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00:00It's good to catch up. I guess it's close to a year that you've kind of called Dubai your second home.
00:06How have you settled in and the family?
00:08Yeah, it's been great for us. I think the first thing, obviously, it's a slight change of lifestyle.
00:14And even in the hot summer months when we come back for the start of school,
00:18just the amount of time for the kids spending outdoors, I think, has been great to see.
00:24And I think we're all enjoying being part of the community here.
00:28And it's, you know, so far been very good.
00:30Anytime you move away from your original home, it's always a big step and always nerve-wracking.
00:35But everybody has been great and we've loved being a part of here.
00:40You see Frankie running about at the academy.
00:42Loves it, loves it. He's pretty much my full-time coach.
00:47It's honestly, it's great to see because he's a similar age to me when I started.
00:53And I guess watching him like now start to grow up and watching his love for the game
01:00is something that's really, really cool and watching how he progresses.
01:04But I just think for us, we have the academy here and we're a big part of that.
01:08And watching all the people, whether they're kids or adults, enjoy it and spending time here,
01:15but especially when it's your own, watching our three boys here and how much they're progressing
01:20and how much they're enjoying it is something that's really beautiful to see.
01:23I've seen Oscar with his name on a few trophies recently.
01:27That must be cool to see as well.
01:29Myself and Claire, our one thing for the kids is you just want them to be passionate about something.
01:33Something to set their mind to.
01:35The fact that it's golf is great and I could definitely do that thing.
01:39And yeah, watching them, you know, have some results to smile about
01:43and enjoy the game and progress every day has been great.
01:47Our life between my job, Claire's job and now the kids playing,
01:54it's obviously a very golf-based life.
01:57Let's chat about the academy. It's a pretty nice facility, isn't it?
02:01Oh, it's mega, yeah.
02:03I think having the opportunity, the academy and the visions that we have for it now and in the future
02:11is something that I've put a lot of thought into and want to keep it growing.
02:14And then along with DP World, I suppose sharing a vision
02:17and then having the opportunity to bring it somewhere where the facilities are as good as these.
02:22Yeah, it's such a special opportunity for us.
02:25For me, from a personal standpoint, having the opportunity to come here and practice
02:29and work on my game here is amazing.
02:33I'm practicing on facilities that I could only dream about when I was younger
02:38and I had good options as well.
02:42For everybody here, very, very lucky and being able to pass on lessons
02:46and be around a team that's helping people progress along with the facilities is just amazing
02:52and I enjoy it every single day.
02:56I have a strong passion for the game, of course I do, it's where all my dreams are,
02:59but when you're around somewhere like this, you just wake up every day excited to come and practice.
03:05I guess some people might be initially intimidated coming down here,
03:09but it really is open for all abilities.
03:12You've got the juniors, you've got the ladies programs, you've got the elite players
03:16and you've got the DP World tall guys as well.
03:18That's a big thing to see as well, isn't it?
03:24Frankie's actually a good example because I think you're right.
03:27I think anything you take up, whether you're a beginner or whether you're joining somewhere,
03:32it is quite an intimidating experience, of course it is.
03:36The number one priority is creating an environment where you are comfortable learning and growing
03:44and comfortable failing, to be honest with you, because you don't get anywhere without trying new things.
03:49Everybody's a beginner at something at some point, but honestly creating an environment
03:53where you feel supported, where you feel comfortable and where you feel safe
03:57to come and practice and grow, spend time with people, socialise, it's so, so important
04:03and I think everybody here so far can be very proud of the job that we're doing at that.
04:08We just try and grow it every day and, like I say, we're lucky to have the people around here that we have.
04:13On a day-to-day basis, anybody that comes down to the Academy is part of something
04:19that is a community that is helping each other grow day by day.
04:26I was a bit stressed at times, I've got to say, but what an amazing experience.
04:32For us, the only task when you get to a Ryder Cup is about winning the Ryder Cup
04:39and of course that is the sole motivation when you're there,
04:44but when you're spending time with the team, the family that you become,
04:47all of the things that go with it are the most amazing experiences that we get to have
04:52and on top of that, winning the Ryder Cup as a team is just so, so cool, that winning feeling.
04:57It was, like I say, a bit stressed and relieved towards the end there,
05:03but just so happy that we got it done all together.
05:05Prior to getting the captain's pick from Luke, something that you haven't had to do previously,
05:09do you think there was an added pressure on yourself, maybe by yourself, to want to perform
05:14or maybe from outsiders like media or whatever?
05:18I don't know, I think everybody's goal is to qualify for the team, of course it is,
05:22because no matter how… I had a very good year this year
05:26and of course there's plenty of people that when you're in and around that,
05:31you feel like you might be deserving of a pick or you're going to be on the team.
05:35Nothing's guaranteed and I was very grateful that Luke showed his faith in me,
05:39along with the other guys that got our captain's selection.
05:42The one thing about once you're part of that team and especially Team Europe
05:47is such an amazing place to be because whether it's Roy McIlroy,
05:51John Rahm or anybody else, you walk into that team room and everybody is equal
05:56and everybody is just Team Europe and that's it.
05:59I think it's very apparent that everybody is made to feel that way.
06:04You don't feel pressure from that standpoint, you feel pressure from yourself.
06:11I think it brings its different challenges really.
06:13All of a sudden you're playing as a team, you're playing for all your teammates,
06:16you want it so badly, you're playing for your captain and there's that side of it,
06:21but that's just what the experience of the Ryder Cup is all about.
06:25But I think, like I say, I was very grateful for Luke for showing his faith in me
06:29and then to put in a good performance along with the rest of the team felt great.
06:33Obviously some of those performances you have had with Rory,
06:36is that something that you're comfortable with?
06:39Were you guys ever amateur competitors in the same team?
06:45Rory turned pro young and I turned pro young, but Rory was just ahead of me in that cycle.
06:53I feel like for both of us, when you turn pro young,
06:56you've had a very short lifespan of amateur golf at the elite level,
07:02so you kind of get two years each at it, if you like.
07:05Rory was just before me, so we never played together or competed against each other really,
07:09but we've known each other for a long time from being out on tour and I think we've been very close.
07:13I think in past Ryder Cups, whenever you go through pairings,
07:17I would say me and Rory have always been a possibility and it's just never worked out.
07:21Always an option, I would say, and this one, particularly in foursomes,
07:26because Luke was very big on players that use the same golf ball for foursomes.
07:32He felt like that was a big advantage if you can both be playing the same ball.
07:36That worked out for me and Rory and it just happens we're very comfortable with each other.
07:41We get along and I remember us talking about it afterwards, after the second day's foursomes.
07:48You come into the team room or whatever and you say how great it was having that opportunity.
07:54I said, I'm not sure Rory felt like it was a great opportunity to play with Tommy Fleetwood,
07:58but I said to Rory, I loved playing with you and he said it just felt so comfortable,
08:03like everything was great and we do get on well.
08:05Having the opportunity to play in a Ryder Cup alongside Rory was something that was great for me.
08:10I'm glad we got two wins out of it as well.
08:13On the Sunday, it was an incredible first two days from Team Europe.
08:17How aware were you on that final day of how the scores were going?
08:21It's strange going out in that position, 10th, 11th, 12th, around there.
08:28It's a strange place to be because it's such a different environment that you're playing in
08:32by the time it comes to your match in the singles.
08:34Even teeing off, it's been very quiet during the warm-up and everything compared to the first two days.
08:39The leaderboard can fluctuate a bit in singles a lot more than it can do,
08:43especially in the four-balls format, but you just want to be prepared
08:48and you want to try and win your match.
08:50That was what I was focusing on.
08:51It just turned out that there was a bit more emphasis on it than maybe I expected.
08:56It was funny, me, Shane and Bob, when we were warming up in the morning,
09:01we were in the physio room and we were doing some stretching and doing some work
09:05and we were both laughing about it.
09:07All of us said we're very happy that we'll be parading down the last few holes
09:13when the Ryder Cup's over, hopefully, but it didn't turn out that way.
09:17Again, what an amazing opportunity for us there that were left on the course.
09:23And Sepp. Sepp was still out there at the time as well.
09:26He was playing the last bit.
09:27You kind of don't know that bit, you just see the scores,
09:30so you don't know what situation the players are in out on any particular hole.
09:36What an opportunity to play such a pivotal role towards the end.
09:42You look at it in simple terms, it was 6-0, was it, in the singles?
09:46You just look at it like that and it was 6-0, but it felt pretty stressful towards the end.
09:52Stealing the point, it's literally what some people say is their dream as a golfer.
09:56That's kind of what they want to do.
09:58You being able to do that, is that what it felt like?
10:02I look back on it and I remember I stood on that 16th tee when it came to my shot.
10:09I stood there, one good shot away from winning the Ryder Cup,
10:12and it's like, wow, what an amazing moment for you to have in your career.
10:19You're lucky, you have to make sure that you realise,
10:22of all the pressures that are on, of everything that can go right or wrong,
10:26what an unbelievable opportunity this is,
10:29just to be one good shot away from winning the Ryder Cup for Europe.
10:33To be able to play that role at that particular time,
10:38I get the chance to remember that for the rest of my life.
10:42I'm glad of all the shots I've hit in my career, that was one that I put a decent swing on.
10:47Can you explain what it is that makes it so special for golfers to be in?
10:51There's something different, isn't there, from the European team to the American team?
10:56Yes, I've said it a few times, the most special place I've ever been in golf is the European team room.
11:04For whatever reason that is, you're playing with some of the best golfers in the world.
11:12Over previous years, playing with idols that you've looked up to throughout your career.
11:20I've just found it always the most amazing experience, being in that environment.
11:25I think Europe does a phenomenal job.
11:30I think you are made unbelievably aware of what you are playing for,
11:37and the legacy of European golf is so important to our team.
11:43Right now, we are part of it, and we're playing as carriers of that.
11:48It's been going a long time before us, and it'll be a long time after us,
11:52but at the moment, we're just carrying that legacy for the rest of everybody else.
11:59I think you're just made very aware of that, that you're playing for something much bigger than yourselves.
12:04My experiences with Team Europe have just always been phenomenal.
12:08There's team talks, there's being out on the golf course,
12:11and there's so many moments throughout my Ryder Cup experiences that have just been,
12:17what an amazing time, and things that I look back on and remember.
12:21I think it's the same for everybody else as well.
12:23Now it's back to the normal day job, and down to Ned Bank.
12:29You must be excited to head back down there as a defending champ.
12:31Yes, it's been kind to me the last few times.
12:34It's a tournament that I've always loved.
12:36I remember going there, so I never played it when it was the 12-man field,
12:42but I think it went to 16, then 19, then 30 or something.
12:46I played all those times, and I was like, this tournament is unbelievable.
12:50It's such an exclusive one.
12:52As it's grown, I think it's been amazing for the tournament as well,
12:55for more people to get the opportunity to go to Sun City and experience what is,
13:01honestly, it's a lot of people's favourite event.
13:03It really is, from the golf course to just the whole place.
13:06The first time I went, I had such a memory of watching the tournament as a kid,
13:12and watching the guys that were playing.
13:13Then you play the ninth hole, and you walk around the water, and there's the pathway.
13:17It's got everybody's winning plate, the winners over the years.
13:21I always remember the first time I went, it's been a goal since to have my name
13:24alongside these great names there.
13:26When I did that the first time, it was honestly such a special moment for me.
13:32Then I remember the last time going, and walking, and waiting,
13:34because you start at the very start, and then my name will be at the end.
13:37I remember waiting for that.
13:39To have it on twice, I'm very, very proud of that.
13:43I'm looking forward to going back again, for sure.
13:45We'll see you in about three weeks' time, four weeks' time,
13:48for the TP World Tour Challenge.
13:50Yes, we'll be back for that.
13:52Again, that's something that's cool.
13:53It's funny how things progress and change.
13:56All of a sudden, it's a home event for us.
14:00I think I love being part of this community,
14:04and then getting the chance to play now here.
14:07Hopefully, I get a lot of support.
14:09It would mean a lot if I could go and maybe hold that trophy one day.
14:12We'll keep working at it.