PRE-TOURNAMENT INTERVIEW: GRAEME McDOWELL ANDY PADZER November 8, 2016

JOE MAZZEO: I'd like to just welcome everyone to our conference and introduce the three of you. We would like to start with a few brief opening remarks from you, Graeme, a little bit of perspective on your year as champion of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, sure. Thanks, Joe. Of course great to be back here in Mayakoba. Always nice to be defending champion. I've had the opportunity to do it a few times in my career and it's always very special.

It's been a lot of fun being the OHL Classic winner for the last 12 months. It was a very important victory for me at the end of last season. Opened up some nice doors with events like WGC Doral and the Masters and getting me in some nice positions in the FedEx points. So I think this time of the year is becoming very important for the PGA Tour and I think that's why we continue to see more and more players playing at this time of the year and supporting events like this one down here in Mayakoba. It's so important to get off to a fast start. There's so many great players now and it's so difficult to win. Like I say, the win last year here was very special to me on a lot of levels. Of course would dearly love to try and repeat this week.

JOE MAZZEO: If you would provide us a few opening remarks on behalf of the PGA Tour.

ANDY PADZER: Thank you, Joe. Let me first start by welcoming Graeme McDowell back to defend his championship from 12 months ago. Graeme displayed an incredible closing kick. I remember effectively your winning shot last year in the playoff last year was remarkable and we're thrilled to have you back this year.

I would also like to take the opportunity on behalf of the PGA Tour to congratulate OHL and particularly the man to my left, Mr. Villar Mir. This is the 10th anniversary of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba and one thing that Mr. Villar Mir and his team have accomplished is making the tournament better every year, every year, and that's a hallmark of this tournament.

Joe asked me to pause every couple minutes for translation and so I'll stop there.

I would like to make a couple remarks about this year's tournament field. I think everyone in the room would agree that in the 10 years of this tournament, there has never been a stronger field. Again, I believe that is a credit to Mr. Villar Mir and his team for going above and beyond in every respect. We have a course that is exquisitely conditioned this week. The comments from players today were spectacular. The hospitality, from the food that is served to the players to the world-class accommodations at the three resort properties at Mayakoba are second to none and that has translated to the best field yet.

1 Tee-Scripts.com You have players like Graeme and and and and on and on and on, and that's something that not only does OHL take great pride in but the PGA Tour does as well.

I would also like to point out that it's exciting to see the makeup of the field. I believe we have 43 players representing 21 different nations. Much like OHL is a multi-national company, so is the PGA Tour, and to have 21 countries represented I think is just outstanding.

I also would note that we have 11 players in our field who played in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, which is something that I know Mr. Villar Mir and the PGA is extremely proud of.

And then lastly, I would like to thank those of you in the audience, the media, for your contributions over the past 10 years for promoting this event, bringing it to golf fans throughout the country, Mexico and throughout the world. So from the PGA Tour, I give you a hearty thank you as well for your support of the OHL Classic.

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