FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 27th, 2017

NOTABLE QUOTES: GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE PRESIDENTS CUP, WEDNESDAY (PRESS CONFERENCES SHOW)

Golf Channel Notable Quotes
Golf Central Live From the Presidents Cup
Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017
Press Conferences Show (12:30-4 p.m. ET)
Liberty National Golf Club
Jersey City, N.J.

**Golf Central Live From the Presidents Cup continues tonight from 7-9 p.m. ET.**

Video links: Jack Nicklaus speaking with Golf Channel’s Cara Robinson

Nicklaus: HOF inductee Longhurst a ‘character in golf.’
Nicklaus on Davis Love III’s Presidents Cup promise
Nicklaus: Stricker has a strong team
Nicklaus: Presidents Cup popularity will surpass Ryder Cup
Nicklaus planning golf-tennis tournament at home

Video links: LPGA major champion and Liberty National member Cristie Kerr joins Live From The Presidents Cup
Kerr: Veterans should tell rookies to pace themselves
Kerr: Internationals needs fast start at Presidents Cup/

Thursday’s Day 1 foursomes matches (first match is 1:05 p.m. ET):
Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas       vs.        Hideki Matsuyama and Charl Schwartzel
Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson       vs.        Adam Scott and Jhonattan Vegas
Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed         vs.        Si Woo Kim and Emiliano Grillo
Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger     vs.        Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace
Jason Day and Marc Leishman           vs.        Kevin Kisner and Phil Mickelson

Reacting to Thursday’s Day 1 foursomes matches announcements
Trevor Immelman – “Captain Stricker is spoiled for choice. So many great matchups that he can be putting together.”
Immelman – “That International team’s first match, Schwartzel and Matsuyama, is vitally important for the team. That have to get off to a fast start.”

On Wednesday at The Presidents Cup
Immelman – “You can feel the tension. The tension is starting to build and they are ready to get this going.”
Justin Leonard – “There is going to be a lot of energy here. And a lot of it is because of this property. These New York and New Jersey fans will be right on top of the action here.”

On the U.S. Team\
Justin Leonard – “The young guys are really taking it in, with being around these veteran players that they have looked up to for so long. Those kind of experiences are invaluable for these players.”
Immelman – “One of the things I love about these young American players is they play with a chip on their shoulder. They find something that gets them motivated, pumped up and ready to go. They want to win. I think that is why we have seen this strong crop of Americans come through.”

On Patrick Reed
Leonard – “He brings an intensity to these team matches that I don’t think we’ve seen – outside of Ian Poulter – for a very long time.”

On Tiger Woods
Leonard – “As he has spent so much time away from the game due to injuries, he has come to really embrace the role as mentor.”
Leonard – “As a fan of the game, you want to see him come back. Tiger just loves the competition. That is something that has filled up his life and has given him so much to look forward to, that he wants to go and have that experience again.”
Immelman – “It is sad to hear the uncertainty in his answers. I think a lot of that is he doesn’t want to give a lot of us our hopes up. I absolutely want him to come back. I loved competing with him and against him. When he was at his best, what he did for the game and growth of the game all over the world, is unprecedented in my opinion. I think him coming back again will garner that same amount of interest and see if he can get things going again. I’m rooting for him.”

On Phil Mickelson
Immelman – “One of the reasons why the U.S. team is in good shape over the next 10 or 15 year period with all of these young players coming through is because of Phil Mickelson. I give him a lot of the credit. When these players were coming out on TOUR, he was the first guy to take them under his wing and play practice rounds with them. In Korea, all of the players seemed to rally around him and wanted to spend time with him and learn from him. That is why he is such a valuable asset to this team.”
Leonard – “He raises the level of his game for events like this. He enjoys serving in a mentor role for a lot of these young players.”

On the International Team
Immelman – “One of the reasons we are seeing Nick Price as captain for the International team for the third time is that they are trying to build chemistry with this team. There are eight countries represented and trying to team up as one. That is a lot of language differences and culture differences. They are trying to bring this into one melting pot this week. That is why Captain Nick Price has used the last six years to rally these guys together.”
Ken Schofield – “It is a mountain they have got to climb. Playing against the United States right now, team America is probably the strongest right now that I’ve seen in a long time.” 

On Hideki Matsuyama
Leonard – “He is facing about a six-week hangover from the PGA Championship. We can’t imagine the pressure that he feels day-in and day-out, with the weight of an entire nation on your shoulders.”
Immelman – “Week-in and week-out he is a very consistent performer from tee-to-green, but if he has any weakness in his game, it is the putter.”

-NBC Sports Group-