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THE PRESIDENTS CUPOctober 2, 2013Bill HaasDUBLIN, OHIO Q. (Inaudible.) BILL HAAS: There's a lot of the same faces that are in there, got a couple fresh new faces. I was shocked that Brandt, that this was his first one. I feel like he's been playing in a bunch of these. But Jordan Spieth, it's fun being around him. He's such a great guy. It's not a whole lot different, with Freddie being the captain, my dad assistant captain, it's a very similar feel to Australia. It's awesome that it's here in the States with friends and family. Q. When you look at someone like Jordan, it wasn't that long ago that he was‑‑ BILL HAAS: Well, I mean, I don't know that I've ever been Jordan. Yeah, not that long ago, 11 years. It's hard to be‑‑ I couldn't put myself in his shoes because at his age I was still in college. I was writing papers and trying to not fail out of school, but I was also trying to play good college golf, and he's on the Presidents Cup. There's just a difference in one probably, a little bit of ability, but two, mentally, we've heard it a number of times but it's because it's true, he's mature, and he seems to be able to handle the moment and enjoy the moment. It's fun to see a guy like him be on our team and be a part of that and I get to know him a little bit more off the golf course other than just about him playing golf. At these events I think you get to know guys a little bit better. Q. When you first played in one of these to where you are now, where do you feel like you are on this team? What do you feel your position is now on the team? BILL HAAS: Oh, I don't know. I think I'm not necessarily a loud guy in the room. I'm certainly not‑‑ I've never been a guy that likes the stage and a public setting when it comes to just talking or telling jokes. I'm more‑‑ I think maybe I get along with guys better one‑on‑one. I don't know, that's a good question. I feel like I fit in just fine. I feel like I'm friendly with everybody on the team. I enjoy listening to the people that are good at that, that are maybe more vocal. I mean, you just have your more vocal leaders in general, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, those guys. They're good at that, I guess. It's more just being a little bit more outspoken to the whole team, and it's just‑‑ I'm not necessarily that role, and I don't think age‑wise or maturity‑wise or golf‑wise I don't think I've reached that stage yet to be that person, and until then, you learn from them and hopefully get there one day. Q. How did you determine who you wanted to play with tomorrow? BILL HAAS: Yeah, me and Webb, it's something we've talked about a bunch. The last Presidents Cup we didn't get to play together because him and Bubba did so well together, but we had always planned on doing that. Then the day that he got picked, Webb actually called me and said, "Hey, I want to play." We've been talking about it for three weeks, four weeks now, and we kind of said, me and Webb, we went to the same school, we've been friends ever since he's come out here. It's been fun seeing him become such a good player, and another guy that I think has matured beyond his years. People still forget he's only 27 years old and won a major and winning multiple times out here. I'm looking forward to that. I think you don't‑‑ I won't feel sad or feel bad if I hit a bad shot with Webb. It's more I think we'll just be good cheerleaders for each other and hope we'll be comfortable enough that we make a lot of birdies. Q. If you guys are successful tomorrow, you would assume Fred would keep you guys together. Is that the plan in your mind? Do you hope that you play with Webb all three days if you could? BILL HAAS: Yeah, absolutely. But on the other hand, I've won with Hunter in a best ball format, and I really enjoyed that. He's another guy I think I kind of requested to play with. But yeah, if me and Webb go out tomorrow and we make a combined 12 birdies or something like that, it would be hard to pull us apart, and the same thing goes for Sneds and Hunter; if they play really well together, then they wouldn't want to split them up, so I'd love to stay with Webb for sure. Q. When Webb got asked on the team, was it almost instantaneous that there was a chance you guys were going to get the option to play together? BILL HAAS: You know, I think so. Two years ago in Melbourne, we were on the team together and we didn't get to play because him and Bubba started, and they did well together and they won a couple matches, so they kept them together. So we didn't get our opportunity to. And then when he got named‑‑ it was funny because he was on the team the whole time, and then at the very last second Zach knocked him out and then all of a sudden he got picked. We had planned all along that we would play at least one or two matches together. So excited to get out of the gates with him. We played together the last couple days here in practice rounds. He's playing fantastic. I don't plan on sitting back and watching him do everything, but hopefully together I think we'll just enjoy the day. It'll be good. Q. I think that you guys seem to be‑‑ you're perceived to be so low key, but there's a lot of energy in Webb, isn't there? BILL HAAS: Yeah, well, he wakes up in the morning like he's had three cups of coffee, and he certainly has a lot of energy. We were talking about that this week, that he's on the go all the time, and that's awesome. I think that's infectious. I think that's something that we all wish we could have. There's plenty of more‑‑ it's tough to get out of bed. I wish I had a little bit more Webb in me for sure. Q. You can't ask for much more, down the road talking to your kids and grandkids about something like that. BILL HAAS: No, you're 100 percent right. Obviously the goal is to win the match, win the Cup, all that. But down the road Webb is a friend that I'm going to have my whole life, so it'll be certainly something we'll talk about for a long time. Q. (Inaudible.) BILL HAAS: Not a ton. Obviously the 18th hole is the big difference. You know, it's 40, 50 yards longer, pretty much forces you to hit a wood off the tee, whereas before you saw a lot of irons off that tee just to get it in play. I still think you might see a hybrid even or maybe a 3‑wood off that tee, but you'll also see a bunch more drivers, which just make that last hole tough. But the only other side of that is only half the matches will probably even get to that hole, and the rest of the course is the same. It's playing about the same. It's soft. You're not getting a lot of roll. But the greens are very fast, not a whole lot of differences. Q. (Inaudible.) BILL HAAS: I think it's just an opportunity to represent your country, to represent your teammates. It's something you don't get to do, and it's a reward for good play. At the end of the year, making this team, just solidifies‑‑ it's a feather in your hat. We have little Cup symbols on our bag for how many you've played in, and Phil has ten of them, and I think that's pretty neat. That's something he may take for granted a little because he does it every year, but that's a pretty impressive thing, him and Tiger to have that many Cups on their bag. Certainly a lot of people would love to have that kind of career. Q. (Inaudible). BILL HAAS: I don't know. I don't think Fred looks at me as any kind of vocal leader by any means. I think I'm still a young learner, so to say. I think I'm learning from these guys, Phil, Tiger obviously, Strick, Kuchar has played a few of these and playing some of the best golf of anybody. Hunter Mahan, this is his fifth one. I think people don't realize that. He's only 31 years old, and this is his fifth one, so he's the next guy I think on the list that you're going to keep seeing in these things. Those are the kind of guys that I'm still trying to learn from and figure out how to get here more often. Q. (Inaudible.) BILL HAAS: Well, I mean, Duf, that's how he is all the time. What you see is what you get. Very dry humor. He's not going to stand up in front of the crowd and put on a stand‑up comedy act, but he'll‑‑ if you sit around in a group with him and get him going, he's pretty funny. Q. What do you think about the risk‑reward nature of this golf course?  When you're in alternate‑shot, do you have to get permission from your partner to go for one? BILL HAAS: I don't think so. I think you certainly don't have to get permission. I think if your playing partner, if you see him whip out driver on a drivable par‑4, that basically shows you that he's excited to hit it, he's confident, and by all means, hit it. If he hits it in the water, he hits it in the water. You don't apologize, you don't feel bad. It's the best of your ability. You've just got to keep playing. Everybody out here in this‑‑ every player on both teams hits bad shots, and you've just got to hit the next one better and try to make the putt go on. In that format you see a lot of great shots, but you see some holes won with bogeys, and you've just got to try to stay in the game and hopefully it all works out. Q. When you look at the course, are there holes that are already green‑lighted, or does it kind of depend on how your round is developing? BILL HAAS: It depends how your round is developing, how you're playing, how you're feeling, how you think your playing partner is feeling. It certainly changes day‑to‑day. I don't think you just show up and say, on No.13, I'm hitting 3‑wood every day. It depends on if the wind has changed, how the match stands. Plenty of factors go into that account. Certainly I heard they're talking about moving some tees up to make some more holes more green‑light and stuff like that, but I think you'll see some more aggressive play in best ball than you would in alternate‑shot. Q. (Inaudible.) BILL HAAS: I think so. We both were on the team in Melbourne and didn't get to play together because him and Bubba played so well together. They came out of the gate and played so good, and I think I had thought that would happen in Melbourne, and then it didn't get to. So I think for two years now that was one of our goals. We talked about we'd love to get in this thing again, Ryder Cup or one of these, and play together. We're excited no matter what happens. It's something we're going to remember 50 years from now. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day for sure. Q. (Inaudible.) BILL HAAS: Yeah, I mean, 18, certainly if they go to that back tee, it makes you think less. For me it's a driver. I know I'm just going to hit driver, so that helps in a sense. 16, I heard they're going to move the tee up, which I think gives people shorter clubs, which I think is more exciting. I think that's a great idea that they should do that. 14, they're going to move the tee up, and I think you'll see more guys lay up than you think. It's still 300 yards to the front of the green with water right and bunker left, and we hit a bunch of bunker shots today from left, and it's really no good. I just don't think you'll see many people go unless it's‑‑ in best ball format, you have two guys hitting. If somebody lays up perfect, they're probably going to hit the green with a wedge, then maybe you'll go. But then with that said, two guys on the PGA TOUR from 100 yards out of the middle of the fairway is pretty good. Better than one. Might as well have two wedges at that. Certain groups are going to have different mentalities for sure, and how the day is going certainly might play into effect. Q. They're going to give you a shorter club but are they also bringing the water more into play? BILL HAAS: Yeah, maybe. I have no idea. I don't know where the pins are going to be, but yeah, I would assume the shorter the hole, they might tuck the pin a little bit more, because when the pin is tucked, guys are going to hit it further away from the water just to stay in the hole. If they don't want to see that, then they're going to have to move the tees up to give us a chance to be more aggressive. Q. Before they moved the tee back at 18, would you have‑‑ BILL HAAS: No, and not many guys really were. There was times where it was downwind and you'd maybe hit driver just because no matter what happened you only had a wedge in your hand so you felt comfortable with that. But no, I was never‑‑ I thought from the up tee, it gave people an opportunity to be aggressive or you played smart and in the fairway. It wasn't a no‑brainer to hit the fairway with the shorter hole. The longer hole I think is less‑‑ takes less options out of play. But then again, it does make it harder because you have longer clubs in probably. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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