LIV GOLF NEW YORK

August 6, 2026

Brendan Steele

Trump National Golf Club Bedminster

HyFlyers GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Brendan, 3-under 68, quite a battle out there. Take us through the round and how you felt out there.

BRENDAN STEELE: Felt good about it obviously. The course is very difficult. The rough is long. The greens are fast. It's helped a little bit by the fact that it's soft. So the fairways play a little bigger and the greens play a little bigger, it's easier to control the ball, but that being said, it makes the play really long as well.

I had a wood into a par-3 today. I had a wood into a par-4 today. There's definitely a lot of tests out there.

Q. It's obviously very early in the event, but through one round, the HyFlyers are currently in second place. On a course like this that is so challenging, does that make the team competition maybe that much more dynamic and interesting?

BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, I definitely think so. Counting four scores over four days, it's a lot of shots. You really have to hang in there because you're going to have bad holes, bad stretches. If four guys really hang in there, they'll probably have a good week.

Q. Brendan, I'm curious, as the elder statesman of the current active roster, have you taken on maybe some of the leadership stuff and kind of in a similar vein, how much have you worked with Michael in terms of a young guy that's obviously in the first year of his pro career?

BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, Cameron and Scott are both very experienced players as well. We've all tried to help each other throughout the year. Obviously being Michael's first year, there's a lot of new things for him.

Yeah, we're always there to help each other with whatever we need. We're a very collaborative team, and that's something I've really enjoyed about whatever the lineup looks like as we always like to work together and help each other.

Beyond that, the league is very open to helping each other as well. I know Michael has obviously picked my brain and Cameron and Scott, but he's obviously talked to other guys in the league, which is really special about what we have out here.

Q. You guys seem to have picked up the form a little bit as the team -- not so much in the UK obviously, but the previous few events, you seem to be playing a little bit better. How have you guys kind of managed to stay positive through some of the up-and-down results throughout the year?

BRENDAN STEELE: Yeah, it hasn't been the year that we've wanted, but there's been flashes of good things. Scott's been incredible, not only as a player but as a teammate and a human being. He's just the best. So that's been -- it's been nice to have him.

Obviously we want Phil here, but Scott is an awesome replacement, and he's been really, really great for us all around.

Q. Similar to what I asked Ian, is it a challenge to stay focused on your golf when there's a busy week going on off the golf course?

BRENDAN STEELE: Not for me. I've been doing this a long time. I know what I need to do for my prep. I'm excited to be here. I love the golf course. I love the league. It's an opportunity for me to do something great.

I didn't play well in the UK, so I was looking forward to bouncing back here quickly. It was nice to get off to a good start.

Q. What was your reaction to yesterday's announcement about a new investor?

BRENDAN STEELE: Obviously super exciting, and can't say enough good things about what Scott and his team have done and how hard they've worked. So we're really proud of that.

Q. Brendan, last time you played here, I know it's early still, but you finished T-11. What do you think it is about this golf course that suits your game?

BRENDAN STEELE: I think guys have to hit shots from call it 150 to 225 a lot here because of the length of the golf course, and that's a strength for me. So I think that's probably it. That's what I always try to lean on is like, if we're hitting a lot of 6-, 7-, 8-irons, that's something I excel at. So I think that's probably why I feel comfortable here.

Q. You said you love playing on LIV. What about LIV to you has been different than say your experience the first 15 years of your career?

BRENDAN STEELE: It's so much more social and collaborative, and having the support of the team and all the team's staff and everything that comes with it has been huge. It took me back to -- it's like college golf but on steroids with all the help that we have out here.

It's just more fun. It's more fun to try to do that together, to try to accomplish something together, and have guys to play practice rounds with and lean on and travel with. Cameron lives close to me in California, so we practice a ton at home. There's just a ton of stuff I really enjoy about it.

Beyond that, it's more about the camaraderie of the league. You see the same guys at dinner and the hotel, and everybody plays the same event, you tee off at the same time. You kind of all have to get along, and it makes it a lot of fun.

Q. Brendan, besides the news that's gone on between the future of LIV Golf in the past week and the weather being so brutal today with the heat, how affected was your game today and looking into the rest of the week, do you think?

BRENDAN STEELE: Obviously the heat is a tough element, but I prefer heat over cold. My body doesn't move as good in the cold. The ball doesn't go as far. That's a little tougher for me. I'll battle through the heat. That's not a problem.

Off the course, there's been a lot going on, but it's very positive, and I'm excited about it. My job is really just to play as good as I can, and I can't really control the rest of it.

Q. I just wanted to ask you about Phil. When's the last time you talked to him? He hasn't played much at all. So when you -- your team wins, what happens? Does he get a piece of the pie? What's the breakout when you cash a check?

BRENDAN STEELE: I don't know any of the mechanics of anything like that, but I speak to Phil here and there. We wish him well. We want him to be happy and healthy, and that's pretty much all I can say.