PGA Championship Tuesday, May 18, 2021 Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Xander Schauffele Press Conference Q. Talking about , the contrast. There's going to be a bunch of big tournaments by the water THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Welcome back to this year -- the 2021 PGA Championship here at the Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. We are very pleased to be XANDER SCHAUFFELE: A lot of coastal tournaments, joined by official world golf ranking No. 4 Xander yeah. Schauffele. Xander, welcome to what is your fifth career PGA Championship, and what's interesting about your Q. What is the contrast, and very specific about each progression is that with every appearance you've played of the golf courses and each of the tournaments? better and better. Appeared in the top 10 last August back in California. Is there something that you're kind of syncing XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Just different grass, I think. The up with about what a PGA Championship golf course is greens here are perfect. They're paspalum. The fairways and learning more as you go along, and have you learned are perfect. They're some sort of mix of Bermuda with a enough to get to the winner's circle this week do you think? little paspalum, kind of spotty in certain areas. The type of grass it is I'm not too away of. Everything is perfect. XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I hope so. That's the plan. All the failed attempts are hopefully going to lead to success Torrey Pines should be in great condition. It's nice to have at some point. I think I can attribute all the recent good everyone out in August or whenever the U.S. Open will be play in the PGA Championships, or the better play, I should in a couple months here. The grass is very different. The say, just to experience. greens aren't as pure at Torrey Pines. They're bumpier and sketchier. If you hit a good putt out here there's no I think as the courses get harder, if you look at sort of -- I reason it shouldn't go in. don't even remember my first PGA -- Quail Hollow, scoring wise was one of the tougher ones. My second one was So in terms of coastal golf, I think it's just wind dependent. Bellerive. That was an earlier score, and then it kind of That's probably the only similarity the two properties have ramped up with Bethpage and Harding Park and now here. is they're both on the water and both going to be windy. Just sort of prepare your game for windy conditions and I don't see a really low score winning this week with the find out how to flight the ball correctly. wind and difficulty of the course, which usually feeds into sort of my ballpark. Q. We were talking with Rory about 2012 and we were talking about when you have memories of winning Q. You've had plenty of occasions of playing with something and we were talking to , too, wind. In Hawai'i you played with wind. You have and the memories are more mental than anything. It's Pacific, Atlantic, everything. What do you do here not about technique and all that. I know this might be mentally and -- a fabulous secret, but what do you do mentally, and if you can be a little specific -- XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it's just like San Diego -- I'm kidding. San Diego if it's blowing 10 miles an hour it's XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I mean, mentally it's just a breezy. This is new. It's been a while I'd say since I've -- if you're not tired after each and every round you play played in a lot of wind, and it does funny things to your golf this week, then you probably didn't try enough hard game and your golf swing. enough. When it's windy like this it's a complete headache for the player and the caddie. It's a collaborative effort. It's Just been trying to iron out sort of those compensations just tough. that I've been making and moving along in that direction. It's really tough, and if you can and your caddie can focus

107537-1-1041 2021-05-18 19:54:00 GMT Page 1 of 4 for six hours each day -- it's a major championship. If you can focus long enough, more than everyone else, you have The second thing is the mistakes I've made are all very a better chance of beating them. Obviously you have to hit similar. I've sort of been in contention when I've been the right shots and everything, but you also have to think playing really, really well and I've sort of been around the your way around the property when it's this windy. lead, as well when I haven't been playing as well, and I think both times I sort of lost track of where I was in the Q. You mentioned compensations in the wind. I'm tournament in terms of mentally, and I wasn't present. wondering what are some things that you do to play effective golf in the wind? I think that's a lot of what champions talk about, how they're able to stay present and go shot to shot and sort of XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, when I say stick to what they know best. For me I haven't won a compensation, I mean the way I swing. I sort of tug on the whole lot in my life or in my career when it comes to golf. handle and I can shut the face down pretty quick, that sort It's such a new thing for me, and I'm still getting used to of bowed left wrist that people like to refer to. When it's sort of trying to win. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and windier I feel like I need to hit it even lower and that bowed look too far in advance. left wrist sneaks in even more, too soon in my swing. Q. Every two years we start talking about the Ryder I'll get it going left and kind of up high to the right and those Cup. Have you talked to the captain? What are you shots aren't good in the wind or in any condition for that looking forward to there? What are the preparations? matter. For me it's sort of trying to stay -- the old saying is What's going on with that? swing easy when it's breezy or whatever the saying is, but that's sort of the mentality that my dad and I been trying to XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It's sort of been small chatter work on this week, is not getting to caught up with sort of text-wise. I know Stricker fairly well now, him sort of being crosswinds or into the wind and still trying to swing as if a vice captain or assistant captain at the there was no wind almost. and sort of being around him or playing around him for a few years. Q. Just curious, have you played the 17th? In terms of preparation I think he wants everyone to keep XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yes, I have. their head down and focus on playing each and every golf tournament, each and every shot. He announced that Q. How difficult is it, and the challenge of playing that there's a lot of points out to grab still, and I'm not really hole? thinking a whole lot about it yet.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I hit a 2-iron in the water and I think there are some scheduled practice rounds at then I hit a 2-iron to two feet. I think that kind of sums up Whistling Straits that you should attend if you're in the top the hole in all honesty. When you're hitting a long iron into 25 or so, and I'll do that. But besides that it's sort of wind and it's struck properly, it should hold its line and its week-to-week and day-to-day for me, and the Ryder Cup is flight. If you don't, it's going to go way off line and not hold so far away in my mind and on my schedule that I'm just its flight. worried about this week.

I think for me it's sort of you've really got to muster up Q. So something that is closer is the Olympics. Can some courage coming down the stretch and depending on you tell us about your plans for that and also your where they put that tee box, it's going to be really tricky. personal connection with Japan?

Q. It's well documented you've had a bunch of close XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, of course. The Olympics, calls in the majors and THE PLAYERS. They always unfortunately I think they announced that there's no foreign say that you learn from your losses. What are your spectators. It's kind of a tricky one. Obviously Japan has takeaways that kind of help you prepare mentally for invested a lot of money and infrastructure, or built a lot of this week at the PGA Championship? infrastructure and stuff to accommodate the Olympics and tourists and everything, so I understand why there's sort of XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, the takeaway is a couple questions about having the Olympics. things. I think the first takeaway is that I can win. I think I've done it before and I've put myself in a lot of situations But for me personally, my grandparents live in Shibuya, in and big tournaments to do it. I know that I can do it; I just Tokyo. And I've been there a bunch and I love Japan. I haven't done it yet. love being there. I love the culture and everything. If I do

107537-1-1041 2021-05-18 19:54:00 GMT Page 2 of 4 get on the team it looks like I'd be playing. Q. Do you start working on that weeks ahead of time, days ahead of time, between season A and season B? Q. What's your opinion of the Ocean Course? I When does that all happen? assume this is the first time you've seen it. XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, absolutely. You try and XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I played 18 holes find a range that's straight into the wind. Your miss is yesterday; I played nine today. Saving the back nine for amplified into the wind, and that's kind of just it. If you thin tomorrow. Let it kick my butt before I start the tournament it or toe it or heel it or hook it or slice it into the wind it's on Thursday. going to look like the worst shot anyone has ever seen out here, even for us. It's tough. I read that the scoring average in 2012 was 74½ or 74.6, which was the second hardest tournament the You can't really prepare for it honestly. I've been working guys played in 2012. With it being windy and sort of a in San Diego and trying to flight the golf ball, hitting certain constant wind and breeze, I feel that it's going to be a very windows, but as soon as you come out here you start difficult task and a big ask on certain holes. Just a really tensing up a little, start changing how you attack the golf good test, honestly. ball, and the rest is history.

I think it's a really good venue for a major, and it seems like So you really try and control your window as much as everyone is excited to play. possible.

Q. Adam Scott talked about the length of the golf Q. So range finders, greens books, the technology course, and even though this is the longest more and more. Some people are saying you're losing yardage-wise in the history of major championship the creativity because of this. golf, how that doesn't seem to faze young players, and I put you in that group -- XANDER SCHAUFFELE: A little bit. I think when it's this windy and it is called the Ocean Course because it's right XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Thank you. on the coast, wind will move a ball on the green. You can look up the greens book all you want, but if you've got a left Q. -- is that something that you notice, or is it just edge putt and the wind is blowing 20 right to left, probably something you have to experience once you're out should play right edge, and no book or person is going to there but it doesn't enter into your preparations? tell you that. You just got to kind of feel that.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You notice it when you're So I think technology when it's this windy is sort of out the playing a 600-yard hole straight into the fan blowing 20 window, and you've really got to rely a lot on your feel. miles an hour. It's something you notice. It's rare for certain guys out here not to be able to reach a par-5s. Q. Going back to about the wind and everything and the fact that you said you hit a 2-iron on 17, is a 2-iron I honestly don't know if the longest guy on TOUR could a standard club in the bag or have you made some reach that hole, I think the 16th or so, when it's blowing changes because of all the shots that could be into the straight in. It's something you take account for. wind this week?

When it's so long and no one can reach it it almost seems XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It's a club that hasn't been in my fair again. People talk about distance and everything, but bag in a really long time. It kind of seemed like a when you have holes that are so long that -- for example, I no-brainer. I would much rather hit an iron into a 240-yard was playing with someone yesterday that I hit it further hole than a 7-wood. You catch a 7-wood at the bottom of than, but into the wind he flighted one a little bit more than I the face it's going to go 50 yards short into this wind. did and I kind of hit it a little bit higher and we were four yards apart, and downwind I was 30 yards ahead of him. It is a new club in my bag. I've been trying to work on it a little bit more. I just know it's probably the right way to go It really plays into shot shaping and your ability to flight and with it being windier. control your windows more than anything else. I think the more comfortable you are with flighting golf shots or Q. I'm just wondering, has any player asked your controlling your flight, the better you'll play in tournaments father about coaching them? like this. XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I don't think so. I really don't

107537-1-1041 2021-05-18 19:54:00 GMT Page 3 of 4 know. I'd have to ask him. XANDER SCHAUFFELE: They could be the nicest greens I've ever putted on. I thought Shadow Creek was in Q. How would you feel about another player working incredible shape for the CJ Cup this year. Obviously they with him? had a lot of money to pour into their property. I've played on paspalum greens a few times, and these are just XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Just absolute betrayal (smiling). flawless. I think the fact they don't pitch -- when you hit a I'm just kidding. ball into a green they don't make a hole at all, so the service area stays very flush and very clean. Q. Are you surprised -- You don't really see any marks anywhere on the surface. XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It depends on who it is. They're really nice. They're really predictable. It doesn't mean you're going to make putts, but it sure does feel like Q. Are you surprised that others haven't considered you should make everything you look at when you're on the the success he's had with you? surface just because they're rolling so nice.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: These are interesting questions THE MODERATOR: Thanks for the time, Xander. Have a that I haven't been really asked. You know, I don't know. I terrific week and we hope to see you again. think there are world-renowned coaches out there that have worked with several people. My dad obviously, he FastScripts by ASAP Sports got his hands on me when I was very young and he had his thoughts on the swing and implemented them at a very young age.

If you're 40 years old or 30 years old and you've sort of been swinging the way you swing, I don't know if he'd be the best person for you. You could argue differently. But if I was 35 years old and I didn't have my dad as my swing coach, I'd personally look for someone that in all honesty brought 10 guys up on the PGA TOUR or works with 10 guys just because he's probably seen more.

My dad has worked with me and we've had a lot of success, but compared to a lot of other coaches him working with me has limited his ability to work with a lot of other people, and there's push and pull to that situation.

Q. Do you think he'd see it as absolute betrayal if you want to work with someone else?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Probably. We've talked about it. We joke about it now, but we had serious talks about it for a while. If he felt he couldn't take me far enough and we felt like we weren't working well enough, then the best solution -- we both want me to play the best golf I can play, and if it meant going to someone else then it meant going to someone else.

But so far we can iron out tough situations still and we work well together. I don't really see the point in going to see anyone else.

Q. Talk about what you see in these greens. We've heard a few thoughts that they're running pure. Just your observations from being here for a few days.

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