 And welcome to the 43rd Ryder Cup here at Whistling Straits. We are with Xander Shafley. Xander, curious, obviously the lump sum of the year you're playing is Xander. One week a year, you're playing in the team dynamic. Are the highs in a team dynamic any higher than you experienced individually? And likewise, are the lows any lower when you're dealing with a disappointing match result or something like that? I mean, I'm still playing as Xander, I think. Just under the team USA. And so to answer your question, I feel it's, you know, there's obviously pressure to play well. And I think as a team, we share that. And, you know, if you're just from previous experience, from a president's cup that I've played in, you know, a loss is heavy. And you just want to do well for your teammates. But I feel that you can almost be uplifted by your teammates as well. So, you know, I think it's sort of whatever you make of it. But it is nice to have teammates. We always, you know, all the guys on my team are enemies most of the year. But for this one week, we all share our thoughts and we're all pulling for each other. And we want the best for each other because we all want to win. So we stand under one flag and for one cause. So let's try and win this thing. I like it. OK, let's hit some questions. I guess we'll go to Adam here on four. And do you feel like a rookie? Um, no, not really. I mean, I am a rookie. It's my first appearance. And you know, I'd say I know that, I mean, knowing most of the guys on the team, knowing pretty much all the captains on the team, helps me feel more comfortable. I've never played this property, but having, you know, some of, you know, most of our team, you know, competed in that major championship not too long ago. So they share their thoughts. And that makes me feel more comfortable. So overall, you know, I am one, but I don't really feel like one. OK. And the pairings are now, we don't know what we're going to be with, et cetera, et cetera. But let's just say you might be paired with Pat. And I'm just curious, how much did that flight go into the president's cup? That's 20 plus hours that you guys were playing cards have to do with the bond that you've created? Not much, actually. We didn't talk a whole lot while we were playing gin. So we spent a lot of time together doing that. But we were pretty much drinking coffee just to stay awake and playing because, you know, we both didn't want to lose. So it was more of a competitive thing, just like us playing. But yeah, we've become close. We just took a trip to Napa together with our significant others. And it was a nice time to sort of kick back and relax. Obviously, we're there celebrating. You know, his FedEx Cup win and my gold medal from a long time ago. So it was nice to sort of share that moment together. Let's go to Juan, right in the front, right number one. So, Shander, it looks like everybody in the American team is talking about ping pong, but I mean, there has to be. I mean, I know you are kind of a decent player, but there has to be other things that bind you together, you know, that makes you enjoy being together this week and playing together. Can you talk a little bit more about those other things? You can talk about ping pong if you want to. No, it's just we do we do dinners. I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of functions is what I'm learning to a Ryder Cup. And so, you know, last night we spent time in a barn together, which was a cool setting. And there's there's, you know, small talks or talks that we're not really used to having at normal tournaments. And you know, we normally have our own teams with us. And once I see those guys at the course, we kind of disperse and go back to our own teams at our own homes type deals. So it's cool to sort of, you know, get to talk to each individual. It's just about anything, you know, non-golf related and spend some time at dinner. You know, that's sort of how I grew up. Dinners were a time to sort of get to know someone and kind of chat. So it's nice to talk to them, see what they like to get up to, and you know, they can't hide when there are significant others next to them, fact-checking them. So it's nice to get to know everyone a little bit better. We're going to go to recs on three. Dinner in a barn. Was it a restaurant in a barn? And you guys just... I don't know. I figured we're in Wisconsin, so it seemed very fitting. But yeah, it was a nice dinner. It was a nice setting. It was, I think it was maybe catering type thing, but it was very enjoyable. My real question was, Steve has talked about trying to be over-prepared this week without giving away any secrets. Can you give an example of, in your mind, there hasn't been a stone unturned? I mean, do you feel like you're getting more than enough information? Yeah, there's, you know, we have our scouts. I'm sure everyone has their scouts. They do certain things. It's a very generalized name to give them and they provide certain information and they kind of check off any box that maybe the captains didn't even think of or didn't check off, so. And they sort of go back and forth, checking to see if, you know, what they think is right and what they think is wrong and things like that. So, I feel, I feel that, you know, they feel very comfortable in their picks and how they're arranging everything. And, you know, we came out early, you know, about a week ago to sort of get comfortable. And I think, you know, that did help me sort of not feel like rookie. You know, I think, when I think of rookie, I think of my rookie year and I feel I show up to properties and I was texting, you know, certain guys I knew on tour, you know, where's registration and where's a locker room and things like that. So, small things like that make you feel very comfortable. It works for me. You know, it was nice to know where the first tee was. It's nice to know where to go. It was nice to know where a locker room and where a sort of team cubby was. So, you know, I feel like in that sense, it made me feel good, you know, arriving on property. Number eight, Bob. Xander, I take it the first time you would have ever played alternate shot with Patrick was in Melbourne. Could you talk about how long it might have taken just to get used to that format? When you started feeling comfortable and obviously you had some success with it there. Yeah, obviously it's just more equipment wise, you know, you have to switch golf ball. I kind of just go his way. His, our balls are actually pretty similar now, which is nice. So, but I think he's been playing the same ball since, I think the president's cup and it didn't take that long. I think we sort of became, you know, very comfortable with each other and sort of friendly and that sort of helped. We're very, you know, very transparent. I think if I had a bad shot or he hits a bad shot, we don't really care, you know, we both know that we're trying our hardest. I mean, I think we were so tired when we went into our third match, I think, or it was an afternoon match. And basically that afternoon match solidified us playing all five at the president's cup. And I remember him come up to me on the first tee and he, you know, he had a coffee in his hand or something, which is something we don't do. So it showed how tired he was. And he just said, Hey, if I don't talk to you, it's not because I'm not pulling for you. I'm just trying to conserve some energy and I'll walk ahead and things like that. And I was like, it's great. Like that doesn't bother me whatsoever. So we just understand each other very well. And I think that sort of helps us play well together because we just, even if we're quiet or, or you know, whatever you want to call it not talking, we just know that we have each other's back. Is the golf ball something that could really be a big issue if they were, if it was widely different, something that you'd have to, you know, spend a lot of time overcoming. Yeah, some guys are high spin guys. Some guys are low spin guys. And typically you either alter your equipment, many of your clubs or I guess, including your golf ball. So you either go one direction with how you want to sort of combat what kind of player you are. So if you have two guys that are, you know, on the opposite sides of the spectrum, you can get kind of a mess, especially when the breeze picks up out here. Let's go to number six. Yeah, good morning, Xander. How European do you feel? And who's your father supporting this week? You're that guy, huh? Yeah, you know, it's funny. You know, I am, I guess I almost stand alone in my family. My brother was born in Shtickard. My dad was born in Shtickard. My mom was born in Taiwan, a group in Japan. So I mean, that's international, as I like to say. But yeah, I think I was, you know, I'm the only natural born citizen in my family. So, you know, I can say I'm proud to be an American. I was the only one born in the U.S. So for that reason, you know, I feel very American. I just feel like I've been exposed to a lot of other cultures, so I understand them very well. I think my dad's just rooting for me. I don't think you'll catch him saying he's rooting for Europe at any point, but let me know if he does. Okay, thank you. We're gonna go to 19, Jeff, over here on your left. Is Andrews the gold medal in the team room this week, and since bringing it home state side here, what's been the most meaningful moment you've had with the most meaningful scene? It's not. This is, you know, it's too individual. It's about the team this week, so that wasn't gonna make an appearance, but I don't even know where it is. I think my mom, my mom may have it back at home, unless my dad secretly has it on him out here, but I think the coolest moment for me, in all honesty, was back in Japan. I was able to share it, share the gold medal with my grandparents. They, someone snuck them into the hotel, and they happened to be next door to me in the hotel, so I happened to see them, which seemed completely legal in Japan, and it was cool to see them. It was just seeing their reaction. It's hard to surprise someone that's 80 plus years old, and just to see the joy on their faces, obviously they're happy to see me, it's been some time, and that was probably my favorite moment of sharing it with anyone. We're gonna go to number five over here, back. Colin, what are your impressions of the course then, having been here a couple of weeks ago, and then just getting around a bit yesterday? Yeah, it kind of has a, what was it called, the course we played? I didn't play very well at it. Kiowa, Kiowa feel-ish to me, off the tee. A lot of blind spots, we were kind of aiming at a Gorse Bush, or aiming kind of left center of a bunker. Overall, I mean, since I've been here, I've played really well in practice, so I'm already a fan. You know, it's depending on the wind, obviously, the course is named Whistling Straits for reasons, so we haven't really played it, and I think my first round we played on Monday, a week ago, it was kind of breezy for five or six holes, and off the coast, and that was pretty intense. But so far, I think today will be a really good test. It's gonna be 62 degrees high and blowing, so I'm excited to go out and sort of get some practice in the day to get a different condition. But if the wind lays down, it's very scorable. 21, Doug. Zander, from your, say, high school and college days and what have you, where was the Ryder Cup on your Must Watch TV? Programming, and was there any part of you that ever wondered why the Americans didn't win as much as you maybe thought they should have? Yeah, I'm not sure. I, going back then, no, it was not. I kind of watched golf to fall asleep on a Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., so I'd watch football. You know, I'd practice in the morning with my dad, and then I'd watch football at one o'clock, Chargers game 105 on CBS, and then, you know, my dad would turn golf on, and then I'd fall asleep, and then I'd wake up for the Sunday night football game, so it was kind of my childhood. Not that I didn't love golf, but I just, I really, that was sort of the program. I think everyone kind of, you know, once you hear Jim Nance's voice, you kind of just, you know what I mean? It's kind of nice, so. But yeah, the Ryder Cup, I've seen highlights. I honestly haven't really seen, you know, as a kid, just like any other kid, you see Tiger in red, and he wasn't wearing red at Ryder Cups unless, you know, there was one of the team outfits, so those were kind of the things I dreamt of as a kid, and in terms of Ryder Cups, only until, you know, when I was in college, I was probably very aware of it. It was sort of, you know, major championships, players, Ryder Cup, and then I learned about the President's Cup shortly after, so those were kind of the order of how, you know, my dreams were stacked up. You're joined by Patrick Cantley. Patrick, welcome to what is your first Ryder Cup. Amazingly consistent year, especially the back half of it, actually, the whole thing, but I think we've got 15 straight rounds in the 60s. What's been the key ingredient for you to have this consistency and be a peak former, or really near peak form for so long? Yeah, I think I played well, I've played really well this summer, and you know, I think it's weird because my prep and my process have been pretty similar all year, but the results really have started to show the last little stretch, and being here today, that's a good stretch to play some of the best golf of the year. That being said, this week is a totally different week than an individual tournament, and I'm really excited to get that going because I'm sure it will be an experience unlike any other, and the only thing close I've had is President's Cup and Walker Cup. Is it the floor for some questions for Patrick? We'll start over with Doug. Given it's a different week, which we all know, how does that become different for you as a golfer? As it relates to your game is what I'm getting at, I guess. I think process day is the same, I'm still trying to learn the golf course and prep as best I can, and play the best possible golf I can, but priorities obviously are different. I could go 0-4 this week, and if the US team wins, it's a raving success and I'll be elated, and I could go 4-0 this week, and if the team loses, it will be a bad week, and so that's just so different than a regular golf week, and that's what makes it so special is that you're playing for something bigger than just yourself. If I could follow John, kind of to your point of what you talked about well in the last month or so of staying in the present, how hard is it to stay in the present when you got all this stuff going on around you in different matches and momentum and scoreboards and all that stuff? Definitely more difficult, I would say. And I think in a weird way, almost you just have to let yourself experience all that because if I see somebody in a match that's ahead of me or behind me, a guy in front of me make a putt, like I'm gonna be pumped up, it's gonna be excited because I haven't invested stake in what's going on up there, and it's something larger than me, and so that's different than most of the golf that I've played my whole life, and so I think maybe in this one case, accepting that reality opposed to trying to fight it off is probably more helpful because I won't be able to avoid it, and so embracing that part of this week, I think is great, and I think that's why people are so excited to watch this tournament. All right, we're gonna shoot over to Juan Guillen front, that's your right. Maybe it's the same thing, so you are a person who has his own philosophy of life, philosophy of golf, very distinctive, so how do you adapt that to the team experience, I mean for a whole week, and what parts do you enjoy more, and what parts do you don't enjoy that much? I think bonding with the guys is really cool, and having them on your side, I think golf misses that so much because we're all individuals and we almost bond with our own team unit, we'll travel with our teams, and so that's where that bonding takes place on a regular week, and this week I'm having dinner with DJ or Daniel Berger or whatever it would be, and having those guys on your side for a common goal lets everybody's guard down a little bit, and so I think they can be more of themselves with less protectiveness, like I don't want you to know what I'm thinking or know my insecurities or whatever it would be, and so this week is great for just seeing those people with their guard down because we see them all the time, but we don't necessarily have a real conversation with them or say how are you feeling or how's your family or whatever it would be because we're all so busy doing our own things, and that's what I noticed in President's Cup and really one of the best things personally for me about President's Cup other than the golf was just being able to be forced to spend time with Xander and he's become one of my best friends through that experience. If we were at a regular tournament, there's no way I would have spent the time or gone out of my way to invest in a relationship with one of the other guys that I was playing against, but now that he's on my team and it might help me in my golf to get along with this guy, I realized that I really liked him as a person and we've become great friends, so that would be probably the best thing about weeks like this. So do you feel things get more real in a rather cup and you like that? Not sure, not sure, more real. I think you see what people are like with their guard down so they act more real when they feel like they're in that safe team room environment because a normal week, I imagine, this is just maybe through my own self experiences, I'm gonna block everyone out except my team, right? That's a very human thing to do. This week, your team is a much larger unit and it includes DJ and it includes Colin Morikawa but like on a normal week, I'm like blocking those guys out, don't give them my stuff and this week I have my guard down, we're in the team room and we can all be ourselves because they're part of our team. It's a human thing and so seeing guys like that who I don't have a lot of experience being with on a real level, they're more real with me because we're all on the same team. All right, Jeff, on your left, number 19. Patrick Forsome's is a game you're not gonna play a lot as an American, I wouldn't think of. How much Forsome's do you play? Once, play it once. Just wondering where you find the most challenging of the format and where you and Xander went 2-0 in Australia in that format. What works so well with you two? I was talking about the other night, there's a weird thing about Forsome's in that you only hit half the shots so personally it feels like every shot you hit is more important because it is. Usually you would be hitting double the shots so personally it would feel like, every shot I hit is two times what it's normally worth for the outcome of that match compared to singles. And so, and best ball in a weird way, it's less. It could be half or it could be even less than half of a singles match. And so I think that pressure or that feeling while I haven't heard it expressed in that way is a real thing that people feel which makes them feel uncomfortable and Forsome's. I think getting, I mean you saw it with Seve and Ola Thaubel, I mean, I guarantee you they didn't say sorry for hitting a bad shot, right? Because they were such good friends and they had done it so many times. So I think Forsome's is a lot more emotional in that way and the fact that Xander and I are really good friends and so I know he's trying as hard as he possibly can and if he hits a bad shot it's just that's golf. And so because it's so much more emotional I think and the pressure really is more in that format. It really helps to gel with your partner. We're gonna go across the way Bob, eight. Patrick, when you said earlier about if you went 0-1-4 on the team one you'd still be happy. Elated. The fact that you referenced 0-1-4 and 4-0 does that mean you're not gonna play five times or was that just? That's very arbitrary. I could play zero, I could play one time, I could play five times, whatever Strick wants and I am here to do the best I can and contribute in the best way possible but I don't know what the slated plan is. Did Australia take away any of the angst you might have felt if this was the first time you had ever done this in a team setting? Maybe, but I wouldn't know. Format, it's the same style, obviously it's a little different, the President's Cup. I assume it's very good experience for something like this, but from what I've heard from everybody, the experience this week is like the President's Cup on steroids and so I'm expecting that. We're gonna go back right number nine. Hi Patrick, I just wondered if you could tell me what it means to you to represent your country. Well, I think that's the whole point and I think that's one of the best parts of this is that I know for the most part whether if someone's a USA fan, if someone really doesn't like me, they're still rooting for me to win my match and so that's like one of the best parts about this format, this team golf, this event and consequently someone on the other side of the pond may like me and they are rooting so hard against me so it makes the stakes feel much larger and playing on the biggest stages in golf is exactly why I've prepped and practiced my whole life and it's one of the great joys I have in my life and it's what I look forward to and so when you can get everyone amped up and make it feel like it really matters, I mean that's the best so it's an honor to represent the United States and hopefully we can give all the fans something to cheer for. Are you a patriotic person? For sure, I think there's something really cool about America and about the United States where you could be from anywhere and you could be anyone and there's an underlying feeling of we're still all Americans and we may disagree about this, that or the other but we're all American and we're all patriots and we all want the best for this country and so being just a small part of that is an honor and I'm very excited to represent the country because I do have a sense of that that at the end of the day I could disagree with someone on almost everything but we still want what's the best for our country and I think that's an amazing thing about being an American. Going straight back here, Alex 2-3. Patrick, the adrenaline of someone playing well that's your partner or the adrenaline that you have when you hit a nice shot, are they the same? Sorry, can you answer that again? Yeah, the adrenaline that you feel when someone, when your partner hits a good shot or does something good versus the adrenaline you have when you hit a good shot, are they the same? No, but yes, I mean, I feel just as invested or darn near just as invested on Xander shots in a foursome's match and I'm just thinking about how I was in President's Cup compared to when I'm hitting a shot and yet maybe not just a little less because I can't control it and so but it still feels like my ball that's flying through the air because I know I gotta hit it next. And then also on the foursome's side, do you feel like it's more important if you play with somebody that you know well or as a friend versus someone that's completely out of left field that you didn't even think you'd play with and you don't really know? Yeah, I think it's very helpful to know your partner in that format, especially less so in best ball but for the comments I made earlier, I think it definitely helps to gel with your partner because that format feels more emotional and so when you are playing and you hit a bad shot, you don't want any sense of, oh, I wonder what my playing partner is thinking about the terrible shot I just hit because inevitably someone's gonna hit a bad shot. If you're realistic about it, you know that going in and it's no big deal. Gonna go to Ron in the front right. How would you describe Steve Stricker's style as a captain and is there an element of it that stands out or something he's done maybe particularly for you that sort of embodies it? I think he is excellent at being a workman type leader and so instantly he's someone that you respect because he's gonna put in the work to help prepare the team as best as possible and really that's all you can want out of a captain. He's 100% invested and he's not a raw, raw big ego guy and I think that's something that the guys on the team instantly respect and that he knows the most important thing he can do is setting up the 12 guys he has on his team for success and so he doesn't make it about him and to have a leader like that who really wants the best for the team is something like I said, you can respect and admire and so getting to know him a little more through this process has only made me admire and respect him more and I think he's doing a great job. Two questions, they've gotta be quick, we're gonna start with Adam. What clicked at the President's Cup with you and Xander, can you pinpoint when you felt like we're gonna be real good friends and a little bit on the celebration in Napa? So I don't think any of us would have, either of us would have gone out of their way to be friends with each other but then spending that time together we realized that we really got along with each other. I think he's incredibly smart and I think he's incredibly conscientious and so he is someone that probably brings out the best in me. He's more positive and he has a way of being more light opposed to me being serious and yet he's very quiet and reserved and so we kind of have that bond and yet he balances me out a little bit and so taking the trip to Napa was very natural. I'd really like to spend time with Xander and Maya and so that's kinda just how that came about. I also feel like with as heavily invested I get into golf and as focused as I get it's really helpful for me to have things that I look forward to and so before the stretch of the playoffs where I knew I was gonna be playing lots of golf tournaments and be on the road for a number of weeks I thought man I need something to look forward to and asked if he wanted to go to Napa and he said that sounded great and we had unbelievable time. All right, last one here Doug, 21. 21, I would ask you this as a, just as an observer and a relatively knowledgeable golfer. Why do you think Europe keeps winning this thing? So I've read a few gin books and how would I, let's see if I can get it right. If you play enough gin hands a one or two percent difference in skill translates to almost an assured win over many, many, many hands of gin but you could have a big difference between somebody maybe a 60 to 40 percent skill level difference and gin is still chancey enough to where you could play 10 hands and lose six or seven of the hands against someone that's much worse than you skill wise and so there really, there's only two, these matches are only played every two years and golf is very chancey and so would it surprise you if the U.S. went on a similar run to what Europe's been on for the next 20 years? Wouldn't surprise me, I mean you go to Vegas and you play roulette and the chances are 50-50 but skewed toward the house a little bit it could hit red six times in a row, right? But that's not abnormal, you flip a quarter it would be weird if the quarter flipped tails heads, tails heads, tails heads then you'd think something trippy was going on. So I try to take a very long term view on things like that. Who knows, the captains are different every year, the players are different every year, the venues are different every year, the weather's different every year. You're really gonna ask a question like that and think you're gonna get the right answer. I don't have the answers to that, this is my first one. You're Dustin Johnson. Dustin welcome to your fifth career Ryder Cup. Little bit different role for you in this team room than you may have had in the past. In all honesty, did you ever see yourself as the oldest, the most experienced and sort of the wise veteran in the room? No, it's, you know, thinking about it, you know, this year obviously, you know, being the oldest by a few years, you know, it's kind of a little strange for me just that, you know, I've never been the oldest. I always felt like I was one of the younger guys on the team, so still feel that way. But obviously, yeah, I'm the, I guess, the veteran on the team really. And so, yeah, it's a role that I enjoy, but, you know, obviously with the guys on the team, you know, all of them are very good players, so don't really have to do much. Gotcha, okay, let's hit the room for some questions for Dustin. I guess we're gonna start over at number seven, back right. Yeah, as the veteran on the team, and you've seen a bunch of different team dynamics, this team in particular seems to have kind of a youthful fire. What's your read on how this team and the vibe around it compares to teams that you've played on in the past? Yeah, it's definitely a little different, obviously, with us all being, you know, fairly young. But, you know, we're young, but also we still have a lot of experience, I feel like. And so the dynamics been great, you know, we all get along really well for the most part. And during a team event, you know, everyone, you know, we all get along and we've had a great time so far. So, you know, it's gonna be a great week and, you know, I'm looking forward to it. I feel like we've got a really strong team and, you know, it's gonna be fun. We're gonna have to play well though, if we wanna, you know, if we wanna win. But, you know, I think I feel like the captains and everybody's gotta set up in the right way to be successful. Have they been needling you at all for being the old guy on the team? No, not really. Okay, we're gonna go to 24, Dave. Dustin, good morning. You haven't surprised much experience as anybody here on the American team. Pivotal holes this week in your mind. Other than, obviously, if a match gets to 18, that's pivotal. What are the other holes that you look at and say it could be really pivotal for this week? I mean, I think they're all pivotal. There's not really necessarily one hole that's gonna be pivotal. You know, the golf course is good. I mean, it's, you know, dependent on the weather. You know, it's a tough golf course. Obviously, they've cut the rough down a little bit, which will help, but you know, you still gotta play some good golf, you know, to make birdies. But so, you know, to me and especially in a format like this, you know, every hole is pivotal, really. I'd like to see 13 set up drivable. Oh, that doesn't matter. I don't know, are they thinking about doing that? Possibly. That's all right, well, if they do, then, yeah, it's definitely a, you know, one hole where you'd have to think about it because there's a lot of trouble around the green. So, you know, whether going for it is any advantage or not, obviously, in a four ball, yeah, four ball match, you know, possibly one guy could go for it. One guy lay up, maybe, who knows. We're gonna go back left, Shuck, number 22. Yeah, I wonder if you could please remember what are your memories of the run-up to your first, your first Ryder Cup, what you were like, what it was like, anything that stands out in memory? Yeah, mine was whales. It was, that was an interesting week, you know, obviously the weather didn't cooperate very well. It was, you know, very wet and rainy and cold, but it still was a fun week and, you know, it was interesting for me, too, because I remember Thursday afternoon, I was on the range with Butch, and, you know, just hitting some balls, just kind of winding down and cracked my driver, and of course, all the trucks that just left. So, yeah, that was fun. I remember, you know, trying to, you know, ended up waking up Keith, who was back in San Diego. I think it was like, whatever, three in the morning there, and he called the guys on the truck and somehow got me a couple heads, you know, a couple hours later, but, you know, so that was an interesting curveball that I got from my first Ryder Cup, but I still remember it was, you know, it was so much fun. It was a great week, and obviously, you know, the anticipation of the first match, obviously didn't go quite as well as we would have liked to, but it still was a lot of fun, you know, great memories and very enjoyable. Doug 21. Without getting into Jen or Roulette, what would be, if someone were to ask you, given the accomplishments of the US team over the years, what does Europe keep winning? What would you say? What do you think they do that allows them to get the results they get? They just play better. It's really simple. You know, whoever plays better is gonna win. I mean, it's not rocket science. I think I'm done. Okay, shut down. Let's go to number three over on your right. Go ahead. Yeah, Dustin, I imagine you know a lot of the US team pretty well, but I was wondering if you've learned anything new about any of your teammates this week, or if there are any guys that you haven't spent much time with until now? No, most of the guys I've, yeah, I've spent enough time with or been on teams with, I guess we got Scotty, Scotty's his first team event, but he's with same management company, so I've played some golf with him and known him since he's got out here, so, but yeah, for the most part, yeah, I know all the guys fairly well. We play a lot together and see each other on the road all the time. We're gonna go back right to Derek, 11. Dustin, the last few rider cups you've played in, we've seen the courses tweaked to suit the home team to considerable effect. I just wonder this venue not being a typical PGA tour venue, whether that takes away some of that advantage, do you think? No, I mean, it's, you know, this golf course, obviously it's a great golf course, it's difficult, you know, I played two PGAs here, so I know the course pretty well, but yeah, it's not a golf course that necessarily suits one team or the other, but it's, yeah, I mean, it's a good test of golf and I think it'll be an exciting week and you're gonna see some good golf around here. Going to, we'll get you, number eight, that's Bob. Dustin, just wondering, 2010, 2012 particularly were very close losses, kind of came down to the end. I'm just wondering if, do those compare in any way to any individual loss? Are those harder or easier to take than maybe a major you contended in and didn't get or a tournament that you thought you should have won? Yeah, for some reason I feel like the team, like the Ryder Cup is different. Obviously, you're not just representing yourself, you're representing your country, your teammates, your captains, friends, family, so it means, you know, the feelings are a little bit different, but I feel like it's... Yeah, it, not that it hurts or stings more, but yeah, it's just a different kind of feeling when you lose. I don't like it, that's for sure. You know, it's definitely way more enjoyable when you win. We're gonna go to Juan right here in the front, number one. So talking about knowing each other in the team, Patrick was talking about, this week being a different experience that you get to know each other better, you get to talk about things that you don't, why you don't talk. So how are you living that work? You talk, saying about sitting with you and being able to know you better. Yeah, obviously, you know, this week we spent a lot of time just with the team and, you know, especially this year, you know, with COVID and all the other stuff, we do a lot of stuff where it's just the team. And so, yeah, we do get to spend, you know, extra time with guys and, you know, talking to them. So you get to know them a lot better than, you know, just playing around the golf or, you know, seeing them at lunch or something. But yeah, so it's a nice week and it's a lot of fun and I really enjoy it. Number six, please. Yeah, why do you play so well here? What is it about the course here that suits you and how are you able to take the positives out of your previous performances from here, from the PGA's? I don't know, I like the golf course. It's, you know, like I said, I feel like it's tough. You know, it's obviously all dependent on the conditions. You know, if we get some wind and, you know, the course firms up a little bit, this golf course plays really difficult. You know, if the conditions stay fairly soft then, you know, we'll get to attack it a little bit more. But, you know, you still gotta hit quality golf shots and control your golf ball really well because, you know, it seems like there's always a breeze blowing. You know, you gotta hit all kinds of different shots. You use kind of every club in your bag. So, you know, in every shot you're hitting this golf course, it makes you think, it makes you really focus on what you're doing. So I enjoy that. And, you know, I like, I've always liked, you know, tough golf courses. Come back here, do you have positive memories? Yeah, I do. Yeah, I've played well here, you know, the two times the major was here. So, yeah, I like this golf course. I enjoy playing it. And, you know, I'm looking forward to this week. All right, let's wrap her up here, number 21. Excited that you do have a memory, by the way. Being the most veteran guy in the team and having played only four Ryder cups, is that a good thing for the U.S.? No. The fact that you have six rookies and I think nine guys and one of them played no more than one, is that good? Yeah, I mean, I think so. I can't really say one way or the other. I mean, I don't, you know, we've had the teams I've been on in the past that feel like we've had tons of experience and hasn't worked out so well. So maybe this is a, you know, kind of a obviously different generation of golfers coming up and, you know, we've got some really talented players and so, you know, young guys that maybe don't have all the memories of losing all these Ryder cups. So maybe this is the recipe. And then secondly, what do you see your role as this week? My role is to win as many matches as I can. Or that I, you know, just worry about my match that I'm playing in, help the team in any way that I can or that they need and, you know, so that's what I'm gonna do. We are here with Colin Mora-Cow. Colin, welcome to your first Ryder Cup of your career. What does this US team roster, of which you're part of, six rookies, eight 20-somethings and you meet both those dynamics, what does it say about the present state of American golf and its future? Diversity, you know, I think we talk about that, not just in golf, but around the world right now, especially in the US, and it shows that there's, you know, golf is meant for a lot of people. It's meant for a lot of different people and anyone that has a chance, they can get a chance to make it here and that's six rookies, I think that's a lot. But we have six veterans and we have six guys, even though we're a fairly young team. We've got a lot of guys that just have had experience in golf in general. Obviously the Ryder Cup's a whole different kind of beast of itself, but I think we're all meant for this stage and we look forward to it. Good, good to have you here. Let's hit the floor for some questions for Colin. Let's start number 19, Jeff. As someone who's watched this from the outside looking in, is it kind of puzzling what the US fortunes have been in this event and having all this, the new phases and fresh blood? How excited are you guys to try and turn that around? We're really excited. Yeah, it is puzzling how I think we've lost, a lot in the handful of years looking back at the past, but that's the past. We're here and we're about the present, we're about hopefully what the future's gonna be like, but it's about this week and hopefully we can turn that around and we can kind of turn that tide in our favor for the however many years I'm able to play this. But yeah, what's happened in the past, I couldn't have had any control of that as whatever, years old. And I think as time goes on, we learn. You learn and you improve and just looking at the way the captains are going this week. I don't know exactly what it was like just say, 10 years ago, but they're doing everything that I would wanna see in a captain, so it's awesome to see and be a part of that team. Okay, let's go across the way number three. Hey, Colin. You're usually pretty stone faced out on the golf course. I think the most I've seen for me is a little fist pump. I didn't watch you at the Radar Cup, I'm curious, do you think that at the Walker Cup rather, I'm sorry, do you think that this week we're gonna see a little more or maybe a side of you that we haven't really seen on the golf course? Yeah, I think that's what the Radar Cup brings out of some people, you're not gonna see me as energetic as some, cause I wanna get the job done, but yeah, there's gonna be a motion. But it's about leveling out that emotion, right? Having that emotion after a made putt or a wand hole and then going back to the next tee shot and realizing that that was the last hole. You gotta worry about this next hole, kind of this mini match. So yeah, I think I'm pretty good at balancing that out and hopefully see a lot of fist pumps out there. Let's go straight back, number 23, Alex. Colin, a lot of guys have come in here and talked about how they have learned things about other guys because they kind of let their hair down, things that you don't usually do at a normal term. What have you learned about any of your teammates this week? They're all amazing guys and they're really smart. I mean, I just chimed in on a, I wasn't even talking, I was listening to a conversation with Jordan Bryson last night at our dinner and the things they're talking about are things that I'd never talked about with my friends or other golfers that I even play with. Just saying college, it's crazy the level of knowledge these guys have for the game cause they love it so much and they're interested and that's what I love to do and I just kind of peek my ear in and kind of figure out what they're talking about. But they're just, they love it so much and I think looking at the veterans and looking at the ones that have lost a ladder cup already, they just want to win. It's at the end of the week, it doesn't matter if you've won zero points or you've won five. If your team wins, that's the best feeling in the world and I think that's the way a lot of guys have to look at it and that's how I looked at the walker cup I played, the Palmer cups I've played. Thankfully I've been on the right side of those so hopefully I can just keep it that way. Can you just give us the gist of the topic that Jordan and Bryce were talking about? They were just talking about wedges. That makes me get that excited about wedges. No, trust me, it was a very interesting conversation. 21. All that. Just curious, I'm sure as a golf fan you've got certain television memories growing up of Tiger making the predatory or do you have any ladder cup highlight, television, memories burned into your school? I wouldn't say burned in, that's me. I think we've gone through this question a bunch of like majors, what's your favorite history on this and that and to be honest, it just kind of goes through me. I'd rather be playing, watching the rider cup, obviously you'll watch it every year with your family and friends and whatnot. But to be honest, I'd much rather be playing so I'm happier to be in this moment, be in the stage. So let's make some memories this week. And along those lines, you've known you've been on the team longer than most guys and I'm sure you've kind of thought about what it's gonna be like this week. Has anything not surprised you but has anything happened this week? Well, of course, team room, whatever that you weren't expecting. Not really, I think some of the times when you're with the entire team, those are the best moments. I mean, just riding on a bus yesterday with half the guys to dinner is like some of the best stories you're ever gonna hear. And I think those are the memories that you kind of take with you. All the clothes, all the fans, everything. You kind of know what you're gonna expect but you just don't know what kind of stories you're gonna hear. And those are some of the best things that you're gonna remember for the rest of your life. Who is the best storyteller and are you one of them? No, I'm definitely not one of them. I mean, I'm 24 and I have maybe like a fraction, if not zero of the stories, say, Phil Mickelson has. Phil obviously is a great storyteller. I don't know if he's telling the truth at this point. I mean, you get to a certain age and you kind of just, you make stuff up and I have a hard time believing some of the stuff I heard, but you know. But it is what it is. It is what it is. Shock 22. Yeah, a few years ago I watched your graduation on YouTube. It was just as exciting as most graduation ceremonies are. But it wasn't that long ago, like congratulations. But as you were coming here, it's really not that long ago and you got two majors and you're already in this as an obvious choice of shoe and candidate, whatever. Were you astounded at all at how far it's come so fast for you? No, I mean, look, was the Ryder Cup, or you know, let's talk about the Olympics. I realized we're at the Ryder Cup. The Olympics were not on my radar at all when I graduated. I mean, I thought that was just something that was not attainable really, unless I had done what I did. And I wasn't thinking like it wasn't possible, but for me that first summer was to get my card. How do I get my card, whether it's through the corner for finals or whether I win or enough points, get my card. So there's been goals that I've set, obviously very high goals, but still achievable. And there's goals out there that I put to my standard that I think that I can reach that maybe other guys don't. But that's for me to know and for me to believe. But knowing that this Ryder Cup was after I won and then you win a major and you play well in 2020. Yeah, this was obviously a goal. And I think you have to adjust your goals as time goes on. And maybe the Ryder Cup wasn't on my radar when I graduated, but it's soon was on the radar. And that President's Cup that I missed in 19 quickly was on my radar because I'd put my name out there, I'd played well and had to play better. But missing that team, not that I had a great chance to make that team, but just missing that team kind of just pushed me to like, I want to be on these team events. And these team events are just so memorable that you don't really want to miss any. When was your first conversation with Steve Strecker about the Ryder Cup team? Do you remember that? Yeah, so we had talked maybe a few weeks before the PGA at Harding. And I knew, I wanted to play a practice round with him. I had never got to meet him actually. And we scheduled a practice round that week at Harding. And obviously he was a good luck charm to kind of feel the wind kind of worked in it. Let's go over to Daniel, number three. You've reached that level now where you, if you have a couple of so-so tournaments people or what's going on, you know, is he injured? So how did you process somewhat disappointing FedEx Cup playoffs and how's the body and the game feel coming into this week? Yeah, it was just bad timing. You know, the biggest thing I learned from those three weeks was to never play injured. I think I've learned that that's, I'm never going to do that again no matter what it is. It's just, it built bad habits into my golf swing. By the time the playoffs had started at Liberty, I thought my back was feeling good, but I had just built in some really bad swing patterns. And that's what happens when I play bad or when you play with an injury. And those three weeks, I was just trying to figure out how do I hit it better? Because that's a big part of my game, trusting, knowing where the golf ball is going to go. And so those three weeks, we're just trying to figure out, you know, how do I hit my cut? How do I hit my cut? How do I aim left? Fade it right. And I finally figured it out right after the playoffs. And, you know, obviously some really bad timing, but it's going to happen. You're going to play bad and that's golf. And, you know, it feels good. You know, we were talking, I was talking with Xander yesterday and he looked at me. He's like, you're back. And I'm like, yes, I'm back. So the cuts are back and that's a good time to have that shot. Cuts are back, are you 100% healthy? I'm 100% healthy. I'd knock on the lid right now, but I'm feeling great. Six and then eight. Can I just ask you to expand on your very first answer you gave? You talked about diversity in the team and what sense you meant that in the sense internally of the team and also in the image that this team gives out to the sport and representing your nation? Yeah, let's see. I mean, when you look at us on TV, we're all pretty much the same. We're all just hitting the golf ball, moving it forward, playing 18 holes. But everyone on this team has their own character. And to finally get to know, and I know pretty much everyone on this team right now, but to get to know them a little bit better and see their character really pull out of them when you're in the team rooms, when you're hanging out, having dinner, that's what's fun. That's when you get to really see what everyone's like and everyone's awesome. It's such a good 12 man team that they're just fun to be around, that it just makes the week a little different than what you normally see. We're not talking like this and hanging out on a regular week. Our tour events, you go and do your business and get out. And it's a lot different feeling when you're off the golf course, when you're hanging out. And it's just, it's that much more enjoyable, I think, and it brings the team together. You want more about the course. Can you compare your feelings when you first went to Sandwich and saw that course, which obviously fitted your eye and you played really well? When you see here, how do you feel? And comparisons of differences or? Yeah, I feel comfortable. A lot of the part three is I feel great on, a lot of the iron shots, I feel good. So that's my strength, you know, put it in the fairway and the rough's not crazy long out here. So yeah, that might help a couple of guys. But there's still some long grass. Some of these bunkers are really penalizing and you gotta hit good shots. And we know birdies are gonna win a lot of holes and pars are gonna be good in some aspects of the format. So, you know, I'm feeling really good right now. Okay, we're gonna wrap it up with Bob, number eight. Colin, was there a specific instance where you hurt your back in Japan or was it just sort of cumulative? And also, can you also say when did it feel fine and it was just a matter of bad habits that were, you know, impacting you? Yeah, it was actually the first round on 14 right before our first delay. So, I mean, it's really early on in the Olympics. And that was, I think that's, you know, what's great about when you play for a team is that it just pulled something out of me just to grind it out for that week. And then as, you know, you go on to Memphis. So that week was when it really happened. And then, you know, I felt fine going right into playoffs. I hadn't touched a club because I had to, you know, make sure my body was all feeling good but going into playoffs that first week, my body felt fine. So that was good. The swing looked awful and the ball flights were going everywhere and it's not, you know, it didn't help that I wasn't making any putts or chipping well. So it was just kind of a combination of everything, bad habits crept in and sometimes it takes a day to get out bad habits and sometimes, you know, like what happened took three weeks and it was just, you know, it's such unfortunate timing with the way, you know, how I played throughout the regular season. I don't even think I played that great. It was kind of a mediocre season even, you know, with the wins I had. I think the consistency wasn't there with what I wanted and what I probably said after last year's, you know, tour championship on what I wanted to do this season. So it was really bad timing but I'm glad I'm healthy now. I'm glad the body and the swing is back because I can just go out especially with an atmosphere like this, you can just go out and hit your shot. Was it lower back or? Yeah, it was just a muscle. It was a muscle. So it was just, yeah, I mean, I tried hitting out of this kind of really sticky rough in Japan and yeah, I gotta get stronger. We are with the U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker. Steve, we're 24 hours out from not only opening ceremonies but for some pairing, excuse me. What's your mindset as the week's gone on? I have to imagine things were kind of, you know, you had things in order but has anything changed since you've been here as you've seen the guys in the golf course? No, not really. We've stuck to our game plan. Guys are having a great time. They're enjoying whistling straights especially the hospitality here and back at the American club. It's a great venue for us. Yeah, they had a good time with the wind today. They thought it was fun and interesting to play in that sort of wind. We're trying to prepare for that as best we could and can because we don't know what that's gonna be like this weekend and yeah, so they embraced it and played nine holes, trying to conserve some energy at this point, I think. But yeah, our game plan's still firmly in place. All right, let's hit some questions here. We can start with Gary in 21. Hey, Steve, the cheese heads this morning. I didn't see it. You didn't see it. All the Europeans came out in cheese heads. Oh, really? Yeah, so I'm just wondering if you think, you didn't see it, but. I didn't. You know, it's pretty hard for a Wisconsin sports fan to dislike Ian Poulter and Sergio when they were in cheese heads. I wondered if you think that was a bit of gamesmanship on Patrick's part or just a smart PR move. No, that's smart on their part. Why wouldn't you, when you come over to foreign soil, try to win some fans over, right? We do the same thing when we go over there. You know, and I'm sure they realize that, you know, we are on U.S. soil and with the travel restrictions and all that, they're trying to round up as many fans as they can, right? And we'd be doing the same thing over there. So cheese heads are a staple here, right? You know that, Gary. And so it's, that's cool to see. I saw, I think Fleetwood on TV wearing a green and gold hat. So I thought that they were kind of going down the Packer route as well. So good on them and interesting to see, but we'd be doing the same thing, I think, and yeah, trying to get some fans. Doug, 26. I'm gonna ask something else, but when you saw Fleetwood, did he not look like Aaron Rodgers to you? Yeah, someone else said that in our team room too, that Aaron Rodgers and Tommy Fleetwood look a lot alike all of a sudden. Yeah, they probably both wish they had each other's game, you know, on the football field and Aaron, I'm sure wish had Tommy's game on the course, so, but they do look a lot alike. This is a big hypothetical, I realize, but it's also in play. If somebody were to get injured or go down COVID or otherwise, before the opening ceremonies and you're allowed a substitute, are any of your assistant captains ready to play? I don't know if they brought their clubs. No, and knock on wood, you know, we talked about, you know, briefly a week or two ago on who we'd bring in, but we really haven't, I mean, we haven't gone down that road anymore. I mean, we're trying to be safe, like I said yesterday and, you know, we all wanna play this event. We all, all the guys wanna be a part of this team and, you know, it's a special event to be a part of and they work their whole entire careers to be part of something like this. So, you know, we haven't really thought outside that box yet and hopefully we don't have to. And then one last thing, I saw something on the message board in the press center about kind of a message from you and Patrick on fan behavior or, and if it crosses the line. Yeah. In the first and faces rejection, where did that come from? And secondly, was it at all mirrored anything that Jay had said, Monaghan, a couple weeks ago? Yeah, I think these golf organizations are on board with each other and they work with each other. They're in this together and they're just trying to come up with the right way to handle those types of situations. And yeah, I think that's what we're gonna see moving forward, you know, what Jay said in his State of the Union address and, you know, the PGA, I know, you know, talk closely with Jay and the PGA tour and they're just trying to tackle this potential problem together and handle it, you know, equally the same across both organizations. Thank you. We're going right back here, number 20, Rob. Steve. Sorry, where am I? Right here. Oh, Rob. You have a pretty good Ryder Cup history with Ian Poulter he was in earlier. You know, can you talk about maybe what makes him tick or what made him tick in the encounters that you had with him personally? And if you were a football coach, would we be asking you how to contain Ian Poulter this week? Yeah, and if we knew how, you know, it's one of those questions. He just, we don't know, you know, how to contain him, I guess. You know, we've had a difficult time. I played him in a singles match back at Valhalla, I think, and lost to him. He's a tough competitor, you know, and this brings out the very best in him. He seems to make some very crucial putts, hit crucial shots when he needs to, and just rises to the occasion. And it seems like he plays better at the Ryder Cup than he does at any other PGA Tour event throughout the year, right? So he just elevates his game to another level. And yeah, he's kind of the backbone of that team at times. So yeah, he'd be a good guide that, you know, if we could figure out, and hopefully we can this year, you know, to give him a couple losses for a change, you know? And, but that's tough to do. He's, like I said, very tough. Over here on your left, Steve. Jeff, number 19. Steve, you watched Patrick and Xander play together in Australia. They've been together a couple of sessions here. In the off chance, they were to be paired. What do you like about that tandem? First of all, they're just, they're good friends, you know, they get along very well with each other. They've played some, you know, cup golf together in the President's Cup. They just enjoy being around each other. And that's half the battle when you try to pair guys up and they each, you know, each of their games complements the other one. And that's another thing when you put guys together, especially in four-sums that you want, you want their games to complement each other's and theirs do. And have you learned a lot about Patrick in his last year or so run up to this event? Yeah, he's, he's tough. He's, he's Patty Ice. That's what he is, right? And he, he plays, he plays great. He's got a calm demeanor about him. Killer mentality, you know? I mean, when he gets somebody down, he really wants to keep them down, it seems like. And we're getting to know him a lot more, you know, I got to know him last year or two years ago in the President's Cup or I guess it was last year. And getting to know him a little bit more this year. So, yeah, just a good guy to be around and a heck of a player. Okay, over on your right, Racks three. Patrick has made the same bet that Thomas did before him that he'll get a tattoo if Europe wins. Would you get a tattoo if the U.S. wins? What's my tattoo got to be? Whatever you wanted to be. Oh, really? Well, we, yeah. It was a score, so I would assume that's where you would go. Well, yeah, we've discussed tattoos in our room. The problem is, though, my girls, my wife and kids have always asked me to get tattoo and I'm like, I'm not putting any decals on my body, you know, kind of thing. And so, yeah, I'd have to check with them first, I think, to see if I could actually get a tattoo, you know, from the Ryder Cup. I had an idea, the players gave me an idea that where I, what I could put on there, I told them where I was going to put it, I was going to go right on my cheek. And so, we'll see what brings about that. We may have a tattoo artist guy come in on Sunday night. I don't know, you know, one way or the other, it may happen. Mark, that's six, go ahead. Hi, Steve. Can you, I mean, you're so associated with this state and I'm just kind of curious if you can express what your anticipation for this week has been, dating back to the moment you knew that you were going to be a captain? Yeah, first of all, it's just a relief that it's here. You know, I mean, for a while it was a question whether we were going to be able to play it, whether we were going to play it at all, whether we were going to play it with fans. I mean, I was on calls, I don't know how many times I've said this week, but throughout the last couple of years, you know, dealing with all of that above is what I just said, you know, and thankfully we're going to play it with fans. You know, my thing from the get-go was like what a crime it would be to play this unbelievable event without fans, especially here in Wisconsin that's never, you know, had the opportunity to experience this Ryder Cup. So first of all, we're, you know, it's just a relief, I guess, that we're here and finally that it is here, you know? I mean, three years has been a long time, but yet all of a sudden it seems like it went by really quick. You know, I'm sure we all, as we get older, you know, it all seems to happen that way for some reason, but yeah, just grateful that it's here, grateful for the opportunity to be doing it. And finally, you know, I wish Friday morning was tomorrow morning already, so. But again, I don't want to wish it to go by super fast so you don't get to enjoy it. So we're trying to take it all in as a team and enjoy each other and enjoy the relationships and we're having fun with it. Guys have been unbelievable. They've come together so well in the last couple of weeks, so extremely excited to finally get out there and watch them play. Right next door, number five. Steve, your keyword seems to have been preparation. We hear that word a lot from you. And I was curious, does that extend to your players? And what I mean by that is, do they know who they're gonna play with already? And if the answer is yes, I'm curious, how early they knew that? Yeah, yeah, we have that down. I mean, we went over this Monday. I wanted the guys to know what the plan was for Friday on Monday so we can prepare that way. And I think that's something that in previous teams that I've learned, you know, the communication part, getting guys to understand their position and their roles. So we've taken a lot of time and energy in trying to talk to these guys and define both their roles and tell them what we expect from them and what they expect from us kind of thing. So that's been a huge part of what's been going on. And yeah, we went over that on Monday and we're working towards Fridays already. Same neighborhood, seven. Thank you. A year ago this time, obviously, Jordan's positioning right in the world rankings and all this stuff, and he said himself, he didn't think that he was in the picture to be on this team a year ago. And I wonder from your perspective at that time, how you were looking at him and what you were thinking about the possibility of having to say, make captain's picks and leave off a guy like Jordan Speed. Well, and I've talked to him and he's talked to me about it, that if it wasn't for this extra year, I don't know if Jordan would have been on the team. But first of all, when I look at Jordan, I look at him as a friend. I've played golf with him. I was a teammate of his years ago, back in a president's cup at Mirfield Village. We're friends. I wish him the best. And I'm always looking at where's Jordan, how's he playing, all that kind of stuff. So I'm always rooting for him. And so it was good to see that he turned his game around this year and gotten into position to make the team because Jordan's important part of a team. He brings a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm to a team and he's great in the team room and it's a guy that you want in there and we're fortunate to have him in there. From your perspective, just the kind of resiliency it takes to go kind of from that far down to this high up and that short of a period. Can you put that in perspective? Yeah, I mean, that's golf, right? We all experience, I've experienced it and you can go either two ways. You can kind of give up and go home or you can just work a little bit harder and try to bust through it and get through it and get better and sometimes you come out of those slumps even better than you went, you know, than you were before. So you learn a lot from those poor times and I'm sure Jordan learned a lot about himself and his game, his family, friends, all that kind of stuff you learn about. So he's gonna come out of it strong. He's got a tremendous amount of talent and so I just look forward to seeing him just to keep improving, really. I mean, his confidence level is back and he just continues to get better and better all the time. Okay, we have time for about three more. We're gonna start here at 24, right back here. My question was asked, so go ahead. Oh, it was just asked, all right, dog 26. Steve, I had a couple of questions about the envelope in your free Ryder Cups that you played. Did you ever volunteer your name for it? That's question one. I did not, no. And I never knew who was in the envelope and all the times that I've played on the Ryder Cup, I never knew who the person was in there. I'm not sure it does, there's a high level of secrecy, obviously, so when you have to make those decisions for either envelope, I guess, in this case, how do you go about the process and who's gonna know who's in the envelope? Yeah, I don't know if I'll, I've never experienced the envelope. I've never been a part of it, really. I think the teams that I've been an assistant captain on for these Ryder Cups, I don't ever remember, I don't remember a lot sometimes, but I don't remember being a part of that. Who goes in the envelope? I'll probably ask my assistants, you wanna make sure you put the right guy in there, even though there is no right guy, it seems like, right? It doesn't seem like a very good place to be in that envelope, but yeah, you wanna make sure that, and now this year we got more, right? We gotta put actually two envelopes of three guys, a total of three guys, so yeah, I don't know. It's not a great thing to do. So would you talk to your assistants, but can you get a sense that you would be the only one who actually knows? Yeah, I probably will talk to my assistants and then probably not even tell them who I put in there. Cause I, again, you don't wanna have anybody know that they went in the envelope. At least I wouldn't wanna know if I was in there, and I probably was in there at some point. I probably should have been in there in 2012, so. Or Tiger and I both should have been in there the way we played, but anyways, it was, we'll take it from there. Thanks. All right, we're gonna beam out captain to Steve D'Miglio. Steve, go ahead, you're with the captain. Strix, have you learned anything about your team, whether on the golf course or in the team room, or anything about the course that you didn't know about on Monday? You know, the wind, for the golf course, the wind has proved to be a challenge because we're gonna see a completely opposite wind come the tournament. We've been playing with a northerly wind, you know, and then it's gonna switch out of the south and go to the west, so we're gonna see something totally different come Friday. You know, I guess, and I don't mean this, I don't mean to keep blowing smoke up my team's cheeks, you know, like we talked about earlier, but I think, I just, I'm, I knew they were close, but they're close. They're really close. I think they've played so much golf together growing up on the same college teams together. They play a lot of social golf together. I mean, this team is really close, so that hasn't surprised me to some degree, but the level of how close they are has surprised me, I guess. And you know, that's a good thing. You know, that's what I wanted from day one is a family-type atmosphere and everybody to get along and hopefully that leads to good play. Thanks, Steve. All right, we're gonna wrap her up here. Number eight, that's Adam. Steve, you mentioned the friendship of Patrick and Xander and it's pretty similar with Justin and Jordan. I'm just curious, did the stats back up that they're really good pairings and in general, how much are you relying on stats this week? Yeah, the stats do back it up, for sure. As far as how much I'm relying on it, I rely a lot on it, you know, leading up to the picks. I wanted to make sure that the guys I was thinking about for the picks and what kind of picks would go well with the current six guys that already made the team. So we were looking at pairings quite a bit. So I used quite a bit of stats for that and then some of my gut feeling on that as well, what personalities mesh well with each other. As we go forward, it's kind of less and less stats all the time, you know, watching these guys play, you know, get an understanding of how well they're playing here right now. Stats and playing here are, you know, could be two different things. So trying to get a feel for those guys, how they're getting along with their potential partners, how they're playing right here, that's kind of now what we're doing. A little bit of stats, that's kind of gone away and now just kind of watching golf and going with our guts and what we're seeing out here and what we've seen, you know, in previous years with these guys. All right, captain. Thanks so much for being with us and we'll see you tomorrow. See you. See you.