Davis Riley, defending champion Charles Schwab Cup Challenge. Feelings. First time in his career.
Afternoon everyone. We’re going to go ahead and get things started. We would like to welcome our defending champion Davis Riley to the Charles Schwab Challenge. Davis, welcome back. We’re at the site where you captured your second PGA Tour victory and first individual title. What memories are coming back as you’re here? Yeah, it’s really cool to walk up and uh drive in and see, you know, your own parking spot there, past champion, see your face around a little bit more. And um yeah, it just brings me back in time to this time last year and uh yeah, really cool memories like you said and uh yeah, it was pretty surreal and I’m uh you know, itching to get started this week. As you’re getting practice rounds in, any specific memories from the final round on Sunday? Yeah, you know, I did play the back nine yesterday and I I don’t think I’ll ever forget that shot. I hit out of the divot on 17 to about five feet and made the birdie and um you know, at that time I knew I was a decent amount ahead and it what kind of felt like um kind of wrapped up the tournament for me and uh yeah, that shot on 17 I won’t forget. And when I walked down that fairway yesterday, I uh yeah, brought me back in time. One of the perks of being a champion here is you get a car. What have you been able to do with the Stingray this past year? Yeah, it’s uh it’s that’s one of the unique parts about this tournament, you know, we get uh with the car that comes with it. But yeah, it’s been a great great thing for me and my wife. We love taking it out, getting coffee, getting lunch. Uh so it’s been a super fun thing to have and um yeah, and I’ve already been eyeing that defender out there out back on 10. So yeah, the Stingray has been an awesome treat. Um and we’ve really enjoyed it. Any use or where do you have the plaid jacket? Sorry, repeat. Do you have the plaid jacket? Uh actually don’t have it yet. I get it presented to me tonight at the champions dinner. So, uh, I’ll let you know, I guess, when I get it tonight. And entering this week, you have your best finish from a major last week, PGA Championship, runner up. What confidence do you have heading into this week? Yeah. Um, yeah, last week was really good and stacked a couple, you know, nice weeks the past uh, month or two, but yeah, I feel like my game is trending. Uh, I don’t know why, for some reason, I I love this part of the schedule the most. and um I’ve just kind of history has kind of repeated itself where I’ve just kind of found my stride um for some reason um in this stretch. But yeah, last week was a great confidence booster for me like you said it was my best major finish up to date. Um and then you know being in the second to last group uh Sunday you know having a chance to win and compete and um try to win a major um and everything that comes with that was um I was super proud the way I handled it and uh yeah it was a big confidence booster and um and obviously to be the week before a place that I love so much um is uh you know makes me even that more excited for this week. Perfect. With that we’ll open up questions the media. Start off here in the front with Tim gonna go to the right first. Thanks. Um, yeah. Coming to this event, uh, as the reigning champion, coming off the PGA Championship the way you did, is is there is this kind of a pinch me moment? I mean, this is really the culmination of everything you pretty much worked toward, right, to be able to walk back in here with that finish last week and then to come back as reigning champion at your first individual event. What’s that feeling like for you this week? Yeah, it feels really good. Um, you know, obviously last year was, you know, the Colonial was my, uh, it was my first individual win. And, you know, once I did that, I, you know, I kind of changed some goals. I wanted to start contending in some major championships. And, you know, to do it the week before where I got my, you know, made an individual, um, you know, PJ Tour victory was uh, it’s really cool. Yeah. And it’s and it’s a tournament that I mark on the calendar ever since winning. And, and I’ve just loved this tournament in general. I had a really good finish my rookie year. Had a really good chance to win it. Um, so it’s one I mark on the calendar that I definitely want to have my game trending in a really good direction for and uh I feel like I’ve been that way the past couple years. So it’s uh to get my best major finish the week before this week is uh you know like I said makes me even more of that more excited for um this week. When you guys came in here last year, the renovation had just been finished. Now you got to see it again. It’s had a whole year to kind of mature. What did you notice different and you know how is it playing compared to what it was last year? Yeah, like you said, it was really firm because it was brand new. A lot of the fairways and more so the fairways I I feel like are a little firmer. Had a little bit run out. Had some um just really dry spots where you could get some crazy bounces and some um and it just it was just really firm. It’s it softened up. I think the fairways are a little bit um maybe a little bit softer, more grown in. Um but the fairways already I mean the greens are already firm, so they’re going to be firm and fast just like they were last year. You know, even today I was 8:50 in the morning in a proam and I was landing wedges 15 20 feet short for the flag. So I think especially with the hot conditions that we’re expecting the next couple days it’ll be uh very firm. Um so as opposed to last year you might not see quite as much you know run out in the fairway maybe. Um and I would say the rough is a little bit up. Um but I think the greens uh the quickness and the firmness will be very similar to as to what we saw last year. Uh quick follow on Haley’s question. And uh if the defender’s in your driveway next to the Stingray, do you which do you drive and which does the wife get to drive? The wife gets to drive neither. No, I um Yeah, to have both of them side by side would be pretty special. I mean, like you said, I mean, the the Charles Schwab has got that iconic baby blue, so it’s uh really cool. And um yeah, the the uh defender would be a really cool one to add to the collection. Moving here on the left side, we have Mac. Uh, I got two questions for you. I don’t know if you saw this the other day, but Bryson Dashambo was commenting after the tournament that he said, “I just need to get a golf ball that flies a little straighter.” Sounds a little odd. I’m not asking to speak for him, but in this day and age, is there really that much difference between these golf balls that you do need that part of your responsibility is to find that ball that fits your game? Is is the technology that good? you know, I’ve been a titleless player my whole career. Um, so to be quite honest, I haven’t tested around with many golf balls. Um, but yeah, I mean, there is a ball fitting process for every player and that I believe there is a particular ball for every player, but may I don’t I don’t know. I I just I feel like that could be the Indian more than the golf ball. Um, that could be I don’t I don’t know. I don’t know what Bryson I mean he’s plays all kinds of um he’s been known to play some crazy equipment, do a lot of crazy equipment changes and um you know all I really know is the golf ball that I have fitted for me when I hit it how I want it goes just as straight as I want to. So uh the other question is and I know two years ago the PGA Tour announces a potential well not a potential but a merger with Live Golf and two years later it doesn’t really feel like we’re any closer to that. Um, are you guys any closer to an agreement to potentially getting you guys to play more consistently together as opposed to just four or five tournaments a year? Yeah, you know, I I trust um, you know, I’m not on the board or anything like that, but I trust our leadership and the players that are kind of leading those roles and, you know, weighing in on a lot of those decisions. I trust they’re doing everything in their power to make, you know, bring to the best possible outcome for everybody. Um, so you know, obviously maybe we’d have liked to to have sooner sooner than it has, but at the same time, I trust the people in front of us that they’re doing everything they can to make sure um whenever that does happen that it’s happened properly and whatever the conclusion they might be. So all I can do is trust my superiors and um the P the governing bodies of the PGA Tour. You’re a player. Do you think it’s had a negative or a drag effect on the state of professional golf in the country? The two the existence of two tours. Sorry, can you repeat that a quite do you think it’s do you think it’s had a negative or a drag effect on the overall state of professional golf in the country uh when you have two professional tours like this that are split? I mean uh I think competition is healthy in a certain sense um but um at some point like I said I just trust the governing bodies ahead of me to do what’s going to be the best for our game. Um, but competition is good and it just makes you check and see where you’re at. But at the same time, um, you know, we have good leadership and um, you know, a good board and everything that does that that makes those decision those decisions and you know, all I can do is trust them at that point. So um, that’s really all I have to say about it. Thank you very much. Yeah, just pass the microphone next. Yeah. As as you pointed out, uh, you know, you you played well here your rookie year. What is it specifically about this course you feel like suits you? Yeah, I I think it has a lot of similarities to the golf course I grew up on as a kid. Um, you know, kind of old school golf course. Uh, Bermuda um all around fast firm green. So, I think just a lot of sim similarities to what I grew up on. I’m very comfortable around it. Um, and yeah, I I just love Bermuda grass and um firm and fast green. So, um, yeah, I think I’m just really comfortable around it and, um, it brings back a lot of memories of just my childhood growing up playing golf. And I think we’re going to get a microphone over to Zeke. We have a special guest here from Children’s Fly to Hope. Zeke has a question. If you could have a job other than golf, what would it be? That’s a good question. Um, man, I don’t know. I have a passion for the game. So, if I wasn’t playing, I feel like I would be coaching or, um, I don’t know, maybe a, you know, a college golf coach or something like that or a club pro or something like that around the game. Um, I don’t know. I just have a really big passion for golf and sports in general. So, I feel like I’d be somewhere in the sports arena and um, probably somewhere in the golf field. Thank you. Yep. Perfect. With that, all the questions we have. Davis, thank you for the time. Good luck this week. Yep. Thank you.
