Q. How will you make it all come together?
WYNDHAM CLARK: I mean, obviously I've hit inside a simulator before, many times, and just the -- it's fun and a simulator is cool and everything, but the putting and short game has always been the issue with the simulator. So that was my first question: So how are we going to play real golf, because the putting is always the challenge. But then obviously once you got here and you see this, you go, okay, this is way different than the simulator you might see at someone's house or at a bar or someplace like that.
Q. How long is it going to take to get comfortable with this green complex?
WYNDHAM CLARK: It's going to take some time. There's a decent amount of slope. I don't know if they told you, the green changes and they can change the contours and have more break, less break. But that's going to be probably the most challenging part.
The ball-striking is so good, and it's so accurate. So I think you're going to see us really excel in that area.
Where the challenges could be is chipping and the putting, but that's fine. That's what makes it unique and so great is we're in a stadium. It's not normal golf. We're not outside. We're not playing a major a big tournament. This is inside golf, so it's going to be different and fun. I think that's what makes it really cool and unique, and I think the viewers will love it.
Q. What was the challenge of fitting this into the beginning of the PGA TOUR schedule? You guys are traveling at that point in the season a long way. What was that challenge?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, that's obviously one of the challenges for us. The good thing I'd say for most guys is they live here in either Jupiter or parts of Florida, so it's not that far. They did try to plan most of the schedule to where it is when we are kind of playing in Florida, so it's just an easy drive up or flight up.
But with that said, the nice thing is planes are fast and we're used to traveling. They've made such an amazing facility for us in the back where we have trainers and a gym and they're going to have a little kitchen and we'll have food. We'll feel really comfortable. I don't think there will be any issue.
I think it's kind of fun. We're going to start really feeling like we're playing -- we're in an arena, so it's going to feel like we're an NBA or NFL team.
Q. Could you play on a Monday night here on a week where you're playing a PGA TOUR event, somewhere on the West Coast maybe?
WYNDHAM CLARK: So they did none of that for -- none of the players will play Monday for a West Coast. They're either not playing in the event -- I believe. Don't quote me on that. For my schedule that I know, I will be playing here on a couple Monday nights, but they will be ones in Florida and maybe ones in North Carolina, so it's short flights. They really did a great job with trying to get us to where the schedules lined up with us or it wasn't too much travel.
Q. How excited are you for the intimacy of this environment where fans are going to feel like they can almost reach out and touch you and definitely talk to you?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, that's what's sometimes a challenge with golf is people are farther away and sometimes the fans are intimate, but this is really intimate.
I think it's fun. People are going to see our personalities. We're going to be mic'd up. Some things could come out that maybe we don't want to say. But that's how other sports are.
I just think it's a great fan experience here in person, and I think on TV it's going to turn out really good. You've got to see this. This stadium is amazing, and as they finish everything up and we get ready to play, I think it's going to be quite the experience.
Q. Who's going to get themselves in the most trouble being mic'd up 24/7?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Gosh, I'm going to have to really watch my cussing, but on our team, Shane Lowry. He has some cuss words on trigger pretty quick, so he's going to have to really watch himself.
But I'm hoping none of us look bad in any way, but I think it's going to be really fun. There's going to be some good banter, and I think people are going to see some great golf, and it's going to be something new.
Q. Can you give us an update on team building right now? You've got Min Woo, Ludvig, Shane. That's a pretty good crew. What do y'all have lined up?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, we've got a group text between us. I've actually run into each one of those guys prior to even today, and we've talked about how fun it's going to be and our team camaraderie. We kind of have a fun team. We have an international team. I'm the only American. We kind of have guys from all over the world.
So it's pretty fun. We have some lively guys either on social media or guys you'd want to go have a beer with, and then you've got the assassin in Ludvig. We've got a whole gamut. Our team is pretty fun.
You know what's really going to be fun is the travel we're going to have together. It's going to feel like a team. We're going to come from whatever tournament is on Sunday night, we're going to fly in together, probably go have dinner, hang out, practice, warm up, and then we'll play. It'll start feeling like a team for sure as the year goes on, and I bet you by the end of it, we'll really feel like we're the Bay Club team.
Q. Do you think Shane is going to try to sneak Guinness into the SoFi Center?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Oh, for sure. After team wins we might celebrate a little.
Q. So that's the team thing; what about the rivalry? Is there anything that's already started?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I mean, the fun thing is we all are pretty good friends and we know each other, but we all love to beat each other, as well. I imagine as things go on, there will be more rivalries. I think as this thing continues to go -- we're all really competitive, so we don't like to lose. We might not have any animosity towards each other right now, but I think as it goes, I think the competitiveness will probably be like we want to beat those guys. You lose to them, you don't want to lose to them again. I'm hoping that part really -- selfishly, I hope that happens because I hope there is some competitiveness because I think that makes this more fun for not only us but for you guys.
Q. I'm wondering, the earpiece, what is the deal with it generally? What does it look like? What does it feel like in your ear?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I struggle just here with the echo and the bounce-back, but that won't happen when we play because they were trying to put it through here so you guys could hear, but that will only be to the telecast, so that part I've heard is going to be fixed, which is great. So what we hear is we hear the telecast. If it's Roger Steele or Matt Barrie or whoever is commentating talking to us, we can also hear the other players, so it'll be mainly for the viewers on TV to hear us and be able to get our banter and our talk and strategy and everything like that.
Q. Has it fallen out of your ear at all?
WYNDHAM CLARK: No. The good thing is it wraps around. I have a small ear, so we are getting -- it's really nice. They're actually making custom made ones for us that'll have the by club on it. TGL has thought of everything. It will be the perfect earpiece for me that will not fall out.
Q. What's the coolest thing about this whole thing, today, the league?
WYNDHAM CLARK: I would just say I was blown away when I first came in here, and this was about three weeks ago, and just saw this facility, I was blown away. It feels like if I could equate it to golf, it feels like 16 at Waste Management, just in a smaller setting, more intimate, and indoors. Then equate it to other sports, I feel like you're court-side at an NBA game. It's really cool. That part is probably the coolest thing to me.
Then the technology. It's unbelievable that you can hit a shot, it responds perfectly, you turn around, they point exactly to where you are on the green, the green rotates. All that stuff, it's just amazing where we are with technology.
Q. What was it about this concept that you said, I have to be able to jump in on this in the inaugural year?
WYNDHAM CLARK: I think anything new in golf is always exciting. When you have Tiger Woods and the money and the people behind this with Marc Lasry, our team owner, and the Avenue Sports Group, Steph Curry is involved, you see the names that are involved in these teams, and you're like, wow, this is a pretty interesting thing, I want to be part of that.
I think you never know what this thing could be. This could be the future of golf. This could be one of the coolest things on Monday nights after football, and that's the hope. So I just wanted to be a part of it. So I'm really excited, and I hope you guys are, too, because I think it's going to be pretty cool.
Q. Seeing this in person for the first time, it's much different than everything you see on social. How excited are you for the people to see the product finally after so much buildup?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, we all saw it on social. You see a little thing and you're like, it looks cool or whatever, but you get here, and it's like, this is amazing. I'm really eager to see how that first night goes, and obviously we're going the first night, and that's going to -- a lot of pressure on us. But I think it's going to be great. They've done an amazing job. When we've done some of the run-throughs, how seamless it is -- today they were showing you different things but that's not exactly how it's going to be run. It'll be really seamless and easy.
I think for the viewership, we look at some of the other stuff in golf, sometimes there's some lag time in walking and whatnot. There's hardly any lag time here. It's shot, shot, shot, shot, and a few banter here and there. It's going to be pretty action packed, which I think is going to be great for the viewership for golf.
Q. The fans, the music, what's fun about that for you?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I mean, that just adds -- like I said, the closest thing I would equate this to is an NBA game. We're going to have walk-up songs. There's going to be music played probably before our shots in the lag time. We're going to have benches that we go sit on. We're going to have our ownership group behind us. We'll have our trainers, everyone there. It feels like a real team, which is really cool, because golf is an individual sport, and no one sees our team when we're out there playing. It's always just eyes on us. Here it'll feel a lot more like a team, which is pretty cool.
Q. How does TGL's format challenge you as a player compared to traditional?
WYNDHAM CLARK: I would just say I think with alternate shot it's always very difficult. The first nine holes of alternate shot is going to be a challenge just in and of itself that you don't get a rhythm, and that's always tough. When we play the team events like Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup, that's probably the hardest format to feel comfortable, so I would imagine that would be similar here because you'll hit a drive and then you won't hit maybe until the next drive or the next iron shot, a hole or two later. That's probably one of the challenges.
Then I just think getting used to all the technology and all that I think is probably maybe some of the hurdles that guys will have. But the fun thing is we all learn really quick. It took us only a few minutes to feel comfortable with it, and I feel like after one match you'll be ready for the next match, and we'll just get better and better, and I think this whole thing is just going to continue to really take off.
Q. You spoke a little bit over there about the preparation that you feel like will be advantageous. What's your plan to prepare?
WYNDHAM CLARK: You know, unfortunately I live on the West Coast so it's going to be difficult to get over here a lot, but for that first match we get in the day before, so I'm hoping that day maybe get in a 30-minute or an hour match of kind of playing the holes that we're going to play, feel comfortable with all of that, and then obviously practicing on the greens, practicing the chipping.
The chipping is a challenge because there's a lot of grain. It's hard to chip into the grain here. You've just got to get used to that. There's some nuances just like at any other golf course that you've got to learn here at TGL, as well.
Q. Speak to the primetime aspect of the telecast. Does that excite you?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, it's so cool for golf that we're going to be primetime, kind of taking that Monday night slot of where football normally is. I just think it's so great for golf. It's great for our personal brands, the brands we represent, and it's great for TGL. I think it's just an awesome thing. I'm hoping this is just the start of a lot of primetime for golf.
Q. How do you think TGL will attract new fans to the sport but also garner the love of the hard-core golf fan, as well?
WYNDHAM CLARK: I would say for the hard-core golfer, it's still golf. You're going to see a lot of great shots, and you're going to see -- we're hitting off real grass. It's so accurate, the technology is amazing. You're going to still have that feel, and they should love this. But they should also realize that this isn't golf outdoors. It's a new animal, and they've got to accept that.
Then for the new golfer, I think it's fun because it speeds up golf. Now we're playing in such a short time, and there's no lag time. There's no walking. We only get 40 seconds. I think that's going to hopefully appeal to the new golfer, that it's like wow, this is fast, this is fun. This is like other sports inside an arena.
Q. What will be the biggest adjustments you'll have to make to your game playing in this environment?
WYNDHAM CLARK: I think the full swing shots, there's almost no difference. It is so accurate. You hit it, you can feel when you hit it, a great shot, and you can feel when you pull-cut it or pull-hook it, and it shows it, and it's very accurate. That part is not as big of a change. I would say the wedge shots are going to be tough a little bit, just for the depth perception and you're hitting into a screen. I usually look at how far something is and I judge my distance that way, a lot of it, so that's going to be a challenge.
Then just the chipping and putting is a little different. Anyone that's chipped on turf, it's not like a real green, but the great thing is it's really accurate, and we can get comfortable with it, and just like in golf, we get reps, we get practice, we're going to learn how to get comfortable on this. So I bet you as the year goes on, we'll start getting really good at making these putts and making these chips.
Q. You mentioned the wedge shot and the depth perception. Is it almost better to pretend you're outside rather than hitting into a screen?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Well, I would say for guys, the best thing is just to do -- really learn how to hit a 50-yard shot and not use your eyes for that or a 70-yard shot, no, hey, if I take it to three-quarters and finish three-quarters, it goes 70 yards. That's probably going to be the best advice I can give someone for TGL because sometimes you look at it and you feel it, and this is a lot what I do, is I'll look at a wedge shot and I'll feel how far 70 yards is and hit that. But here you don't have that depth perception.
That's going to be obviously a little bit of a challenge for me personally, but some guys already have clock systems, and I'm sure they'll do great.
Q. With Tiger's physical capabilities recently, most people don't expect him to contend for majors, or at least he hasn't recently. How much do you think he's going to dig into this and become maybe the face of it?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I think it's unfortunate that Tiger is having those complications because we all love watching him play and we all love him in the field. It's always good for golf when Tiger Woods is playing.
With that said, because he doesn't have to walk as much and it's not four days and counting practice rounds, so let's call it five or six days of a tournament, it does take away some of that physical part that Tiger is struggling with. So I think it's going to be great. This is going to be maybe -- I don't know, but this could be maybe the new place to watch Tiger Woods play, which is pretty neat, and for me, selfishly, I just feel honored that I get to share that with him.
It's going to be fun. When we match up against him -- I've never played in a group with Tiger. I've done practice rounds in tournaments, but I've never played a match against him. I'm hoping I get that opportunity here.
Q. Just wondering, how do short game shots feel compared to normal ones? Obviously it's artificial, but how does it compare?
WYNDHAM CLARK: So the downgrain shots -- there's grain, so it's almost basically two grains, it's either into the grain or downgrain. There's no really side grain. The downgrain is very much what you get on normal turf. It's pretty seamless. Your contact point is normal. Ball comes out exactly how you do it.
The into the grain is a challenge, just like into the grain is let's say on Bermuda fairways. It's still a challenge. Here it's even more of a challenge. Sometimes it comes out really hot, sometimes it comes out dead. That's something that I think all of us have to practice, and I think using your 60, you probably won't, but that's similar to what you would have into the grain on normal grass.
Then the putting, as Rickie mentioned, because there's so much light above, it's very hard to see the read, so you do have to get a different perspective, come farther down and see the contours. But honestly, this is very realistic. I feel like it's as good as you can get for turf.
I feel like it's -- then honestly, as we get more comfortable and practice out here, I think it won't even be that big of a deal. I think if you just came from grass and didn't get any prep, you would feel a difference, but as we play throughout the year, we'll get really comfortable, and who knows, we might have wedges for TGL. I don't know, guys might get to where they change equipment so that it plays good for indoor golf.
Q. Do you feel like it checks -- when you hit a shot with a certain amount of spin, do you feel like that's shown on the green?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, so some of the bouncing -- there's a little bit of a deadness on the green, but if you hit a spinner, it kind of takes one hop, checks a little bit, and then slightly releases. I don't think you'll see any real spin back, but you can stop it if you're short-sided. I was hitting shots close to the tee and I had like a 30-, 40-yarder over the bunker and you were able to stop it to a short-sided pin, which was really neat. Then obviously the running part, it ran out fine.
I don't know what percentage it would be, but it definitely really does simulate real golf.
Q. Obviously Rickie has grown the hair out for intimidation factor. Do you have anything up your sleeve that you're planning on utilizing to bring maximum intimidation when it comes to game time?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Man, I don't know. The one good thing is I think I can chirp a little bit more in TGL than I can in real golf, and I like to chirp. I'm hoping maybe a little bit of that, and as you get momentum in golf, the chirp gets better, and I'm hoping that maybe our team can talk our way into some wins, as well.
Q. One of the favorite things is seeing you guys when you're in a comfortable setting playing against each other and you start to hear the voices, you hear the comments. That is peak golf, when you have great players who are just talking all the trash. Do you feel like you're going to be able to just throw it out there at these guys, or do you got to be careful and keep it friendly?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. I think as the competitive juices flow, you never know. You saw it this year at the Presidents Cup it got a little chippy, and I think as we get into something and you have a chance to win a match or win the whole thing or whatever it ends up being, you never know, you might get so into it that you maybe cross some lines. Who knows.
But I think it's going to be really fun because you're going to see some personalities come out that maybe you don't see just because we don't have the mics when we play, and I think that's going to be fun for fine because you see it in other sports and now you're going to really see it in golf.
Q. Speaking of chirps, I saw when you were up there you touched the trophy a little early. Anything to say about that?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Touched it a little early meaning --
Q. Meaning before you can lift it at the end of the season.
WYNDHAM CLARK: Well, I was feeling what it felt like. Yeah, I guess for people that are superstitious, that's a no-no. I've touched the U.S. Open trophy before I won it, and I won that, so I'm not too concerned.
Q. First match is in less than three weeks. What can we expect? What do you think is going to happen on the first night?
WYNDHAM CLARK: I mean, I will say the anticipation that everyone else has, both SoFi and the fans and the people coming to attend, there's much anticipation for us. We've been waiting for a year and a half, two years for us, so we're all going to be super excited. I think there will be some nerves. We're going to be walking out to walk-up songs. We're going to be playing alternate shot right out of the gate. It's a new deal. Everything is new for us.
There's going to be a lot of nerves for us. There could be some really bad shots that you see, or there could be some great golf, who knows. But I think it's going to be fun. I think as we get into our element, I think we'll get more and more comfortable, and I just think it's one of those things that as we play and get more comfortable here, I think we're going to really shine and hopefully create a great product for people to watch.
Q. I'm sure you're excited for the pace of play to be a lot quicker.
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I'm a fast player. As I walked up, I'm like, geez, I have 25 seconds left. The digital yardage book is awesome. It's so nice because you can just go to exactly where you want to -- how far you can carry it, how wide the area is, and that really helps. It's so fast.
I think as you think of slow players that maybe people always harp on, I think they'll adjust and they'll come in here, and it'll be honestly be seamless. I think on the outside, you think it's going to be hard for us to play in 40 seconds. There's no real wind, so we're not having to wait for someone else to hit a shot over there. There's no gusts, none of that. It's just point and shoot, hey, 200 yards, I hit my 6-iron 200 yards, perfect, I'm going to hit a 6-iron.
Q. When you hit the ball, did it react like it reacts outside?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, the full swing shots I was so impressed when I first came here three weeks ago how realistic it was. I hit a lot of shots, so I set up and I was hitting good shots and the dispersion was really accurate, and then I said, okay, now I want to hit trick shots. I want to hit a 30-yard draw, I want to hit a 30-yard cut, I want to hit a snap-hook and then just see if it reacts, and it did.
You would hit it, and then on the screen it would show that you hit a snap-hook. It honestly is amazing. This is some of the best technology I've ever seen in golf, and as we know, technology is only going to get better. But they've started at an amazing point, and everything reacts pretty much as real as it is outside.
Q. There's so much cool technology, obviously, so many novel elements with teams and being mic'd up, but sometimes people hear golf simulator and they say, after the novelty wears off will that be an interesting experience for fans. I'm sure you've thought about that or talked about that with people. What's your reaction to that?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I mean, I guess that's one of the unknowns that we all have, but what I think is -- you get to see us in an intimate setting that is unlike anything else in golf, and I think that's one thing that's going to continue to drive people to want to watch this, and then I think the technology is so good that I think it is real golf.
Then you get to see us in a different light. You get to see us chirp, you get to see us fumble under pressure, you get to see how we handle the lights. I think all of that combined I think is going to continue to keep people really interested in this.
Then the fan experience is amazing. You're super close to us. There's going to be a lot of interactions I feel like with the fans, which coming to this is going to be amazing, and then on TV I feel like you're going to feel that, as well.
I think this -- I'm really excited about this. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was going to be successful or a great thing for golf.
Q. Talk about the talent that's involved, so Van Pelt, Barrie, Roger Steele. How exciting is that for you? And you talked about the investor group. When they're involved, those big names are involved, it makes you want to get involved. What about people like Scott Van Pelt and Matt Barrie?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Well, those are some of the best guys, I think, in sports. SVP and Matt Barrie are awesome commentators, and you add in Roger to add a little flair to it and excitement, and both those guys have their own bit that they do that is so exciting, and now you bring it to golf.
I think that's something that is -- I think could be spiced up in real golf, so it's nice that TGL is really making an effort to create an amazing team that I think is going to make this really fun for the fans to watch.
Q. Simulator golf, launch monitors, how much has that been a part of your process in recent years, and how has that changed?
WYNDHAM CLARK: To be honest, I haven't played much simulator golf. I live in Arizona; you don't need to hit in a simulator. Growing up, though, in Colorado, I did that a lot, just because I tried to get reps throughout the winter when there was snow on the ground. So now it's going to change, obviously. We're going to be playing this a lot.
But it's fun. Anytime you're -- I think anytime you're swinging a club and playing golf, it's a good time. The fact that we get to do it in this arena is even better.
Q. How about data? In terms of what data means for golf and for players of all levels, all abilities, to be able to track what they're doing even better, with launch monitors, with simulators, all the technology we have now?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I mean, there's that argument of people think that tech -- the technology has helped us be so good. We're now athletes. We're in the gym training all the time. We know how far a club goes to the one, two yards. I think the data in golf has just been really exciting, and you see the stuff that we use in golf goes to other sports. TrackMan is now in baseball and other sports.
I think that's what's unique and fun about golf because there is so much data to track. Now you come to a place like this that has even more data maybe than anything else, it's just even more fun.
For us, I think it could be a great way for us to practice, as well, for real golf because we'll get to see exactly how far the ball flies and get comfortable with that and knowing, hey, this is where I'm swinging right now, I am swinging three left and my attack is this, and that's how it was at TGL, so when I get to a tournament, hey, something is off, I was hitting it great at TGL.
Who knows, there's a lot of things that could be used for us in the real-live golf out on the PGA TOUR.
Q. The bay golf club, coolest logo in TGL. What do you think of the team and the logo and the colors and everything we're seeing?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Let's start with the team. I think we have a really awesome, unique, fun team. We have an international team. I'm the only American. Then we've got guys all around the world. We have some fun characters and obviously some great players. That part I'm really excited about.
As far as the logoing and branding, I think we have one of the best logos, and selfishly, I want to the University of Oregon where we had big tall pine trees and played at Eugene Country Club and they have a similar logo to that, so it kind of feels at home for me.
Then our ownership is awesome. I'm a huge Steph Curry and Klay Thompson fan, and the Avenue Sports Group is one of the best in Marc Lasry. We have an amazing team behind us, and now it's all up to us to go out there and hopefully win some matches and maybe take down the championship.
Q. You've talked about the technology. We're still hitting golf shots. But this is also a show, and you're a bit of a showman. How much is the team going to talk about doing something for the fans?
WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing I think people need to understand about this is there's a lot of similarity to real golf, but it's also a game. This is different than normal golf. We're indoors, and there's going to be some different nuances to this than there is out in the real world, out on real turf outside. That part is going to be fun.
I think if people accept that and there's going to be some goofiness, there's going to be some fun, and obviously a lot of good golf, I just think it creates an awesome atmosphere.
As far as what we're going to do, I think we have a pretty lively team, and I think you get to see our personalities come out, and as guys call time-outs and throw hammers and chirp at each other, you might see some fun stuff. Guys might hit into the stands and we might all be laughing and have to call time time-outs because certain things happen. I just think there could be a lot of fun things that we've never had in golf.
Q. You brought up the hammer, and I'm glad you did because it's not an actual hammer yet. I think there's room for adjustment. Can your team bring some sort of a foam hammer? Is there room there to work with that?
WYNDHAM CLARK: You'll have to ask the TGL guys, but yeah, that could be a thing where you start throwing a hammer at each other or something. But the hammer thing is so fun. Anyone that plays golf with their buddies and gambles at all, you know what a hammer is; you know it doubles the bet. I think that makes it fun.
That's what I was alluding to earlier, that this is more of a game. You'd think of it as real golf, but yes, it's also indoors and it's a game, so they're adding fun aspects to it like the hammer and the time-outs and fouls and shot clocks. So the hammer part is going to be fun. There's going to be key moments to do it. We're playing for points to go throughout the end of the year, so winning those hammer bets is going to be huge when it comes down to the end of the year and who has the most points.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports