THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome 4Aces GC. We're joined today by Pat Perez, our captain Dustin Johnson, hometown hero Patrick Reed, and Harold Varner III. We're making our very first appearance in Texas this week as a league and also happens to be your hometown, Patrick. How excited are you to be kind of the host this week and what can we expect from the Houston fans?
PATRICK REED: Oh, man, I'm really excited, especially playing at home. The fans I feel are going to be amazing. A lot of energy here in Houston, especially with sports. Should be a good turnout.
I think the biggest thing is just having fans and people come out and not only supporting me with energy but also supporting our team and supporting LIV. There's always been a decent turnout here when the PGA TOUR has been here in the past, and just the energy out in the Woodlands where I'm from, where I'm living, feels like all of them are coming out.
I feel like we're going to have a good turnout, and hopefully us four up here can do some work this week and get on that podium and give them something to cheer about.
Q. Do you feel any added pressure this week?
PATRICK REED: I wouldn't say as much pressure as more energy. I feel a little bit more energized to get going and put on a show for my family and friends and everyone around here.
Q. DJ, we are officially in the second half of the LIV Golf season and the 4Aces are 10th in the standings. Do you think you guys are able to turn it around the second half of the season?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I hope so. Obviously got off to a little bit of a slow start for us, but obviously with the four scores counting on Sunday, we've kind of been right there in a lot of events with a chance.
We all four got to play well on Sunday if we want a chance to win. It's just kind of been a little bit of our downfall.
I feel like the results haven't been as well as we've played necessarily. It's hard with counting the four scores on Sunday where the whole team has to play well if you want to win.
Q. Pat and Harold, do you have any experience playing this golf course, and if so, what is it?
PAT PEREZ: I played almost every year the Houston Open, Shell Houston Open, whatever it was, every year, so I've been around this course a lot.
Q. What are your expectations for yourself this week having that experience?
PAT PEREZ: It's a different time of the year, so the grass is different. We played it when it was overseeded, obviously right before Augusta. So it's Bermuda; ball flies a little different out of the rough. Greens are faster with the grain and all that kind of stuff. I like it. It's just a little different.
HAROLD VARNER III: Yeah, I think he covered it all. It obviously used to be the week before Augusta, so it was overseeded, so a little different, but I think we'll be fine.
Q. Do you guys have high expectations for yourself heading into this week?
HAROLD VARNER III: I think we should. We've played bad enough to have some.
Q. I want to ask you about yesterday. We did an activation with Austin and Friends, children with disabilities. Patrick, you have a connection to the organization. Just like to hear a little bit from each of you, Patrick, on that connection and what that meant to you spending time with those children.
PATRICK REED: Yeah, it means a lot. Jason Alexander, the guy that runs the organization, is a good friend of mine. He was actually the head pro at Fazio a while back and I got to know him really well, and his son has a disability, and I've spent a lot of time with him and just having fun around those guys and having fun with the kids, let them be out and experience different things, different lifestyles and kind of seeing what it's like to be a professional golfer because all of them are out there playing, putting and doing some fun things.
What Jason and that organization is doing is absolutely amazing, so anyway we can get behind them and show some fun things to the kids, it means a lot, especially with being pretty close to him and the family.
Q. I see a different side of you guys when you're around the kids that you were around yesterday. DJ, what did that mean to you to spend time with those kids yesterday?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, anytime you can do something that's such a great cause and what Jason does, and to see the kids and they were smiling and having a good time, yeah, it was a lot of fun interacting with them. Obviously the weather didn't quite cooperate with us very well, but we still had a good time just hanging out and taking some photos.
Yeah, I really enjoyed it.
Q. Pat, would you say experiences like that put things in perspective maybe when you're not playing as well out on the golf course?
PAT PEREZ: Yeah, for me it was like being around my kids where they're kids. They have fun. Their attention span is not long. I had a blast. It was like being around any other kid. It was a fun deal. It was a nice moment.
Q. Obviously the first two years you guys have been the top seed. I think we've changed the format a little bit, so only top three seeds get a bye this year. What is the mindset going into the second half? Are you looking at that top three or are you just taking it like one tournament at a time, can't really focus on the seedings right now?
PATRICK REED: First half of the year is done. We're putting that behind us and now we're starting fresh. We have the back half of the season to go, and I know what these guys are capable of. I know how low we can go and how we can turn it around and get on a hot streak and win some golf tournaments. There's no reason why we can't get back to our old form where the Aces were at the top consistently winning golf tournaments. It just means we dug ourselves a little bit of a hole this first half, but hey, second half we turn that page and get going and start playing when it really matters.
Q. DJ, have you given any kind of pep talk? What kind of conversations have you guys had?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: No, I think we all play golf. We all know where we sit. All of these guys have just as much drive as I do to be at the top of the leaderboard. There's not much pep talk needed. We know it's time to -- we've got to play some good golf the last half of the season and claw our way back up the leaderboard a little bit.
Q. Harold, how would you sum up your first half specifically, and what are your thoughts going into the second half for your own game?
HAROLD VARNER III: I think it's pretty simple. I haven't played well. I haven't really contributed to the team. So I just think good golf takes care of everything. I'm just going to work on that, and it's pretty simple. If you play well, good things happen.
I don't know, I believe something good is going to happen, and I won't stop believing that. It's a season for a reason, so it's just a part of it. It's golf.
Q. Pat, obviously you guys the first two years kind of dominated on Sundays. That was your thing. What are you seeing this year that hasn't happened that way so far?
PAT PEREZ: We just haven't played that well. I haven't played well really -- it's not for -- I don't really know why. I haven't put any less work in. I've actually worked just as much as I have my whole career. I just haven't really seen any scores, haven't really gotten on any streaks to get it going. Just as a team we haven't had low enough scores. With the caliber of players that's out there and the teams that are playing well, we just haven't matched them for three days.
As far as the last tournament, as long as we're in the Playoffs, we get hot and we get all the way to the top. As long as we're in, we've got a chance to win.
Q. DJ, going back to the seeding thing, how important is it to get that first-round bye? Do you feel like it's vital?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: It really doesn't matter I don't think. Obviously winning your match is the most important, so if you get a bye, it's definitely helpful, but it's not necessarily --
PAT PEREZ: As long as you're in, just about any team can win. Whether we have a bye or not we're still there, so we might as well play, and if we have to play an extra day, we just beat that team and keep moving.
Q. Patrick, you're very familiar with the area, but Dustin, when you come back to the Houston area, what are some of your favorite courses here outside of this place, and what do you like about this place?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I've only played here and Memorial Park, so those are the only two places I've played. I like both the courses. I do like the Houston area. It's a big sports town, nice area, and the golf courses, I like them. I've always enjoyed being here.
Q. Do heat and humidity make it kind of difficult to play here sometimes?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I grew up in the South, so this is normal for me.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports