A drunken Team USA press conference had no shortage of laughs.
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MONTREAL — By the time Max Homa stepped onto the 17th green in the final tee of the day, the Presidents Cup tailgate party had already begun.
The contest was over. The USA had won. Now, with the players having nothing to do but celebrate, it was time to do just that drink. Most of the American side had begun that process by the time Homa reached the 17th, passing through aluminum mugs of tall beers and other, less recognizable beverages.
By the time Homa reappeared nearly an hour later for Team USA’s victory press conference, the tailgate party was in full swing.
This, it turns out, is the grand tradition of the Sunday night winner’s press conference at golf team events. For the only time all year, golf fans are treated to a glimpse into the party life of golf pros, and it’s usually a pretty good show.
On Sunday, the fun was simple. For the first time all week, the coolers rolled into the press room, with assistant captain Kevin Kisner designating himself as press conference in fact guard pointdowning ice cold beers like he had been doing with water bottles all week. By the time the players sat down, an air of whiskey clarity was permeating the press room.
What followed was 40 minutes of the most consistent behavior the PGA Tour has given us in some time, minutes that we’ll recap below.
The 7 funniest moments from Team USA’s President’s Cup victory press conference
1. Betting
In-the-know golfers will recall that Kevin Kisner and Max Homa made a public bet: If Homa left everywhereKisner would have to take his shirt off.
On Sunday morning, Homa made it his bogey on the first hole of the day, bouncing his tee shot from the fairway for an opening round eagle.
On Sunday night, just seconds before entering the interview room, Kisner made good on his payment, ripping off his shirt and running to the center of the Team USA party shirtless.
“I can’t wait to get back in that team room and run naked for the rest of the night,” Kisner told NBC. “Go, Team USA.”
2. Max Homa in Bet
Homa was asked his thoughts on the bet and had a hilarious exchange of his own.
“Max, I was wondering, how long after you threw that shot did you first think about Kevin paying off his bet?” asked a reporter.
“I mean, like half a second, a second and a half. I looked back and he was running 9 lanes trying to get away from me, I think,” Homa said with a laugh as the rest of his teammates dropped by. “He left me four minutes before that. I don’t blame him .
“Yeah, it was definitely on my mind all week. I basically had three check marks this week. One was winning the Presidents Cup with these guys. The two had to have a good time. And three, to make Kiss take off his shirt. So I went three for three.”
3. ‘Say!!!’
Team USA captain Jim Furyk found himself in hot water earlier this week when a Golf week the story quoted him as telling a reporter, “I would say, ‘Go yourself,’” when asked what he would think about American fans rooting for internationals for the competitive integrity of the Presidents Cup.
When reporter Adam Schupak took the microphone again Sunday night, Furyk wasn’t the only one whose eyes lit up.
“SAY IT!!!” Schauffele yelled at Furyk, who chose to explain, instead, that there were no hard feelings between the two sides.
“My favorite part was when — after the first press when we came in, we did our pairings and I came out, I actually punched you a little bit,” Furyk said with a belly laugh. “Two of my assistants told you to go to F yourself. That was my favorite.”
4. ‘Go F— Yourself, Adam!’
Furyk’s assistants didn’t let him down on Sunday either.
After the pressure wore off, assistant captain Kevin Kisner walked over to Schupak with a big smile on his face.
“Hey, Adam,” Kisner said. “Go one more time mate.”
The rest of the room erupted in laughter as Kisner and Schupak enjoyed a very sweet hug.
5. Golf glove
Amidst the chaos — and at the center of the podium — sat Scottie Scheffler, who curiously arrived wearing a golf glove on his beer-holding hand.
As the presser began, Scheffler handed the glove to Morikawa, who began (not quietly) trying to sell the glove to the highest bidder in the crowd.
His audience being a room full of working media, the efforts were unsuccessful, but no less entertaining.
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6. ‘There’s our Mongol!!!’
Sahith Theegala found himself (unintentionally) in hot water earlier this week, when he used the word “Mongolian” to describe a match-play term called “Mongolian Inversion.”
Schauffele, who found Theegala’s initial snafu particularly hilarious, was back in the thick of things with Theegala in the victory column.
Theegala had given a thoughtful, emotional response about the excitement he felt playing for Team USA for the first time and how fondly he would hold the memory of playing on this team for the rest of his days. But as soon as he had finished speaking, Schauffele burst into full-throated laughter.
“Here is our Mongol!”
7. Finau’s bold proclamation
Asked about his plans for the night, Tony Finau finally stepped up to the microphone and shouted.
“In the wise words of Travis Kelce,” Finau began, before the screams of his teammates drowned him out. “You have to fight, for your right … to celebrate!!!!”
“Only time will tell,” Finau said.
Indeed.
