Q. Obviously being here at the Presidents Cup, Team USA, you're a professional golfer, it's really cool. But your sister is training to become a Navy fighter pilot. So I don't know, how does it work? She's cooler than you. Have you accepted that?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Oh, yeah. Plenty of times I've accepted that. I mean, I always get asked questions about her, and every time I have a smile on my face with what she's doing.
Definitely gives this week a little extra meaning, just representing what I can do for the U.S. But what she's doing is much cooler than what we're doing.
Q. What did she say to you when you told her you made the team?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: She was excited. She's been No. 1 fan, and I've got her and the whole family and a lot of other people that are behind me. So it's a good feeling.
Q. President Trump is expected to make an appearance this week. What does that mean to you and to the team?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I think everyone, you know, whoever the president is, if they care enough to come watch us play golf, that's pretty cool.
So I know we're excited, and we're going to go try to put on a good performance for everyone.
Q. Obviously you're like new to the team, but curious, when did you kind of start getting maybe thrown into the loop of the group chat or whatever?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I think last year kind of how it ended and I felt like I was in a good spot. Not necessarily to make the team, but just like, all right, I've kind of established a little bit myself on the Tour.
Then I moved to Florida in the off-season, and that was kind of like, you know, I wanted to kind of be around all the guys and play with them every week.
So doing that was I would say a big -- not necessarily on purpose for this, but just for, you know, getting better and doing all that in general. It all kind of fused together.
Q. What is the difference in how much you actually see these guys now?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Massive. I mean, beforehand I would see them randomly on Tour, and I wasn't really close with any of them. Now we're playing every day at home and going to dinner and doing all this stuff.
So it kind of just happened quickly, but it was a cool thing.
Q. Your relationship with Cam Young and you guys both being Northeast guys, is that something you guys have connected over and potentially your play styles this week too?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, for sure. It's definitely something that we've, you know, kind of just had that connection.
Kind of funny, we were talking it about it this week that we never really overlapped in the Met section at all, but it feels like we should have.
Yeah, he's one of the guys that I've gotten to know better and play with a bunch in Florida. We work with similar people on our teams and stuff.
Yeah, we definitely play different, but similarly. It's kind of funny, like I feel like he does the opposite of what I do, like big high draws, and I'm kind of hard low cuts.
So I think we make a good potential pairing together.
Q. A year ago obviously you were assuming or hoping to get to this level. How different is it now, the year you've had and now you know? Is it a different vibe coming into a Cup?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I think I still feel like a rookie even though -- just because you're new to all this stuff. But definitely don't feel like I -- last year I don't think I would have picked myself either, even though I played really well. Really just kind of folded in the playoffs, just, you know, for whatever reason. I just didn't play well.
But this year I feel like I had a really strong playoff performance and felt like I -- even though I didn't make the top 6, which was my goal, I felt like I earned my spot.
Yeah, just now just excited for the week.
Q. (No microphone.)
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I haven't played match play since college. So it's something that's different. But I think really the main thing is just -- especially with best ball and foursomes, it's different too.
But best ball, I think it's just having two guys in play, pressure at all times, and not trying to give away holes for any reason. But foursomes, I think it's just trying to be steady and try to not give up -- it's just not giving up anything easy is, I think, the main thing.
Q. Do you prefer being the hunted or the hunter in a situation where you guys are expected to win an event like this given your official golf ranking and the history of the event?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, for me, I don't feel like I've, like, necessarily earned like the right for that. I'm new to all this. So I feel like I got to go out and earn something.
For me, I feel like it's a little different. I have to go play well just because I feel like I need to, not, you know -- these other guys, most of 'em have played in a couple of these.
So everyone's feeling the need to go perform. And it's not a nerves thing, but it's just we do it every week. It's something that we want to go play well, and it's no different this week.
Q. Your sort of hype video that you posted when you got selected was very popular on social media. What kind of led you to make that video, and what are the feelings ahead of your international debut?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I did not make the video, just for clarification. We have great social media guys on the Tour, and they, you know -- Jake is the guy that I usually get in contact with. And he kind of sent it to me, and he said, "What do you think?" I usually don't say anything. I say it's perfect and then post it.
So, yeah, it's been fun and something that I leaned into a little bit. Yeah, Jake does a great job. All the Tour guys do a great job with all that stuff. I think it helps connect maybe not the average golf fan with golf. So, yeah.
Q. You mentioned after your win in Phoenix, building off of the crowd atmosphere while also remaining focused on your game as well. How do you plan to do that again this week with the larger international crowd out there?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I think it's going to be different this week where, you know, I'm sure we'll have the crowd behind us and try to feed into it a little bit and try to keep 'em in it and keep building it.
But it will be new for me. I'm excited about it. Obviously Phoenix is, you know, chaos, and I'm sure this week will have a similar feel.
But, yeah, it's hard to say what I'm going to, you know, feel until I get on the first tee on Thursday. But I'm excited and, yeah, ready to go.
Q. (No microphone.)
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I went with Creed last night and destroyed it in a bad way. Not good. Yeah, it was bad.
Q. What was the song?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: "One Last Breath."
Q. How was it?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Bad. Just try to go for something.
Q. A lot has been made about just the group chats and just the team vibe as a whole, bus rides. How would you say your presence on the team has been thus far?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I think this is my first team, I can't speak for the other ones, but we have a good time. Everyone's giving each other a hard time. No one is -- it feels like no one's, like, above someone else. Everyone gives each other a hard time, is all -- in a good way. And all the families are hanging out, everyone's having a good time.
Yeah, everyone's getting along great. And we have all been friends the whole year, and this is nothing new. It's just funny that we're all doing everything together every night, which is the not normal part. But everyone's having a good time.
Q. How do you like the course?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I like it. I think it's interesting, you know, compared to when we came before, there was no wind, and it wasn't fast and firm, but it was not soft like this. So it's definitely a little different.
We were hitting a lot more longer clubs the last couple days than we have been. Right now it's playing pretty long and relatively hard. So we'll see what how that shapes up over the next couple days. But it's good.
Q. Is it fair to say that Jacob is one of your best friends?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah.
Q. How does it change things? Because he was kind of on the edge of getting picked, not picked. How does it change things to be able to go through this with one of your best friends?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, it's been awesome, and definitely he was right down to the wire. After BMW I was like -- I was bummed because I didn't make top 6 and I was 7, and I was like, man, I wanted to be like -- because I knew they had dinner on Monday night, and I wanted to be there.
And Sneds texted me Monday. He's like, "Hey, come to dinner. I can't not have you." And then me and Jacob were staying together, and I was like, oh, I can't go to dinner Monday, and I had to tell him, and I didn't want to make him feel nervous more than he already was.
But for him to finish strong and then obviously back it up last week was really cool. Yeah, he's a guy that we've stayed together for the last four years, and for us to kind of go through it together is cool.
Q. Sneds kind of shouted you out, Jacob out in terms of the team group chat. Do you feel like you earned a shout-out? Like what's your role in the group chat?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I think I've earned much. I'm more of -- my teams have created me being a punching bag. Rutgers has not helped my cause in the group chat. And there was a funny picture from a vacation I went on that was supposed to be secretive, and Jacob sent it in the group chat. So I have to get him back at some point.
Q. You don't want to tell us about what the photo is?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: No, no. That's limited information.
Q. Describe the team atmosphere in one word.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Together.
Q. Who is your favorite swing on the team?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Favorite swing? Xander.
Q. Brandt mentioned in his presser that he wanted Scottie to just be Scottie. How would you describe Scottie?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: In terms of golf or in terms of --
Q. Anything. Maybe him as a person.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I think he's special. For us to all be on the same page and be able to pick his brain and be around him, it's not often we're on the same team and get to do this.
So I'm, you know -- it's really cool for me to be on his team. But I don't feel like it's, you know -- I would like to think that he doesn't think this either -- that, you know, we're all going to go out there and perform, and we don't -- like we just want him to be what he would be normally. He doesn't have to do extra lifting. We're all going to go out there and give it our best.
But, yeah, I mean, he's the best golfer in the world, and I fully expect to see that this week.
Q. I got some old photos of some of your teammates, and I want to see if you can guess who they are.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Xander?
Q. That's Koivun.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Wow.
Q. There's a few more.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: That one's Xander. Scottie. Who is that? I don't know who that is. Sam?
Q. That's Cantlay.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: That's Pat? Wow. That looks nothing like Pat. That's JT. That's Collin. That's the easiest one of all time. Pat looks nothing like Pat now. That's funny.
Q. What's it like being a rookie here and being with Jacob and Jackson, especially what have you seen most from Jackson?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, he makes me feel old this week. Everyone is usually like, oh, you're young. And this week I do not feel very young.
But it's been fun. I think we have a great mix of older guys and younger guys and guys in the middle of that. Yeah, Bridgeman came back after we played the practice thing here, and he stayed at my house. And we had Jackson over for dinner. So we were doing all that we can to kind of -- I don't know, I know Jackson better now, but I really just met him for the first time on the trip. But, yeah, he's great and really good player, obviously, so -- and I know Bridgeman.
And, yeah, it's been fun. The whole experience has been a lot of fun. So there's nothing to say that other than just excited and it's been fun hanging with everyone.
Q. How would you describe your season? Obviously like at the end, where we were talking about Player of the Year, or whatever you were in it, but how would you describe it? You had a win in Phoenix and then you did so well. What did you think of it?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I really felt like I played really well all year. I think all of us know we're going to go through a little bit of dips and stuff, but I felt like I managed those really well this year.
My week felt very positive -- or even if I didn't play well, I felt like I got enough out of my poor weeks, and the weeks where I played well I played really well and was able to come out on top.
So I'll take as many of those years as I can get, but I'm not naive to think that that's going to happen every year, and just got to keep working hard and try to get back to that.
Q. Did you guys do karaoke?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, we did that last night.
Q. (No microphone.)
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I have. Not very much, though. Yeah, I've been probably like two or three times. So I like it, yeah. It's cool.
Q. Say the teammate that pops in your head when you hear these quick five questions. Most likely to be late to the bus?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Most likely to be late? I'll go Bridgeman because he was already late one time.
Q. Most likely to bring the energy?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Xander.
Q. Most competitive?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Scottie.
Q. Best dressed?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: I don't know if anyone wins that one.
Q. And then most likely to talk the most trash?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Probably Xander. Yeah.
Q. Is there anyone on the International Team that stands out the most?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Who stands out to me? They're all good players, so I don't, you know, I've played with a bunch of 'em. I played with Si Woo at East Lake. He's a great player. They're all, I mean, there's no one that particularly stands out to me, I have a lot of respect for all of them. I know we're all aware that we have to bring our A game this week.
Q. What do you think about the two Japanese players?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I know Ryo a little bit. We have the same physio, so I've gotten to know him a little bit as much as we can. He's a great player. He's super good and nice kid. Hideki, I don't know super well, but obviously one of the best players that we have in our sport. So, a lot of respect for those guys and, yeah, they're going to be a good competition this week.
Q. Do you have a different mindset or approach to play the team format instead of individual format?
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I mean, a little bit. I think, you know, it's just different format. Yeah, I think the best ball and alternate shot you have to play differently than you normally would. But best ball is about as similar as we'll play to normal. And then alternate shot you probably play a little safer than normal, just knowing that you don't want to lose a hole or give away a hole easily. So, yeah, nothing too crazy, situational, how it's going to work and where to play aggressive and where to play smart with the format that we're given.
Q. When I asked the same question to Japanese players in Japan they said they have different mindset to play a team event because they have little things, little rules or something that they don't say. For example, they don't apologize to the partner and that.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, we try to limit all apologies. That's something that we definitely do. Because at the end of the day it's no one's fault. We all hit poor shots and we're not naive to think that that won't happen. So just it's all about how you bounce back if you do hit a poor shot and try to show up and bounce back from that situation.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports