Los Angeles Golf Club 12, Jupiter Links GC 1
THE MODERATOR: I'd like to go ahead and start with Tiger Woods. Tiger, you are one of the cofounders of the league. Can you tell us what it was like to play out there today?
TIGER WOODS: We were entertaining. We hit a lot of shots. I think the people here, they got to see how bad pros can be. It was just a boat race. Oh, my goodness. But we had a great time. What's our teammate Tom Kim thinking right now? Oh, my God.
Q. Max, unfortunately wasn't the result that you wanted out there but you guys can take away some positives today before you play again in two weeks. Can you talk about what those are?
MAX HOMA: Yeah, we had them on the ropes a few times and Kev got a wind switch on that one par-3. I hit a rock that just came out of nowhere. Tiger couldn't seem to drop it in the rough and give himself a lie. I feel like we just got unlucky. I feel like if we get some better bounces next time, I think we've got a pretty good chance.
Q. Tiger, you said talking to SVP before, you indicated -- I know it's serious for you but it's also fun. Why is it so important for you to enjoy this no matter what the scoreboard says?
TIGER WOODS: This is unique. This is something that golf has never seen before. To have an arena like this and to be able to go out there with great guys, entertain everyone, just have fun. The new tech with -- I know my family were blown away of the enormity of the space, and then on top of that, the rotating green.
It's really neat, and it was intimate. I think that's one of the cool things about it. It's about entertaining. We had a laugh.
Q. Tiger, what was it like to be introduced like that? I want you to take me through when you were laughing so hard you were crying at the shot on 14 I believe it was.
TIGER WOODS: Well, we honestly didn't think that anyone could possibly get hit in here. But that was one of the funniest moments I've ever seen, Kis hitting that shot like that. We were just dying.
The chip shot, the next one should have gone in. That would have been just like the most all-world 3, and it was just one of those weird nights. Then on top of that, Kis has -- is the microphone still stuck in your ear?
KEVIN KISNER: Yep, still stuck in my ear. Can't hear anything. Marty is going to get it out for me.
Q. What are you looking for from the fan interaction? Do you want people heckling in the middle of shots? Do you want people roaring and more rowdy? Because it feels like here and there it started to happen sometimes on bad shots or mishaps. But what is it like to play in that environment and what more do you want from the fans' interaction?
KEVIN KISNER: I love it. I wouldn't say that I'm overly hearing it when I'm hitting the shot. I probably hear it more when they're hitting it. When you get out there you've got sound in your ear, then it shuts off, kind of a weird second and then you hit and I can't really hear any of the crowd after that. You can't hear a whole lot to be honest with you. You've got the mic going.
But bring it on. Bring the noise.
Q. For any of you guys, is there any kind of a yardage adjustment? Were you guys a little jacked up? I noticed some of the irons flew a little deeper than you expected them to.
TIGER WOODS: I know from the front tee box, we hit every single wedge shot long. I think it's just --
MAX HOMA: Significantly long.
TIGER WOODS: It's just a weird sensation to stand there and you've got 100 yards or one time I had 55 yards, and it's just that enormous screen you're looking at, and it's just different.
We can learn from that and hopefully in a couple weeks not hit the ball into so many penalty areas and drop and play better.
Q. Tiger and Max, obviously much more serious, but what's happening in LA for both of you having grown up in that area, and Max, very close to where this is happening, and Tiger, kind of an update on Genesis and what might happen with the tournament.
TIGER WOODS: It's just sad. Max and I have grown up there. We're So Cal kids. To see what has happened, I've known a couple people that have lost everything, so it's just hard.
As far as the Genesis, we're trying to just figure everything out and make sure that everyone is safe and we have meetings scheduled going forward. But as of right now, we're not really focused on the tournament. It's more about what we can do to help everyone who's struggling, who's lost homes and had their lives changed.
MAX HOMA: Yeah, it's devastating. I know that these natural disasters happen far too often. However, this was the first one I can remember where every news clip, every time someone mentioned an area, I could picture it so well. It was very eerie. Fortunately all my friends and family are safe. Houses not necessarily still all intact, but it was nice to be able to talk to quite a few people, and I think their perspective has been amazing about, hey, we're safe, and that's what matters most.
I've had a lot of people ask me about the golf tournament. No offense to Tiger and TGR and Genesis, but it seems silly at the moment to be overly focused on a golf tournament when people are still continuing to have this go on and living in a bit of fear in So Cal. It's been really tough, but again, I'm just very happy that a lot of people have gotten out, been safe.
I know it's an amazing city, one that's obviously very near and dear to my heart and I know they'll rebuild, so hopefully these fires can die down. But I think the LA Fire Department has done an amazing job. It's been really impressive to watch all their bravery and hard work. Our hearts go out to them. It's been tough to see.
Q. Tiger, I'm just wondering what it will be like for you to compete in a venue like this, show off your golf skills, not have to walk 18?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I don't know how much was evident today; I don't have any golf skills. Hey, this is a start of a new year. We had a great time. Hopefully people tuned in for the entire broadcast --
MAX HOMA: We've got some Duke fans, I think, that stuck around.
Q. Tiger, obviously we don't see a lot of shots in this format, but it wasn't that long ago that you couldn't hit any at all. Can you just give us an update on how you are physically? Obviously it looked like you were going at it pretty hard. Then just totally separate, is the tournament, is there a chance it could be moved? Is that being discussed -- I mean the Genesis, that it could be moved to another location?
TIGER WOODS: As I said earlier, we're not really focused on the tournament as of right now. There's so many other things that are bigger than that. We have subsequent meetings to try and figure all that out.
Now, as far as playing, I walked, what, all three rounds at PNC, had a great time there, and the walking is not the issue. It's my game is not very good.
Q. It's been a while since you've played in Palm Beach County, where you call home. What is it like to play in front of your community now, your kids are here, your mother, and where you call home?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I had so many friends out here, and it was great. To have this SoFi Center here, to have it here where I live and be able to have something that is going to change the game and how it's perceived and how it's looked at, the young viewers, to be able to have that here in my hometown, it's incredible.
Q. What's the strategy after tonight to gear up for the next event? Do we sneak back in here in the middle of the night? Do we have any plans yet? Is that still yet to come together?
MAX HOMA: Well, we've called Tom and asked him to fly on out here, live in this thing for a little while. We have seniority over him so we can tell him what to do. So his hazing is to basically get all of his reps in here and go into the PGA events blind. So I think we're going to start there. We're going to get this thing out of Kevin's ear. I think that's also a priority.
But yeah, all jokes aside, this is an entertainment thing. I do think that the today hopefully came across as fun. The matches will be closer.
I do think a lot of people, we've got to get a little more used to this. We played a lot better yesterday, me and Tiger. So some of this stuff is definitely unique, but it is a blast. The environment in there was really cool, so we will figure it out.
Q. For Tiger, can you go over your strategy with throwing the hammer on the first hole? Do you see that happening more often?
TIGER WOODS: These two talked me into it. I said, let's get this party started, and we did. We tied the hole. It was good. Hey, it's about having fun, and we wanted to have some back-and-forth banter between the two teams and get the juices flowing.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports