THE MODERATOR: Harris English is with us now at the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Harris, welcome to your second Ryder Cup.
We'll go ahead and get started with questions.
Q. I just wanted to ask you about Keegan if there's an example you could share about how he's been, his personality and what his leadership style has been like?
HARRIS ENGLISH: What you see with him on the golf course is when you see as captain. He's got so much fire, so much passion. Every day he thinks about the Ryder Cup and he's instilling that in us, and he's been incredible at some of the team speeches.
He's a big video guy, which I am, as well. Very inspirational. It's been incredible. It's been incredible to see him kind of as a leader, and he's been unbelievable at it.
Q. How do you think your calm demeanor will impact the team when you're -- you know, especially with guys like Bryson who love getting the fans excited and revved up?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, I love that from them. Everybody's kind of their own individual. Talked about that with some of the guys on the team. Like I'm pretty calm on the course and even keeled, but I love guys who get fired up because that brings that side of me out.
I mean, you see it occasionally in some tournaments on the PGA TOUR but this is a whole different deal where you're playing for bigger than yourself, and I've got to show some of that fire and bring that energy. That's what I'm focused on this week.
Q. I know you weren't on the team in Rome in 2023, but what about the Ryder Cup week have you missed the most now that you're back in the team room and everything in the last few days?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Just being around the guys. I mean, even playing practice rounds out there, hitting different shots around the greens, just everybody is much more open and into sharing their insight on how they hit different shots, and their approach to prep for tournaments. I feel like for me being around a lot of these guys that I look up to.
Yeah, we play week-in, week-out against each other but it's nice to pick out some little tidbits of how they prepare and how they hit different shots, and everybody is very open into helping the team as a whole to get better and learning on this golf course.
Q. Is it what did you learn most about the Ryder Cup four years ago that you can take into your preparation this week or that has helped you be ready for what's to come?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, just knowing how this week is going to go. I mean, these first few days, they are long. We've got a lot going on with the gala and the Opening Ceremony, and it's so much different than just a normal week.
We each have our own routines but you kind of get out of that routine and embrace it. I love being around the team. I love all the activities that we're doing of kind of these bonding activities that I think will last for a lifetime.
Q. I think it's pretty obvious that the golf course is playing a fair bit easier than it has, certainly, previous majors and/or PGA TOUR events here with the lower rough and now the softer condition. I'd ask you to speculate a little bit here but if you were playing stroke play, what numbers do you think might be out there?
HARRIS ENGLISH: For a four-round tournament, I'd probably say 18- to 20-under. I mean, it can still bite you out there, especially that back nine. If you miss a couple drives, you're having some mid irons into the greens and you can start missing in some pretty bad places.
Yeah, this is not the normal Bethpage Black we're used to. You're going to see a lot more birdies out there than you normally would in the PGA or the U.S. Open. I think that's great. That's what we're ready for.
Q. Quick, unrelated follow-up. There's been a lot of chatter about how good Bryson has been in the team room this week. Could you maybe give a specific example which might illuminate that?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, he's been awesome. I'm not really big into Instagram or the TikTok or Snapchat. So when we are at the Opening Ceremony standing around getting ready to go, he was taking me through all the stuff he does, and that's kind of a different world that I'm not used to seeing.
I do Twitter and I follow a lot of Georgia Football stuff and Jaguar stuff. I'm not in the world he's in, but it was cool to get that insight of what he does and his plan of growing the game as much as possible and trying to relate to kids and bringing kids to the game of golf, which I think is really cool.
Q. I was going to ask you, what's something specific that you've learned about another one of your teammates, I think that might be No. 1 on the list but does anyone else come to mind?
HARRIS ENGLISH: That I've grown closer to?
Q. Or any fun facts you might have learned.
HARRIS ENGLISH: I've been spending a lot of time with Russell this week. It's nice to get back playing a lot of golf with him. Growing up together, I've played with him since I was probably ten years old. And obviously the same year at the University of Georgia; we were roommates for two years. Just kind of talking a lot about what we've been through our lives.
Finally we are 36 years old and we are both playing on the Ryder Cup Team at Bethpage. If you would have told us that when we were 14 years old playing in Southeastern Junior Golf tour events, we wouldn't have believed it.
It's been cool to experience that with him and kind of lean on each other. This is his first Ryder Cup. I know he's played the last Presidents Cup. Not that I need to help him out a whole lot, but give him some insight on what I learned at Whistling Straits, and it's just been really cool for me to share that experience with him.
Q. Is that emotional to think about? We hear so much about how young the game is getting and how ready guys are out of college to kind of think of -- two guys that have had great TOUR careers being on the same team at the same time and now you guys are in your 30s.
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, just a lot of gratitude. That's kind of what Keegan has preached a little bit to us and kind of what I've been thinking about this whole year is, I mean, ultimately, this might be my last Ryder Cup, and I'm okay with that. You never know what's going to happen in two years or where this game takes you.
I'm trying to stay as present as possible and soak it all in and enjoy the moment, and when the gun goes off on Friday, to give it everything I have.
Q. There's been a narrative, whether fair or unfair, that the European Team is more close, they care more. Is that something you guys have kind of talked about in your team room?
HARRIS ENGLISH: We haven't really talked about what they are doing at all. We're focused really on what we do and Keegan has hit on a few points in getting us ready to go. We don't really pay attention to what those guys are doing, and we're going to do the best job we can and get everybody for the common goal and working on trying to get this Ryder Cup back.
Q. You played in '21 just four-ball with Tony both sessions. Was that always in your prep? And then this year, maybe with a little bit more optionality, how prepping for foursomes has gone for you?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, Tony Finau was an unbelievable partner, one of the best dudes I've ever played with. Yeah, kind of easing me into the Ryder Cup. That was my rookie year on the Ryder Cup Team.
Yeah, obviously best-ball is a little easier of a format for us to play because you're playing your own ball; kind of your own strategy.
Foursomes is different. I've kind of done both this week and kind of ready for whatever Captain wants me to play. I told him if he want me to play one match or if he wants me to play five matches, I'm going to be ready.
Yeah, trying out some different balls. Getting into the rhythm much foursomes a little bit and a little bit of different strategy you have to work on.
Q. I know you're not a guy that tweaks a ton, so when a new ball gets thrown in there, what's the process to figure that stuff out?
HARRIS ENGLISH: I think driver, off the driver it's pretty easy to figure out, but it's a lot of the iron shots, wedge shot, making sure that you're hitting the windows that you want to hit and seeing if the ball spins a little more, spins a little less.
Also a little bit around the green. The cover can be a lot of how soft it comes off or firm, and a little bit with the putter. It's a lot more that goes into it than people think of putting or chipping a different golf ball.
Definitely prepped some last week at home with that and been prepping this week for that as well if that opportunity arises.
Q. It just wanted to ask you about your caddie, Eric, obviously was missing at The Open. You have him here. What was it like to obviously not have him and what's the importance, what's the relationship going to be like this week? How are you going to rely on him, I guess, a hell of a lot?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, we were all disappointed he couldn't come over to the Scottish Open and The Open Championship. He's been a massive part of my team for the last eight years or so. Caddied for me at Whistling Straits.
I mean, he's the best guy in the world. Means a lot to me, and he's been pushing me to get back here. He believes in me probably more than anyone out there. So I appreciate his support, and everything he does for me. This is as much about me getting back here as it is about him, and I want him to enjoy every moment.
He's getting older, too. So you never know if he's going to be back here as well. He's having a good time. He's one of the favorites amongst the players and caddies, and obviously with his story of being in prison, I mean, he has seen some dark places. To get here and to see these crowds and to be in this moment is very special for him.
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