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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 11, 2017

Ryan Moore

Silvis, Illinois

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome our defending champion, Ryan Moore, to the interview room here at the John Deere Classic. Ryan, welcome back. You have successfully defended a title on the PGA TOUR before, so what does it take to get that done a second year in a row?

RYAN MOORE: I mean, that's a good question. Last time I just kind of showed back up and was comfortable on the course that I had won on, and kind of went out and did the same thing. It added up to a win again.

You know, every win is different; every week is different. I've had some success here. I've played some good golf over the years here. It's a place I'm very comfortable.

Very proud to have won here last year. Still got to show up and play really good golf again and see where that lands me on Sunday.

THE MODERATOR: Looking back last year, this win really kick started the final part of your season. You gave a heck of a playoff run, almost winning on the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Looking at this season, you've played solid - 61 in the FedExCup standings, so a little further away from the playoffs -but as far as that final push to have the same success you did last year, what's it going to take?

RYAN MOORE: You know, it's a lot of the same thing. I had a nice big break coming into here. You know, body is feeling good and my game feels good. I'm well-rested for the end of the year. That's been a priority for me the last couple years and I've played a little better in the playoffs.

Yeah, I mean, this really did. It kick started the success at the end of year and was able to kind of carry it on and play well in the playoffs and sneak my way up there and get on the Ryder Cup team.

A lot of great things happened, and that was a lot of it because of my play here getting me going, getting me in right mindset for the end of the season.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open up for questions.

Q. You've seen billboards all around the country with Tiger or Jordan on them. What it's like to come here and see more magic out on the highway and see a gigantic billboard celebrating your win? What kind of mindset does that put you into as you look to defend this championship?
RYAN MOORE: Yeah, that was pretty cool when I left my hotel yesterday and drove by that and saw that. I've never seen myself on a billboard before, so it was cool. I mean, it's great to see that and to get to be a part of that, get to be appreciated for what I did here last year.

Like I said, it motivates me to try and come back and do it again.

Q. As rare as wins are on this tour for a lot of guys out there, this is a very special place to have had success, isn't it, when you come back is see how well the crowd reacts to you? You're not from here.
RYAN MOORE: Uh-uh.

Q. It's a different sort of atmosphere, isn't it, compared to some other events?
RYAN MOORE: Yeah, absolutely. We'll see what it's like getting back out there as the defending champ and seeing the crowd support. I've only been here for a day and just getting all the -- I signed a lot of bobble heads today, which was pretty awesome.

Yeah, I mean, it's been fun.

Q. I've got two for you. What did it take to come back from the shoulder injury?
RYAN MOORE: For me it was rest and rehab. I worked with my trainer, Brian Chandler, a ton these last five weeks. I basically did a couple hours a day seven days a week of movement and they were and soft tissue work, whatever we could do and needed to do to get it feeling better.

Honestly, it's feeling better than before I hurt it. So I probably could have come back couple weeks ago if I really need to do, but I thought this was the right time with the end of the season being a pretty big push here. Just giving it the rest.

I was fortunate I was in a position where I was in a decent spot if the FedExCup so I could take a few more weeks and just get the right amount of rest and rehab in. Honestly I'm showing up this week not really even thinking about it, so that's a positive.

Q. How do you utilize this week to prepare for next? What sort of things are you looking for to try to change or tweak?
RYAN MOORE: Like for the British Open?

Q. Yeah.
RYAN MOORE: You know, I separate every tournament I go to. I am not thinking about next week. Might be having my club manufacturer make a 2-iron for me or something like that this week.

Beyond that, I'm not thinking in any way of being here to prepare for next week. I start that on Monday when I get there. There're two very, very different tournaments obviously as far as the type of golf that we play.

Every since I played this tournament I've actually played the Open Championship better than when I have kind of been over there early and had a bunch of days to practice.

For some reason, just kind of showing up Monday afternoon and get a couple days of practice and go just kind of works for me going that way.

Q. Just a follow-up from that: How does that affect your mindset when you are able to take it week by week and not get there early like you just mentioned?
RYAN MOORE: You know, it's just a personal preference. I've tried it every different way. I've been out here 12 years now and played -- been fortunate enough to play those events enough to know.

I've tried getting there early, I've tried getting there different times, and this is kind of what works for me and what's comfortable. It's my system. It's just kind of how I like to do it.

Q. You mentioned your shoulder. Talk about being mentally ready to hit those golf shots and do it for hopefully 72 holes? Do you feel like you're mentally prepared to do that?
RYAN MOORE: We'll see. I don't know. Haven't played a tournament in a little while, so that part of it, just kind of getting back into the flow of playing an 18-hole round of golf on the PGA TOUR, might take a day or two.

My game and body and everything feels very good and very, very comfortable. I'm not having to worry about that side of it. That's I guess the mental strain I was trying to avoid maybe come back a week or two earlier, having some of that stuff in the back of my head and having the last two weeks to just really focus on swinging again, playing again, and getting comfortable at golf courses was really important so I can just kind of show up and play this week.

Q. During the injury how much did you weigh defending the title here versus just going straight to the Open, and when did you make that decision?
RYAN MOORE: I mean, as soon as we figured out there was something wrong was just a few days after the Memorial. It was, Man, how do I get back here? Basically that was my focus. I wanted to be here and I wanted to defend my title.

That was basically my first question to my guys, was, Okay, how long is this going to take? Is this two weeks? Three weeks? Eight weeks. I want to tell them as fast as possible whether I'm going to be able to be there or not.

So this was my No. 1 priority, was being healthy and feeling good this week. I was never going to skip this unless I just absolutely had to, so...

Q. How aggressive will you be when you get out there Thursday?
RYAN MOORE: How aggressive or rested?

Q. Aggressive.
RYAN MOORE: Aggressive. That is a good question. I'm not really sure. Like I said, my swing feels good. The few rounds of golf I've played I've hit the ball nicely. Hit a lot of nice wedges. Hitting my driver well off the tee and accurately.

You know, on a golf course like this, if I'm in the right positions and I have the right clubs, absolutely. I'm going to be trying to hit it around the hole and make birdies. That's what you have to do at this tournament. I think I shot three straight 66s here the first three rounds last year; that's what you got to do.

Course is in great shape. Greens are perfect. Got to out there and make good shots and you got to make birdie.

Q. What is your approach here particularly mentally as far as low scores here? 8-under or 10-under isn't going to win here. Does that change your preparation any?
RYAN MOORE: Not really. I mean, because the reality is we're trying to step up and hit the best shot we can every single time no matter what. Maybe you can change your mindset about, you know, the greens are generally receptive so you can be a little bit more aggressive with 8-irons, 7-irons, 6-irons, than you might on greens that are going ton bounce and release a little bit more.

I think that's where the good scoring comes from. You can have a 6-iron in your hand here and actually feel like you can stop it around the hole and still have an eight- to ten-footer for birdie potentially; where other events or other years where it might be a little firmer or faster, you know, that stops at 9-iron for me, and every thing after that I'm just trying to hit it 20 feet away and not get in too much trouble.

It's just something you just know you got to go out there and hit good shots and try and make birdies and keep up and shoot low scores. I was able to do it last year. I've shot some low scores here over the years. Finally put four good ones in a row last year. It's just trying to do the same thing again.

Q. Take us back, if you could, just to the magic moment up in Hazeltine and your thoughts about that little trophy right there and what it meant to you.
RYAN MOORE: It was an incredible week to cap off what was a pretty great end of the year for me. I've never been a part of anything like it, that's for sure.

I hope to get to be a part of another one or two over the years, but if that was my only experience, it was a pretty amazing one. I can't thank Davis enough for picking me and allowing me to be a part of the team.

And then to actually end up contributing in the end, and not only that, but getting the clinching point and all those things, you know, it was incredible and I was just fortunate to be there really.

Q. My second part of question was the thoughts of this little trophy start going on its own Stanley Cup "quote" tour. Do you have any plans for with you?
RYAN MOORE: You know, I had been thinking about it a lot lately, but haven't quite figured out what to do with it. It's going to do something. It's going somewhere with me. I'm just not sure yet.

Q. When do you get it?
RYAN MOORE: I think you just have to kind of request and talk to them about a time that you want to have it for a day or two or week. I don't really know. Apparently like someone flies it to you and like hands it to you and they fly and come pick it up from you.

So, yeah, yeah, we'll see. I'll figure out something fun to do with it.

Q. Talking about the injury and the rehab, how did that affect your preparation? Did you have to stray from your normal tournament prep because of the shoulder, or do you feel like you had enough time to prepare properly for this event?
RYAN MOORE: I mean, yeah, it was obviously different over the last few weeks because, well, to be honest, I didn't hit a golf ball for four straight weeks.

It's not that I couldn't. It was more of an I didn't need to. We felt like we had enough time in there. If we made everything feel right then it should kind of just naturally be a little bit better getting back out and swinging, and it really did.

My first few wings the first few days back hitting balls felt, again, felt better than before it kind of had gotten injured. So I wasn't really stressed about it.

But, yeah, definitely very different tournament prep. Does that make me feel less ready? Not necessarily. I feel mentally rested and my game honestly is in a good place. You know, I'm ready to come back out and compete.

Q. What exactly was the injury?
RYAN MOORE: Just a strained tendon in my shoulder.

Q. You put the 2-iron in your bag this week. Are there shots that you can hit here to somehow replicate what shots you may have to hit at Birkdale?
RYAN MOORE: No.

Q. No way?
RYAN MOORE: No and no. This is a 5-wood golf course for me, not a 2-iron golf course. No, not really. Everything on this golf course is through the air. You might have the occasional -- you know, get it down in the swell and kind of have to bump one up a ridge or a tier or something like that.

No, it's just the turf conditions are so different that there is very little that you can replicate here. Like I said, I wouldn't be trying to do that anyway. I'm showing up here trying to play as good as I can here. I'll show up there Monday and go out and chip and putt a bunch and get used to it and figure it out.

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