THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Davis Riley to the interview room here at The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.
Davis, welcome. Making your third start. Want to start off with some opening comments, what it's like to be back at this course and tournament.
DAVIS RILEY: It's super special to be here. Ever since I played it my rookie year, it was one of my favorite stops on TOUR and obviously with it being a signature event and such an elite field and obviously getting the win two weeks ago in Fort Worth and adding this to the schedule is pretty special.
THE MODERATOR: Challenging course, just as it was where you won at Charles Schwab. What is it that you like with courses that maybe present a more of a challenge to navigate?
DAVIS RILEY: I like this course a lot. I had a pretty good showing my first year. I think I finished top 15.
But, yeah, it's just a ball-striking golf course. You've got to hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. Similar to Colonial, you got to drive it in the fairway, and fairways and greens are going to be the premium, just because when you get in this rough, it's so thick and it can be very tricky around and just off the fairway. So definitely a ball-striking premium.
THE MODERATOR: Since we last saw you, you captured your second PGA TOUR victory. What did you do to celebrate?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, the festivities went well into Sunday night. It was so awesome. I had so many friends there and family and stuff like that. It was a picture perfect week. Yeah, I got to enjoy it for a couple days and then got back to work and was just itching to get here.
THE MODERATOR: Any celebrations stick out in particular? Anyone reached out to congratulate the win?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, some fellow TOUR players, Mac Jones, former quarterback for Alabama who's been with the Patriots. Yeah, a couple cool guys. It was really cool, some Bama love in there for sure and obviously coach Seawell and some other guys, so it was nice to hear from them and show their support and, yeah, it was a fun time.
THE MODERATOR: Have you been able to get a milkshake from Coach Seawell?
DAVIS RILEY: You know, I haven't. He texted me after the tournament. He just said, Milkshake time. So luckily we're at a pretty good place for milkshakes, so I might carry it a little into this week.
THE MODERATOR: Have you been able to see your parents and sister?
DAVIS RILEY: You know, I have not, actually. As you guys know, unfortunately, they weren't able to be there. But a lot of FaceTime calls, and my sister's doing really well, which has been nice. I haven't got to see them in person yet, but obviously looking forward to that whenever, hopefully in the near future.
THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll take some questions.
Q. As you know, at this tournament the winner at 18 walks off and shakes Mr. Nicklaus's hand. Can you just kind of try and describe what that moment would be like for you if you were to win?
DAVIS RILEY: Of course. I mean, you grew up watching this golf tournament, you know, Tiger Woods, all those kind of guys that walk off that 18 green and shake Mr. Nicklaus's hand.
No, but it's something we dream about and something that you have seen many times and obviously just to have the opportunity is super special. It would be incredible to -- one of the legends of the game, to walk off the green and shake his hand and then take home the trophy, it would be an amazing feeling.
Q. What is the mentality like winning a TOUR event? Obviously you did it as a team member, but doing it as a solo? I would imagine you got a lot more confidence knowing that you could do it by yourself.
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, for sure. Obviously, it was special getting that first one with Nick, but obviously, it's kind of a different animal trying to get that first one on your own. So, yeah, there's definitely a lot of emotions and, yeah, it's tough, especially a place around Colonial. It's a super tough golf course, it's just a mental test as it is physical because it's so hard, crunching so many numbers because it's not a golf course where you're just hitting the fairway and firing at the pin. You're having to take into account all these different variables, wind and all that stuff, so it was definitely a mental test and, yeah, it was a super exhausting week, but to get it done by myself gave me a lot of confidence going forward.
Q. And you held off world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in the process, so what was that -- if you could get through the tournament and look back and say to yourself one thing of advice during the week, what would you tell yourself?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, going into the weekend, and I know Scottie didn't get off to the best start that week, but it's kind of in the back of your head you always know he's going to wind up there on Sunday somehow. Luckily, I had a couple-shot cushion, but I don't think any shot lead is comfortable enough when you got the No. 1 player in the world breathing down your neck.
Honestly, I just tried to treat it like we were tied at the beginning of the day and I just tried to win the day. I feel like I was pretty into what I was doing and I really wasn't conscious of what he was doing. I knew where I stood, obviously, but I just tried to get lost in my own process and get really comfortable out there and really get into what I was doing and just trying to execute the shot at hand to the best of my ability.
Q. Is it refreshing knowing that you have a little bit more control, flexibility, with your schedule now that you have won and you have so many less week-to-week grind, more what you want to take on?
DAVIS RILEY: For sure. Obviously, adding this event and the Travelers to the schedule is super special and obviously a couple of the majors next year and going back to Maui, all the things that come with winning are super exciting. Like you said, when you're not in the position to be in the Signature Events, you're kind of schedule's made for you, and you have to kind of play when you can. It's a tough spot to be in because obviously there's less points at stake and all these things. We're getting towards the end of the season. The stress levels are starting to get up, you can see it, just trying to make a push for the playoffs.
But having the flexibility to pick and choose where I want to play and kind of conserve energy where I want throughout the rest of the season, I think will be huge.
Q. What do you think of Jack's course and have you played it before?
DAVIS RILEY: I have, yeah. This is my third year playing. It's an amazing golf course. I absolutely love it. It's one of my favorites all year. It's just a ball-striking golf course. Very long rough just off the fairways and around the greens. I think the winner this week, or the guys that are going to be contending are guys who are ball striking it really well and hitting a lot of greens. If you do, you can get in some proper quadrants and have some good looks at birdies. And, yeah, pars are pretty good around here because it's usually, usually this place, from what I remember about it, it tends to get pretty baked out and firmer throughout the week, if the weather allows it, so it's just kind of, it becomes a grind on the weekend.
Q. Have you met Mr. Nicklaus before and if so what's the conversations been like?
DAVIS RILEY: I did. I met him my first year. I just went up and introduced myself and said, Hey, Mr. Nicklaus, how you doing, I just wanted to introduce myself. He had very kind things to say and I just, honestly, I was pretty star struck. It was pretty cool. I just wanted to shake his hand and say thanks for having me and tell him how beautiful Muirfield is.
Q. Have you had a chance to see No. 16?
DAVIS RILEY: I haven't. I played the front nine yesterday and I'm going on the back nine this afternoon, so that will be my first look at it.
Q. What do you like about this tournament? What do you like about this event? What's kind of the cool part about this whole thing?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, just the history behind it. I watched some of the guys I've looked up to my whole life, like we were saying earlier, walk off that 18 green and shake Mr. Nicklaus's hand. That finish, 16, 17, 18 is one of the more iconic stretches and finishing holes in all of golf. Yeah, I've grown up watching this tournament ever since I was little and aspiring to be out here like I am now. It's pretty surreal, sometimes I have to pinch myself and realize where I'm at and how special it is. It's one of my favorite weeks all year.
THE MODERATOR: Originally you were signed up for The Open qualifying, but what kind of went into the decision to just go straight to this week?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, after Fort Worth, long, grueling week, getting the win there, I decided to withdraw from Canada, just to take a week of rest to get prepared for this. Then obviously I was doing the U.S. Open qualifier in Canada the Monday after, and I just felt like it would be pretty taxing to go all the way up to Canada just for a 36-hole event and then come down here, and especially because I'm not in the pro-am, trying to cram all my work in on a Tuesday was kind of the thought process behind it.
There is still a way for me, I don't know exactly what I've got to finish, but there is a way, if I have a well enough finish this week, to get into next week, so I was just kind of putting my all my eggs in the basket that route.
Q. Do you focus on that? Do you, you know, what, do you research what you have to do, or do you just say, let's go out and let's play my game?
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, I think I know in the back of my head, I know it's got to be a good finish, so I think I might as well just kind of try to get in there and win. But yeah, more -- I wouldn't say I focus on, like, oh, I got to finish 9th place or a specific place. I think I just want to get into the tournament and try to have a chance to win, and usually winning takes care of a lot of things. But, yeah, it was just such a fun feeling getting in contention at Fort Worth. I want to get back there. I think I'm just going to try to get in the process and try to get myself and create some opportunity and hopefully have a chance on the weekend.
THE MODERATOR: You touched upon it here, but are you someone who sets goals for the season and, if so how did that kind of change after the win at Fort Worth?
DAVIS RILEY: For sure. One of my big goals was to obviously make the TOUR Championship. Coming pretty close my rookie year, I made it to Memphis last year, obviously I didn't get off to the best start this year, so I kind of tried to put the pieces together, tried to get there, but this certainly was a huge step in that direction. Yeah, to be honest, that is my No. 1 goal is to get to East Lake, because all the things that comes with that, and obviously having a chance to win the FedExCup at the end of the season would be pretty cool, all the guys that have won that, it would be pretty cool to etch my name next to those guys.
THE MODERATOR: Perfect. That's all we have. Thank you, Davis.
DAVIS RILEY: Thank you.
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