Ryder Cup Captains Jim Furyk and Thomas Björn - © TPlassais / swing-feminin.com / RYDER CUP 2018

STEVE TODD: I am delighted to be joined here by Team Europe Captain and Team USA Captain for the first press conference of this 2018 edition. Jim, Thomas, welcome .

Jim, if you don't mind, we'll start with you. You were there a year ago, when we organized this event at the Eiffel Tower a year before the 2018 Ryder Cup. And here we are at the start of this edition. What is your feeling now that your team has arrived in France?

JIM FURYK: It's amazing. We've been waiting for this for a long time. The year went by slowly at first, before perhaps accelerating for the last four to six weeks, but it was a real joy to put the team on the plane, there was excitement in the air last night. The flight went well. I think everyone was able to rest a bit. It's good to be here, and of course we've been waiting for this for a long time. I can't wait to live this week.

STEVE TODD: Thomas, I'm asking you the same question. There has been a lot of preparation before this week. What is your feeling now that this week has finally started?

THOMAS BJÖRN: We are here. We've been working very hard for 18, 20 months. As Jim says, this last month has gone by really fast, and here we are all at once here in this situation, on Monday of this fateful week, and all the preparations must pay off in the days to come.

But everyone is there. Everyone is happy, everyone is feeling good and we have two great teams here. I'm sure it will be a fantastic week for everyone involved, and I can't wait to be there. I can't wait to see what lies ahead, yes I can't wait to live this week.

Q. How much did Tiger [Woods's] win add to the mood on the plane last night?

JIM FURYK: Yesterday we were on hold, it was a major win for the team and there was a whole bunch of us waiting in the hall, and then there was a huge scream when Steve Stricker entered the hall after his victory last night [at Sanford International] (laughs).

It was nice to see Strick playing well on the PGA Champions Tour in South Dakota, and of course Tiger playing well in the TOUR Championship as well. Seeing him take that much lead early in the tournament and then resist everyone's coming back really created a good atmosphere in the team room there. Many of our players joined him on the course to congratulate him.

It's good to see these two playing so well and launching this week in the best possible way.

Q. Could you explain the logistics a bit, where the team room was, when you took off, when you landed, how long you slept, that sort of thing?

JIM FURYK: So we had reserved a room for the team at the Renaissance Hotel, very close to the airport. I think we were supposed to take off around 22 p.m. In the end, we probably didn't leave before 23:15 pm. We had decided to eat at the hotel in order to allow those who wanted to have a good meal, and we were able to rest a little especially at the start of the flight. I fell asleep quite quickly.

But we made up a good part of our flight delay. With an hour and a quarter late on departure, I think we were only fifteen minutes late on arrival, we landed around 12:45 pm. We got out pretty quickly and had a good police escort to the hotel. The players are there, well installed. They are getting ready for this week.

Q. Mickelson, Watson, Reed and Koepka finished their TOUR Championship tournament with, say, very average performances. Are you worried about this?

JIM FURYK: Well, in the same way, as you mentioned, a lot of our players also played really well last week. You know, throughout my career, I happened to be very good at training and then have a difficult tournament. And conversely, I was sometimes bad at training before winning in the tournament that followed.

Suddenly, last week is already behind us. Of course, everyone wants to be in great shape and be confident in their game, but it's a different course, a different site, a totally different type of golf tournament that awaits us in the form of match-play, a team competition, with a huge crowd waiting for us. It's a totally different vibe this week.

I think Thomas and I are going to try to feel in training how our team is playing, and we're going to feel pretty quickly who looks like we're in great shape, so that we can form the best possible pairs.

Q. A question for the two captains: this end of the season has been rich in events on both sides of the Atlantic, and there are still tournaments to come in Europe, but you mentioned the players who had distinguished themselves at East Lake [on the TOUR Championship]. Do you have any concerns regarding the fatigue of players like Tiger, Justin Rose, who are very present on the greens at the end of the season? What do you expect in terms of their patience and pace on the course during this long week ahead?

THOMAS BJÖRN: No, I am not worried. They are great athletes, they have known for a long time that this week awaited them. They kept that in the back of their minds. You know, if there's one thing I've learned about the Ryder Cup, it's that fatigue doesn't matter - even if you've played a lot, adrenaline keeps you going physically. .

Of course, when you do big things it's demanding, but the players are going to be able to perform well throughout the week. They've been waiting for it, probably since the start of the season, so I'm not worried.

JIM FURYK: Yes, this competition is a bit of a marathon. The players you mentioned, Tiger and Justin Rose, have played so many tournaments that they understand the physical and mental demands of this event. They will take things at the right pace.

They're going to get ready for that, and you know, since we don't know this course as well as our opponents, the trick is going to be to do all that preparation and get to know the places, while also trying to conserve a bit. energy to be ready to play 36 holes on Friday and Saturday if necessary.

Q. Can you tell us a few words about the effect Tiger's victory might have? I know it's two totally different things, between what happened last week and what's going to happen this week, but can that give your team some energy, Jim? And Thomas, do you think that might affect the course of events this week?

JIM FURYK: He's been playing really well all year. He showed the tip of his nose on two majors and he had plenty of chances to win this year. Of course, it is a pleasant feeling for our team.

But I would say all the attention and the amazing vibe during the PGA Championship, during this TOUR Championship, all that crowd, I still think about what happened on the 9th round, on the 18th fairway yesterday, c 'was unbelievable.

Obviously, it brings energy, although it is not necessary to bring much more energy to the approach of this competition, since it is undoubtedly the most important golf tournament that is. , but it will give additional enthusiasm - and again, the enthusiasm is there anyway, but that's a plus.

THOMAS BJÖRN: I was a professional player for 25 years alongside Tiger Woods, and every time he achieves something, it generates a great story, and we all want to see him at that level. We all want to see him at the top of this sport. He does so much for golf.

I had great pleasure watching what happened last night. It was great for everything that is most important in the sport.

As we approach this week we have the 24 best players in the world, and this tournament being what it is, as always, with its great history, we know it's going to be a great twelve-on-twelve battle. This is what we can't wait to experience. For golf, seeing Tiger Woods winning tournaments is great, and I believe we all reap the benefits. Whatever happens between these 24 players this week, golf needs that extra boost, from someone like him, who makes the sport accessible to as many people as possible. We need him at the top. For everyone involved in golf, this is great.

Q. Could you give an order of magnitude of what Tiger Woods accomplished, knowing where he was a year ago? And do you think, keeping in mind what he's been through the last few years, in this Ryder Cup we will see a Tiger Woods maybe a little different from what he had shown in previous Ryder Cup times? ?

JIM FURYK: Let’s try to answer that. There are two or three questions at a time. Let's break it down into several parts. What was the first part already?

Q. Sorry. Try to give us an idea of ​​what he's accomplished, keeping in mind where he was a year ago.

JIM FURYK: Yes, I think it shows when you look at him: I think you can see all his emotion, as he tried to fight back the tears. From the way he raised his arms and waved his fist, you could tell how important this victory was to him.

When you compare this Ryder Cup to others he's competed in, I think the difference is that Tiger got into the vibe of our team. He played a very important role in 2016 as vice-captain and then again in 2017 as assistant captain in the Presidents Cup. I think it is now a special moment for him to join these young players as a teammate.

But you know, what matters to him today, what is special to him, is to be part of this team, of this group. As Thomas said, it's a twelve against twelve, and I think he's particularly enjoying that atmosphere right now. He won yesterday, and as an individual I know what that meant and how important it was to him, but he turned this page pretty quickly and he was really excited to join his teammates and be part of this process. .

Q. Speaking of Tiger, in his current form, is he a player to be feared this week, and could a possible win over him play somehow the role of an extra point for the Europeans?

THOMAS BJÖRN: Here we have the 24 best players in the world. When it comes to competing against each other, they are capable of extraordinary things, on both sides. We are not afraid of anyone because we have played against them many times individually. But we respect our opponents and we know what we're going to measure up against.

I think that's the key to it all. We're going to get out on the course, do what we know how to do and play our game. We know there's one of the strongest American teams of all time on the other side, and we know we have to. play our best golf against this team. This is what awaits us. We don't hide behind what we are, who we are, what we do together. This is the whole issue of this week.

We are going to do what we have to do as a European team, we are going to put that on the course, facing twelve American players. It is not a single individual. We face the whole team.

Q. Of course, it went a bit unnoticed with everything that happened yesterday, but what did you think of Sergio [Garcia] 's performance in Portugal?

THOMAS BJÖRN: I liked it. I was happy for Sergio. I think he wanted to achieve something and feel good with a club in hand. I know what Sergio stands for, and I know what he brings to this team, I kept saying it: He is an integral part of who we are, of our identity.

But he's going to be very happy with what he achieved last week. He arrived here in a great mood, with a big smile, and that's what he will communicate to his teammates.

Q. When you chose Sergio, part of the math was that he would have a month to rest before he got his game back. Do you think he was successful from that point of view? And what can you tell us about the conversations you've had with him over the past few weeks of preparation?

THOMAS BJÖRN: Yes, I think Sergio is the kind of player who sometimes needs that little extra that you feel when things are going in the right direction.

The conversations I had with him, which made me choose him, and the ones we had after that, made him feel good, he felt his golf was progressing in the right direction. I know his values ​​as a man. Now he wants to go to the course and show what he's capable of.

We all know that when he's at his best he's one of the best golfers in the world. He feels good. He's smiling, happy and can't wait to start playing. Like everyone in the team, he feels that a good atmosphere surrounds this group as we approach this Ryder Cup. All they want now is to play golf.

He's just one of our twelve players, but he plays a big part in what we do, like every player. I am delighted with the conversations I have had with him. They've been positive, great, and he knows what he's doing, he feels good.

Q. I know you've done a lot of work on choosing pairs and the factors of choice. How important will the preparation that will take place over the next three days be in determining these pairs?

JIM FURYK: I believe it will have little effect. We have clear ideas on how we are going to involve our players. We have some options in picking our pairs, and also depending on what's going to unfold over the next few days, but I think we're confident in our game plan, so to speak, and in who's going to play. together for which game format.

THOMAS BJÖRN: I quite agree with Jim on this. We prepare at 80, 90%, and then we know that there will be a few pieces of the puzzle to move as the week goes on. A lot can happen with the players, and a lot can happen to them in a week like this.

In our minds, we know very well where we want to go, and something unusual would have to happen to change our mind. Our idea is made as to the direction we want to take.

Q. A few years ago Rory was treated quite unfairly at Hazeltine. Ian Poulter says he's been treated badly on every hole at the US Open. Do you expect a hostile reception here, and have you spoken to your players about it?

JIM FURYK: Do I think the public will be hostile? No, I do not think so. You know, there were some unruly fan fans at Hazeltine. We did our best to evacuate them.

I think the majority of the supporters were there to cheer on their team, and that's normal. I have always admired the European public, the supporters here, the support they give to their team. I admire the way they come together to shout louder and be heard with their songs. They give the impression of being very united.

In general, when I greet the European public, when they reserve us an ola on the first tee, by greeting them and by indicating to them that one understands which supporters they are, it is a way of showing a respect which I have always felt mutual.

I know it's an audience that will make noise. I know this is an audience that will be turbulent. Of course, the public will cheer for the European team, that's natural. This is of course a difficulty. That's part of the advantage of playing at home for Europe this week, and that's something my players are going to have to respect, but I hope they like it. I hope they will feed on it.

You know, at times, when you're on the road, you have the feeling of being a small group in front of a large number of Europeans. Sometimes it's something that can bring players together, sometimes it's an element that you can rally behind. I hope these players have that in them. I really admire the European audience, I know it will be loud and I can't wait to see it.

Q. How would you summarize your role this week? What personality traits and elements of player experience do you have that will allow you to be stronger in this role in the face of what awaits you this week?

THOMAS BJÖRN: I imagine that we should instead ask the question of others, who can tell you what they think we will bring this week.

The vision I have of my role alongside these players is that everything revolves around them. You know, I've always had the same position, both on the professional circuit and on the Ryder Cup teams: it's those twelve players that count. It's what they do that counts, my role is to support them and accompany them along the way.

They are the ones who matter. Sometimes you have to know how to show the direction, indicate the way forward. But it happens in a group. We are a team. We are a group of players united around the same goal.

So for us, or for me, it's just a matter of walking into the team locker room and sending the players out onto the course to do what they can do best. My role is to be both a support and a leader able to send them in the right direction, the direction that I think is the right one.

JIM FURYK: It was a wonderful response. I would add that we have accumulated experience as players and as vice-captains. Looks like I'm taking some things from the captains that I've been able to admire. Obviously, we have learned along the way. We will both lead the group, each in their own way, drawing on our experience.

I really feel like I took notes when I was a young player, dreaming of a player to have this opportunity, and I'm going to try to tap into that experience and bring various things to this team, this year. . As Thomas said, in our vision for this golf tournament, we will never be the two main points of interest.

Here we have 24 of the best players in the world. Everything revolves around them in this competition. Our role is to support them to help them move forward, perhaps pointing them in the right direction.

Q. Do you plan to have your twelve players play from day one, if possible?

JIM FURYK: What's your strategy on this, Thomas? (Laughter).

THOMAS BJÖRN: You know, that's - who'll live will see (laughs).

Q. Jim?

JIM FURYK: I would say, who will live will see. I found Thomas very clear.

Q. I have a question for the two captains. How important are workouts in determining pairs? Sure, you already have your idea, but seeing the compatibility of players on the course, that sort of thing, how important will the practice sessions be over the next few days?

JIM FURYK: From our point of view, but I think Thomas will agree, we know pretty well who we think is compatible and who can play together. There are some options.

For us, these training sessions… As for Thomas, some players are in full jet lag. These next three days will be crucial for us, training will be very important to get to know this course, to understand as well as possible all its peculiarities. Among my players, six have already played on this course and six have never played there. The first day, we will perhaps associate the players who have already evolved here with those who have never come to facilitate the discovery of the course.

The preparation that will take place over the next three days will be crucial for me. As a player, in major tournaments I've always tried to get to know a 36 hole course to be ready for the first round on Thursday. This is what we will have to do. For its part, the European team will try to deepen its knowledge of the course.

European players have already played in the French Open here. They shined here, there are the last two winners and a number of top 10. It is part of the difficulties to overcome in this preparation, and getting to know this golf course first is the most important. The issue of compatibility and how to approach foursomes and four balls will play a role as well.

THOMAS BJÖRN: Yes, by the time we enter this course, we may have played it before, it will be the course as it will be this week, with conditions a little different from what they are in June and July, when the French Open is being played here. It is therefore a question of going on the course to recognize it.

I agree with Jim. We both have a pretty good idea of ​​what pair choices we're going to make, and like I said before, that doesn't mean that no change can happen to that in the next three days. But I know pretty clearly where I want to go and where to start, and we'll see what happens after that. As a captain, that's the right thing to do. I want to find myself in a situation where, from my original plan, a whole series of different plans emerge.

I am confident in my choice of pairs, but as I said before, we are 80, 85% ready with regard to the objectives, and of course things can happen in the days to come.

Q. The last time he was here Bubba [Watson] didn't have the best of experiences. Did you prepare something in advance in case bad memories come back to him?

JIM FURYK: The last time he came everything went well since it was for a training session with us. But in regards to the last tournament he played here, at the French Open, I had a discussion with Bubba about it. He really liked Paris the last time. He liked being in France.

I think he has only good things to say. As for revisiting the event… It was a long time ago, it was a much younger Bubba Watson. I think he will really enjoy this trip, and that he will love living this Ryder Cup with his teammates.

Q. Do either of you have a special social media policy in place for your team?

THOMAS BJÖRN: (Laughter).

JIM FURYK: I haven't written anything special and I don't have a special position on what we can and cannot do. On these kinds of events, I don't have the feeling that I see our players a lot on their phones, on social networks, etc. These are really busy weeks. During a classic tournament on the circuit, I see the players, in lounges and dining rooms, looking at Twitter or social networks, and I guess today the youngest are mostly on Snapchat or Instagram . They are looking for information, ideas, to have fun.

In this competition, the players spend more time together and I don't see them that often on their phones, and I don't see a lot of phones in the locker room.

I don't really have a firm policy per se, beyond the obvious things in terms of good behavior. I find social media great as long as it's user-friendly. But beyond that, I don't have any particular problem.

THOMAS BJÖRN: I think that's part of the life of young players today. If we impose constraints on them, on what they can do, on their way of life, that changes their way of being a little.

Social networks are not a problem for me. But as Jim says, everyone is very busy; It's a week under high pressure, very sensitive, and I'm sure the players on both sides will respect that.

Today, social networks are part of the life of athletes, it is impossible to take that away from them. You would no longer have a subject for your articles, that would be a real problem. I believe it must exist.

If we take a step back, it's great for golf. There are a lot of things at stake and of course as the captain of the European team I have to try to protect my twelve players in everything they do, but I'm not going to force them not to use social networks. I'm sure you'll see posts here and there on social media, but it's fine as long as it stays in the right spirit.

Q. Did you draw inspiration from coaches in other sports in your vision of your role?

THOMAS BJÖRN: Perhaps.

Q. Please.

THOMAS BJÖRN: If you mean to tell me that I was inspired by Alex Ferguson, then no, not in that sense. I know people who work in sport, with young people, who approach their work from different angles. I spent a lot of time discussing with them how they approach this job.

As a player in an individual sport, you can easily feel like you know everything about that role. But the day you take on this role, you realize that it has nothing to do with what you're used to.

Therefore, you can ask a few people for their opinion on different things, but you are not looking for someone famous who has evolved at the highest level, no. I spoke to people I trust and who know me, and they have helped me a lot. I would say that put me in a very good position.

I am happy with what I do in my role as captain and I am satisfied with the way I lead these twelve players.

Q. When making your choices and composing your pairs, do you rely on analytical data or on the understanding between the players?

THOMAS BJÖRN: A lot of different factors come into play in this regard. There are so many different things to consider. We try to do the best, but as soon as we move a player here or there, everything changes.

There are so many different things to consider when creating pairs, not one specific thing. When you think about it like that, it's a real puzzle, but a big picture gradually forms, things start to fall into place, and we have a lot of time to think about it.

Jim and I have been looking into this for a long time, and I'm sure Jim spent as much time waking up in the middle of the night as I said to myself, it works, and maybe it does also.

But that big picture eventually forms, and I've been happy to have been in this role for so long because it allowed me to think over and over again about all of these things that I wanted to do. It gives a lot of confidence, it reinforces the idea that we have made the right decisions and that we just have to get started.

Q. It's been a few years now that an American team won on European soil. Is this an additional motivation for your players, or rather a burden?

JIM FURYK: I am not sure I know. We are reminded of this quite often. People started talking to me about it the moment I took the opportunity to become a captain.

So can we talk about additional motivation? I am not sure that it is necessary to have additional sources of motivation in Ryder Cup. I believe that with the idea of ​​facing the twelve best European players, the twelve best American players are excited and impatient.

And of course that's something that bothers them, it's been going on since 1993 and some of the veteran players who have played in a number of Ryder Cup teams during those years have never won on foreign soil. It's a hole in their career.

The players can't wait for it to start.

I don't need to talk about this in the locker room. No one has written "25" large on a wall. They are aware of that, they are aware of the difficulty of having to win in Europe. You know, that's the battle we're going to fight this week.

It's a strong team. Thomas mentioned it, they are arguably the strongest American team we have ever had, and I would go so far as to say that they are also possibly the strongest European team ever, the first to last. It's a very rich team, with players who play very well together. It will be a difficult week for us, but we want to take up this challenge.

Q. Ian Poulter was the first to go into the field today. Isn't that symbolic of something? And how much does he want to do battle?

THOMAS BJÖRN: Yes, I think he would have come in the middle of last week if he could.

He really wants to be there. We all know Ian's story and his feelings about the Ryder Cup. He wanted to be on the course. He came yesterday, he was all set, he just wanted to go.

Players who arrive early want to familiarize themselves with the whole environment. Once they're there, they can't wait to get a drive in hand to hit some shots. He wanted to go out and punch a few shots. Yes, that's exactly his type. He is most definitely ready to go. It was nice to see him indulge like that, with this desire so strong, but the others are as enthusiastic as him. Simply, he had a little more time than the others, which is what allowed him to come earlier. It's natural.

The players who have just returned from the United States are a little tired, they want this day to end. They will be ready tomorrow.

Q. Are there any of your twelve players who have never played on this course before?

THOMAS BJÖRN: No, I think they've all played it now. Sergio had never been here before participating in the last French Open this summer. I believe they all participated here at the French Open.

We had good times on this course, but it's a new week, around a competition totally different from the French Open. It's about evolving as a team and trying to bring the trophy back to Europe. They are determined to do it.

The Ryder Cup has nothing to do with a classic tournament. There is a lot of excitement among the players.

STEVE TODD: Gentlemen, thank you. We wish you both good luck for this week.