Speaking to the media following his stunning victory at the 108th PGA Championship, Aaron Rai reflects on the hard work that he, his family and his support network have put into making him such a hard man to beat.

How proud are you to become the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since 1919?

AARON RAI: I wasn’t aware of that fact coming into the week, but it got mentioned a couple of times during media interviews on Saturday, so I was aware of it coming into today.

So, yeah, I extremely proud. There have been a lot of incredible English golfers over those hundred-plus years who have gone on to achieve incredible things and had phenomenal careers, so to win this event and then to be the person that’s the first one to have won it in a long time from England is an amazing thing and something to be extremely proud of.

Can you just describe your emotions as you’re playing those final few holes, and your amazing birdie putt 17. How did you manage to keep so calm and produce the kind of golf that you did?

I think, firstly, the golf course really demands it. It was a true major championship setup in terms of how difficult it was, and how penalising it was, but it also rewarded good play. The nature of the course, and the nature of the shots that are required over the last few holes, just require a lot of focus.

The putt on 17 was incredible. I was just trying to focus on speed and get it close. It started to look good line-wise with probably about 15 feet to go, and it slowed up nicely as well – but it was a real bonus to see that one go in.

Aaron, two shots prior to that putt really stood out for me on that back nine. Firstly, the long bunker shot on 13, and secondly your approach on 16. Could you walk us through what you were thinking about on both of those and how pleased you were to pull off those shots in that moment?

Those were two really good shots. The bunker shot on 13 was on a slight upslope, which in a way helped me to stay really aggressive on it. But the upslope also made it difficult because it was such a long bunker shot. It was probably 40 yards or so. I just stayed really committed and tried to trust the strike, and it came out extremely well. I was actually trying to hit that probably 12 feet short, and it came out probably a little fast, but it worked out fine in the end.

And the shots on 16. I hit a great tee shot to hold the fairway there. That was a really hard fairway to hit. And the second shot was a great number for a 5-iron. The wind was off the left. The ball was slightly below my feet. So it kind of just suited a shot that was falling off the wind. I hit it very well, great strike, and kind of worked its way down there to 15 feet or so. They were probably two of my best shots on the back nine.

I know your parents made a lot of sacrifices for you to get here, especially your father, who got you into the game. Can just reflect on what all that means and kind of how they got you here?

It’s probably hard for me to really express everything that I feel towards them. I think I’ll get way too emotional to speak. Yeah, starting with my dad, he was with me every day that I went to practice from the age of 4 or 5 years old. He quit his job and started to focus on my golf from a really young age.

I used to read a lot about golf. He used to obviously be active in everything he did with me around the game. My mum has been absolutely incredible as well. She worked extremely long hours to just provide for the house, especially with my dad also not working as much. So, she did a lot of things, and her support has been phenomenal.

Obviously, I would love to share this with them. It would be amazing if they were here. I can’t put into words how much they’ve done in terms of the support, in terms of the care, in terms of love. Again, I wouldn’t be here without them.

You’ve won big tournaments before, but when you looked at that jam-packed leaderboard today, what gave you the belief that you were going to be able to win your first major championship?

That’s a great question. Honestly, I didn’t look too much at the leaderboard. Obviously I knew there were a lot of people that were relatively close, but I think regardless of how bunched that it was, it still required a really good, strong round of golf. Again, the course really demanded it this week, and it was very punishing. As soon as you lost a split-second of focus at any time, whether it was a tee shot, an approach or a putt, you were in danger of dropping shots.

So I think the focus was very much on the golf course, on continuing to run through some good processes, and to just see where that put me during the round. I didn’t really look at too many leaderboards. I had a sense of how things were going from the crowds, but I just did a really good job of playing the golf course and not worrying about anything else.

You’re obviously very connected to your heritage and your Indian and Kenyan roots. I was just wondering what a vision is of modern English sporting success really to have somebody with your background achieving something like this?

I’m very proud to be from England. That’s where I grew up and that’s where a lot of my family still live. But of course, I’m very proud of my Indian and Kenyan roots as well. My mum grew up in Kenya and her side of the family lived there for a number of years before they moved to England. My sister lives in Kenya now and my mum still spends a lot of time there.

Going back a couple of generations, both of my sets of grandparents from my mum and dad’s side were from India. All I can say is I’m very proud to be a mix of all of them.

Golf instruction is at the heart of the PGA Championship, and you have such a longstanding relationship with Me and My Golf. Wondering if you can talk about that, how deep it goes back in your life, and what it means to have their support and win on this stage and celebrates golf instruction?

They’ve been phenomenal. Andrew Proudman and Piers Ward are the two guys involved with Me and My Golf. I’ve known Andrew since I was four years old. He used to work at the pro shop on the driving range me and my dad used to go to. I was four, he was 18, so he was there before he turned professional.

I met Piers when he was 8 or 9 years old. So we grew up in the same city. They started to coach me very soon after that. I was probably 10 years old. When I call them my coaches, I almost feel disrespectful calling them just my coaches. They’ve been so much more to me than that from a young age, also as a teenager, and also on this journey as a professional golfer. They’ve been my mentors, my big brothers. They’ve almost been like family to me.

And the number of times that we’ve been on a golf course or on a driving range in cold winters. I remember we played the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth probably six years ago now, and Piers was on the putting green with me until 11.30pm on a Tuesday night, and then he had to drive two hours back to Wolverhampton, and he was just with me the whole day.

They just go above and beyond for me in every single way. They’ve played a huge part in this trophy and a huge part in my development as a golfer.

Aaron, I know people always like to ask you about the iron covers and the gloves and a few things that you do differently. Golf can often be a game that pushes people to conform a certain way. I’m curious if you felt that pressure, especially as a junior golfer, and how you were able to double down on being yourself?

That’s a great question. I think my dad played a really big role in that. For the most part, it was just the two of us who used to go onto the golf course and practice together, probably up until I was 13 or 14. So I think he was very much an advocate to really just stay in your lane, focus on the things that you can do.

And I didn’t really mix with a lot of other junior golfers, which didn’t give me a perspective of what was normal. So I think he kind of sheltered me to be able to develop in a way that made sense for me, in a way that I guess was a little bit unique with the two gloves and the iron covers.

By the time I began to play more club golf and professional golf, I felt like I was strong enough in why I did certain things to be able to continue to move that forward. I knew the reasons why I do them. I believe in the reasons why I do them. So I had no reason to shift from that as I got older. So, yeah, that’s probably the main reason behind it.

You said you didn’t really mix with other junior golfers. Why was that?

That’s a really good question. Up until the age of around 12 years old I used to play off basically a customised course length, which gradually got longer and longer every year from the age of kind of 7 to 12. I was 12 when I played off ladies tees for the first time. Before that, I was playing off the fairways and trying to make the course short enough for me to score par or better, even as an 8, 9, 10-year-old.

I thought it was a great idea. My dad thought it was a great idea. But that naturally that kind of kept me away from club golf and medal golf. I would still play in junior events, but only in my age group, just to really protect myself and what we were trying to work on and what we were trying to kind of build towards.

Then, when I was about 13 or 14, I was long enough to be able to play off the men’s tees, and that’s when I started to play a little bit of club golf. Again, by that age, I’d gotten so used to practicing a certain way and that started to feel really comfortable. So even though I was maybe good enough and long enough to compete at club level, I didn’t play a huge amount of it. Then within two or three years of that I turned professional, so that was pretty much my journey through to that point.

Was that a method that you borrowed from someone else, or was that one of your father’s own ideas?

I used to play in a tournament called the Wee Wonders, which had a local stage, a regional stage, and a national stage. If you managed to progress through all of those, you qualified to play in the US Kids World Championship. I was fortunate enough to qualify for that at the age of 8 years old.

When we got to America, this was a system that a lot of juniors had adopted at that age of forward tees and gradually making the course longer as you grow, and my dad really thought that idea was great in terms of just installing the abilities and the skills to be able to score and the distance would just follow with age and with growth. So it was after that point that we really stuck to that for the next four years.

Can you just run us through who’s on Team Rai, who your support system is?

Professionally, starting with my sponsor, Shabir Randeree. He’s almost been like a second father to me. He supported me with my golf and travel and expenses. He supported my education as well. He paid for me to go to a private school. He’s been there since I was a kid and gave me so many opportunities that I never would have had otherwise.

Andrew Proudman and Piers Ward from Me and My Golf. Andrew Caldwell from Active Therapy, he’s my trainer and physio. I’ve worked a lot with John Graham over the last two years as well. So, yeah, I’ve got a really close-knit team.

Do you have an idea of what’s next? Are you much of a goal setter in your career? Do you think about things such as Ryder Cups or other titles to tick off?

I try not to consciously focus on it too much. These things are always around, whether it’s the Ryder Cup, whether it’s the next event, whether it’s the next major. So those are things that you can never completely ignore, but I try not to focus on them as real motivations to push me forward.

I hope to continue to move forward in a pretty similar way in terms of practice, training, application towards the game, and we’ll see where that takes me.

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As he prepares to take part in his third Master Tournament, Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg talks about his preparation and confidence heading into the season’s firs major championship after strong recent results, as well as his growing familiarity with Augusta National. He also reflects on what he has learned from his first two appearances and how he approaches the course, including managing its challenges and maintaining consistency, and discusses the tournament’s traditions, the competitive field, and personal aspects such as his experiences off the course.

You’re coming into Masters week with great momentum from your strong results in March. How is your preparation going, and how much confidence does that give you returning to Augusta with two Top-10s already under your belt?

Yeah, for sure. Every time I think about Augusta, it makes me smile. So I always look forward to it. Obviously, it’s the first major of the year. There’s a lot of buzz around the tournament, which I really love. It’s cool to be part of such a great tournament. I feel like I’ve had a nice couple of weeks leading into this. I had a good tournament last week. Now I’m coming here with fresh legs and I’m looking forward to continuing that momentum.

Now that you have two full Masters behind you, do certain parts of the Augusta National course feel more —or less — challenging?

Yeah, I think looking back at the last two times I’ve been here, I’ve put a lot of work into getting to know the golf course. This year feels a little different. I feel like I know it better. There are certain shots where, during the practice rounds, we’ve hit some extra chips or putts. I feel like I understand those spots more than I did a couple of years ago. Does that make it easier? Maybe. But you still have to execute the shots. Augusta is a place where certain shots and certain misses are very important. It really rewards patience and discipline. That will be the biggest challenge this week, and I’m definitely looking forward to it.

What are the biggest lessons you’ve taken from your first two appearances here, and how have they shaped your approach this time around?

Yeah, I think Augusta is a place where you can’t really force it. You just have to hit every shot as well as you can and execute. You try to come up with a game plan that eliminates big mistakes. You almost have to let it come to you instead of trying to force things or make something happen. I think that’s what I’ve done well over the last two years when I’ve been here. It’s definitely something I’m trying to do again this year. My strategy and game plan don’t really change. But you still have to hit the fairways, hit the greens, and make the plays.

Many veterans lean on decades of course knowledge here. Heading into just your third Masters, how do you make up for that experience gap, especially on these incredibly complex greens?

Yeah, the greens are tricky. We have a general idea of where they’re going to place the pins. Based on the last couple of years, we kind of know what they’ve done. I lean a lot on my caddie. Our partnership is very valuable to me, and it’s been that way since the first time I came here. We always have conversations about certain things. Sometimes you just have to take your medicine. It’s a very visual golf course. It can trick you into trying shots or going for things that might not be the best play. But overall, I think we have a pretty good idea of what to do.

How does your practice week here at Augusta differ from a regular Tour event? What is your absolute main focus right now?

Yeah, it’s a tricky balance. With the Par 3 course, it’s different from a normal tournament. Usually, Wednesdays are more like a Pro-Am-day. But today we were able to relax a bit and spend time with friends and family. That’s a really cool tradition they have here. Other than that, because it’s a long week and there’s a lot going on, I try to limit my practice. I focus on maintaining and conserving energy more than anything else. We also took an earlier trip here a few weeks ago—two or three weeks ago—just to play the course. That’s not something I would normally do for a regular tournament. It makes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday a bit easier during tournament week.

There is such a rich history of European Masters champions — from Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam, to Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett and most recently, Rory McIlroy. How motivating is the thought of joining that elite list, and what’s the final piece of the puzzle for you to win the Green Jacket?

Yeah, obviously the green jacket is one of the most sought-after prizes in golf. There’s a reason for that—because it is Augusta National and the Masters. I met Sir Nick Faldo today and shook his hand, which was pretty cool. I’ll be playing with Jon Rahm tomorrow, who obviously won here a few years ago. There’s a long tradition of great golfers winning this tournament, and hopefully one day I can be one of them.

Looking at the field this week, who do you see as the absolute strongest contenders, and who are you most excited to go up against?

I’m looking forward to playing with Jon Rahm tomorrow. I’ve actually never played a tournament round with him. We’ve played some practice rounds together at the Ryder Cup. He’s obviously one of the best players in the world, and I’d expect him to be up there on Sunday. There are a few others as well—Scottie, Rory, and Xander come to mind when I think about it, but we will see what happens in a couple of days.

Away from the golf course, what is your number one ‘must-do’ during Masters week? Have you established any personal traditions here yet?

Not quite. We’ve moved around a little bit. We’ve stayed in houses in roughly the same area, but we’ve switched houses every year. So I haven’t really had the same place each time. I try to keep things very light. It’s a long week and on Monday after the Masters I felt a bit exhausted. You want to have the most energy on Sunday. But you also need to maintain that energy throughout the week and still spend time with your family. I’ve got my parents and my sister here, which is really cool. They don’t come over very often, so it’s great to have everyone together in the house. That’s the main thing—just spending time and hanging out together.

Augusta is famous for its Pimento Cheese and Egg Salad sandwiches. Be honest: Are you actually a fan of the legendary Masters food, or do you stick strictly to your own diet during tournament week?

I don’t love the Pimento Cheese, I’ve tried it multiple times. Every year I feel like I have to have it once, but the flavor is just very strong for me, so I don’t necessarily love it. The club sandwich is my favourite, or the ham on rye — that one’s always good too.

Driving down Magnolia Lane is one of the most iconic experiences in golf. If you could pick any dream car in the world to make that drive, what would it be and why?

I would choose the one I’m currently driving, the Mercedes-Benz GLE. I just love it — it’s a classic car, it’s sporty, and I feel like it really suits me. So I would pick that one.

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As Tiger Woods marks 30 years since turning pro and hosts the 100th Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, he reflects on legacy, Ryder Cup captaincy, recovery and growing his foundation’s impact beyond golf.

Tiger, it seems like we’ve done this several times through the years, but kind of feels a little different this year. As tournament host, what does it mean to you and the event to be back celebrating the 100th playing of the event?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, playing the 100th championship here is pretty amazing. For me as a So Cal kid who grew up coming here, coming to this event, LA Open, coming here to Riv, it’s an iconic site. And then to see major championships here, we’ve had our event here, and for a 16-year-old kid just to be able to start here and then now host his own tournament at the same golf course is pretty special.

2026 is a year full of milestones on and off the course, 30 years since you turned pro, your foundation is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and the original Learning Lab in Anaheim celebrating its 20th anniversary. You’ve talked about the great legacy being off the golf course for you. What do these milestones mean to you and the future of the TGR Foundation?

Yeah, our first Learning Lab opened up 20 years ago here in Anaheim. To go from that to now expansion at Lulu’s Place here in Southern Cal, and we just opened up a facility in Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia last year and now we’re going to Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia. We’re expanding quickly.

We’re serving the underserved, and I think that’s the more important thing is that yes, golf has been a big piece of my life, but it’s not the only part of my life. The educational side and the opportunities that Stanford has provided me and the people that I’ve been able to meet there and that if I didn’t work on my grades, I didn’t work on my education side of it, then I wouldn’t have had that opportunity to go to such a great university

A lot of these kids that we’re serving are first-gens. They don’t really have an opportunity that they deserve, and it’s up to us to be able to facilitate them and give them what they truly deserve, which is an opportunity to be supported. That’s what the TGR Foundation has done for 30 years and we’ll continue to do so.

Q. I’m wondering, how do you feel after all these years knowing that people admire, respect you, and you have so much influence, not only in the game of golf but in sports in general?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I mean, I’ve had a great career, I think, of 30 years. I’ve played out here, been able to chase my dream, which is playing the PGA TOUR, winning golf tournaments, winning major championships, and I’ve met a lot of people along the way, a lot of sportsmen, a lot of great people all around the world. I would never have met any of those people or had relationships with them if it wasn’t for the game of golf, or probably where it all started was with your interview.

Q. Talk just a little bit about Pops, how he got you on the right road.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, Dad was unbelievable. He was not only my dad, he was my best friend. He was a lot of different things.

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Returning to one of his most successful stops on the LIV Golf calendar, Smash GC captain Talor Gooch steps back onto familiar ground in Adelaide. An individual champion here just a few seasons ago, Gooch reflects on past triumphs, leadership, and the confidence that comes with proven success.

What does this event mean to you, and how excited are you to be back here in Adelaide again?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, this event will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my first win out here on LIV. For all of us players that have been here from the beginning, this is kind of the event that we feel kind of really kicked us off and kind of shot us in a really good direction.

Obviously the fans are incredible. The tournament is incredible. The golf course is always in incredible condition.

It’s always great to be back here. A little bit bittersweet that this is the last time we’ll be here at this course, so hopefully we can end with some good memories.

Q. Team sports are obviously hugely popular around the world, and that’s certainly the case here in Australia. As a new team captain of Smash GC, can you just talk about your mindset as a captain and the camaraderie that exists with this year’s lineup with Smash?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, I grew up playing team sports. I love the locker room. I love being with the boys. I love when we’ve had a good round and we’re in the locker room after kind of talking and celebrating, and I love when we’ve had a tough round like the last Saturday in Riyadh we didn’t play great, didn’t have a great day, but we were all there and kind of picking each other up.

It’s an honor to be able to lead this team, and we have four, I think, really good players, really good dudes. We all get along really well. It’s an easy group to hang out with.

It’s a blast, and most importantly, we all want to win. We all want to compete. It’s pretty motivating when you’re looking at each other and you’re seeing how much work they’re putting in and how much they want to do well for each other, right?

It sounds cliche at times, but winning is great, but winning with your team is greater, plain and simple.

Q. 2023 was just an amazing year; you came back and won last year. How many times are you going to win this year, and can you tell us which ones, just to give us the inside word?

TALOR GOOCH: Man, I’m just going to win the rest of them. I’m just going to win the next 13, 12 events, whatever we’ve got left. I’m going to win them all.

Winning is so hard out here. Look at the guy who’s probably played the best golf out here the last couple years, Jon Rahm. He’s played unbelievably well but he hasn’t won a whole lot.

I think that really exemplifies how hard winning is. At this level, when you win, you just need some luck. You need things to go your way. When you win, you need to cherish it because you never know when the next one is going to come.

I would love to get a win here this week and kind of rekindle some of the 2023 good vibes, and that would be amazing.

Q. Talor, can you talk about the infusion of youth into LIV Golf? Obviously you were an original member here in 2022. Elvis wins last week; he’s 23 years old. You see all the other young guys. There’s kind of been an evolution of how the roster has switched up in the last few years.

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, I played with Elvis in the final round. What an incredible golfer and such a good kid. 23 years old is crazy to think about. I was not nearly as mature as he is when I was 23 and not nearly as good of a golfer as he is.

It’s awesome seeing such young great golfers. It’s incredible, since I’ve turned pro, how much better these dudes are when they turn pro than what we were 10 years ago when we turned — it’s unbelievable the shift in that.

Obviously Puig and Surratt and McKibbin and these dudes out here are so good at such a young age, it’s overly impressive. And motivating, too. I don’t want to lose to a kid that wasn’t born in, like, significant life events. It’s like, you’re so young, you weren’t around when — coming off a Super Bowl, it’s like, you don’t know who Kurt Warner was. You don’t know who these guys — it’s crazy to think about how young some of these guys are. It’s motivating. You don’t want to lose to this young pup.

It’s definitely driving and motivating to want to beat them, but it’s also awesome to see, and you cheer hard for them, too. You see how hard they work out here.

Yeah, it’s awesome. Really if you look at the spectrum of things, you see a 23-year-old Elvis that just won, and the first time I had met him was this last week, and to see him putting all the time in, and he’s literally 30 years younger than some of the other guys out here.

To see the full spectrum of things, it’s incredible. It’s a tribute to this game. I think it’s a tribute to how — it’s so awesome to see how hard everybody works out here and how much discipline and diligence everybody has.

Everyone every week feels like they’re fighting their nuts off to win each week. Partly because we don’t have 25, 30 events, so each week is paramount. It’s so important that, like, you want to take advantage of each week. You don’t want to have a lapsed week where you don’t really put the time in. You’re just like, on to the next one. We can’t afford to take weeks off mentally.

It shows when you’re here Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and you see everybody putting all the work in.

I got a little off topic, but yeah, seeing all the young kids, it’s awesome, man.

Q. Going back to 2023, backing up a 62 with another 62, that doesn’t happen all that often in golf. How special — when you look back at that, that was a really special moment, those two rounds, really, back-to-back.

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, I mean, I’d be lying if I said I think I’ll do that again in my career. I’d be curious in professional golf how often that’s happened. It was definitely one of those weeks, and those two days in particular, everything felt so easy. It’s like, you wish you could just bottle up how easy golf was for those two days and sprinkle it through the rest of your career because golf is just not that easy, but for whatever reason those two days it was really, really easy, and I’m very jealous of that; I wish I could do that more often.

Q. Running the clock back and reuniting with 2023, stablemate Harold Varner III, what’s he bringing to the new Smash GC, sort of the Smash GC under you, and are you guys going to get up to any mischief while you’re down in Adelaide?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, we might have had a little fun yesterday with the Super Bowl and watching some football and maybe a couple of adult beverages. Like I said, the four of us get along so well. Obviously anybody who knows Harold, he is a lightning rod of energy. It’s easy to smile when you’re with him and be in a good mood.

He’s the one that when things are tough and golf is not good, he’s going to be able to keep us smiling and enjoying ourselves.

But he doesn’t show it as much as the fun, go-lucky guy. He’s competitive as can be. We landed at 12:30, 1:00 in the morning or so Sunday night/Monday morning, and he and I were out here at 7:00 a.m., six hours later.

He’s competitive as can be. It’s just great having him on this team, and I think we’re going to play a lot of good golf, and we’re going to have a lot of fun.

Q. World ranking points, now 72 holes. A few years ago when you were in hot form, it was all over the media that you spoke about how the majors should be accessible to everyone who’s in good form in world golf. What does that mean to you? You just missed out on the points last week. How much has that changed your approach for the 2026 year?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, I mean, for us, obviously the majors are the driving factor. Like how do we get into the majors, and the OWGR is one of those routes.

I have to go play great golf, plain and simple. We all have to go play great golf to get into the majors and then hopefully to play great in the majors.

At the end of the day it doesn’t really change things. I’m still working my butt off. I’m still trying to play great golf. It’s just now there’s another opportunity to get into the majors, which is great, and hopefully those opportunities and pathways continue to expand and become more ample for us.

Q. You spoke in really strong terms last week about LIV needing to hold its identity, not stray too far from what it was about. On that note, is there any angst about the potential for any other departures if it continues to stray, and what would be your message to any colleagues who are perhaps considering their future or coming off their contracts?

TALOR GOOCH: I mean, none of us really think about that. Like I said, we have 14 weeks out here that we are trying to take advantage of, right. That’s our focus. If you’re worried about what other people are doing, your mind is in the wrong place.

I know everybody that I talk to is obviously over the moon excited to be here, and specifically this week in Australia and excited for this opportunity. Like I said, we have 14 great opportunities, and with the world ranking and majors and things kind of softening up on all of those fronts and kind of the ecosystem starting to accept us slowly but surely, I think it’s going to continue to make this place more and more enticing for people.

Everyone is excited. There’s obviously some frustrations with us not getting the whole pie, let’s just say. But you know what, at least we got some pie and let’s keep trying to get some more pie.

Q. Family is obviously important to you, obviously with the work you do with your foundation and things like that. How do you juggle family life when you’re on tour, and do they come with you often?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, what we do, it’s so unique as a job. The awesome thing is we actually have an off-season now. I have two kids. I have a four-year old girl and then a two-year-old boy, and my girl was born when I was still playing on the PGA TOUR. I had extended time away from her early in her life.

I had to learn early, like, how does this work, how do I continue to balance chasing my dreams and trying to become the best golfer I can be and go try to accomplish all these goals while also keeping my family my priority.

It’s super challenging. Thankfully I have an incredible wife that is the absolute rock of our family that when I’m away from home like last week and this week — thank goodness for FaceTime. I don’t know how dudes did it 30 years ago doing this life. It’s hard to fathom.

But yeah, I have such a great support system, so when I’m away, I can still stay in touch, and I know everything is good. Then when I’m home, I can really be home. Like I said, having an off-season, we were off for a few months, and it’s — I cherish that time.

That’s one of the great things here about LIV is having an extended off-season.

Q. Do you want to give us a quick snapshot of the foundation and the good work you’re doing there and what drives you to do that?

TALOR GOOCH: Yeah, my wife and I for years, we just wanted to give back. How can we make an impact, how can we make a difference back home in our community. So we started a foundation in 2021, and we’ve raised millions of dollars, and we really do — it’s kind of three pronged. We want to continue to help junior golf in Oklahoma, state of Oklahoma. We want to give kids an opportunity to play tournament golf, whether they can afford it or not. We want to open up those opportunities for golfers to chase competitive golf. We want to get more kids into golf.

There’s a few things that we do through that, but golf has been such a blessing to me, but it’s not my only thing. It’s not the most important thing in my life.

We don’t want to just continue to focus strictly on golf and junior golf. We’ve partnered with a few different organizations back home such as Positive Tomorrows, which is a school for homeless kids from six months all the way until they’re 12 years old, and what they do in Oklahoma City is incredible. Whether these kids are living under a bridge or at a cousin’s house or whatever the case may be, the school is able to go and locate and find these kids, bring them to school, go pick them up, clothe them, feed them, educate them, socialize them and try to get — if parents are still involved, try to lift them up and get them on their feet from job interviews and clothing and just helping the families.

That’s an organization we’ve done a lot with. We’ve bought and purchased school buses and clothes and supplies.

Then the other organization we’ve really invested in is called Hope is Alive, which is an addiction rehabilitation organization back in Oklahoma and throughout the States now. They’re in 12 States back in the United States.

It started in Oklahoma, and they have houses all throughout the state that they bring people dealing with addiction in and hem rehabilitate them through Christ. It’s incredible what they do.

You talk about the word “legacy” has been used a lot in the last few years in golf, and I hope I win all the tournaments I play, and I hope I win all the majors and all the great things, but more importantly to me, my legacy is going to be how many lives have we impacted, and that’s always going to be through our foundation and through what we’re doing there.

It’s absolutely a focus of me and my wife and our foundation, the people involved. It’s an everyday effort for us and focus and something we’re really proud of. It’s the good stuff, man.

At the end of the day, like I say, I want to make birdies. I want to be great. But when you see kids back home that don’t have a home, birdies become irrelevant. So how do we help — especially in my community. How do I help my community. That’s what we’re going to continue to focus on.

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Nelly Korda reflects on brutal conditions, mental discipline and trust in her process after a weather-shortened victory,  as she opens the season with confidence, and a new driver in the bag in one of the finest rounds of her career at Lake Nona.

Q. Nelly…Take us through the week.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I mean, Thursday, Friday were great. The weather was maybe getting a little bit windier on Friday but conditions were super nice.

We knew ten days before this or a week before this that Saturday and Sunday were going to be really tough, especially with the wind projection for Saturday afternoon and then the cold temps that it was bringing for Sunday.

So it was just kind of mentally prepare for it. Yesterday was probably one of my best rounds I’ve ever played in my career. Just really proud of everything that Jay and I went through to get to that point of the process, the mental clarity of my shots, and commitment to each one of them.

So overall, just really happy.

You know, Orlando threw lot at us in a few days.

Q. Take us through the process of when you got to the course and getting ready to hopefully go out there and competing today and finding out the news.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I was fully mentally preparing foregoing out and playing 18, battling for the win.

You know, it was definitely getting a little bit antsy just sitting in dining kind of waiting to see what was going to happen throughout the day.

I knew once the girls were going to go out and finish the third round I just wanted to get out and just start my routine no matter what happened.

So went to the gym, warmed up, and then went to the putting green, did my routine there, and then walked to the range. Was still very routine-oriented. I tried to get into the mindset, because a couple years ago I was three back with two to play, so I was trying to give myself the mindset like anything can happen; just go out and still stick to your own process.

Q. Another tournament for you and Jess to share, both winning the event. Just how special is it when those moments overlap?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it’s crazy. Super grateful for that, that we get to share the sport, all these memories together. Wish she was out here like I was for hers.

Overall, just grateful for this game bringing us closer together and sharing so many great things that we get to look back on.

Q. Kind of piggybacking on that, when your sister won here Mardy Fish also won the celebrity side. How cool is that that not only do you share the tournament win, but also Mardy Fish seems to be a good luck charm for the Kordas.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, Mardy is great. I’ve known him for so many years obviously with the tennis background. He played really well, too. He’s such a solid great golfer.

So, yeah, I actually didn’t know that, that he won that year and he won the same year I did. But overall, I love spending time with Mardy. We haven’t (sic) gotten to play a couple times together, but every single time we have shared the golf course together it’s been a blast.

Q. When was the last time you won a tournament without hitting a shot on the final day?

NELLY KORDA: Probably never. (Laughter.) I don’t think so. As I said, every win of mine is very interesting always. But, yeah, to answer that question, probably never.

Q. An unusual way of going about it, but just to get the year off with a win, especially after coming close but not being able to last year.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, golf is a game of centimeters. You know, there were so many times last year where I wished I had an inch here or a centimeter there where it would’ve changed the story completely.

That’s how it goes sometimes. As long as you are mentally 100% in it and preparing to your best ability, that’s all you can control at the end of the day; same with weather.

So I was so close. I played really well last year. Obviously didn’t get the win, but I played some amazing golf the first three days this week and I’m really proud of myself, my team, and all the work that we have put in when no one was watching and everyone was talking about it.

So just very happy to get the first win of the year, and hopefully that leads into a great year, too. No matter what, like I’m always going put 100% into it. With results, when it comes to sports, you just never know. The only thing you can control is the level and the input that you put into your craft and your sport. I will always be doing that.

No matter the results, I know that mentally I’m doing that every single day I step on the golf course, and that’s what I’m proud of.

Q. Congratulations, first of all.

NELLY KORDA: Thank you.

Q. So this is a game of centimeters. Is there anything over the first three rounds that you can look at that you feel you did better than on the whole of last year?

NELLY KORDA: I did a lot of good last year. Just kind of wasn’t going my way. I guess I was just so focused on being really present, which I told myself to do that last year, too. Maybe the outside noise did make its way in a little bit more than I wanted to.

I learned a lot from that. I actually — there are times where it’s like, okay I’m very grateful to go through the lows because they make me appreciate the highs so much and make me appreciate what I need to really pay attention to and what is actually relevant to me.

As long as my team knows who I am and that I’m putting 110% into it and they’re on the same wave length of putting 110% in it, that’s all that matters to me.

Q. With the celebrities out there playing were you surprised that you guys didn’t tee off earlier? Looking at the forecast tomorrow were you surprised that Monday wasn’t an option?

NELLY KORDA: Listen, I think the LPGA is always going to do what’s best for the players. When it comes to the internal decisions, I like to focus on myself and prepare for what’s to come with the information that I have at hand.

I know from a bunch of girls that were out there playing and practicing before, probably 110% came back in and were like what are we doing right now?

So at the end of the day, I mean, what we have on the line versus what the celebrities have on the line is a little bit different. I think the LPGA made the decision to look after their players, and at the end of the day we can’t do anything about that. All we can do is prepare with the information we are told.

Q. Kind of unique conditions out here that you don’t normally see in a professional tournament with the wind and cold.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. You said you played one of your best rounds ever yesterday. What does that do for where mental fortitude knowing you can overcome the tough conditions and still perform?

NELLY KORDA: In 2024 I played in some brutal conditions. I’ve played in AIG British Women’s Open where the conditions are brutal. You really have to lock in. The more you play in those conditions the more you learn to really have the word patience just constantly going through your mind.

You’re going to hit some bad shots that will end up really poorly. It’s all about — in those circumstances it’s all about finding your ball, hitting it again, finding it, hitting it again, and kind of then diverting to the mindset of, okay, let’s see what we can do here. What do we have at hand.

At the end of the day those situations make me very present and I have to really dial in to, one, my target and, two, just commitment to the shot. Like everything is just about being 100% committed. I’ve had shots where it’s perfectly sunny out, 80 degrees and I’m in between two clubs, and I’m not committed to one and I kind of fly it out to the right because I’m not committed to it.

That had to go out the window in those conditions. Even if it’s the wrong decision, you have to be 100% committed to it.

Q. Sharing that stage with Mardy Fish, you went back and forth with the trophy a little bit. Who gets to take it home?

NELLY KORDA: I don’t know. He said he already has one of them and I don’t, so I guess I would take it.

Q. When a win like this happens, does it feel like a weight has been lifted for the rest of the season, and how do you look at the rest of the season?

NELLY KORDA: No, not necessarily. Like I want to perform week in and week out. I knew that everything I was doing last year was good enough to win; I just didn’t win.

It’s all about just your commitment and your practice. Like if you give your craft 100% and you know that you’re prepared week in and week out, you’re giving yourself the best opportunity to perform.

At the end of the day like that’s what we can control and that’s what I’m going to try and control.

Q. Nelly, you pointed so much to your team as a credit for your success. What role did they play in helping you get the win this week?

NELLY KORDA: Just keeping me very grounded and patient. Jay and I are out on the golf course, and then Kim off the golf course. I think we all just make sure that the outside noise is outside noise and what we’re doing internally, just to stay committed to that and just to stay very patience because we are doing the right thing and checking the boxes correctly and when the time was right, it was going to happen.

Q. Did you feel a sense of pressure being lifted off just getting last year behind you, no longer having the title defenses, and having a fresh year here?

NELLY KORDA: In a sense maybe, yeah. You know, I’m always so excited to come out and tee it up against the best players in the world. The day I don’t feel that is going to be a very bad day for me.

Still, even last year, you know, title defense, obviously you have a little bit of added pressure to yourself, but there is something so fun and exhilarating about those moments. I’ve said it a couple times: There is nothing better than going down the back nine when you’re in contention and feeling the rush of emotions.

But in a sense, yeah, it does feel nice for it to be a fresh year. You can say that it’s a fresh month, too. Last year I could have been like, okay, it’s October 1st; whatever I did this year is behind me.

But it’s all just honestly just mindset.

Q. You never want to take too much for granted, but what was the mental shift when you heard it was not going to go 72, it was only going to go 54?

NELLY KORDA: I was fully preparing that I was going to go out and play 18 until I saw that e-mail and until I saw that it was going back to 54.

But then I still had the mindset — because in Bradenton, I was three back with two to play and I knew she still had a chance. You know, there has been some crazy things happen in the game of golf or in sports in general.

So still preparing for maybe playing a playoff, but I was still 100% trying to dial in mentally.

Q. Wanted to ask one more about outside noise. Where do you mostly hear outside noise and do you try to filter things out on social media or whatnot?

NELLY KORDA: I’ve definitely taken a step back from social media. There were weeks, especially last year, where I went like a month for without evening logging into my social media. Yeah, even if you don’t want to see it, it kind of still pops up. So I definitely unfollowed a lot of golf accounts. I have done that.

And I’ve just tried to — if I’m on social I try not to look at stuff. I think it’s just a distraction at the end of the day.

Q. Do you watch golf on TV?

NELLY KORDA: Rarely. No. And if I do — when I did it was always when Tiger played. So not really. I’ll watch the highlights now.

Q. Congratulations. I know this tournament has been one where you’ve won at this property before, not this event. You’ve had five Top 5s. How good does it feel to get this one knocked off the list finally?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it feels amazing. I’ve played some really solid golf out here. I’ve come close; just haven’t notched the victory.

But to play the golf that I played yesterday was, as I said, I think that’s one of my best rounds that I’ve ever played in my entire life.

To come out on top just feels amazing. To do that in front of my family and friends, fiance for the first time, was really special.

Q. Having him in the crowd, and I know you have such a happy life off the golf course right now, do you think that settles you? Do you really look at things like that?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, for sure. I love having him at events. I would say I’m a little bit of a hermit crab when I’m playing tournaments. I go to the golf course and I go to the hotel and maybe do I go out to dinner three times a week.

It’s nice. When my sister left and she got pregnant I think that was a really big mental adjustment for me not having my dinner buddy and having the person that I was so close to, so now I get to appreciate it when Casey comes out and weeks like this to have that — even if it’s in silence having a comfort there.

Q. What do you focus on when you play?

NELLY KORDA: Well, depends on the conditions. What do I focus on when I play? Usually Jason gives me three numbers. It’s the front of the green — well, actually a couple numbers, sorry.

The front of the green, the pin, and just over the green, and then we have a landing number. So when it comes to that, I focus in on my landing number, and then depending on the wind, if it’s left to right, right to left, I focus in on an exact target and keep it really simple.

NELLY’S NEW DRIVER

Nelly Korda played the same driver for over two years. In fact, she’s played that same driver head shape for eight years. So, why would she switch from something that helped her win 15 LPGA Tour titles and two major championships?

Simply put, the gains are real with Qi4D driver. In one start in 2026 with Qi4D, Nelly has one win (career win No. 16) after her dominant third round at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

“Immediately when I put this thing in the bag I loved it. It’s doing exactly what I want… having it under pressure on the golf course is what’s most important.” Nelly Korda

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As the new season begins in unexpected cold, Charley Hull talks mindset, momentum and why enjoying the challenge still brings out her best golf

Charley Hull does not need much convincing to enjoy Lake Nona. As she arrives back at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, her first reaction is simple and instinctive. “Yeah, it’s great,” she says. “I really like this golf course. It’s super nice.”

What she did not expect was the temperature. “It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” she laughs, already setting the tone for a week that feels both familiar and slightly surreal.

A course that suits her eye

Hull has always gravitated towards courses that demand imagination, and Lake Nona fits that mould. The fast greens and tight lies around the putting surfaces force players to be precise, especially when chipping. “There is quite tight lies all round the golf course you’re chipping on,” she explains. “It’s a bit different to what it’s been like in the UK.”

More than anything, she likes the feel of the place. “It’s a good warm up to the season, tests your game, and I just like it. It’s just got a good vibe to it.”

Finding her rhythm again

Coming into the week, Hull is refreshingly honest about where her game stands. “I wouldn’t really know to be fair,” she admits. Winter has meant plenty of indoor practice at home, with only a short trip to Dubai providing outdoor golf. “I went to Dubai for a few days and practised and played well out there.”

This week, though, is about more than results. “Obviously I want to win this week. It’s a great event,” she says. “It’s good as well for a warm up to get back into the season.”

A glimpse of what is coming

One of the biggest talking points around the game is the WTGL, and Hull’s enthusiasm is unmistakable. Seeing it in person left a lasting impression. “I watched and I was like, wow, this is pretty unbelievable,” she says. “We need one of them in the UK actually when it’s cold.”

She was struck by the detail and realism. “The way that green moved round, how the ball reacted when I chipped on it, how it putted, the screen… honestly, I was so impressed by it. They’ve done a great job.”

Having a swing studio at home means the concept is not entirely foreign, but the scale is. “You need to go there in real life to get the full gist of everything because it’s pretty unbelievable to see.” For Hull, the overriding feeling is excitement. “I think it’s going to be super fun. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Keeping it simple

As she looks ahead to the new season, Hull is not overcomplicating things. “Not too much different from last year to be fair,” she says. “Just go out there, have fun. I know what you’ve got to do to win. Not put too much pressure on myself and just enjoy it.”

That mindset was reinforced by her win at the Kroger event last year. “I went into that week with an injury, so I didn’t have too high expectations,” she recalls. The lesson stuck. “I sometimes expect too much of myself. When I’m not too focused about golf, that’s when I play my best golf.”

Easing back into competition

Despite a strong season behind her, Hull admits to nerves this week. She has played just one full round in the past six weeks due to poor weather at home. “I’ve been practising loads, working on my swing,” she says, “but it’s different when you’ve got 18 holes and a scorecard in your hand.”

Rather than viewing this as a reset, she prefers a gradual build. “It’s good to slowly build up for the season.”

Cold weather character

Hull’s relationship with cold weather is almost contradictory. Back home, she will happily head out in freezing conditions. “On New Year’s Day it was minus six and frosty and I went out and played, carried my bag,” she says. “I wasn’t that cold.”

Florida, however, has caught her out. “Yesterday morning I was absolutely froze. My feet were frozen,” she says, laughing. “Florida cold is completely different to England cold.” The solution involved a hair dryer in the locker room and some amused looks from fellow players.

She puts it down to circulation and contrast. “I was in Thailand before, it was 35 degrees. As long as I keep moving, I’ll be fine.”

Gratitude over grievance

When asked about comments suggesting men and women should be competing together in the WTGL, Hull’s response is measured. “I’m just grateful for them giving us an opportunity,” she says. “Fair play to them. I really respect that.”

She sees it as a foundation to build on. “You never know, in a couple of years’ time they could do something like that.”

Life beyond golf

Away from the course, Hull’s warmth comes through when talking about her close friend Georgia and her pregnancy. With several nephews already, Hull has taken on an advisory role. “I’m really good with babies. She’s not really good around babies,” she says, smiling, recounting conversations filled with practical tips and gentle teasing.

Managing the body

Cold weather does bring physical challenges, particularly after last season’s injuries. “My lower right back and my hip,” she says. “I’ve got to make sure I warm up properly and keep moving.” Spectators may notice her constantly shifting between shots. “You see me shuffling out there, you know why.”

Loving the test

For all the complaints about the cold, Hull thrives in tough conditions. “I love it,” she says. “I like the mental toughness of it. I like being outside.”

She enjoys courses that ask hard questions, and Lake Nona will do just that this week. “Last time I hit gap wedge into the last hole. Yesterday I hit four iron,” she says. “It’s going to be tricky out there, but I enjoy that.”

In the end, her outlook is simple and unmistakably Charley Hull. “You just put me on the golf course, I’ll enjoy it anyway,” she says. “Let’s get excited for the next shot and prove to myself I can execute it.”

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The winner of the 2026 The American Express, World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler Interview

Scottie, you captured your 20th win here, and in your season debut. What does it mean to cross that threshold for your 20th win?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I had not really thought about that very much. I mean, that’s a pretty cool feat to get to. This week in particular was a nice week. Got off to a good start over there at La Quinta, and then I came over here and kept the momentum going on these two courses.

Today was a day in which I played pretty nice and did some good things out there. I hit a lot of wedges really close to the hole, gave myself some easy birdies. And then when I was out of position did a good job of getting the ball up-and-down.

Q. It was a fun final pairing with a fellow friend, Si Woo Kim, and 18-year-old Blades Brown. What do you remember coming down the difficult stretch here?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It’s always fun getting to play with Si Woo, we play a lot of golf together. He’s such a talented player. And then Blades obviously has a lot of talent as well. It was fun to see his game today. He definitely has a bright future out here for sure.

Q. When you hear the comparisons now, only the third player before the age of 30 to win 20 and have four majors, with Tiger and Jack, and 36th all time on the win list. What’s your reaction to being put in those terms?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, any time you can get mentioned with those guys it means you’re doing some stuff right. At the end of the day it’s not something that will occupy many of my thoughts day-to-day. When I was thinking about getting ready for this week I was just trying to prepare and do the best that I could. Hopefully we’ll get out of the here tonight and get ready to gear up again, get some rest, and then get ready to kind of do it all over again in a couple weeks. I don’t spend too much time thinking about the milestones or anything like that.

Q. At the beginning of the day you’re one shot back, but you’re the world No. 1, and you’re the guy with the most wins in that group. Do you think you’ve got an advantage because of who you are and what you’ve done in the last four years?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not necessarily. I think you got to go out there, and there’s a reason we play the tournament. There’s a reason why we have to finish off the tournament. You don’t get awarded the trophy on the 16th hole. You got to finish the tournament. I was going against two guys today in the final group that are really, really talented players. Si Woo has so much talent. He’s so good at golf. Then Blades, this is my first time seeing him, but anybody at 18 years old that can make it into the final pairing of a PGA TOUR event’s doing something right. And then there was plenty of other guys behind us chasing us. And it’s a course where you got to go out there and make birdies. So there was a lot of challenges today, but I’m proud of the way we played and put up a nice round.

Q. You would have taken the trophy at 16 green instead of going to 17 tee today?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: (Laughing). Yeah, I would have taken it on the 1st if they would give it to me there (laughing).

Q. And you competed. I’m just curious, do you have to win to have fun? Because you talk about that a lot.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, do I have to win to have fun? I would hope not. But winning is a lot more fun than losing.

Q. What’s the most fun part about competing, is it winning or is it something else?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, I think it’s really cool to step up there on the first tee — and I was just a kid dreaming of playing golf on the PGA TOUR, so to be able to come out here and play in final groups, play in front of crowds, play on the tour that I dreamed of playing on is a really cool feeling. Being in the arena, being in contention is a lot of fun, just because it’s something that we practice and work so hard for, so when you get in those moments you’re prepared and you’re able to enjoy the competition. This is something that is fun for me, but it can be really hard when things don’t go your way. It’s a lot more fun winning than losing.

Q. You spend all this off-season kind of preparing yourself to come out here and play well, and then you do what you did today. There’s like, I don’t know, nine shots inside six feet or whatever today. Is that even better than what you could have expected coming out here?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, there’s always a certain amount of rust when it comes to playing competitive golf. I think you come out here, you can simulate as best you can at home, but you can only get into the heat of the moment when you’re posting a score and you’re in contention when you’re at a tournament. So it’s nice to see some of the stuff that I’ve been being practicing and working on has paid off. I work really hard at keeping my wedges sharp, so it was nice today to get some good numbers and be able to hit some wedges in there really close.

It’s a lot easier holing a 2-footer than it is a 10-footer. So those little differences sometimes in the sharpness of where I’m at with my wedges can make a big difference. Today was a day in which I was able to make a good amount of birdies, and a lot of those birdies weren’t really long putts. So definitely I think it helps, especially when you’re playing in the final group.

Q. You smile when Meredith and Bennett are out there. But you were pretty low key in any kind of celebration. I realize it was a big margin for the most part. When do you, and how do you feel like you’ve won — like how does it feel to you, you have 20 now, do they feel different or how would you, how do you process them?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, that’s a good question. I think sometimes it’s hard to process when you’re in the moment. In order to get to the position of being in the final group, in order to get to the position where you have a large lead, you have to do such a good job of mentally staying in a good place on the golf course. So most of the day I’m trying to remain calm, focus on the things that I can execute, and then it’s a matter of going out and hitting the shots.

So in order for me to do that I have to stay focused, I have to stay relaxed. When the tournament’s over, you know, I think you spend so much of the day trying to really stay ready, stay on top of where things are at, so when the tournament ends it’s kind of like, okay, it’s almost like more of a relief now that the day’s over and I’m able to win the tournament.

This golf course can put a lot of stress on you. Especially playing with the lead. It’s challenging finishing off a tournament. You got an island green on 17, water on 18, there’s trouble all around the golf course. So I would say it’s a challenging place to play with the lead. So when the tournament’s over I’m a bit tired from really focusing so hard the entire round.

Q. Another fun factor question. I changed the word to make it a satisfaction level. From your experience, do you find any difference in the satisfaction level of a tight one with, like Bob at BMW or Ben Griffin at Napa, or ones where you kind of got it in hand, 4-, 5-shot win?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: There’s definitely a different feeling at the end. If you look back at BMW, being able to hole that chip on 17, in a tight match the whole day, you have to execute when it matters the most. So also that was a big comeback for me that day. I started the day maybe four shots behind him. It’s a bit of a different feeling. Today I just did a good job of really staying patient, staying in my own little world, and doing the things I needed to do, especially when I got out of position.

I mean, I hit some really, really nice pitch shots today to where I didn’t have to go up there and hole a 6-footer, I was able to walk up and tap in a 1-footer and then we’re on to the next holing.

13’s a good example. I had a little bit of a lead, and you get to this hole where there’s water in play. Maybe I had a three-shot lead at the time and it’s one of the hardest holes at the golf course. And I hit my shot to the right, and it’s like, okay, missed it in the correct spot. Instead of chipping it up there and having to hole an eight-footer, I chipped it up there to six inches, and it saves me some energy, saves me some stress off of the round, and I’m able to move on to the next hole.

Q. Last year with the injury you kind of had to play your way into form. This year you obviously have the full off-season to do what you need to do. Can you compare and contrast how it felt returning last year to your first tournament compared to this year when you had all that time to do what you wanted to do?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it’s a bit easier this way. I’m going to try to continue this into the future. This is a little easier off-season than last. It’s just, I mean, it’s one of those things. You look at last year, it is different just because I had made what I felt was so much progress in the off-season, and then to have that basically taken away by four to six weeks of inactivity from golf, that has an effect. To fine tune the skills that we have out here takes a lot of work. Like the chipping. There’s a big difference between hitting a chip to a foot versus five feet. If I hit it to foot I’m probably never going to miss that foot putt. But if you hit it to five feet your percentages of making that putt go down. When you just kind of see that over the course of four days, that has an effect on where my game is at. So being able to have the whole off-season to prepare to come out here — I did take a nice break at the end of the year, but to have that time to prepare and get my body and mind right in order to compete I think really paid off early in the season.

Q. Along with the new history that you authored today with your 20th win, we of course got our proud history in the Coachella Valley, 67 consecutive years of TOUR golf. Provided some uncertainty of what the schedule could look like for next year, what would you as the new AmEx champion and we’re very proud to call you that here, what would you say about keeping this tournament when it is and where it is?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean, that stuff is all above my pay grade. I come out here and compete where the tournaments are. And the PGA TOUR runs the best tournaments in the world. I think I can we have the best TOUR in the world, and the best competition. And tournaments like these are really fun to play. We get spoiled out here this week. The golf courses are in fantastic condition, the crowds are really nice, and it’s a fun week to come out here and play golf.

Q. You talk a lot about staying patient when you got off to a great start. And I hear that from a lot of players who stay patient. Can you give an idea of what it looks like when you’re not, just so we’ll know?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: If things are flying around that’s typically not a good sign, whether it be clubs or other objects. That’s typically a bad sign. No, I think that especially when you look at a golf course like this that’s extremely important, because you can’t really force it around this place.

I hit a nice shot to No. 4. But then I played the next hole, the 5th hole, I played that par-5 how I would describe quite smart. I hit a nice drive into the fairway, which was almost a mistake, I was almost aiming down the right rough line. Then we miss it in the correct spot left of the green. I’m able to take advantage of my short game, get the ball up-and-down, and make an easy birdie.

If I was trying to force things, maybe I felt like I had to make eagle on that hole, maybe I chase after that pin on the right site and hit it in the water or put it in a tough spot over the green. A lot of staying patient is just continuing to execute and play the right shots.

Q. One hole at a time. That’s just a great cliche, but…

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean, like if you look at my front nine today, it was not by any means perfect ball striking. I had a few misses to the left. But when you look at the holes where I missed left it was always the correct miss. So missing on the right side, getting the ball to the right areas, and being able to take advantage of some of the things that I do well, whether it’s my short game or putting or whatever it is. But, yeah, it was a good round.

Q. Can you think of a time where you lost patience from a standpoint that you learned, don’t do that again?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Off the top of my head, no. But, I mean, my whole career I think you’re always constantly learning, you’re always constantly figuring out how you can get a little bit better. And a lot of times it’s, how can you approach shots the right way. Sometimes when you’re either under the gun or you feel like you need to press, that’s when you tend to make poor decisions.

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From this week’s Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort

Tommy Fleetwood arrives at the Dubai Invitational not only as a former champion at Dubai Creek Resort, but as a player firmly established among the game’s elite.

Now world No. 3, the Englishman reflects on a breakthrough year in the United States, the value of consistency, memories of a defining victory in Dubai, and the challenge of chasing down the two players currently setting the standard in men’s golf.

Unchanged Ambitions After a Breakthrough Year

Fleetwood’s long-awaited PGA TOUR victory last season marked a major milestone, yet he is quick to stress that it has not altered his long-term outlook.

Rather than redefining targets for the year ahead, Fleetwood sees his journey very much as a continuation of the same process that has guided him throughout his career.

He explains that his broader life and career ambitions remain intact, with the focus still on becoming the best golfer he can be. While last season placed him in unfamiliar territory, particularly in terms of world ranking, he views that success as a platform rather than a destination.

A well-earned break after an intense year has helped him reset, and as the new season begins, Fleetwood is eager to return to work, sticking with familiar routines and continuing to push for incremental improvement.

Consistency as the Foundation of Success

When asked to pinpoint the reasons behind what many described as an outstanding year, Fleetwood points not to any dramatic technical changes, but to years of steady, disciplined effort.

Consistency, he says, has always been central to his identity as a player. While the absence of a PGA TOUR win had often been highlighted, Fleetwood never felt that his underlying performance level was lacking.

In his view, last season’s run of form simply represented his ability to play, more often and more consistently, at the level he knows he can reach. The difference was not in approach, but in execution, finding himself in contention more regularly and allowing results to follow.

Surrounded by a strong support team and armed with detailed preparation, Fleetwood believes last year was the natural reward for sustained hard work finally aligning with opportunity.

Defending Champion Memories at Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek Resort holds special significance for Fleetwood, and memories of his victory there remain fresh. Central to that win was a compelling final-round battle alongside Rory McIlroy.

Fleetwood recalls the experience as both enjoyable and demanding, describing it as a valuable test against one of the greatest players of his generation. The closing stages served as a reminder of golf’s unpredictability, the need to stay patient, focused and committed until the final putt is holed.

Winning in Dubai was made even more meaningful by having his family present, adding a personal dimension to a professional highlight.

Reflecting on the course itself, Fleetwood describes Dubai Creek as a fair examination that rewards quality ball-striking. Calm morning conditions and receptive greens offer scoring opportunities, but accuracy off the tee is critical. Straying into the rough, particularly as the course firms up, quickly turns the test into a grind.

Life at World No. 3

Starting the season ranked third in the world is new territory for Fleetwood, and one he finds both motivating and exciting.

He is candid in acknowledging the gap between himself and the two players ahead of him, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, whom he regards as the clear standard-bearers of the modern game. Closing that gap, he believes, will require improvement across every area, measured in the smallest of margins.

Rather than setting short-term expectations, Fleetwood frames the challenge as a long-term pursuit. Maintaining his current level is the first priority, with any further progress seen as the result of patience and continued development rather than immediate results.

He also recognises the privilege of being mentioned in the same breath as the game’s very best, viewing it as both a compliment and a source of motivation.

Focused on the Process, Ready for the Challenge

As Fleetwood tees it up once again at the Dubai Invitational, his mindset is clear: grounded, consistent and forward-looking.

There is no sense of complacency despite recent success, nor any rush to force the next step. Instead, Fleetwood remains committed to the same principles that have carried him to this point — trust in his work, belief in his process, and an appreciation of the challenge that lies ahead.

At Dubai Creek Resort, a course that rewards precision and patience, Fleetwood finds himself perfectly aligned with both the setting and the moment.

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Her new role with LIV Golf will see her anchoring pre-show coverage and delivering analysis across all four rounds of the league’s 72-hole format.

It is a position that requires nuance, confidence, and clarity, particularly within LIV’s dual narrative structure, where team identity and individual performance unfold simultaneously.

HENNI’S PASSION

Zuël’s enthusiasm for the role is evident not just in what she says, but in what she represents: a broadcaster who embraces technology, creativity, and global connectivity as essential tools.

“My passions – golf, technology, creativity, and forward thinking, are all reflected in this role,” she explains.

“Joining LIV Golf will enable me to draw on my experience as a commentator and former player, whilst contributing to the wider mission of expanding awareness and driving positive global change within the game.”

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