-one. I've done a three-for-one. No, nothing like that.

The 18th hole is a great hole for a playoff because you have that option where if you can carry it 300 yards, you can give yourself a chip shot in but you can't mis-hit the tee shot at all, and MJ hits it further than I do. So it set up better for him. But I just had to hit it solid, and I fortunately did three times in a row and got a decent break there with a ruling on the last. I actually thought I hit a good tee shot but I think it cooled down a little bit in the last 30 minutes and the ball wasn't flying as far.

But yeah, just really happy to get through that.

Q. 36 holes tomorrow, the scores reset. What's your mindset going into tomorrow's final round?

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: It's a long day. I think the No. 1 thing is just to recover and be somehow able to maintain mental and physical for 36 holes.

Q. One shot for one spot on LIV Golf 2025. What would that mean to you?

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: Yeah, I've been through a lot, and I want to play against the best players in the world again. I think I'm coming back to I'm fully healthy. I've been through a lot, and I just want to prove myself again and get that opportunity.

I was able to play a fairly full schedule starting a little bit late this year, but I split my medical into two years, so I lost some full status. I just want a place to play against the best again, and I think I'm coming into full health and full form, so I just want to prove myself.

Q. You said that you didn't think 3 would be in the playoff. What was your mindset going into that back nine? What did you think? Were you able to know what was going on?

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: Yeah, I was pretty far off because I thought 3 was going to be probably good. Luckily it even got to the playoff. I was surprised, actually, that the scores were that low. Maybe not because the wind died down. The front nine was not that easy, but then it died down and the back nine had a lot of gettable holes.

I sort of realized on 15 when I saw the leaderboard that I needed to at least get to 3.

Q. In the playoff, did you just feel like I'm probably going to have to birdie every --

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: Yeah, I thought for sure I needed probably to birdie it two in a row. I actually felt fortunate that only two of us birdied the first go. So once it got to two-for-one, I was more nervous at that point. Six-for-one is just like, you're going to have to have something special happen to win, and then it immediately went to two-for-one.

Q. How well do you know MJ?

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: I know him pretty well from a long time ago. I haven't seen him in a long time. He's a great dude. We were good friends in amateur golf, but I haven't seen him in maybe eight, nine years, so it was good to see him. He's a great player for sure.

Q. Even if it doesn't work out for No. 1 tomorrow, you still have a shot to get International Series status. Is that in your mind at all in terms of being able to have some tournaments next year?

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: Yeah, I mean, at this point I've been playing golf a long time, and I've played under a lot of pressure. I kind of just do the best that I can and leave the rest up to God. I can't really try harder than that.

I'm just going to go do my best and take whatever I get.

Q. How nice is it to come through in a pressure-packed situation in a playoff just to kind of feel that energy, those nerves once again and prove yourself?

OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS: Really cool. Yeah, really cool. I made an eight-footer on the last hole - I almost had a heart attack - in regulation. I was sweating the two-footer on the second playoff hole.

I've done it before. It's been a -- it actually hasn't really been a while because I've played a lot of pressure golf this year and had to make a lot of putts. But this playoff, yeah, and being in front of you guys again, it's been a while for me to be playing on screen and just -- it felt great to be there.