Dustin Johnson Rickie Fowler Matthew Wolff Andy Levinson
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Taylormade Driving Relief Thursday, May 14, 2020 Dustin Johnson Rickie Fowler measures that will be in place. If you have additional Matthew Wolff questions for Andy, I'd like to ask you to hold them until we get through our player questions and Andy will Andy Levinson remain on the line until after the players are excused. With that I'll turn it over to Andy Levinson for a quick Stephen Cox rundown of the top-level safety precautions that will Press Conference take place on Sunday. ANDY LEVINSON: Thank you, Chris, and good CHRIS REIMER: Good morning, and thanks for joining morning, everybody. Many of you participated in our us today for our preview teleconference for TaylorMade media roundtable discussion yesterday regarding the Driving Relief supported by UnitedHealth Group. On PGA TOUR's plans to return to competition in June, the line we have Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and and we outlined a health and safety plan that we have Matthew Wolff. Our fourth participant in the event, Rory developed under the consultation of our medical McIlroy, couldn't join us, but we'll have a full transcript advisors to ensure that everybody involved in the of Rory that we'll share after the call. conduct of the PGA TOUR affiliated event will be in an environment that is as safe and healthy as possible Before we open for questions, I want to acknowledge and with a focus on minimizing risk and reducing the and thank a few partners that made this event possible, likelihood of exposure to COVID-19. starting with UnitedHealth Group, who laid the foundation for the event with a $3 million commitment, For the event this weekend, every participant has which the players will compete for on Sunday as Dustin undergone testing and will also undergo screening as Rory play for the American Nurses' Foundation and measures when they arrive on-site at the event. Rickie and Matthew represent the CDC Foundation. Everybody is being asked to socially distance Thanks to TaylorMade for helping make this event throughout the property and throughout the round. possible and an additional thanks to Farmers Insurance for their $1 million contribution that will go We also will be providing sanitary wipes and things of towards a birdie and eagles bonus pool that will help that nature to ensure that good hygiene is practiced create additional excitement during the event. throughout the day, and of course, as I mentioned earlier, everybody is going to be very mindful of a Special thanks to the leadership and members from proper physical distance, which is a critical element to Seminole Golf Club, one of America's most revered the health and safety of everyone involved. courses, for their support as the host of the event as the world tunes in to NBC and across all our available With that, I'll turn it back to Chris. platforms to help raise funds and awareness for COVID-19 relief efforts. CHRIS REIMER: Thank you, Andy. I'll start off the questions here. We'll go with youth first. Matt Wolff, A reminder to fans at home that they'll be able to you're playing with three of the more dominant players contribute to PGA TOUR charities through of the last decade, three of the top players recently in Pgatour.com/drivingrelief powered by GoFundMe golf. What's it like to be a part of this event with Dustin, Charity. Rory and Rickie? Also joining us today on the call we have PGA TOUR MATTHEW WOLFF: Yeah, as soon as TaylorMade kind senior vice president of tournament administration of came to me with this and said that they wanted me Andy Levinson and senior tournament referee Stephen to be a part of it, I was obviously very excited. The Cox to assist with any questions you may have about most important thing is that all the money that we're health and safety measures or about the competition raising, it's really awesome that we're giving money itself. In an effort to maximize our time with players I'll back to, like you said, the American Nurses' have Andy make a few brief comments about the safety Foundation and the CDC for all the first responders Rev #1 by #166 at 2020-05-14 16:23:00 GMT page 1 of 8 and everyone out there battling, because it's definitely RICKIE FOWLER: Well, I would say -- I would put it on a disease that has affected all of us and made Denny, if it was on the golf course. We've gotten to play everyone's lives different. We're looking to get back to a little bit down at Grove 23. He's been down a couple a new normal and everything, but it's definitely a times. But I would say almost them being in the car, like pleasure for me to play against the guys like Rickie and you said, they haven't been able to put much seat time DJ and Rory. They're obviously world No. 1, former No. in in a real car. I know they've been able to do plenty of 1, and Rickie is always a contender in huge sim driving and sim racing, and Denny has done all tournaments and high up there on the World Ranking. right in there, I think with a couple victories. But it's got to be -- that's going to be pretty interesting for them to I'm looking to go out there and show everyone that I not only get back in the car but right back into the mix can compete with all them. I think that there's a lot of of it after having such a long time out of an actual seat people out there that are asking why I'm in it, but I'm and behind the wheel. looking to, like I said, prove to them that I can play with the best in the world, and it's going to be a really fun We've been lucky that a lot of golf courses, a few have experience and a great time that I'm happy to be a part remained open in south Florida throughout the whole of. time of this break. I decided to come back and start playing a few weeks ago, so we've actually been able CHRIS REIMER: Let the record reflect my question to kind of play real golf, versus those guys have been wasn't why you're in it, it was just if you're excited to be stuck in a simulator, which simulators these days are in it. I'm just kidding. pretty darned good and they're a lot of fun, but it's really hard to really simulate what it is like in an actual Q. This is more just about generally going back to car. work hopefully in the next month at Colonial. You're all three in the field to play Colonial. Can I Q. Dustin, I know you guys are all used to your just get your feelings starting with Rickie about routines out there. How difficult is it to kind of how you feel with the TOUR's plan and getting on a adhere to the things that you have to do differently plane and going and playing in a tournament after now, and how much responsibility do you guys feel all this time? to do everything properly with all the millions of RICKIE FOWLER: Well, I feel like I can speak for pretty recreational golfers that are going to be watching much all the guys out there that we've enjoyed some the telecast on Sunday? time at home, just because it's rare that there is some DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I think we have a big sort of break, so I feel like we've all tried to make the responsibility on ourselves to make sure that we most and the best of it. But we're all excited to go play, practice all the guidelines that the PGA TOUR is going as well. I feel like hearing how a lot of the board to set in place. Obviously everyone is going to be meetings and PAC meetings have gone, the TOUR is watching what we're doing, so I think it's very important obviously taking it very seriously and going to all the for us to do it all correctly. We have a responsibility to measures needed to make sure that they're confident ourselves and all the other players to stay safe and going forward when we do Colonial that it'll be the stay healthy. safest environment possible. But you know, I think the TOUR has done a great job No, I'm excited to get back to play. It's been the longest with what they've put in place for us, and hopefully if we break I've ever had, the most time I've been able to do get started at Colonial here in about a month that spend at home. But like I said, looking at it, the best everything is going to go great, and we'll get somewhat way possible. We've enjoyed getting into a little bit of a back to normal. Like Rickie was saying, we miss routine, using it as beneficial as possible to work out, competing. It has been nice to be at home and enjoy cook at home. The first month we went to the grocery time with the family, but I'm ready to get back out there store once a week.