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JTBC FOUNDERS CUP


March 18, 2015


Nicole Castrale

Larry Fitzgerald

Juli Inkster

Andre Roberts

Bradley Sowell


PHOENIX, ARIZONA

THE MODERATOR:  Welcome to the Founders Cup, a great week for us here on the LPGA and it's a great pleasure to have this cast assembled this afternoon.  Nicole Castrale; Larry Fitzgerald from the Arizona Cardinals; Juli Inkster, Solheim Cup captain, Hall of Famer; and we have also got Andre Roberts, the wide receiver for the Washington Redskins, formerly of the Cardinals; and Bradley Sowell, offensive tackler for the Cardinals.
So you all know, this was NFL Day here at this event, kind of under the see why it's different campaign for the LPGA giving stars from other sports a chance to see the LPGA up close and personal and for the fans to see something different.
Let's start with the overall experience and I'll start with you, Larry.  Thank you very much for being here.  What was it like for you out there today?
LARRY FITZGERALD:  It was a great experience, playing with Sandy and Nicole and Morgan, it was really something special to be able to go out there and walk the fairways with some of the greatest players in the world is something I'll never forget.
The MODERATOR:  Nicole, you've played with some of these guys before, and you've played out here week‑to‑week.  What's it like in your opinion to have them compete and be out here with you all?
NICOLE CASTRALE:  Well, they are obviously phenomenal athletes so no matter what sport they are playing they are going to be very competitive.  Played with Larry actually some during the season and the difference between during the season and off‑season is pretty impressive.  Just the speed and they love the game.  Like I said, they were just very competitive, and they had little matches in between them, even though we were a team.
It's just great they were able to come out.  You learn a lot from other athletes so it was definitely a fun day.
THE MODERATOR:  Juli, you competed with these guys.  Bradley is a pretty big guy.
JULI INKSTER:  I'm just glad I made it to the lunch room before he did, otherwise probably wouldn't have a lot left (laughter).
He's a 2‑handicap, and he loves the game.  He played great.  Our whole team, you know, had Vickie play and Roger Smith played; and Patrick I think had trouble with his fish, so he had to leave after nine.  I think he had a fish tank that went m IA or leaking or something like that.  That was the story I got.
But like Nicole said, I'm a huge sports fan, and any time you can watch other athletes and pick their brain about maybe how they train or what they think about, and if you just learn a little bit, I think you can take it over into your game.
And for them to come out and support the LPGA, because they know that we support them; so it's great for them to come out and support us, and we had a great day.  I just kind of put my pom‑poms on and watched Bradley all day play.
THE MODERATOR:  You're 6‑7, 320?
BRADLEY SOWELL:  320.
THE MODERATOR:  But a 2‑handicap, seriously?
BRADLEY SOWELL:  Just kind of self‑taught.  I haven't been playing a whole long time.  I've been playing four years.  It's just a thing that I love the game and I practice a lot.  I think it's just like anything else, if you practice and you love it, you can get good pretty quick.
NICOLE CASTRALE:  He got a practice round a few months ago in Media Day.
BRADLEY SOWELL:  So we knew exactly where to hit it, so it was good.
THE MODERATOR:  You and Larry had a lot of fun and obviously you've played some golf together and you were going on a little trip coming up, as well?
ANDRE ROBERTS:  Yes, we are going to South Africa, going to Johannesburg and Cape Town tomorrow, actually.  That will be fun.  We'll play some golf over there and hopefully I can beat up on them over there.
The MODERATOR:  I don't know a lot of people that can say, I'm going on a golfing trip with my buddies to South Africa.
ANDRE ROBERTS:  It's pretty cool.  We go on trips this time of the year in the off‑season.  We went to Australia and we went to Dubai and the Middle East and Egypt.  We like to travel a good bit, and our last trip will be here tomorrow going to South Africa.
THE MODERATOR:  Last thing for you before we take questions.  What was your experience like playing in the Pro‑Am with the LPGA stars?
ANDRE ROBERTS:  It was amazing.  We had the good weather.  Fortunately the sun wasn't beating us down out there and to be able to play with the women, Nicole and Morgan just being able to see some of those shots.  I'm trying to perfect my game and I'm nowhere close after seeing some of the things that they are doing.
NICOLE CASTRALE:  You follow directions well.
ANDRE ROBERTS:  I do follow directions (laughter).
JULI INKSTER:  You'll make a great husband.
ANDRE ROBERTS:  I do follow directions well from Nicole there during a putt, helping make a birdie.  She lined me up‑‑
NICOLE CASTRALE:  Jules, it was a straight putt.
ANDRE ROBERTS:  I just put the little line on the ball there and rolled it in.
THE MODERATOR:  You backed him off, which was actually very smart because we were struggling at that point, so you helped out.

Q.  How much do you guys watch women's golf or athletics in general?
ANDRE ROBERTS:  Well, I would say me and Larry both, but I'll let him answer it, too, but I watch the Golf Channel.  So you get the men's and the women's on there all the time.  You know, you get the golf fix and you get the women playing, the Web.com Tour.  So I would say I watch them a good bit.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  Watch all the time.  Every week I'm following the leaderboard.  I've got my golf app on my phone, so I'm keeping up with the scores, even if I can't watch it.  But I'm always abreast of what's going on‑‑ (laughter).
BRADLEY SOWELL:  I have two daughters, a two‑year‑old and a three‑year‑old, so I'm scouting the competition so when they are older, see what they are going to do.  I'm watching women's sports to see what I'm going to be in store for in 15 years or so.
THE MODERATOR:  Did Patrick really leave early because he didn't have as good of a score as you guys?  How did that work out on the green?
LARRY FITZGERALD:  I think Juli and Bradley could answer that question better.  We were in the group ahead focused on making birdies and eagles.  I'm not sure exactly what happened.
JULI INKSTER:  Probably was happy because he could drop another one.

Q.  A football question, there's so much talk about Adrian Peterson coming to the Cardinals.  Can you address that and tell us your thoughts on him possibly becoming a Cardinal?
LARRY FITZGERALD:  I don't know, but I know Adrian's golf swing is not any good.  He's not going to be playing any Pro‑Ams any time soon I don't think (laughter).  He's a much better runner than he is a golfer.  But I said earlier, whatever team he ends up on, or if he stays in Minnesota, he's going to be a tremendous asset.  Obviously has a lot left in the tank, and if he were to come here, it would be a game changer for us.
THE MODERATOR:  What do you learn from watching women players that maybe you can't learn from watching the guys?
ANDRE ROBERTS:  Swing easy.  Their swings are so easy and so smooth, and they get all the distance they need and all the accuracy they need.  As guys, we always want to swing the club as hard as we can to get it to go far, and you know, watching the guys like Dustin Johnson just blow it past people swinging so hard, looks like it, but he's probably swinging easy.
But that's one of the biggest things I see.  They have got this smooth swing path.  They swing easy and get everything they need out of it.
THE MODERATOR:  Was it tough playing with the Arizona Cardinals?
JULI INKSTER:  I can share the love.  I'm pretty good, especially when they are nice guys.  It was a lot of fun.  I have my allegiance, but Cardinals might be my second team now‑‑ at least that offensive line.  I'll be watching that offensive line.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  We should do some ‑‑ you go grab four 49er players ‑‑
JULI INKSTER:  Oh, yeah?  No, that ain't happening ‑‑
LARRY FITZGERALD:  Larry and Nicole will grab four Arizona Cardinal players and we can compete‑‑ (laughter).
JULI INKSTER:  Okay, all right.  Bradley already told me ‑‑ laughter ‑‑ home and home?  I like that.  All right.  I'm going to have to have some clinics.  I'm going to have to run some golf clinics (laughter).
THE MODERATOR:  Larry, the regular season is so grueling, you were talking today about just relaxing and enjoying this sport.  Is this a special time to be able to play golf in the off‑season, one of your favorite things to do?
LARRY FITZGERALD:  Yeah, it truly is, but it's not as grueling as they ladies' schedules, honestly.  They are in a city every single week; if it's in Asia, Australia, they are all over the world playing, and we only travel ten times a year.  So we are at home most of the times with our families.  Physically it's grueling but I couldn't imagine the amount of air travel that these ladies have to do to compete.
It's a lot of fun to be able to be out there with your buddies.  Me and Bradley play a lot during the season and me and Andre play a lot during the off‑season.  It's fun to be able to play with your buddies but it's fun to experience some of these wonderful events that are here in Scottsdale.

Q.  Do you guys play with other NFL players from other teams, golf, or is it just you and your buddies at home?
LARRY FITZGERALD:  Yeah, I mean, there's a few guys that play but I wouldn't say there's a large amount of guys that play golf.  I would say we are definitely in the minority.  Would you agree?
BRADLEY SOWELL:  I would say guys that live in the area like Robbie Gould, he's a member at my course so we play a lot together, Brian Urlacher is out there, a couple other guys.  But for the most part if you're in the same area and you get a chance to go with them you do.  But I'm not calling another guy from another team saying, hey, I want to play with you.  But for the most part we play with other guys.

Q.  Who is the best player in the league, golfer?
BRADLEY SOWELL:  I don't know.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  Josh Scobee, I would say, kicker for the Jaguars is really good.
THE MODERATOR:  What's with kickers?  Because Robbie Gould is really good.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  You have to see these guys schedules, man.  We're in meetings and practice all day long.  The kicker, they come out to practice, do their little thing and then you don't see them anymore (laughter).
JULI INKSTER:  They are hitting balls.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  We had a kicker, Neil Rackers, many years ago, he was with us and during training camp, we would be out practicing.  And he would come back in his pickup truck, and his pickup truck would be all dirty and he would have a cooler in the back with a bunch of fish in the back.  He was out fishing while we were practicing.  I'm like, man, what kind of gig is this.  (Laughter).
Carson is pretty good, too.  Carson is playing at about a 2 in the off‑season before he messed up his knee.  So he's really good.
THE MODERATOR:  Andre, you haven't been playing that long, right.  Have you gone have you been playing?
ANDRE ROBERTS:  It's three years, going on 3 1/2 years.  Jay, some of the offensive linemen, got into it with the Cardinals.  I started playing when I was out here, and you know, when I got hooked, once I got the bug, it was over for me.  Just loved it.
THE MODERATOR:  And you've been playing a couple years?
LARRY FITZGERALD:  Two years.  I'm like him, I joined, I'm a member at six clubs for two years, it's a real problem.  (Laughter) it's an addiction that I don't need any help for, though.  I don't need any‑‑ I'm good with my addiction.
THE MODERATOR:  Six clubs, how do you decide where to go?  You play every day; you told us you play every day.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  We bounce around all over.  He's the worst one because he gets real golf snobbish on me.  I'm like, "You want to go out to Whisper Rock?"
"No, we played there already this week"‑‑ man, look at this guy.  He's too good to go play at the municipals now.
See, I play anywhere, as long as it's a golf course, I'm happy.
ANDRE ROBERTS:  Don't believe it.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  I love Mesa.
NICOLE CASTRALE:  How many days do you play during the season?  We know you like to win.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  We can't‑‑ (laughter).
NICOLE CASTRALE:  Nondisclosure.
LARRY FITZGERALD:  If I'm speaking, I'm going to call Bradley out, I'm going to call Pat out, so we're going to keep‑‑
ANDRE ROBERTS:  I don't play with the Cardinals anymore, so I know the schedule‑‑
NICOLE CASTRALE:  It's just because you miss the weather here.  Not good golfing weather in D.C.
ANDRE ROBERTS:  It started to snow end of November, and you can't really‑‑ once it gets to 50, you hit a bladed shot and your hands start stinging, you put the clubs down.

Q.  I know a lot of guys, pros, they have a passion for a second sport, and Michael Jordan played baseball and Bo Jackson played two sports.  Can we see any of you retire that golf jersey and put on a golf polo any time soon?
LARRY FITZGERALD:  Me and Andre always joke about making the Champions Tour.  I'm 31, I have about 20 years before I'm eligible for the Champions Tour.  I think I'm a long shot, what do you think, Andre?
ANDRE ROBERTS:  You know what, we're athletes.  We're professional athletes, so we know how hard it is to work to get what you want.
And I believe if we want to work hard enough‑‑ we know how golf athletes, men's and women's, how hard they practice; and you know, after playing football for so long and practicing that one thing for so long, we kind of don't want to have to practice that hard to be another professional.
So I love just having fun.  Obviously I want to get as good as I can.  I would love to be a scratch golfer or plus one day.  But being on any tour, yeah, we joke about it, but I don't know about that.
JULI INKSTER:  Sponsor exemption.
BRADLEY SOWELL:  I gave up hope on thinking I could be a pro golfer when I lost to a seventh grader one time.  This was like two years ago from the same tee boxes.
You don't realize how good the pros are compared to us.  We're good; but when you have to play it out, putt it out, do all the rules and stuff, it's really hard to shoot a good score.  That's why you have got to respect pro golf because it's extremely hard to get there.  And you also see a lot of guys you play with, like how is this guy not pro?  He's never even played in a tournament and he shoots 5‑ , 6‑under on the day.  And you're like, well, he's never even sniffed the TOUR, so it's actually really hard to get to the TOUR.
THE MODERATOR:  Overall thoughts on a day like this, you've been out here, I was going to say, for a long time.  You can say it on your own but you've seen a lot of Pro‑Ams, and the baseball guys were out here a couple years ago and we've tried to add more of these type of days.
What does it mean out here for this tour?
JULI INKSTER:  I think it's great for our tour.  It brings a lot of respect for our tour for these guys to come out and support us.  It's great to see kids out here with their jerseys on the back and their numbers.  I think that's really cool.
The nine holes and playing with these guys, I mean, it was a breeze.  It was a lot of fun.  I enjoyed it and I wish we could do more like this.  It's great.
THE MODERATOR:  Since they are going to South Africa, you might as well hook them up with tickets to go to Germany for the Solheim Cup.  Maybe the kickers can go.
Nicole, your thoughts on days like this?
NICOLE CASTRALE:  It was great.  I'm definitely glad that everyone agreed to come play.  Like I said, I've gotten to know them over the last couple years, and it is great to see little kids come out, not just to watch golf but also these little kids, these are their heros, because their idols or football players from here or Washington and whatnot.
It's great for the LPGA Tour.  It definitely it brings more exposure, but also shows how well‑rounded we are, and athletes respect athletes.  Overall it was a win‑win for both.  And maybe Cardinals will get another fan with Jules.
JULI INKSTER:  Oh, I'm in.
NICOLE CASTRALE:  She's in.
THE MODERATOR:  I want to personally on behalf of the LPGA thank each and every one of you for competing and being part of this on the LPGA Tour and helping make this tour bigger and giving it more exposure in the media.

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