LIV GOLF TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

October 29, 2022

Dustin Johnson

Brooks Koepka

Cameron Smith

Louis Oosthuizen

Trump National Doral

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Rounds of applause for our winning captains. We have Louis Oosthuizen, captain of Team Stingers, Brooks Koepka, captain of Smash GC; Dustin Johnson, captain of the 4 Aces and Cam Smith of Punch GC.

Q. Louis, first of all, what exactly is the problem with the left elbow there?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: What's that?

Q. What is your problem with your left elbow?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I don't know. It sort of locked up on a practice swing on a follow through early on so I was sort of struggling to get past my shoulder. I had the physio out there releasing it on the one hole. It popped pretty nicely on the one hole and it was easier hitting drivers. Iron shots was not an issue. But the driving in the beginning wasn't comfortable.

So it wasn't any pain or anything. Just on the follow through, I just felt very weird on the left side but it seemed to be better at the end there.

Q. And obviously you're glad to get through to tomorrow but you guys played 61 holes today between the three matches. The other teams didn't have to play as many. Do you think that's going to be much of a factor tomorrow or will you be riding on adrenaline?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No, we're okay. We're not that old yet (laughing). We're okay. We'll be fine. Yeah, it's a few extra holes. But yeah, I'll probably have an early one tonight and be ready for to many.

Q. For all four captains, just going from two days of match play to now stroke play, all four rounds count. That's the first time that's happened in a LIV round. What's the mentality in making switch from match play to stroke play? DJ, maybe start first?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I only played one round of match play, but yeah, it's not -- we're used to it. We play stroke play all the time, so it's no different. Match play, too, for the most part, you still have to go out and shoot a good score. There's the occasional hole where you can pick up or the guy gives you a putt or something, but it's still golf and you're still trying to get in the hole fastest. Tomorrow it's no different than any other tournament we play. Go out and try to shoot as low as we can.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I agree. I think it's the same, mate, to be honest. Everyone out here is so good that you rarely get given a hole, anyway, so it's of the same. I mean, maybe over the past couple of days, maybe one or two holes where you try and play the Bernd, but you know, most of the time you're just trying to play the golf course and just trying to make as many birdies as you can.

Q. Brooks, you guys are on a roll right now. Just the mentality of switching back to stroke play, you have four strong guys playing well now?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, our whole team is playing really solid. Pleased and just tee what happens tomorrow. You never know.

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, same here. I think the match play is nice but we can be a little more aggressive on the golf course. It just showed you, also, you can be a little more aggressive on this golf course and make a few birdies.

But yeah, it should be fun.

Q. Not really sure who to send this question to but if any of you want to speak up, go for it. Do any of you feel a sense of rivalry with any other team in this league or any other golfer in this league, and if not, how do you see rivalry being created, manifesting in the League?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean --

CAMERON SMITH: I think everyone is out to beat the four aces tomorrow. Personally they are the one --

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Bring it.

CAMERON SMITH: They have been the one on top all year. So it will be nice to maybe get out there and show them someone else can win, personally.

BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, yeah, it all depends. I think the way this team format is set up here this week, if you're picked, I think it could start something. But yeah, I think obviously there's also like little rivalries kind of going on anyway. Sometimes it's player-to-player and it could be team-to-team, so you never know.

Q. You touched on it but you're the only team that swept, so obviously all four of you guys are playing well. How much of that is an advantage and how much do you think could carry over?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I hope so. You know, we played well in Jeddah. Playing well here, obviously, to make it to be sitting here today, obviously the team is playing good.

I mean, I'm very pleased with how everyone's playing. Everyone's playing solid. Like I said, anything can happen tomorrow. You never know. Everybody's got 18 holes and especially with this finish, you never know. I don't know what direction the wind is supposed to blow, but it will make for an exciting finish.

Q. I got one of your mullets for charity today. They said I was the record breaker at No. 82 which was $82,000 to the Hurricane Ian victims. I was just seeing what you thought of it. Not quite like yours, but if you could give it a rating 1 through 10, what would you give it?

CAMERON SMITH: 1, 2. (Laughter).

Q. At least it went to a good cause.

CAMERON SMITH: You could have gone shorter on front I think.

Q. Speaking of the 4 Aces, he's the heart and soul of the 4 Aces. Going to be tough to beat tomorrow. How do you prepare to face such a powerhouse with DJ, Gooch, Captain America and Pat Perez, the heart and soul of golf?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think it's obviously going to be hard work. I think the golf course has got better and better as the week's gone on. I think typically Aussies like to play firm and fast golf courses and it's starting to get a little bit like that. We'll see what happens overnight.

Yeah, obviously the team is playing pretty good, Leish and the other two boys dug me out of a hole today. So good to see that, and yeah, hopefully we can go out there and shoot as low as we can.

Q. Obviously there's $34 million on the line tomorrow, and I'm sure if I ask you, will that be a difference to you, you'll say no, but could you tell me, is there any number from a financial standpoint that would make you shake a little over a putt?

CAMERON SMITH: I think it's more competition more than --

BROOKS KOEPKA: It's just the winning, the winning factor. I'd rather win. Just plain and simple.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, when we're playing for money that's not ours, it's a little different. I think if we all had to pony up out of our pockets, it might -- it might make some butt holes tighten up a little bit. (Laughter).

Q. How much?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: A thousand? Not enough. A little higher. Keep on going.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Add a couple zeros.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: But yeah, for us, it's all about the competition. We want to win the first championship of LIV Golf, and yeah, I mean, it's all about -- tomorrow, it's anybody's ballgame. I don't think there's -- every team up here obviously is playing well. There's no favorites in my eyes tomorrow. You know, it's what four guys can play the best on the teams obviously because all four scores count. So everybody on your team has to play well.

Q. You guys are all very experienced players. Where would winning tomorrow kind of rank among your guys career accomplishments so far?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: It would be great. Obviously it's the first LIV Team Championship. It's kind of the first year of this and I think it's gone really well and it just kind of sets up for things to come.

Yeah, I think it would be amazing and it's something that we all really want to win.

Q. I was wondering if every team in the LIV Tour was to play in a beer pong tournament, who would win?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: What did he ask?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Have you ever played beer pong? I didn't think so.

CAMERON SMITH: Louis doesn't know what beer pong is. Can you explain?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I know what it is. I've never played it.

Q. Would you guys like to play afterwards?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Might do it tomorrow night.

THE MODERATOR: So tomorrow captains are playing captains and you guys are going to be paired in some configuration of what's up here. I would like to hear from each of you about who you would like to be paired with tomorrow.

CAMERON SMITH: It wouldn't really bother me to be honest. I think like all other events, I don't know if it's the same for these guys, but I spend more time looking at the team leaderboard than I do the actual individual leaderboard.

So I don't know, it's quite unique, but that's what I love about LIV Golf. It's just so different, and you're worried about your mates sometimes more than you are yourself.

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I would like to play with Cam tomorrow. I had enough of being 50 yards behind Bryson today. These two not far off, so I want to play with Cam, please. I'll only be 15 behind.

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I mean, I think we've all played so much golf together. It doesn't really matter. All three of them are pretty damn good players. I'll take any one of them.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Any of the boys up here is fine with me.

Q. At the quarterfinals there were eight teams up on stage and 15 major champions. Yesterday we had another 8 teams and 12 major champions. Cam, taking on the major champions, of the three, what would you prefer?

CAMERON SMITH: What do you mean? What major would I prefer?

Q. No, which of these three guys, Louis with one major, Brooks with four, DJ with two, and you have one yourself.

CAMERON SMITH: I'll take Louis. I think we both won our major on the same golf course. That's why he wants to play with me tomorrow so we can reminisce.

Q. You guys have won four in the regular season, you came into this as the favorites. Do you feel like anything less than winning tomorrow is going to impact the way you look at the team's success this year?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I don't think so. I think we've had a really good year and no matter what happens tomorrow, we'll still have had a really good year.

Tomorrow, it's anybody's ballgame like I said. All four guys have to play really well if you want to win. Tomorrow is a whole different -- we haven't had one tournament or one event where we've had to count all four scores, so you know, I think it's going to be really exciting and a lot of fun.