HILTON GRAND VACATIONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 23, 2022

Derek Lowe

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Derek. What an amazing victory today, suspenseful, down to a playoff, one-hole playoff. I know you chipped it over there and then had that great putt on the last hole. Congratulations.

DEREK LOWE: Yeah, thank you very much. Again, it's been an honor to stand here in front of you for four days. To play with such amazing golfers, playing with Danielle today, watching what she was able to do in your group.

I never checked the scoreboard until the 18th hole and I asked my wife, Where do I stand, and she says Annika was to par or we'll go to a playoff. I went and watched. What an amazing up and down on 18 she did.

But it is honestly like one of the biggest events I've ever been part of or win. To play against Annika Sorenstam, how many people can say that, in a playoff, and to prevail? It was a great day.

Q. Yeah, what was going through your head on the playoff hole?

DEREK LOWE: Nerves, 100%. I think it wasn't the greatest tee shot in the world, but I was just thinking, Try to make par somehow, someway. Again, wasn't the greatest second shot, but I was able to make a good putt.

To sit there and walk down the fairway, me and Annika, I've got to really know her and she is a very special person. I know she means a lot to Lake Nona and for all of golf. It's just been a great four days for me.

Q. And then a little bit about your round today, any holes that stood out?

DEREK LOWE: You know, to be honest with you, I was able to birdie the first two holes, which was huge for me to kind of be able to settle down. Knowing you're going to make bogeys along the way, but give you a little bit of a cushion.

So, yeah, the probably first hole, birdie on the first hole, and then just kind of, again, not really looking at the scoreboard because I can't control what anybody does.

You just kind of do your own thing. Mardy Fish who I was playing with, tremendous guy, won numerous events here. Just pretty shocked, to be honest with you.

Q. Yeah. Well you played great this week. Standing out there, we were standing next to you when Annika faced that up and down. That was a squirrelly up and down. When she executed it, were you like, Oh, man?

DEREK LOWE: To be honest with you, I mean, you would be foolish not to think she's going to get that up and down pretty much from anywhere. Her talent speaks for itself. In sport, having played sport, you never root against anybody. There was not one inkling in my body hoping she made a bogey.

Again, you want everyone to do the best, and it was just pretty special putt on 18 that I'll probably never forget.

Q. I didn't think you were rooting against her, but still it was like, oh, man, now I got to go play...

DEREK LOWE: I'm well aware with that. Vegas would've probably had me as an underdog, I can tell you that. Having met her yesterday, she is a special person, special human being, and I won one hole is basically what I did against her.