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CHARLES SCHWAB CHALLENGEJune 10, 2020Steve StrickerFort Worth, Texas Q. I know there are a lot of interesting variables that you guys have to weigh in, but today making that announcement that you'll have six captain's picks, why? STEVE STRICKER: We just thought it was in the best interest of Team USA to get our best team forward. You know, it wasn't an easy decision. We contemplated a lot of different scenarios. But with the climate the way it is, the uncertainty that we're in right now, we're hoping we're going to play all these tournaments, but we don't know for sure. Hopefully we're going to play the Ryder Cup. With all that uncertainty, we just felt like this was the best for us. We lost out on, I don't know, 10, 11 tournaments this year, and guys weren't able to earn points. We want that flexibility to be able to -- Whistling Straits is a big course. We want that flexibility to make sure we get the right guys for the tournament. Q. By losing all these tournaments and making this decision today, does this alter the way you analyze possible captain's picks? STEVE STRICKER: I don't know if it alters the way we analyze it. I mean, we're just starting to look at what kind of player -- and we all kind of have a feeling what kind of player best is suited for Whistling Straits or vice versa. So we'll take that into consideration, look at the guys who are playing well at the time, and we'll develop a game plan to who we think is going to mesh and be right for the course and mesh right with the team. Picking six guys is going to give us that flexibility. Q. Hearing this news today, fans may think, well, it sounds like the Ryder Cup is going to happen this year. Is this an indication that that is really possible? STEVE STRICKER: I hope so. That's way above my pay grade to make any of those determinations. You know, I still think it's up in the air. Just our whole world is up in the air a little bit with this uncertainty. Wisconsin is just starting to kind of open up at 25 percent capacity. 50 percent capacity I think maybe today they're opening it up to. So there's still a lot of things -- corporate money, are corporate people really going to want to spend their dollars this year at the Ryder Cup. That's a tough question, you know, and the uncertainty come September. Opening up our country now, is it going to lead to more cases? There's just so many things that are unanswered and that we can't answer right now, it's hard to say whether we're going to play the Ryder Cup or not. It's a good question. Q. You used numbers like 25 percent, 50 percent; this is a hypothetical, but if the Ryder Cup would allow that percentage of fans on the golf course, do you think that would satisfy the players and the sponsors enough to have a Ryder Cup this year? STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I think it would satisfy. All I can say is from the player side, and I've been talking to some of the players here, some of the PGA TOUR officials, I think a 50 percent capacity would be -- I don't know what the right word is, would be good for everybody. But is social distancing still going to be hard with 25,000 people compared to 50,000 people there? You know, and the Ryder Cup is unique in a way that there's four groups out there on Friday and Saturday, so 25,000 people within four groups, I don't know if you can actually stay away from people at that point. But I think -- I've been talking to the players. They're a little bit more excited and a little keen to the idea of 50 percent capacity of fans. Q. Given everything that you just mentioned, if you're a Ryder Cup fan, should you still count on having the Ryder Cup this year? STEVE STRICKER: You know, I'm hoping so. There would be nothing more than to -- nothing more fun than to be able to have the Ryder Cup in Wisconsin in September and have this whole virus, the whole pandemic, everything kind of on the back burner, and we're planning every week for that. We're planning every week to be playing the Ryder Cup in September. Until otherwise, until we hear otherwise, we're still planning to play. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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