THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome the team of Torque GC. Welcome, guys. Joaquín, I'll start with you. You come into the final event of the regular season leading the individual standings with Jon Rahm just 12.27 points behind you after his runner-up finish in Chicago last week. What's your mindset coming into this week knowing that the individual title come down to the wire?
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I mean, I think it's obviously the same as last week. I feel like I'm pretty happy to be in the situation I am right now, especially from last year, that I have a good chance of winning, and Jon playing amazing golf and obviously proving how good of a golfer he is. Yeah, to be in the same position again this week, it's great.
It's a good way to prove myself, that I've got to focus on my process, got to stay focused on my game, on the shots I am, and not focus about the result or the leaderboard or chasing points, any of that. I feel like whenever I play my best game is when I'm focused and I'm on my process.
That's the mindset for the week, and I feel like it's the same for the four of us. I think we're on a great momentum from last week. It's probably the best result we've had as a team for the last few years.
It's great to be in this position. I think it's the last two weeks of the season, which is really important for us, and we're in a great spot.
Q. Mito, you're currently 49th in the standings just inside the drop zone but you produced a really strong finish last week in Chicago, tied 13th. Still plenty of golf left to play. What's your mindset as you fight to secure your place on LIV Golf for next year?
MITO PEREIRA: I think it's the same I've been trying to do this whole year. A couple things that I can control is how much I try like to give my best, and just keep doing what I've been doing these past two years. Like you said, there's still three days of golf.
But I can only control how much effort I can put in, my attitude, and that's about it. All the other either comes or not.
Either way, I'm trying to focus on trying to do my best.
Q. Seb, you've been one of LIV Golf's most consistent performers this season. I think you've had six top-10 finishes over the year. Can you sum up your year as a whole?
SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: Yeah, really proud of the way I've played this year. I think it's the most top 10s I've ever had in a season out here on LIV. Definitely improved my game over compared to last year. I feel like I have a lot more trust in my golf swing and a lot more trust in my ability to compete. Really proud of that work.
Just trying to chase my captain. He's still more than 100 points away from me. But we made a hell of an effort this year, and trying to cut that distance a little bit next year.
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: He got me on the practice rounds, though.
Q. Carlos, just a word on Torque. You're currently fourth in the team standings, finished runner-up in the last two events. Can you weigh in on the team's recent form this season? It seems like you're peaking right at the right time heading into the Team Championships next week in Chicago.
CARLOS ORTIZ: Yeah, we're playing great. It's getting close. It's a shame the season is coming to an end. We always have next year.
Q. Joaco, you won in Jon's first start. You've gone head-to-head with him these last two years essentially. What's it been like on your side to go head-to-head against Rahm, and how much has it impacted your game, maybe improved it a little bit or how would you assess those two years against Jon?
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, it's been a lot of growing in my game. I feel like playing against Jon -- I've been playing with him for probably 60, 70 percent of my pairings this year, so yeah, he's a great competitor. He's always there. He never gives a shot away. It's fun to play with someone like that that pushes you to be better and to go back home and try to get better and come back here and try to beat him.
I feel like it's something that we all feed from each other here, so yeah, that's probably how competition works, right?
Q. Earlier this year in Jeddah, you guys played against each other, and you shot 63 and he shot 62. How fun was a round like that where you guys are both going low?
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, it's always fun when you are playing with someone that is making a lot of birdies, you're making a lot of birdies. I think you feed from each other.
Obviously it's fun to play your best game and be competing against someone who is playing his best game as well. It's always fun.
Q. Just curious if you guys have a favorite Joaco memory from this year, having watched him win five times. Has there been one particular moment, one particular memory?
SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: I'll start. I'll start with the front nine in Singapore this year. I was in the final group with him and DJ, and it looked like there could be a little bit of a match, but then he just wiped us real quick, real fast, and we were like six, seven behind at eight or nine holes. He just cruised to victory that day.
CARLOS ORTIZ: Yeah, that was pretty impressive.
MITO PEREIRA: I would say Mexico. I wasn't playing with him, but just seeing the leaderboard and obviously in Mexico to get the win over there, I think it was pretty cool.
Q. Anything off the course that he's done as a captain --
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: His barbecue, come on.
MITO PEREIRA: No, good DJ. He just got into music, so he did some tunes on Monday.
SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: On Monday morning, yeah. He just puts a lot of work into it, and he's very committed to being the best version of himself in and out of the golf course. He's always inspiring to me. I think I've said it a couple times already. The way that he works to be a better guy every time.
Q. Carlos, you're having an incredible season, top 5 at the U.S. Open, fourth last week, you won the International Series. Do you think this is the best season of your career, and if so, why do you think that's happening?
CARLOS ORTIZ: I don't know if it's the best season, but it's definitely close. I think it's happening because I'm working harder than other years. I think there is a lot of things still to improve, but getting closer. I've learned a lot and still have a lot of work to do.
Q. Mito, your week obviously was great last week. What can you take from that performance to use this week?
MITO PEREIRA: It was obviously nice to get that finish, those four birdies on the last five holes, give us a little bit of momentum, more confidence, and just confirms a little bit of the work that I've done and gives me more hope for this week. Very happy with that finish, and like I said, there's a couple things that I can control, and I'm trying to do that.
Q. It seems like the last few events your game has turned the corner. Is there any way that you can share that being around your friends, being part of the team has kind of helped you work through the tougher times this year where maybe your game wasn't firing on all cylinders?
MITO PEREIRA: Yeah, for sure. I'm thinking a lot about that. It would have been way worse these two years without being here with these guys. So I'm very thankful for that.
Sometimes you take it for granted that you have people around you that's trying to help, but when you are in those tough times and you really see the people that is helping you or trying to help, it's really nice to see.
Yeah, I'm thankful for that, and it would have been way worse these couple of years.
But obviously it hasn't been good, but it has been better than it would have been.
Q. Joaco, I wanted to ask you about the emotions this week. You had a great season, trying to close this out, but you've got a teammate who's on this bubble to maybe be dropped. How hard is that for you, and as the captain, how much is that playing on your mind?
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I mean, it's just like Mito said, it's really simple. You've just got to worry about what you can control. There's nothing else you can worry about.
I feel like the process you have through your shot, the process, the routine that you have through the week, and at the end of the day, there is not much you can do. You can't force a result. You can't -- we all know that.
I feel like it's no more than that.
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