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THE RYDER CUP

September 29, 2010

Rickie Fowler

NEWPORT, WALES

GORDON SIMPSON: Rickie, very warm welcome to the The Celtic Manor Resort and the interview room. I see you're in pretty good company today playing with Stricker, Woods and Furyk. Looking forward to that.
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, once I found out the pairing last night, I told my caddie and we were both pretty pumped to be able to hang out with those guys. Actually, I've never played with Tiger, whether it be tournament or practise round. Been around the other guys. It's a great team, great group of guys. Yesterday I played with Bubba, Dustin and Phil and we have a lot of fun together.
GORDON SIMPSON: How have you assessed Tiger Woods as a golfer growing up as a young kid; and now you're going to get a chance to actually play in his company today.
RICKIE FOWLER: It's awesome. I've done commercial stuff with him, shoots, and been around him a bit in the team room and stuff. He's a lot of fun to be around. Obviously watched him growing up and one of my main, or first big memories of him is winning the '97 Masters. It's pretty cool to be around the guy, and obviously he's accomplished quite a bit in the last ten years, 15 years or so, whatever. The stuff he's done, it's really cool just to be around the guy. It will be fun to be around him the rest of week.
GORDON SIMPSON: I'm sure you'd be happy to accomplish what he's done. How has the experience been? I know it's only 48 hours you've been together but what are your initial impressions?
RICKIE FOWLER: It's been great. We had some good weather yesterday, so it was nice. A little bit of rain this morning. I heard it's going to be cold and rainy the rest of the week, so nice to see the course yesterday in good weather. Look forward to the rest of the week.
It's been a great experience. Definitely busy week so far. We've been on the go with very little downtime and trying to get some sleep overnight with little naps. But so far, it's going to be a lot of fun.

Q. Do you know if you're partnering Tiger or playing against him today? Is it a match?
RICKIE FOWLER: I don't know what we're going to do. We'll probably figure that out on the first tee. You know, I would love to have him as a partner, but I'd also love to beat him in a match. (Laughter). I'll take either one.

Q. Just to clarify, what grade were you in when Tiger won that '97 Masters, or had you started school yet?
RICKIE FOWLER: '97, I would have been nine when he won. So what's that put me, in fourth grade, fifth grade possibly. I would have been back into my fourth grade year.
GORDON SIMPSON: And what level of golf had you reached by that age?
RICKIE FOWLER: I started playing golf when I was three. I started playing tournaments when I was four and a half. So I was moving in the right direction, but still very early in my career.

Q. Was he your hero?
RICKIE FOWLER: Tiger? I definitely -- in a way, a hero or someone that I looked up to. I never really singled out anyone on the PGA Tour as that one guy that I really looked up to. I liked watching all the guys play. You know, kind of learning from them. There was never really one person in particular, but Tiger definitely was one of the top guys. Obviously he was winning probably the most and was probably the guy that was shown on TV the most.

Q. What have you made of guys in the last 48 hours of guys like Tiger in the locker room, and what do you hope to learn playing alongside him on the course today?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, being around the guys, team room, locker room, dinners and stuff, they are very easygoing. Sitting there watching Phil and Tiger play ping-pong against each other, and then all of the other guys playing ping-pong, I think so far Kuchar might have the upper hand, but don't tell anyone I said that.
It's been a great time. Playing with Phil yesterday, he just came over to me and talked to me and told me what to expect and how to handle certain things. Tiger has been, in a way, the same. I expect that he'll probably come up and talk to me a little bit today, just as we are talking down the fairway, nothing forced or anything like that.
Just I guess normal kind of couple things. So it's pretty cool to be around guys that have played multiple Ryder Cups and obviously have played pretty well throughout their career.

Q. And as a rookie, do you have that real sense of anticipation about Friday?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yes and no. Obviously everyone is going to be nervous. Everyone is going to love getting it started on Friday. I think we are all ready to go and we are all playing well, and you know, it's all nerves on the first tee and go from there.

Q. This is your first Ryder Cup, and Colin Montgomerie played in eight. Can you tell us what you know about Colin Montgomerie?
RICKIE FOWLER: I actually played with Colin at Bay Hill this year, at Arnie's tournament. We had a lot of fun together. I think he may have edged me by a shot or two there. He was great to play with.
Obviously I saw him in Ryder Cup highlights and watching Ryder Cups, and I always remember him hitting good shots and making putts, and that's kind of what he did at Bay Hill; he kept hitting it close. He was a lot of fun to play with, and I know, look forward to playing against his team this week.

Q. Also, the Walker Cup, you played on this side of the Atlantic; how much will that help you? Obviously a different environment, but how much will that help you this week?
RICKIE FOWLER: I think it's definitely going to have a bit of helpful -- a little bit of influence on how I played this week. I played well in Ireland, and it was I guess a similar -- similar stage but this is multiplied by ten, 20 or 30. So it will be a nice little jump start and be able to look back on some good memories and good playing, and I definitely think it will help out this week.

Q. I realise it was a goal of yours, but did you imagine when you played with Monty at Bay Hill that you would be competing against him here in terms of The Ryder Cup?
RICKIE FOWLER: At that time, it was on my radar and it was one of my goals. Earlier this year, I wasn't really thinking too much about The Ryder Cup. I was more focussed on keeping my TOUR card and playing well.
By that time, it started being in the back of my mind about trying to make The Ryder Cup Team. There was -- I still had a lot of work to do and knew it was a possibility, but I knew I had a long ways to go.

Q. And in terms of -- there's a lot made of being the first TOUR rookie to be on The Ryder Cup Team; has it been easier to fit in on this team or fit in on TOUR as you did this year at a young age?
RICKIE FOWLER: Both has been really easy for me. On the TOUR side, I played a lot -- I wouldn't say a lot; I played a good amount of TOUR events as an amateur, two Opens, and so I got my feet wet and got to know a few of the guys. So that definitely helped my transition on the PGA Tour.
And then with this team, this group of guys, you know, when it came down to it, I think that the team had an influence on which guys they wanted on the team, the guys that made it on the team. So you know, to be around a group of guys that had an influence of putting me on the team or wanting me on the team, you know, it's a very close group of guys.
Being in the team room with the guys, like I said, watching all of the guys play ping-pong, us messing around at dinner, whatever, we're getting closer and closer each day. It's, I guess in a way, it's a team picked team.

Q. A lot of people in this country perhaps won't know that much about you. Firstly, what is your kind of philosophy about playing the game? Obviously you're still very young. And secondly, you say you started playing at three and tournaments at four and a half. Were you a case of someone who was always going to be a pro golfer? Was that always your aim or did you play other sports or do other stuff?
RICKIE FOWLER: I guess my playing style or way behind the game, I'm very old school. But I guess very new school with the stuff that I usually wear.
I like to play fast. I don't have I guess the perfect video swing. It's just step up and go.
And as far starting early and playing tournaments early, you know, I loved it from the first time I picked up a club. I told my parents I think when I was seven that I wanted to play on the PGA Tour. I didn't expect had I myself to be two years, straight out of college and be on the PGA Tour and Ryder Cup that year. I was planning on a little bit longer process, but you know, it's all worked out well. This is right where I want be to be.

Q. Do you have any idea who you're going to be playing with on Friday and do you know whether that's going to be in the morning or afternoon or possibly neither?
RICKIE FOWLER: I might have a clue but we'll find out Friday.

Q. But you haven't been officially told yet that you're playing with somebody in a certain session?
RICKIE FOWLER: I know there's possibilities. Nothing is obviously set in stone until Thursday night or Thursday afternoon. So until that goes in, anything can change. Obviously, I mean, someone gets sick or ever what. But I do know that we have a good idea of what's going on, and that's what we are basically working on is to come out and play well Friday.

Q. Rory McIlroy said that he would like to play Tiger Woods at some point. Is there anyone in particular on The European Team that you would particularly like to face?
RICKIE FOWLER: I wouldn't say anyone in particular. Talk about the guys I fit well in with our side from playing with; I told Corey that I feel like I can play with anyone. Playing against the guys on the European side, I feel like it would be a great match with anyone. Obviously the day after I got picked, I was actually with Rory in the Titleist trailer and we mentioned it would be fun to play each other. Obviously the two of us played Walker Cup '07 and being the two young guys.
But no, there's not really anyone in particular that I love my chances or hate any chances against. I'm more focussed on the week and being here and being on the U.S. Ryder Cup Team.

Q. What do you see as the difference between cocky and being confident, and which one do you think you are?
RICKIE FOWLER: I'd go on the confident side. I don't like to talk about myself for, you know, I guess build myself up in a way or anything.
Being confident is I guess just staying humble, in a way quiet and collected. Cocky may be when you start to throw out predictions or I want to play this guy or feel like I could beat him, or I love my chances -- or I guess it's a fine line in a way. But it's a tough one to -- tough one to answer. If you gave me time, I might be able to come up with some dictionary stuff and bigger words that might work out a little better.
GORDON SIMPSON: Sadly we don't have the time now, we have to move on, but thank you very much, Rickie. Enjoy The Ryder Cup and enjoy the experience.

End of FastScripts

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