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THE PRESIDENTS CUP

November 15, 2011

Bill Haas

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

BILL HAAS: Golf course is great, everybody is saying how great it is, and it lives up to it, a pretty special place.

Q. Any indication who you are going to be playing with?
BILL HAAS: You know, I don't know what the rules are on talking about all that, but I know I've given -- some of the young guys, Webb and Bubba, Hunter, all of those guys, I would love to play with. And obviously the older guy, the guys with a lot more experience would be invaluable out there to play with. So I'm good with anybody. But it really doesn't matter, just going to go out there and try to hit every golf shot the best you can do.

Q. Does the confidence that you've had, obviously following a great season, coming into a team event, is it all about the confidence going into a different format like this as well?
BILL HAAS: I just think with any kind of golf, maybe especially this kind, you need that confidence to execute each golf shot, maybe you have a different set of pressure what you are used to, a teammate, playing two guys, as opposed to playing the whole field or the golf course, this is all new for me. I played the Walker Cup and I really enjoyed that. I'm sure there will be nerves on that and the first tee.
But I talked to my dad about it and he said after that, it's just golf and you go out and hit each shot like you normally do. If things are not working out, then do you have, like I said, 11 other guys that are the best players in the country right now to back you up. So I think it's going to be fun. I think it's going to be an exciting week. I feel good about my game and I feel like I'm working on some of the right things and that's all I can do.

Q. Is there a sense of pride, when you have the stars and stripes on the sleeve, when you are out playing against these guys, competing most of the year and now being part of the same team?
BILL HAAS: I think 100 percent. You're obviously concerned about your golf game and all that, but you want to represent your country well, not necessarily just your golf performance. You want to represent your country the way you would be proud of and have your other people back home proud of that as well.
So when you look at the hat and see the stars and stripes on your shirt sleeve, it's a pretty cool feeling.

Q. Does the course remind you of anything?
BILL HAAS: I can't say Scotland or anything like, that just because it's warm here. It's different. It's not like anything I've ever played. The greens are so firm but they don't bounce high. You get firm greens in the States sometimes, but the ball seems to bounce. These just hit and release on you. But it's all -- it's fun to play. It's a different kind of golf that's fun and the bunker work is the best I've ever seen.

Q. What are you doing differently to prepare for a course that is so different?
BILL HAAS: The front numbers of these greens become the most important number, not necessarily the pin and how far it is on. You're just trying to land it right on the front a lot of times. It seems to be, if you are not in the fairway, you really can't play this course, and they are pretty wide, pretty generous fairways at that point. But if you don't hit them, you can't hit the greens flat out, so you know, for both foursomes and fourballs, we want -- foursomes, we want the ball in the fairway for the next guy and fourball you want both balls in the fairway.

Q. Did you get a call from your bank manager when that 10 million hit the bank?
BILL HAAS: I didn't, but I think it did. I think everything's in there. Nothing's changed there. It's just it's definitely a huge bonus that you definitely have a little bit of comfort level when it comes to that aspect of my life and my wife's life. So that's a pretty cool thing.

Q. With the expansion of the game in terms of the PGA TOUR going into Asia, as a young player on TOUR now; is that something you want to do, play more around the world, just in the States and Asia and touring out to countries like Australia?
BILL HAAS: Maybe a little bit. You know, we get to play in these World Golf Championships events, they are fun because you do get to travel the world. But there's also a sense of pride of playing a lot of golf in the States. It's what I knew playing golf with my dad growing up, going to all of these tournaments, these are the ones I'm getting to play now.
So I love doing that, and my dad never played in these events in Asia, so it's all new. It's different. It's definitely not a bad thing. It's a good thing for the TOUR to go more global and grow the sport. So I think it's exciting for us. But even more so it's exciting for the future of the TOUR.

Q. Have you checked out the forecast, it's going to get windy; going to change up a fair bit?
BILL HAAS: It is what it is. I don't think you can be concerned about it. I think we expected that. Everything I've heard about it is how windy it gets down in Australia and Melbourne. So it's been more of a shock that it's been so calm. It would be nice to play in windy practice round weather so you can get a little more used to certain tee shots. But, it is what it is, and our lines will probably change according to wind direction and speed but we'll tackle that when it comes.

Q. What about the capacity to hit driver, do you have to really contain yourself and not pull it out all the time?
BILL HAAS: I was saying earlier, if you are not in the fairway, you can't play this course. If it means hitting iron off the tee that's what you'll have to do. You'll see that this week, maybe guys getting it in play, match-play scenario, guy hits a bad one, he might hit it in play and all that. I'm looking forward to, that it's a different type of golf from what we've said, so looking forward to that challenge and also the fun aspect.

Q. Is it going to be difficult for some of the boys to keep the driver in the bag? Obviously step on a few of those tees, don't want to take that chance?
BILL HAAS: I think everybody wants to put yourself in position to have the best chance for par or birdie and if they think driver has just as good an opportunity, then they probably will.
But I don't know, it will be hard to imagine a guy taking driver just because it's a short hole. I just don't see that happening.
But you know, I played some practice rounds with Bubba the last two days and I don't second-guess a single thing he does because he does wonders with the golf ball. You almost just have to enjoy it. Don't second guess it, just sit back and watch it.

Q. Obviously the family thing is really important. How about having the family there, when you won the Coca-Cola, now having your dad here, tell us more about the family and growing up with such a heritage around golf.
BILL HAAS: It's definitely the family business. My mom's brother played on TOUR, my dad, my dad's brother, his uncle, even tied into Scott Verplank even new want to get into it by marriage. Just golf within our family is something we all take pride in, something we call our job and it's not really a hobby for us.
We all know with that sense, we all know how hard it is to get to this level. It's an honor to be here and an honor to play for our country and it just makes it that much more special to have my dad here and my mom is on her way here and to be able to do it with them and share it with them is awesome.

Q. You got on the team with the FedExCup and as a captain's selection, how does it feel now compared to the start of the year to be part of this wonderful event.
BILL HAAS: It feels like a gold wreath. When I started the year I was within reach of making the team and that was my goal, was to get in on points and when I didn't, I was disappointed but I just told myself that last week that even if I don't get picked, I want to go downswing here and have a good last tournament, and everything fell into my place there with just some fortunate breaks as everybody thought.
You know, I don't think one week did it, I earned my way on with two years of golf. But that FedExCup finish was something special and something I'll always remember and it helped me come here. You know, this is the memory of a lifetime, I would say.

Q. Is that one of the ways it's complained your life?
BILL HAAS: Yeah, to get here, if I would not have won, I would not have that memory of being the FedExCup champion, but also I would probably not be talking to you here. I would be sitting at home getting ready to watch it on TV.
I said before, it's an honor to be a part of this team and to be a long side these teammates and these guys that are such good players and good guys and I'm just trying to enjoy every moment of it.

Q. Your thoughts of the course this morning?
BILL HAAS: Yeah, course is great. We were saying with the wind, it's a little docile, and I would say it's not difficult conditions right now. But it's going to get harder and we expect it.
In your head, you're saying it will be this hard so hopefully it will be a little bit tamer out there for us. But it's going to be a challenge. But it's anybody's game. So play well, never know what can happen.

Q. What have they told but Melbourne's winds yet?
BILL HAAS: They say it blows really hard. We got a taste of it yesterday, it was calm earlier and then picked up towards the end of the practice rounds. But today was pretty calm. So hopefully tomorrow we'll get a little bit of wind just to get a taste of it.
But just whatever comes, whatever happens, whatever elements there are, you have to deal with it and so do they. It's just golf and try to hit every shot.

Q. As far as the International Team, any group of friends there, some you would really like to have a crack at?
BILL HAAS: I don't know there's a single guy on the team that I don't like on that team, or don't enjoy playing with in the States or competing against. They are all great guys. That doesn't make it any less -- it doesn't make it any less that you want to win. I think after it's over with, when we get back and play together next year, there won't be any bad blood there. They are all good guys.
I think when you are friends with them, you almost enjoy each other's company but you almost want to beat them more and you want to compete against them your hardest and give them your best, because they want to beat you at your best. They don't want to shoot 2-over and beat you. All you want to do is play good golf no matter who it is, and whoever wins, wins.

Q. With the fantastic golf tradition in your family, what have you heard about Australian golf over the years as a youngster?
BILL HAAS: You know, only thing I've heard is just what I've seen with my dad, watching him play, seeing the guys that have come over from Australia to play the TOUR. Greg Norman was a guy that I looked up to, how good he was and playing alongside my dad, and he was a guy that my dad was trying to beat and all that.
So that was all I knew about it was that they were from Australia and they were good. The guys on TOUR now, when you look at the list of names and the flag next to them, on the PGA TOUR, there's a lot of American flags and a lot of Australian flags, probably two of the most popular flags on the leaderboard. It's great to be down here and in their part of the world and enjoy it and see where they grew up learning the game.

Q. And Sydney at the weekend, do you think that will help going into this week?
BILL HAAS: Yeah, maybe a little bit. It was windy so we got a little taste of that. But the golf course there is much different than here and a totally different kind of format, so I think more than anything, it was just getting four rounds of competitive golf in.

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