Friday Morning Foursomes
Q. Patrick, you guys made no mistaking that you wanted to play together. Why do you two mesh so well?
PATRICK CANTLAY: I think, first and foremost, we're really good friends. And then obviously X is a great partner for anybody. I mean, he's so solid, plays great and has one of the best attitudes out here.
Q. We all know that this is your first experience in this foray. How do you calm yourself down with all that noise on the first tee, Xander, and then be able to perform the way you guys went out and had that hot start?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think we find comfort in each other. Pat's as calm as they come. He's stoic and is not fazed by any noise. So he walked up on the first tee and struck that first tee shot, and all of a sudden all the nerves were gone.
Q. Patrick, I know you're a big gin guy. How were you able to apply that type of science, if you will, to this foray?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Huh. Yeah. Well, I like locking in and focusing. That's one of the things I'm best at. And this tournament is one of the pinnacles of that.
Q. Xander, when you guys got off to that hot start, how does the mind work when you're five up that early in a match?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: We're all-square. Keep pushing. We had a nice message from Tiger last night, and obviously not going to reveal what it said, but Pat and I knew. We referred to it a few times a day, and we knew what we needed to do.
Q. For the two of you, Tiger's not here, but he is here in spirit. We all know that, all of us in communication as well. What is it like knowing that Dad is on your shoulder there in Tiger Woods while watching you guys play?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: We knew he was fist pumping from the couch. Whether he was on crutches or not, he was -- he's as fired up as any back at home. So it's nice to have his support.
Q. How much of an influence can someone have like Tiger who's not even here, Patrick?
PATRICK CANTLAY: Yeah, definitely. No better role model and no better leader, and just somebody that you can always learn from.
So I saw him last week at home, and just picked his brain on Ryder Cup and applied some of that here today.
Q. Last thing, a lot of people talk about experience in a Ryder Cup versus being a rookie in a Ryder Cup. How much can be said for having a clean slate and coming out here and performing with a very clear mind as opposed to having some scar tissue in this event?
PATRICK CANTLAY: This is day one, and this is the first session. So there are only four points on the board. We're just off to a good start, and we're really building some really positive memories and positive experience, and we're going to use that later.
Q. Congratulations on a job well done.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports