THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll go ahead and get started. The Puerto Rico Open will announce Eugenio Chacarra as a sponsor exemption into the event. This will be your second start on TOUR, your first coming from the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open. Can you just open up with some comments on your excitement to compete on the PGA TOUR.
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, obviously very thankful for the opportunity. My goal since I was little is to be on the PGA TOUR. Yeah, it's an amazing opportunity for me. Like you said, I've had a chance to play the Scottish Open by being, more or less, a European Tour player, just because it's a co-sanctioned event with the DP World Tour.
So I'm excited to finally get a chance to play on the PGA TOUR. I've been working a lot of these couple weeks at home. I needed some time to reset and focus on what's the most important thing for me right now, that's to get on the PGA TOUR as quick as possible. Yeah, super thankful, obviously, for the opportunity that I got awarded by the Puerto Rico Open and the PGA TOUR, and I'm excited to be there next week, and hopefully I can perform at my highest level, and hopefully good things come with it.
THE MODERATOR: All right. So we're going to open it up to questions. If you can just use the raise hand button I'll call on you and we can go from there.
Q. Last year when you decided to leave LIV Golf you were, even right then you said, I've always wanted to play on the PGA TOUR. When you think back to your time playing for the league, your decision to leave college and play for the league, and now having the chance to come back and play on the PGA TOUR event, what do you think was the biggest thing that made you realize that this was the path that you wanted to take for your professional golf career?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, like I said a lot of times, obviously back in the day, playing LIV was a tremendous opportunity for me, for my family, for my future family. It was something that we thought at the time it was the best for me and I don't regret anything of it. I'm very thankful for the opportunity I had over there, and all I learned for the last three years. But I got to a point where I was, my dreams since I was little was to be on the PGA TOUR. So I thought it was time for me.
Like I said, back in the day when I left, that I'm going to try to go back to my best level, get my game where it needs to be. I know when my game's good I can compete with all the best players in the world. Yeah, I'm excited to be, to have a chance to compete on the PGA TOUR, to see what the TOUR is about. Obviously prove myself winning on LIV, winning on the Asian Tour, and winning on the DP World Tour, so the next step in my career is to hopefully make it on the PGA TOUR and to win on the PGA TOUR. So that's what my team and myself thought it was the best for me. Like I said, I think I was losing a little motivation to get better out there on LIV at the last year I was there, so it was time for me to move on and start a new pathway in my professional career. Obviously I dreamed since I was little, obviously LIV didn't exist when I was little, I grew up watching the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR, and that's what I dream of playing and winning, and that's what my heart and my ambition was, so we thought it was the best for me to move forward and try to get on the PGA TOUR.
Q. You mentioned losing your motivation. I know you obviously have the win at the Hero Indian Open last year. How much has that come back -- because I know Patrick Reed also mentioned that he kind of missed the grind of stuff when he announced that he wanted to return to the TOUR. How much over the last year have you maybe rediscovered kind of that stuff that was missing when you decided that you were leaving LIV?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, it's been great. Like I said, I lost a bunch of weight. I got my team working really hard. I wake up every day motivated to get better and having goals to achieve, it's completely changed my mindset. I agree with Patrick Reed. The grind of playing a Friday to make a cut or coming a Sunday a chance to win. When I won obviously the Hero Indian Open like 10 months ago I felt my life completely changed. I didn't have really a TOUR to play besides the Asian Tour, and obviously being a winner on the DP World Tour, I got into every Rolex Series, I got a chance to get into some co-sanctioned events with the PGA TOUR. And it's just fun, it's just fun to see the winning and how can you get better. And just, like I said, just the motivation of waking up every single day to grind and try to get better to be one of the best players in the world in the future.
Q. I'm trying to sort out, didn't you win on the Indian Open?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, I won the Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour last March or last April.
Q. Do you see -- this is a nice week next week, Puerto Rico, do you see your quickest path to the PGA TOUR through maybe getting exemptions or through Race to Dubai?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, both. Just having a chance in both areas is always great. Like I said, I've been grinding these couple weeks to get my game as good as possible to hopefully have a good week in Puerto Rico. You know how golf is, one good week can change your life. It happened to me last year at the Indian Open, and why not this next week in Puerto Rico. When I'm playing good I'm capable of winning. I already proved that to myself and to the world. So obviously every time I go tee off I want to win. So that will be the first goal. But like I said, I have also started pretty decent on the DP World Tour rankings this year. There's a full season still left out there. I think I'm like 25 on the Race to Dubai without playing the last couple weeks. If I keep playing good out there I also have a chance to get my PGA TOUR card through there. But every opportunity I can have on the PGA TOUR and get sponsor invite or hopefully finish top 10 in Puerto Rico or win, and that will make my path even easier. The goal is to try to get better every single day, work hard, and hopefully that will lead me to the PGA TOUR, I don't know, in a month, in a week, or in a couple years. But obviously the goal is to be out there as soon as possible.
Q. Do you remember -- by the way, what is the logo on your hat?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Oklahoma State.
Q. Take that off. It's disgusting. Sorry. Do you recall from the time you left school and went to LIV, do you remember the first time you reached out to someone at the PGA TOUR and what prompted that.
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Well, yeah. I was just want to go get to my goal and on my team was to get to the PGA TOUR as soon as possible. Obviously I had a year suspension and I couldn't play for a year out there or play any events or get any sponsor invites. That was something that I knew could happen when I signed with LIV, but there was other things that made my decision go there and I knew it could happen. But I was excited for the PGA TOUR to obviously give me a chance to have a pathway to get back towards, like you said, the Race to Dubai or some sponsor invites after my year was done. I had a good amateur career, obviously at Oklahoma State, and all over the world on the European Tour rankings, and all college events. Out of college I had a pretty good career. Then I also, obviously I have three wins as a professional at only 25 years old. So I also have a good summary as a professional too and I'm just excited. Like I said, the PGA TOUR has been really helpful, it's been really, really nice to me and hopefully I can also deliver my good playing the confidence and a chance to be playing on the TOUR this next week.
Q. Lastly, you got an invite to the PGA, was that last year, PGA Championship?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, well I didn't get an invite, I earned it by International Swing. There is some spots there. So there was some spots by the International Swing and got me in by winning Indian, and finishing 3rd in China back-to-back weeks, and I got through there.
It was good. I had a chance to see what a major is and how where my game was and what I needed to improve on. I had a chance to make the cut until the last two holes, that I bogeyed my last two holes. It was a good experience that I thought it got me better. Like you said, I'm just trying to get better every single day, and I have a long way to go, but I'm excited for the journey.
Q. Will you do any, well you did U.S. Open qualifying when you got there in 2024.
EUGENIO CHACARRA: I did. Every year, yeah.
Q. Pinehurst?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: I lost in a playoff to not make it. I made it last year to Pinehurst, yeah, two years ago.
Q. What kind of schedule will you keep after Puerto Rico?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, I'm going to play obviously we don't know what's going to happen in Puerto Rico, but I'm going to play, right now, go play China, and defend my title in India, and then we'll go from there. I'm going to obviously have a full schedule on the DP World Tour, and there's some co-sanctioned events that if I'm not in the Open Championship I can play Corales Puntacana or couple other events. I'll try to play as much as possible, and obviously I will try to perform well so I can get more sponsor invites, or maybe win or maybe finish top 10, we will see. Just we all know how golf is and how everything can change in a week.
Q. As you make your way back to the PGA TOUR, kind of how was your experience and success on the DP World Tour changed your game and how have you evolved as a player either on the course or mentally?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, obviously it gave me a little more of what kind of like real golf is. Having a cut, having to grind, having different tee time times. Just playing with every week with a lot of players. It's fun to see. It's fun to see where my game is, where I need to improve, what areas I need to improve a little more to be able to be one of the best and get on the PGA TOUR quick. Yeah, I'm enjoying my time a lot. Obviously I'm from Spain originally, I'm European, that's kind of the golf I played when I grew up until I was 18 years old. It's fun. It's fun to see all the Spanish guys around there. It's fun to go every week. I think I obviously mature a lot since I left LIV. It's more an individual thing. You have your own team and you need to do your own thing. It's been great. It's been a great, it's been great for me. They have been really helpful. They have been really nice to me. I'm excited. Obviously my goal is to be on the PGA TOUR, but even though if I make it to the PGA TOUR I will think I will still play a bunch on the DP World Tour. I think it's a tremendous tour. It's a lot of friends out there too. I'm excited. Yeah, I love playing and competing and being part of that tour too.
Q. Specifically what part of your game do you think you've grown the most in and then what part of your game do you think you need to work on?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, I think I got a lot better with my wedges since I left college. I feel like I've been a really good wedge player these couple of years. I've always been a very good ball striking. I still, I'm still probably get that game very good. And I think my most improvement parts a little about course management. I still make a little mistake that you shouldn't be making, trying to be too aggressive. Then my putting. My putting is kind of like comes and goes. It can be very good or it can be very bad. I need to be a little more steady with that. Obviously we're working on it, and I hire a putter coach probably four five months ago, and I can see I'm getting better on it. It's just a grind. We all know how golf is. One day it's there, one day it's not there. I'm trying to be more that, more steady, not highs and downs. And, yeah, I'm excited to see where my game is with the PGA TOUR. I feel like it's pretty much my first PGA TOUR event for me being healthy and being getting my game where I want it to. Last year in the Scottish Open I didn't have a driver, it crack on Tuesday and stuff. So I'm just excited to be there and see a lot of faces that I knew from back in college. Also to see where my game is at and what I need to improve more.
Q. What would success look like to you as you make your way back to the PGA TOUR, either within a year or just kind of down the road?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, just obviously winning on the PGA TOUR is something that we dream of. Obviously get my status there. I think everything starts first in a little, as everything goes. So obviously success is to win on the PGA TOUR and obviously next week my goal is to go out there and win like I won to India. I didn't have any status there. I went to Kenya, played well, got into India, and then go and win. So why not? Obviously every time I tee it up I want to win. I'm a competitor. I always wanted to win and always tried to be the best and win. But, yeah, my goal it's to be on the PGA TOUR as soon as possible. Obviously it would be great to be a member next week, after Sunday, but you know how hard it is, everyone wants it pretty bad. So just to compete, get used to what I need to get better, what I need to do, and hopefully I can get there as soon as possible. There's different paths. The European Tour top 10, guys that are already not exempt. There is also Korn Ferry Tour Q-School, there is also more sponsor invites or some co-sanctioned events with the DP World Tour that I can play and hopefully go win or have a good week. Just go day by day, like I always say, try to get a little better every day and see where that gets me.
Q. Puerto Rico is very excited to have you. What would you like to tell the fans ahead of the tournament?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, I'm so excited to be there. Obviously Puerto Rico it's, they speak Spanish, and like I am too. I was just excited for everyone to come here, come see the event and hopefully I can provide with some good golf and I can have a chance to win on Sunday. I know it's going to be a lot of people rooting for all the Puerto Ricans or all the Mexicans or all the Spanish guys, so I'm excited to be there, I'm excited to tee it off, and just to see Puerto Rico and get a good week over there.
Q. Curious if you've played the "what if" game at all. If you have imagined how your career would have looked different if you had made a different decision a few years ago, and, you know, if you're glad it's played out exactly the way it has or if you see other guys and you're like, Oh, that would have been interesting.
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, I mean, you never know. I did what I thought it was the best for me, for my family. Like I said, I don't regret anything that I, any decisions that I made. I think it was a good space in my life, that I learn a lot. I had a chance to make friends. I had a chance to learn from really great players and history players of the game of golf. I don't know what would have been different if I made the decision in college and be on the PGA TOUR University, one of the best ones and see where that will lead me. But I know I'm happy what I did, the decision that I made, and I'm excited for my future and I feel like that will make me, the decision I made made me a better person and it got me a lot of other things that maybe I wouldn't have if I had made another decision. So, yeah, we will never know what happened. That's kind of what life is about. You make a decision in the point of what you think is best for you. And I don't regret it. I think I'm thankful for what they did for me, how they treat me out there too, and what other things they give me for my family right now, and for my future family. So I'm excited for the next chapter of my life.
Q. How much have you traveled from the time you left Spain for Stillwater? More than you ever imagined?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: I travel a lot. Way more than I imagine. I went to countries that I never thought I was going to be. And that's also a fun thing. I see a lot of new and different cultures, different things. That's another thing that's why I don't regret my decision. Along the ride I met a lot of great people. I played in a lot of countries that I never thought I would play. Last year I was in Kenya. I never thought I was going to be there. So it's been a fun ride. And it's a great thing about the DP World Tour too, we play in a lot of fantastic countries and different countries, different grass, different golf. Just to be able to learn and how to adapt to those conditions, I think that can only get you better for the future. Yeah, it's been great. Obviously we put a lot of miles, it's not easy like I said last week, you know, I played until December 22 and then I have three weeks off, off-season and then again went to Dubai and play five weeks in a row. So I've barely been home with my family, with my friends, with everyone. So it was good to have these three weeks off to go back and have some rest mentally and get my game ready for one of probably, like I said to my team, I mean, this is like a major for me. So it's going to be fun and I'm going to try to perform the best I can.
Q. Where are you right now? Do you only have one home?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Obviously I went to Oklahoma State and, yeah, we, I mean, my girlfriend is from here and stuff. So I live here with my manager and my cousin and, yeah, we have a good time in Oklahoma. It's been great for me, I have a lot of friends out here. I'm only 45, 50 minutes away from Stillwater. I go there pretty much twice a week to play with the guys and be with the guys. Yeah, the new Karsten Creek is great. And obviously, you know, Viktor is still around and there is a bunch of -- Austin Eckroat is still around. So there's a bunch of guys to play with here and it's fun. It's fun to be, I mean, I consider Oklahoma my new home. And, yeah, it's a lot of travel when you play on the DP World Tour, so but it's worth it at the end of the day.
Q. Do you play anywhere in Tulsa?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, Southern Hills. Yeah, I'm a member at Southern Hills.
Q. You're a member?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah. Yes, sir. I joined two years ago. Yeah, it's awesome. It' a great facility, great course. It's fun. It's fun to be out there. I'm with Bo Van Pelt a lot too, so it's good fun.
Q. Do you, was there any -- look, I know it's a long way to South Africa and from there to Puerto Rico, but was there any consideration to go to South Africa?
EUGENIO CHACARRA: Yeah, we talk about it, but it was just more about like trying to play the best I could. I had some issues with my teeth too. I needed to remove my wisdom teeth last week. So it was just the recovery and all that stuff it didn't make sense to get all the way down there, and then really couldn't make it to Puerto Rico before Monday night. Just with my health and everything I thought it was the best to grind out here, be with my family, my physio, my workout guys here and everything, and prepare the best I can for next week Puerto Rico. But having been a winner on the DP World Tour this year, I don't really need to defend or play for my card, so I had that nice thing that I could let me to just take a couple weeks off and get ready for the upcoming weeks.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, everyone.
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