SKECHERS WORLD CHAMPIONS CUP SUPPORTING SHRINERS CHILDREN’S

December 7, 2025

Darren Clarke

Thomas Bjorn

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Bernhard Langer

Colin Montgomerie

Alex Cejka

Soren Kjeldsen

Jesper Parnevik

Team Europe

Feather Sound Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: First, I want to start by saying congratulations, gentlemen, on capturing the Skechers World Champions Cup supporting Shriners Children's. We're so happy to have you here today, and thank you all in the audience for joining us.

Let's start first with our captain Darren Clarke. This week, Darren, you've really emphasized that this is a team. This is all about the team. You've talked about that on and off the course. How proud are you of this group?

DARREN CLARKE: Yeah, massively proud of them. We had a good first day of Concession a few years ago in the inaugural event, and then we sort of fizzled away on the second two days.

This week we all got together with all of us, the players, the wives, the caddies and everything, and our way in Europe is, when we get into a team, there's no egos, there's no nothing.

I know we've got two Hall of Famers in our group and on our team, but nobody's bigger than anybody else, and we all pull for each other and play for each other.

Bernhard was ill at the start of the week and feeling poorly, but he rallied through. Alex has a bad back as well. Everybody played through the pain and did what they had to do.

I'm extremely proud to be the captain, but not just a spokesperson. I'm just another player on the team. For what these boys did today, it was very close, the way everybody played this morning was exceptional and then have go out again done it again this afternoon in obviously tough conditions in the rain and whatnot.

So I am incredibly proud so sit here as captain of this team. They're friends, colleagues, and they're better people. We all pull for each other and Jesper here as well roaming about; couldn't remember which tees he was on half the time, but he was there.

All of us together, we're just as one big unit and we came through, we pulled through. The guys played great. We're here with the trophy in front of us. I'm very proud of all of these guys.

THE MODERATOR: Absolutely. Let's hear it for Darren and the team. Vice captain, I've seen you out there. You and your wife Mia have been out here supporting this team and making them feel supported through and through.

How do you feel just kind of seeing this victory, and how do you feel watching them doing that?

JESPER PARNEVIK: I'm kind of the same way I started the week. I'm just happy to be here. These guys, first, I've got to give a hand to Darren because you guys can't even imagine how much it is to be the captain, all the work that goes along with being captain, then playing the way he's played and the way he's made all of us feel on the team, including caddies and wives.

So I really just want to say thank you Darren.

(Applause.)

Then to all the players here, no matter what I did and what I said when we came to the par-3s, they knocked it like this. So I can't take all the credit.

BERNHARD LANGER: Yes, you can.

JESPER PARNEVIK: These guys hit unbelievable shots every time I opened my mouth, even if it was right or wrong.

BERNHARD LANGER: We did it for you.

JESPER PARNEVIK: I kind of felt like Seve '97. Everybody who knows what that means knows.

THE MODERATOR: Before we address the crowd to open it up, I just want to go to Søren. You stayed ready this entire week, subbing in at the start of the week and then subbing in later today. How have you stayed ready and just kind of been there to assist your team?

SØREN KJELDSEN: It was obviously tough on Bernhard earlier in the week, and it was nice to play with Alex. He's a great friend of mine. We played great again. We've done that before when we've played. So that was terrific.

Then after like what Darren said was a great morning this morning, I didn't want to play because the team was doing so good, I didn't want to play. When Alex said he was struggling, I was like, oh, no. I felt like I went all pale.

But came out and played well. It's just been incredible. I didn't think I was going to play, and I'm pleased that I played and I played well when I did.

BERNHARD LANGER: You're the best substitute we could ever wish for.

THE MODERATOR: I just want to go through everyone else. I know you each, this means so much to you, especially those that have competed in the inaugural World Champions Cup a few years back.

Alex, we'll start with you. What does this win for Europe and playing for Team Europe mean?

ALEX CEJKA: I want to start like at the last Cup two years ago, we really played well and we were, I think, all disappointed that we had kind of a poor finish.

And so it's so much sweeter like this week to come on top. The captains and vice captains made great decisions from day one when we arrived here and made great pairings and great dinners and great birthday party.

So this win is kind of like in my birthday week and early Christmas present. We are great guys, and we play great golf, and we have a great chemistry. I'm so happy to be a part of the team.

It doesn't matter if it's a losing team a couple years ago or this time. I'm just blessed to be one of those guys sitting up here.

BERNHARD LANGER: Looking up and down this group of guys up here, it's incredible. Some of you don't know what happened to us this week, but Alex has a bad back and struggled through it. We were 7-under or something this morning through eight holes with a bad back. Incredible.

Then you look down the line, everybody's done more than they should have. We're the oldest group, I would think, the oldest team, right? By far.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: You had to bring it up.

BERNHARD LANGER: You've got Angel Miguel Jimenez, who is in his 60s. He's won four tournaments, more than anybody else this year; great player.

Montgomerie, Colin, he hasn't played much this year. For whatever reason, he comes out here and plays every match, and what a way to finish it off today in the singles. I'm so proud of you guys.

Thomas Bjorn, he's just rock solid, hits the ball a mile, and does everything well. When he pairs up with Darren Clarke, you'd better watch out. They've got a great history.

And I already mentioned Søren. You sub him in, and you know he's just going to do a great job.

I'm happy that I feel better. I got some kind of bug last Sunday and stayed in bed all Sunday. Didn't feel great the first part of the week and got a little better. I got a lot of encouragement from these guys.

I haven't been walking much either because I hurt my Achilles a year and a half ago, so I was riding in the cart a lot in the tournaments the last few months. Walking 18 was not an easy thing today, but it turned out great.

In general, I'm just really proud of everybody. They all did more than they could have and should have. Jesper, despite what everybody else might say, you're the best we have. I just hope you'll be back next year. Thank you.

JESPER PARNEVIK: I'm just going to ask Bernhard, what was your score after five holes today? Was it 6-under after five?

BERNHARD LANGER: Yes, it was.

JESPER PARNEVIK: He was a pretty good player.

(Applause.)

DARREN CLARKE: I'm not here to single anybody out or whatever with the scores and everything, but I think Monty, we'd all agree today, Monty has had his health issues and whatever, hasn't played a lot this year, and he got 21 points today, 21 points in this format.

(Applause.)

THE MODERATOR: Monty, because Darren did call you out, how do you feel playing this team format? I know you've played in several Ryder Cups yourself. Just getting back to feeling like you're back with the team and playing in the format?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Oh, me.

THE MODERATOR: Darren called you out, so I had to go to you.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Kind of you to see Thomas and I at the end here. I'm just -- I mean, from what happened this morning, that was a record points total for this event by a mile this morning. Then to come out and think, okay, no complacency, to come out to Bernhard 6-under through five, Søren Kjeldsen 5-under through five. It was nonstop. It was incredible golf that we were playing as a team.

It takes a team to win this. It takes all six or seven of us, whoever substituted in, and it takes all seven of us to score 230 points, which I believe is, what, 16 more than the last winning team. I won't mention their name. USA.

That's a big difference. That was a huge difference. It was a huge team effort from word go this week, and I'm very proud to be on this team. As I said at the start of the week, very proud to pull on a European shirt and represent Europe the way that we have a number of times. Good to emulate what the Ryder Cup have achieved this year in winning on American soil.

I would say that this team deserves more credit than they do really. I think it was a bigger win. Never mind Luke Donald. We'll go Darren Clarke two more years.

(Laughter).

We'll go for this. But just to mention to Bernhard, my good friend, we've walked the fairways of this world a number of times, a number of years, 40-odd years together, and it's a great honor to be part of any team that he's on. To think that 6-under through five today.

BERNHARD LANGER: Yes, unbelievable.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: This is golf that is just unbelievable, and you are an amazing character on and off the course. It's a privilege to be part of the team with you on it.

THE MODERATOR: Miguel, you were wearing two flags today out there getting ready to celebrate.

MIGUEL CABRERA: I took over my low part and my top part. It's amazing what happened today. As we said, it's already been said before, two years ago we started after the first things in the lead and disappointing the way we finished.

But we have the revenge today, you know, and what they did from the very beginning to the very end with this batch of players that you see here, it's normal, no?

(Laughter).

Hall of Famers, Ryder Cups, and age. That's a lot of experience here. I'm very proud to be part of this team. We've known each other for many years, and we are not the first to play in a team event.

As you see out there, we managed ourself with all the team, including caddies, wives, and things, everything you've been told already.

Well, thus I feel proud, and be careful for the next time. We'll come back again.

THE MODERATOR: Thomas down there, you had a great teammate over here and a great partner in captain Darren Clarke. Talk us through this week, playing with Darren, and then also just being a part of this event for your first time.

THOMAS BJØRN: These things go a long way back. Obviously playing Ryder Cups together, Darren and I, and we had our wonderful week up in Madison earlier this year. We step on a golf course together, and I think Darren and I probably as hard headed as any golfer in the world of golf.

DARREN CLARKE: Pardon me?

THOMAS BJØRN: It seems to be, when we get on a golf course together, we don't want to let each other down. So we get the best out of each other. That's a pretty nice experience to have.

This was fun. I can't say anything else about it. This was just fun. It never gets old. Playing for Europe, it's a weird thing because Europe is a very -- it's not always a continent that stands together very well, but when it comes to golf and the way we play together, we certainly stand together in the best possible way, and we did that again this week.

It just never gets old. It's great fun to be part of. You just can't wait for it to happen again. One day might be the last, but I'm taking a lot of inspiration from a guy that's 68 years old at this table. So I hope I have a few more years left in me.

JESPER PARNEVIK: I have one for the stats. 28 years ago, most of us played on the same Ryder Cup team. Miguel was the vice captain. I was player. This year Miguel is on the team, and I'm the vice captain. No other sport would that ever happen except for golf. I think it's amazing just to have that history behind us.

Q. Søren, I'd like to start with you. I usually don't do math in public, but I believe it was 366 days ago you got your card. Can you talk about that day but also fast forward to today, would you have ever thought you'd be in this position?

SØREN KJELDSEN: No, it's sort of -- you know, I sort of have to pinch myself a little bit. I'm here on a winning team with Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, and Miguel Angel Jimenez, not to mention you other guys, but some guys that I -- for example, Bernhard, I've been looking up to Bernhard since I was 15 years old. I copied his putting style when I was 15 years old. He's always been a guy that I sort of -- he was my hero, still is.

This year, last couple of years on the DP World Tour was pretty tough. I was getting old compared to the other guys. Then played great at tour school, and this year has been absolutely unbelievable. I love the Champions Tour. It's a wonderful Tour full of great people, full of great tournaments.

It's just been an incredible year. To sort of cap it off sitting up here with this group of guys here, guys that are absolute Legends of the game, and to be part of this winning team has been quite an extraordinary ride.

JESPER PARNEVIK: I have one more input here about Søren. Søren found out, what, about a half hour before your tee time? Then he pretty much birdied every hole. I mean, just that is unbelievable.

BERNHARD LANGER: 5-under after five, right?

JESPER PARNEVIK: Yes. 5-under after five as the last second. (Speaking over one another) Darren one down.

Q. Bernhard, it's great to see you again. Thanks for those putting tips you gave me yesterday. This has probably been a very memorable week for you. What stood out the most for you through this entire experience?

BERNHARD LANGER: I think that, like you said, there were many of them, but it's always the team. The team stands out. The team room when we have -- like when we sang happy birthday to my friend Alex here and the dinner. We had Swedish chefs come in to cook us a dinner.

Mia and Jesper Parnevik, they're just phenomenal, organizing team stuff for us. Those are moments you can't buy, you can't pay money for that kind of stuff. Those are experiences with these gentlemen up here, with the wives, with the caddies, that you just don't get anywhere else. It's incredible.

But enjoyed meeting you too and watching you putt actually inspired me because I looked at some very good putting strokes when I tried to give you a little putting lesson there, and I was almost thinking they should be giving me some help, not the other way around.

You're very focused. Keep up the good work. You're going to have a great career, both of you, if you keep doing that.

I want to give a shout out to Feather Sound Golf Club. It's just incredible the condition it has been, unreal. The putting surfaces, the greens, the fairways. Everything was really, really topnotch.

And to our Champions Tour staff, the officials that are out there from morning till night giving us rulings and all that kind of stuff, thank you.

(Applause.)

DARREN CLARKE: One more that I would add to Bernhard's list is Brittany Turner Stein, our tournament director. Brittany deserves a lot of credit because the tournament wasn't finalized until a late stage whenever Skechers came in.

What she has achieved going on behind the scenes, I don't know if you're aware or not, getting courtesy vehicles for us, getting all the players clothing, getting the hotel, food, everything sorted.

To Brittany and your Intersport team, thank you for what you've done. It's not easy, and you've done an incredible job again. Thank you so much for making it so easy for us.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I'm going to shout out to the other two teams actually for making this competition what it is. This is my second time that I've played in this Skechers World Champions Cup now, and it's a fantastic competition. It really is. The points system works extremely well. People were a bit so nervous about it the first year, but how do you play three-man match play?

But you realize today that it's an amazing competition, and the points system taking over and you're watching the scoreboards. So a shout out to the other two teams for their great performances as well and making this competition what it is.

We were saying, Intersport was saying, we're trying to make this a 100-year program, and it's got a great start. I look forward to being part of this for as long as possible. I'm sure we all do.

DARREN CLARKE: Just touching on what Monty said there, the three-man match play thing, I think most of us will agree we're a little bit more in tune with the scoring this year and the differences that a half point would make getting a half from the other team, as well as the whole. So you're taking points away from the other team as well as trying to get points for yourself.

I think this year we were a lot more in tune with what was going on with the scoring, at least I was. I think we realized that some of the putts were maybe bigger than we previously thought at Concession. I think that's part of the reason we all played so well also is because we were so much more tuned into what was going on with the scoring, which actually went really, really well. Obviously in favor of us, but it worked out really, really well.

Q. You kind of answered this question about the venue and what you thought, but Darren, just talk about the reception this week starting from the opening day. Great crowds, enthusiastic, respectful. Just talk about the reception you received and just the whole experience in general here at feather sound this week.

DARREN CLARKE: Feather Sound have been -- Monty said it, a few of the other guys have said it, Feather Sound has been exceptional, what they offered us this week.

I think we all went out to play the golf Doris and get a feel for it. We hadn't been here before. We thought the golf course was brilliant in tournament play because it gave you the opportunity of a bit of risk/reward and what have you. So the course was brilliant; condition was sensational; practice facilities, second to none.

The warm welcoming we had when we all came in here, from the locker room, from food and beverage, everything, we could not have asked for a better venue coming in this week. They have been so, so kind to us and welcoming.

Hopefully we may be back again, and I hope we are back again. I thought it was really a great venue. We had some very large USA, USA yesterday afternoon in a couple of tents. It might have been happy hour or whatever, but it was certainly very good.

Miguel sung a wonderful rendition of Ole, Ole, Ole there at the 18th green. The crowds have been great. It would've been very, very nice. We got more and more fans turn out. We did have a better turnout this year, more than the last time.

We just hope more and more people will come out and watch us and realize that these gentlemen can play. If they do that, then the tournament will become even more elevated, which we all hope that it does.

It's off to a wonderful start. This is the second part of it. Certainly, we as players are all in. We want to make this a success. We want to be part of this team.

I can guarantee everybody sitting here now, as soon as it's starting again next year, will all be sitting here wanting to make this team. We all do. If we didn't care, that wouldn't be the case, but we'll all want to be here again trying to retain our title next year again.

I think it's been a wonderful venue. It's been a delight to come here. The hotel that we're all staying is two minutes, one minute away. We don't always get it as perfect as what this week has been in terms of a tournament venue. We're not all -- sometimes we're half an hour away, we're this.

The hotel's been great. Transport's been wonderful. Everything about it and coming to a venue that there's happy faces. Even the security people have all got happy faces. The ones that they've got this week have got happy faces on them.

I think it's been fair play to everybody involved with it. As I said there, Brittany, but everybody here at Feather Sound, they've been a wonderful host venue for us. They truly have.

BERNHARD LANGER: I think, as the word spreads about this tournament and what it is, how exciting it is and how great it is and good golf, there will be people traveling from all over the places to come and watch.

I met a gentleman today, said he flew all the way from Germany just to watch me or us play, just for the week.

ALEX CEJKA: Maybe it was me.

BERNHARD LANGER: It was you too. Anyways, it takes a while. The Ryder Cup wasn't the Ryder Cup when it started. It took a few years to take off. I believe this can have the same effect, this tournament. It's that exciting.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations all. Again, congratulations, Team Europe. Thank you all for a wonderful week, and we hope you get home safe. Thank you.