JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 7, 2023

William Mouw

TPC Deere Run

Press Conference

Q. William, just take us through what we want well out there for you today.

WILLIAM MOUW: First off, go the some good weather. I've been battling some heat. It's been hot on the Korn Ferry TOUR.

Got some good weather out there and just executed my game plan this week. Had fun doing it. My caddie and I are having great fun out there.

Q. Did you come here with the sense of confidence that you could contend?

WILLIAM MOUW: I did, yeah. I came prepared this week. My game has been feeling great, and I knew with the good game plan I could play well.

Q. What is the game plan?

WILLIAM MOUW: Just hit good shots to my targets and have fun. I'm happy to be here. I'm on a sponsor exemption. There's no pressure.

I'm not supposed to be here, but through a couple good people; Andrew Lehman, tournament director, invited me here, and my agent. Just happy to be here.

Q. Obviously you go straight back to the Korn Ferry and try to get the job done through there, or if something -- top 10 happens here, do you carry on the PGA TOUR? What are your thoughts on that?

WILLIAM MOUW: Yeah, yeah, that's the goal to keep playing well. I don't know what that's going to be. It's a couple of days in the future.

But I'm just going to keep playing my game, and we'll talk it over with a few of my friends and family and agent and see what we can do.

Q. A lot of guys have talked about their awareness of the opportunities that have been taken advantage of already at this golf tournament. What's your awareness of those things, and how did that enhance your self-belief?

WILLIAM MOUW: Yeah, I know a few of the sponsor exemptions this week. I know a few guys out of college have been playing really well.

Ludvig Aberg has been playing really well. College golf now is really competitive, and it's headed in the right direction. Now a few of us are proving it that way.

Just happy to be out here with some of the best golfers.

Q. Do you have any memories of this tournament in particular? Any awareness of some of the guys that have made things happen, like Jordan Spieth?

WILLIAM MOUW: Yeah, yeah. Nobody is going to forget that shot. That was incredible. Just like the sign says back there, "Magic happens here." Just happy to be a part of it.

Q. Maybe playing with Ludvig tomorrow. Are you guys pretty good friends? Have you ran into each other quite a bit?

WILLIAM MOUW: Ludvig and I have played a bunch of college rounds today. We've played junior golf together. We actually saw each other at the airport. We were both picking up our cars.

We go way back. We're a bunch of buddies competing. If I am playing with him tomorrow, that would be great. We'll have fun, yeah.

Q. Just curious, I know a lot of players out there, they don't like to think about where they're at in terms of the pressure that comes with that. Are you a player that likes to think about that, knowing kind of the stakes ahead of you if you were to win this tournament?

WILLIAM MOUW: Yeah, I think if I find out where I'm at or I don't, it doesn't really change much. I'm just going to keep playing my game and trying to execute the shots.

Q. Are you in any other tournaments via sponsor exemptions after this?

WILLIAM MOUW: I'm not. This is just the one I have planned, and I'm just happy to be here playing.

Q. Are you trying to get any more or not?

WILLIAM MOUW: I would love to. Good play comes with that, and knowing people and building good relationships helps that happen. If I am, great. If not, I'm just going to keep playing on the Korn Ferry and see where that takes me, yeah.

Q. Speaking of the Korn Ferry, I know you have only played in four events out there this season, but you have to go really low out on the Korn Ferry every single week. How much have those experiences helped you maybe this week when you really need to stack up the birdies out here too?

WILLIAM MOUW: Yeah, it's quite different. If you are an afternoon tee time on Korn Ferry, you are already ten shots back it feels like, and you just have to go low.

Out here you can -- you feel like you can play a little -- I don't want to call it conservative, but you can get away with a lot more pars out there. You've got to go birdies and make a lot of birdies.

Coming out here was a nice transition from that. Pretty simple, yeah.

Q. You look so comfortable out there. I'm telling you, you just looked relaxed. You look like you're in your zone. What's the key for you... obviously you're making your professional debut... to come out here and make it look like you've been here before?

WILLIAM MOUW: I feel good. I played now four events on the Korn Ferry, and it's prepared me for this.

I have a good game plan. I feel good about my game. I like the way I'm hitting it. I prepared really hard for this this Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Felt really good about my game, and I just have to go play some golf then, yeah.

Q. You mentioned picking up a car at the airport. That had to be a new experience for you; right?

WILLIAM MOUW: Yeah, we're so blessed out here getting a courtesy car for the week. I'm used to going to Avis, Avis Preferred, and getting the minivan or whatever it is. Show up at the airport, and there's a brand new Lexus waiting for you. It's pretty surreal. Just very blessed.

Q. You could get used to it, couldn't you?

WILLIAM MOUW: Yeah, very fast.