SKECHERS WORLD CHAMPIONS CUP SUPPORTING SHRINERS CHILDREN’S

December 2, 2025

Mike Weir

Angel Cabrera

KJ Choi

Steve Alker

Charlie Wi

Rocardo Gonzalez

YE Yang

Mark Hensby

Feather Sound Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good morning. Welcome to the 2025 Skechers World Champions Cup supporting Shriners Children's here at Feather Sound Country Club.

We're happy to kick things off with Team International. Joining us on stage, captain Mike Weir, vice captain Ricardo Gonzalez, vice captain Charlie Wi, Steven Alker, K.J. Choi, Mark Hensby, and Y.E. Yang.

Mike, we'll start with you.

MIKE WEIR: First, it's an honor to be here in this World Champions Cup. We're in our second year. For me to be asked to be a captain in this is an honor. We have great players on our team here. I'm looking forward to leading these guys to some good play this week.

We've got a lot of veteran guys, guys who have been in team competitions. Steven and K.J. are the only guys that played in the inaugural event, so they know what it's all about. The rest of us are getting our feet wet, so to speak, a little bit.

It's an honor for me to be here with these guys and hope to bring the Internationals a win this week.

RICARDO GONZALEZ: For me it's an honor to be here with great friends and great players. I try to make my best to win the team, yes.

CHARLIE WI: Same thing what Ricardo and Mike said, it's a great honor and privilege to be here. You know what's so great is, when we play throughout the year we don't really get to hang out, but being able to hang out last night and today, it's been a lot of fun. I'm really enjoying this experience, and I'm glad Mike asked me to be part of it.

Hopefully we'll have a great week. I know we have some great players on our team, and I think they're going to do great.

STEVEN ALKER: It's great to be back for a second time. K.J. and I are the only two back from '23, but I think we've got a great dynamic of a team. We've all had pretty good years, and I think just looking forward to winning some points.

There's a lot of points. We've got three days to get it done. It would be great to get a win for Captain Mike here. He's been part of Presidents Cup and everything. So it would be pretty special to get a win.

ANGEL CABRERA: (Speaking Spanish).

K.J. CHOI: We have a great relationship to a long time in Presidents Cup, and then we all different cultures: Argentina, Korea, Canada, Asian, Australia. There's a (indiscernible) difference and eating difference, but only one thing in the game in a same.

We have a lot of point and the last time is we were very close. So very exciting to be in the game. Everyone, good job, and this week enjoy. Thank you so much.

MARK HENSBY: I haven't played a team event since 2005 in the Presidents Cup. Obviously it was exciting. This week with Mike being our captain, obviously he has a lot of experience in this, and as I said, we're all pretty good friends off the course, good camaraderie here. Yeah, we're looking forward to a great week.

I think the way Mike's putting the teams together, we should be pretty successful and hopefully competitive.

Y.E. YANG: Honor to join International Team. Maybe I play well, and I'm honored to go make points. Maybe hopefully our team wins. I would be happy to this week. Thank you.

Q. Mike, six ball and Scotch sixsomes aren't formats we see every week, if ever. Any particular challenges in terms of setting up pairings or just things you think about strategically with these two particular formats that we don't ever really see?

MIKE WEIR: Yeah, it is an interesting type format. It's a little -- excuse me. The alternate shot a little less stressful than a Presidents Cup or a Ryder Cup where you both get to tee off on the hole scotch style, where you both tee up and alternate shot from there.

I've done a little bit of research. We don't have ShotLink on the Champions Tour to really dive into details of statistics, but we did the best job we could to look at the pairings and match things up best we can with the golf course.

I feel like we have -- we've got great synergy amongst the team and good pairings, I believe. I think those are the things that you've got to kind of pay attention to. I think the formats are fun.

As we said, the inaugural event came down to that last hole. I like the formats. I like how they start with maybe the best ball and you kind of ease into it and then move over to the alternate shot format in the afternoon. I think that's a good way to go about it.

Q. It's probably not the simplest format for fans to follow in terms of the points system. Do you see any way of simplifying it, or does it make sense in terms of how it's set up?

MIKE WEIR: I think maybe when you look at it on paper it's looks a little confusing because there's so many points, but it's pretty easy. It's really if you just think of it, hole to hole, there's three points available. If the three of us were playing a match and going out, I made a 3 and they both made a 4, I get a point off of each of them. If we all tied, all made 3s, we'd all get one point. If someone -- I made a 3, 4, and a 5, I'd get two points, he'd get a point for beating him.

So if you just think of it that way on each hole, I think for the fans that will be pretty simple to follow. And then those points add up because there's so many points. That's where it starts to get big and maybe confusing, but to simplify it, each hole is pretty simple, and I think that will be pretty easy for fans to follow.

Q. Mike, K.J. touched on it a little bit, and you had the experience in the Presidents Cup of trying to pull together a roster that ranges from Korea to Argentina to New Zealand and places in between. What did you learn from your Presidents Cup captaincy, and what, if anything, do you tweak this week to bring this group together?

MIKE WEIR: I think the culture we've built around the Presidents Cup has gotten stronger and stronger over the past dozen years or so. It continues to get strong. Guys, even in their off weeks playing a regular PGA TOUR event tend to gravitate towards one another, play practice rounds towards one another.

I would say on the Champions Tour there's not as much of a challenge because we all are friendly. We've known each other a long time. So bringing that together is not as difficult as maybe a Presidents Cup, especially with only the six playing and Ricardo and Charlie. With eight of us, it's a little easier. We've known each other a long time, so building that's pretty easy.

I would say what I learned from the Presidents Cup is using analytics is good, but trusting your gut also is a thing and listening to that. So I think talk with these guys, and I think we have a good handle on that and how the pairings are going to work.

Yeah, you pick up on those things as a player and as assistant captain and captain. You kind of pick up a few of those things along the way and try to lead that in. It's a little different dealing with 20-something-year-olds than 50-year-olds.

These guys know what to do. They know how to play. They know their own play. They know the routines and stuff that make them tick, and they have to stick with those. The simpler, I believe, is better at this stage of the game.

Q. K.J., I believe you're the only person on this dais here who has played two years ago and played the Presidents Cup. How would you compare those two weeks?

K.J. CHOI: 2015 in South Korea in the Presidents Cup, we had six, seven different countries, and we more talking, the more eating together. It's very fun. The golf course is no pressure. Individual is play very well, so very close so we did it.

With Champions Cup, it's all six, seven players and all the time together. This week too we more the friendship and the eating and talking and practicing, everything. So we are very comfortable and best to play of right now.

So we did it the last time two years ago very close, but I think this week very well. So I play very well.

Q. Do you feel a certain intensity to get the win this time around?

K.J. CHOI: We try. We best to try. The more (indiscernible) Charlie Win vice captain this week is I more comfortable.

(Laughter).

CHARLIE WI: Well thank you.

Q. This is almost a direct follow-up to Jeff's question. How is your approach this week to team format and selections similar or different compared to your preparation for the Presidents Cup as a captaincy?

MIKE WEIR: I think just the analysis maybe that goes into a Presidents Cup and getting to know the players, because you're playing on the Champions Tour; you don't get to see the guys as much.

So trying to lean on maybe some other aspects, agents and stuff, to try to figure out those players and know what makes them tick and try to make that together.

I think here with the eight of us here, we all know each other. We know it works. So it's a little easier to ask, I would say. We kind of know each other, and the camaraderie is there already. It's already built in. Everybody has great rapport.

In that respect, it's a little easier, if that answers it.

Q. Steven, I'm curious about how you come to find yourself living in Scotland these days, how that came to fruition, and what your feelings are for taking on Team Europe this week?

STEVEN ALKER: Interesting question. Thank you. My son's living in Scotland. We bought some property there. We have family up there as well. So that's the main reason we did it. And we love Scotland as well. The golf was good too. Twisted my wife's arm to move there.

Taking on Europe, yeah, well, my wife is English. I know all the boys on the European team obviously. I just think it's just the whole event itself is just a great -- there's great camaraderie.

I've never been part of a Presidents Cup, but I think just doing things together like last night. Going to have another function tonight. We're all together. We're mingling. We're getting to know each other better. We know each other very well anyway.

I think that part of the tournament is pretty amazing. I think it's what makes the tournament so special.

Q. I had a question for you, Mike. What is your favorite part about golfing in this area?

MIKE WEIR: My favorite part, probably, I guess living in Utah where I am this time of year coming to good warm weather. I've always found great golf down here. Obviously lots of players live down in Florida, and travel is good out of here for the Tour life. But I'd say the weather is pretty good.

Q. Steven, I'm curious, have you had any exposure yet to Brian Rolapp? If so, has he given you insights into what he's thinking or new leadership is thinking strategically in terms of Champions Tour?

STEVEN ALKER: No, I haven't. I haven't heard anything. I'm on the PAC board. We have updates and things, but I haven't heard anything of late.

I think the whole just making this Tour what it is already and making it bigger, having the media and the fan interaction, I think that's huge going forward. Yeah, I haven't heard any more lately.

Q. Have you met him yet?

STEVEN ALKER: I have not, no. He was in Jacksonville, I think. I didn't actually get to meet him. I think he means business. It seems like he's going to shake things up a little bit.

Yeah, in terms of the Champions Tour, I don't know what direction he's going there.

Q. I know many of you have played course ins this area. I know K.J. has had some success at Innisbrook. Talk about coming back here and your thoughts on the golf in this area in general.

K.J. CHOI: Looks like tempo is difference, but this course is wide open. Innisbrook is very narrow. It's many trees, different setup.

I first landed in Jacksonville in 1999. Hopefully a second home in Florida. Very good memories in the Florida area, Jacksonville, and Tampa twice win. So more people and everyone is lovely. My game is more happy in the wind directions.

Course setup is fantastic. Not yet able to play, but last night at 2:00 in the a.m. I arrived from Korea, so still jet lagged. We're used to jet lag, so many time.

So we very strong players here. I'm very proud of my team. Mike Weir is a couple times captain to the Presidents Cup and everyone.

The feeling is very comfortable. Europe team and U.S. Team is all over. So we are long time in the friendship.

It's good fighting this week, and we best playing, but victory too and best work.