LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL SERIES: CHICAGO

September 16, 2022

Phil Mickelson

Cameron Smith

Matt Wolff

Rich Harvest Farms

Press Conference

Q. Phil, you seem to be having so much fun out there; do you feel like the vibes on LIV are like a fun muni and the PGA TOUR is like a stuffy country club with too many rules?

PHIL MICKELSON: I noticed the pro-ams are a lot different. We have some yahoos out there. So that's a different feel.

But I am having fun. I am motivated and excited to work hard. I have not had the results I've wanted, but I'm working hard at it. I'm going to get this thing figured out. I'm enjoying the opportunity to compete against these guys and do it in a much more fun and fan-friendly environment.

Q. Why is it a more fun and fan-friendly environment?

PHIL MICKELSON: I mean, the energy is different. We all have a say. Everybody is being listened to. We had a great players' meeting and they're listening to what everybody is saying and trying to make the best product. If there's something we can improve on, we make a change.

I love the feel of wearing shorts. I think that kind of -- I know, but it's consistent with what LIV Golf is all about, it's making it -- it's updating the professional golf. I think we're all enjoying the fan-friendly and player-friendly environment.

Q. I talked to Kevin Streelman a couple days ago. He doesn't like what's going on, and a lot of PGA TOUR members don't like what's going on because they think that it's lessening the global competition across golf. Not all the best players are here and not all the best players are there, and he's also upset about the lawsuit, obviously, because he feels like it's an affront to the PGA TOUR members themselves. Can you just address those two things?

PHIL MICKELSON: The PGA TOUR for the last 20 or 30 years have had all the best players in the world. That will never be the case again. LIV Golf is here to stay, and this type of divisive talk is doing nobody good.

The best solution is for us to come together. I think that the world of professional golf has a need for the old, historical history of the game product that the PGA TOUR provides, and I think that LIV provides a really cool, updated feel that is attracting a lot younger crowd, and that's being proven in the people that are watching and the age of the people that are watching.

I think both are needed for the game of golf. Both are good for the game of golf. The inclusion of LIV Golf in the ecosystem of the golf world is necessary.

As soon as that happens and we all start working together, that's going to be a really positive thing for everyone.

Q. Have any of you played Rich Harvest Farms prior to this week, and is preparation any different if you're going into a golf course you haven't seen before?

PHIL MICKELSON: I've been dominating up here, so you guys go ahead.

CAMERON SMITH: This is my first time here. I love it. I think the course is great. I think it played great today, firming up a little bit.

I suppose it is a little bit different. I think the par-3s are pretty key out here. There's a couple of funky greens that you have to get used to. A lot of kind of funky chip shots, I guess, around the green, and just long lag putts uphill. There's a lot of those out there again today.

A little bit different, but I think all three of us have learned to fast track a golf course pretty quickly.

MATT WOLFF: Yeah, this is my first time here. The national championship was held here. That was like the year before I got into school. Yeah, it's my first time, but it's a great place. Like Cam said, though, there's definitely some greens out there that are a little funky and stuff, but I usually just play nine on Tuesday, nine on Wednesday, and then we have the pro-am, 18 on Thursday. For me I feel like that's enough work to know the course and make sure to take a little bit of time on the greens. Cam was behind me in the pro-am; he told me about it.

But yeah, no, I don't think I'd do anything differently. I think I'd just go about my way that I analyze a course, and that's pretty much it.

PHIL MICKELSON: I've really enjoyed Rich Harvest Farms as a venue for here because it's first of all in great shape and it has a wonderful mixture of holes that are really good birdie opportunities and then some really tough pars.

I ended up making a triple on No. 3. It has the potential on a number of holes to make a big number like that, but you also have a chance to recover with a lot of birdie holes, and I think it's fun to play. It is a course that you really want to play a dozen or so times to really learn all the nuances because there's so many nuances in these big huge greens and so forth, but it's fun to play.

Q. Cam, I was just wanting to reflect on you being the 150th winner of the Open. I know you had spoken about how many beers you could fit in the Claret Jug; I think it was two. How many of Rory McIlroy's tears were you able to fit in it after you won?

CAMERON SMITH: I'm not answering that. (Laughter).

Q. We feel really hurt that the PGA has skipped us, but we're so excited that LIV is here and we hope you're coming back to Rich Harvest Farms. Cam, have you ever seen the movie "Joe Dirt"?

CAMERON SMITH: Yes.

Q. I was told and my eyes also told me that this is probably the biggest crowd that has come to a LIV event so far. I guess it's sort of a two-part question. Were you guys feeling that kind of energy off the crowd, and is it starting to legitimize what you guys are doing here?

MATT WOLFF: Yeah, absolutely. I think it is legitimate. I think that we're all the best players in the world -- not all of us, but every single person that's here is a top golfer, a professional golfer that can beat anyone on any given day. The legitimacy of the Tour I don't think needs to be proven by the number of fans that come out. I think the players here speak for that.

But I also love the fans coming out. I think it's great. I definitely feed off the energy, and I think it's a lot of fun. Like Phil was saying, it was kind of an updated version and brings more fun, but we're also focusing on golf and we're also trying to compete. Just because it's LIV doesn't mean -- the competition is still there. It's at the highest level. DJ shot nine deep today. That's a heck of a round.

Q. It's more kind of like that public acceptance factor; do you have any thoughts on that?

CAMERON SMITH: I mean, this is my second one. I thought last week was great in Boston. I think there was probably a few more holes given the routing this week where there's a few more people standing around, so I definitely felt that today.

I think that section around 3/18, 2/17, was fantastic. I think there's a ton of people out here, and I can't wait for the weekend. I think it's going to be fantastic.

Q. Matt, No. 11 today, hit your shot right, you landed on a patch of dirt. First and foremost, what did you think when you walked up to the shot? Second of all, how the hell did you hit that shot?

MATT WOLFF: Yeah, when I first walked up, I was just happy that I had a swing. There was a tree right behind me, and I'm known to kind of take it out to the right, but fortunately I was able to have enough room to make a backswing and have a full swing. Then yeah, if I was going to take a drop from the path I would have had the tree more in my way.

It was definitely -- seemed like a little bit of an unfortunate break, but it also wasn't a great shot, so I couldn't have been asking for too much.

Yeah, I definitely don't practice that shot and I didn't practice it in the practice round. It was definitely a hit-and-hope kind of shot, but talked it through with my caddie, just told myself to do as well as I can to get it on the green, and at that point I was just trying to make par.

Yeah, I was really pleased with that, but I hope tomorrow with the position that I was in from the drive I'll hit a better shot.

Q. Matthew, I wanted to ask you about your putting compared to say Sunday at Boston. How would you describe the improvement?

MATT WOLFF: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think I've been putting a lot of work into it. That's pretty much been my main focus for the last week to prepare for this event.

I've always really been a good putter, so when I don't putt well, it's pretty frustrating, and sometimes I can do a little better job of controlling my anger and emotions.

It just means that I care. It just means that I'm competing and I love being out here and it doesn't mean any less to me. It means more, to be honest. But yeah, I've been working on that for a little bit, and hit a lot of good putts today. I really didn't make too many. I made a few. But if I just keep on stroking it the way I have been, I should be in a good spot.

Q. Once again, the Four Aces are at the top of the leaderboard. How frustrating, how annoying, how much chatter amongst the 11 other teams is there to knock them off for once?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I mean, again, this is my second event, but Punch GC is right down the bottom, and we really need to make a good run. I think Jonesy had 4- or 5-under today, as well, and we were right there.

Yeah, hopefully between a lot of us we can try and knock them off this weekend. I know it's frustrating for me only being my second event. For these guys probably more so. Hopefully someone can get them this weekend.

PHIL MICKELSON: I mean, our team, the Hy Flyers, we have Matt who's been playing really, really well, and myself, Bernd and Cameron have not given him the support that he needs. We have to do our job, and if we do our job, the Hy Flyers are going to make a run at the aces. I think we have the talent and the firepower to do it.

I have not played to the level I need to, and if I can start playing the way I believe I can and give Matt the support, I think that we're going to make a solid run because Tringale and Wiesberger are very solid players that are always in each round. You've never seen them shoot a really big number, and they're always there for support. I've got to pull my weight, and if I do that, we've got somebody with a lot of firepower in Matt that's been lighting it up.

Q. I know last night was the get-together party, warmup. Who was the MVP of the party last night?

MATT WOLFF: Wednesday night? The car collection was pretty ridiculous.

Q. Cam, where did you park today? I know there's a little bit about parking spots. Where did you end up parking today?

CAMERON SMITH: Just out the front here.

Q. I know Phil was talking about the shorts rule. Just wanted to talk about calf implants. Have you guys thought about that, and has there been any ruling if that's acceptable or frowned upon?

PHIL MICKELSON: I'm obviously a proponent of it.

Q. Cam, were you aware that in the fan village today that they had barbers giving out mullet haircuts for $1,000 apiece for fans for charity?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I saw a few out there myself. It was good to see a few guys getting clipped, and obviously a good cause for charity. Yeah, hopefully we get a lot more over the weekend.

Q. Matt, Phil, would you guys be open to going to the barber to go get mullets for charity?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, I absolutely would. I think it looks amazingly attractive.

MATT WOLFF: Yeah, it looks good. I chopped mine off, but --

Q. We've got a barber.

MATT WOLFF: Hair doesn't grow that fast, so...