PGA Championship Tuesday, May 18, 2021 Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Padraig Harrington Press Conference

For me it will be the ideal sort of test. THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome back to the 2021 PGA Championship at the THE MODERATOR: Let's turn to the quickly Ocean Course. European Ryder Cup captain Padraig before we go to Q&A. How are your preparations going for Harrington, is joining us. Padraig, you're in your second September, and can you talk about the way your team is spell of the season playing over here in the U.S. shaping up a little bit?

Can you talk about the state of your game today and how it PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I do see things are fits the Ocean Course where you had a top-20 finish in starting to change for me. You know, clearly with the delay 2012, and maybe reminisce a little bit about 1997 World I think most of the administration work is done, so my Cup and your finish there. intention coming into this year was very much focused on the team and what -- I suppose watching the team and PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, obviously it's nice to be getting an idea for the team. a winner on this golf course, the in '97. I said this to Rasmus Højgaard the other day that I had won in My team seems to be reasonably settled in the top nine '97 and he hadn't been born for another four or five years positions, and it kind of looks like most guys are playing to or something. impress me.

I'd love to play on golf courses like this all the time. It's a I see my own -- I've changed a little bit, especially kind of beauty of a golf course. It's a really nice test. It gives a lot the Masters time was a watershed. I played golf up to that of options. It's a big golf course. It's got a lot of and it was awkward to kind of do things, but since then I risk-reward, but it gives you some leeway in terms of see myself spending more time with the players at different you've got the skills around the greens, you can get it stages and trying to take a little bit more time out of my day up-and-down. to be -- like I played a nine-hole practice round on Sunday with Tommy and things like that. Just a really, really good test. Just trying to be around the guys a bit more and maybe Obviously playing it today -- I played it Sunday in a cross stepping out from what I'm doing. Normally at a wind and you could work the ball and the golf course didn't tournament I'm a busy person, keep my head down, do my play long at all. It was a really -- it was a nice, enjoyable work, but I'm trying to make that effort to step out from that test. and just spend a bit more time.

Today with the wind the way it was, it was a beast today. I'm definitely not as focused on my own golf as I would have been pre-Masters. I'm more focused if anything on Look, I'm sure you guys will set the golf course up the Ryder Cup now. appropriate, but I really do enjoy playing it. I think it's a much better test to go out on a golf course where if you Q. You just talked about Kiawah being a good test and shape the ball well you can use the wind, you can work it you won the World Cup there in '97 with McGinley, but on the wind, and around the greens it's interesting. he didn't mention this is your 21st PGA Championship. How much is the accumulation of all this experience There's a lot of excitement around the greens. You can you've got and also the experience of playing Kiawah, really hit a good chip shot. You can get a lot of spin off the how comfortable will it make you feel this week? paspalum turf, so you can play shots that look impossible and you can also mess up shots that look easy. PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, look, people often ask in

107538-1-1041 2021-05-18 20:24:00 GMT Page 1 of 4 a general term about experience. Well, as you gain captains will do enough of that for them. experience, you lose innocence. I suppose if you drew a graph, there's a crossing point of equilibrium where you Q. I don't know if I've missed it, but are you close to have some experience and a certain amount of innocence naming your vice captains? and enthusiasm. As you get a little bit older and you get all this experience, on paper people might think you get better PADRAIG HARRINGTON: You know, I have a fair idea, with experience, but as I said, you've seen a few things obviously, who I want. I must admit I've just mentioned at that you know in your game that you probably never the European Tour that I will be looking to announce my wanted to see, so you kind of lose that little bit of, I next one very soon. I haven't told him that. I have to give suppose, innocence. him the news that -- most of my vice captains are players, and players who potentially could have made the team. It's not everything it's cracked up to be to have experience. I know I've played 21 times in the PGA, and to be honest, So telling a vice captain that we're going to announce him when you come to a great golf course like this and you look is kind of -- is not great news in some ways for that person. back, you realize how many different types of tests we've But look, I actually need more vice captains. Myself, Luke, had at the PGA over the years. and Robert have a Zoom meeting next Monday, and I was just sitting there looking at it and saying, It's time that the I think when I first came out the PGA was considerably other guys get on board. played on probably a pretty typical U.S. golf course, U.S. style golf course. But we've played a great variety now And we kind of need more vice captains at this stage, so over the years, and it's really matured as a major yes, I will endeavor to announce another one and maybe championship from what I would have had an image of it in not make a slip-up and announce it unintentionally, but I the '80s. It really is sitting up there now giving us a good will be doing that pretty soon. variety of tests. Q. Could you talk about the challenge and the You never know what you're going to get from year to year difficulty of the 17th hole? in terms of style of golf course, and it's -- as all the majors, they're putting it up to each, it's upped its game, it's PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It's pretty straightforward. improved its standing, and coming to places like this for a Don't hit it in the water. week where this is going to be a great championship, there's going to be plenty of excitement on this golf course, It was a big hole today. It was a 2-iron, maybe -- I carry a and whoever wins this week will be a worthy winner. strong 5-wood. I hit 5-wood. You've got to take it on.

Q. Are you meeting with any of the European probable If you want to hit the green, you've got to be brave, take it players this week? on, take it down the right-hand side. If you want to play to that left-hand bunker, which isn't the worst play in the world PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Probable? We're keeping an -- well, what would be interesting about the left-hand eye -- I'm trying to -- not this week, no, to be honest. I've bunkers is there's no bunkers this week, so you're making tried to say and get it across to everybody, their goal at the the assumption if you play left that you're going to get a moment is to play well in the next three majors and the nice lie in the bunker. Olympics. The Ryder Cup is the fifth tournament in their schedule, so if they can peak -- if I was sitting there looking Let's hope that's the case. It's not a bad play. It's definitely at their training or golfing schedule, they should peak for a very difficult hole. I would assume if we had the same this major, the next two majors, the Olympics, and then conditions as today, we would play that tee box up, which hopefully hold something back to peak at the end of turned it into a 4-iron, 3-iron type hole, which is difficult but September. very reasonable.

This is not the week for getting in guys' heads. This is not Look, there's a lot of great holes here. I do agree if I was the week for having dinners and things like that. This is a designing the golf course, a championship golf course, I tournament week, serious business for these guys. would have a real stern test at the end because you want a Anybody who's in contention to make the Ryder Cup team I true winner, and a true winner is going to have to hit the hope has the ability to come and win here. shots at the end and really take them on.

So they should be really focused on that and not worrying You can't have a -- it's not a soft finish in any shape or about a tournament five months out. Myself and my vice form. That's a good thing. But yeah, nobody would have

107538-1-1041 2021-05-18 20:24:00 GMT Page 2 of 4 won this tournament until they're through the 71st hole; PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, I can guarantee if this that's for sure. was the BMW PGA Championship in Britain I would be playing with two potential qualifiers, so I would expect Q. I'm wondering, what does the captaincy mean to nothing else. you? And how do you sort of define what that role is? I personally would have liked to have played with Steve, PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Look, the captaincy is one of but obviously on the other side of that, as an ex-champion those things that you -- I suppose you generally as you're here you're paired up with ex-champions. It would have going along before you get in the running for it, you think, been a fun group to be paired with Steve, but as I said, Oh, yeah, yeah, I want to be captain, I'd like to be captain, they have their set way of doing things here. I've had a career that deserves to be captain, that sort of stuff. As I said, it's probably quite tough on the two potential guys to be paired up with Steve when it's a major week. And then the reality hits that it's your time, it's your turn, Personally, as I said about the Europeans, I really don't and in our case the European Tour players will come to want to take away anything from their chances this week of you and say, Right, are you going for this? It's quite a --you know, make it as relaxed as possible for those guys, shock to take it on because, one, there's obviously quite a because when it comes to the Ryder Cup, the best thing personal commitment and time into it, but you don't want to my players could do for me is win majors, be major be a losing captain. You want to be a winning captain, and champions coming into the Ryder Cup. you're putting a lot on the line being out there. Q. What's the biggest key in your opinion to being an It's not a ceremonial job. It's important, and it's important effective wind player? to the European Tour. It's important to the European Tour players, and you certainly want to do it justice. PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Wow, I suppose you could write a book on that. I thought long and hard about do I want to put myself through this, do I want to put myself out there, and I didn't I think you've got to try it. That's ultimately -- I sometimes take that decision lightly. I didn't take the job on because -- see some good players, good ball strikers, and I just don't I definitely didn't take it on because I thought it was my due think they've put enough time into trying to be good wind or it was my time or this is what I was supposed to do. players. They might have tried it once or twice and it just didn't work out. I took it on because I believed I could do a good job and that I would commit and put the time and effort into it. It's You've just got to continue to try and fail when it comes to been interesting. It's not -- you know, there's work. It's not the wind and learn that you've got to commit -- even though straightforward. I have to thank -- I really have to thank, I you could be aiming 20 yards left of the fairway at rubbish, suppose, Thomas Björn and Paul McGinley for the amount you've got to commit to your shots. You can't be thinking of work you have to do on the Ryder Cup when you come of the middle of the fairway when you're aiming, you're from Europe because they really did turn it into a full-time trying to commit 20 yards left or something like that. job. You've got to hit it there like you're hitting a straight shot.

But you don't want to leave any stone unturned and you Hitting the ball low, that probably comes a little bit more want to live up to -- those two were great captains and you naturally to me. But as I said, I think any player or good want to live up to what they did in terms of the time and ball striker can learn to do it, and the more you take it on, effort and the work behind the scenes. the more you do it, you gain experience and you end up having that experience and trusting it under pressure. So it is a strange one. I think for us, it's not just about who was the best player who had a great career deserves to be I think that's the key. It's tough to come into one Ryder Cup captain, it's about who could do the job and tournament, especially a big tournament like this, and all of who's the right man for the job, and I don't take that lightly. a sudden start trying to hit golf shots that you're not familiar with. But if you played those shots more and more, by the Q. I notice in the pairings that is playing time you get here you'll be comfortable with it. with two qualifying Americans trying to make the team and you're playing with and . It really is just an experience thing. Just keep -- if there's Any gamesmanship there on the PGA of America? somebody out there who's a good ball striker -- the better a ball striker the harder it is to be a good wind player

107538-1-1041 2021-05-18 20:24:00 GMT Page 3 of 4 because you're generating -- with a quality strike you're looking at players who play well in the majors, players who getting the ball -- you're usually going to fly it higher with play well this week, players that play well when it's on the more spin. line.

The longer certainly a ball striker, the more he has to The Olympics creates that pressure and tension. Winning become a good wind player who can hit half and an Olympic medal is a big deal. I've seen that -- I've three-quarter shots. traveled the world since the last Olympics, and even as a three-time major winner, Ryder Cup captain, I could be You've got to understand that it is trial and error to start off introduced in some countries and they might say three-time with, and it ends up being, yeah, experience that there is major winner, I get a clap. They might say Ryder Cup nothing that can turn around and say -- like today I've got captain I might get a cheer. But when you say an 98 yards to a pin and I'm hitting a shot that's going to go Olympian they can recognize that that's something they 140 yards, or I'm hitting a 9-iron at times. can judge a merit off of what you did in your career.

That has to be experience. You're not going to be able to It is a big deal being an Olympian, and especially would be write that down in a yardage book. That has to be how you a big deal if you won a medal, gold medal. That will put feel at that moment and remembering what you did in past players under pressure and stress, and that's the sort of -- situations in a similar situation. from my perspective if a player can go out and win in the Olympics, that's the sort of player I want on the first tee of a Q. I have very fond memories of you in the 1997 World Ryder Cup. Cup here. Lee was in earlier, and obviously his play has been brilliant the first part of the season. And he Q. The other side of your pairing this week is playing doesn't have a major win, but he has fabulous finishes with Phil Mickelson. Is that an incentive for you to play in majors. What would it mean to you to have a player better and to try to win? And how much do you like that's seen sort of both sides as a vice captain and as the PGA Championship? a player on so many Ryder Cups to be able to have that on your team? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Look, it would be interesting. I get on very well with Phil, so we'll actually probably -- PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, you know, we've talked should enjoy our golf out there. We should have a bit of about this in Europe many a time, and it's a bonus for me fun together. It's a good pairing for me. There will be a lot that Lee has played his way into the team because you of chat. need leaders in your team. It's incredibly important to have a leader that people will look up to. What he says in the So yeah, because myself and Phil are at that age, yeah, I locker room will command respect. think we should get on well and enjoy it.

I have talked to Lee, and that will be very much part of his It would be interesting to see. Obviously Jason Day is job during the week will be -- I'll expect more from Lee than more competitive than maybe myself and Phil. Myself and just playing golf. I'm quite chuffed that he has played his Phil, Phil maybe more than me -- myself and Phil are more way in, because as I said, I've seen teams that have been hopeful. I think Jason Day is still a player. In terms of golf, -- it's not all about the captain like me. You need captains you want -- you do want your playing partners to play well, behind the scenes. You need playing captains. You need so hopefully we all get out there and play well and it's not a captains in the locker room. ceremonial group.

From my perspective I will be asking more of Lee than just But I know -- I'm pretty sure myself and Phil are going to golf. enjoy it anyway.

Q. You were saying that one of the factors for you for THE MODERATOR: Padraig, good luck this week and the picks will be the next majors and the Olympics. good luck in September. With the current situation with the Olympics, how much of a factor is it? Is it the fact the players want to FastScripts by ASAP Sports represent their country makes it like a commitment to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, look, it's very important when you're looking from a Ryder Cup perspective. You're

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