MODERATOR: Good morning. We would like to welcome Michael Brennan to the media center here at the Worldwide Technology Championship. Michael is making his first PGA TOUR start as a member, his fourth PGA TOUR start overall following a victory at the Bank of Utah Championship only 10 days ago.

How have the last few days been like, Michael?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, it's been a great last week and a half. I've been answering a lot of texts, doing some interviews, hanging out with friends and family back home in Virginia. It's been a lot of fun to celebrate with them. I'm excited to be back out here competing though.

MODERATOR: Tell about how many text messages did you get and were you able to answer all them?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, I'm guessing over 1,500 between iMessage and Instagram. Yeah, I did want to make a point to get to everybody because they all supported me. Took me a few days, but I did get to them all.

MODERATOR: You just did what many players only dream about, turning a sponsor exemption or a Monday qualifier into a PGA TOUR victory. Can you speak about the value of those opportunities for players?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah. I mean, I think I'm a perfect example. It's changed my career and changed my life because of a sponsor invite. To have that opportunity and I mean at the very least, win or lose, get so much valuable experience playing on the PGA TOUR with the best players in the world, that's what I've dreamed about doing since I was a young kid. To be able to do that and compete and kind of showcase our talents as a sponsor invite meant a lot for me.

MODERATOR: This will be your second start of the year here in Mexico on two different tours following a tie for third at the Bupa Championship in Mexico City in May on PGA TOUR Americas. It's crazy to think it only happened six months ago and now you're a PGA Tour Champion.

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, it is crazy. I hope to maybe build on my success in Mexico City earlier this year and have another good week. It's really great to be here in Cabo this week. Golf is a little bit different, we were playing at maybe 9,000 feet of elevation in Mexico City so the ball was going really, really far and now we're at sea level and it could be really, really windy this week. Definitely different circumstances, but hoping to build on some success in Mexico.

MODERATOR: You got the chance to practice the course yesterday. What are your impressions?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, the course is great. It's in great shape, fairways are really, really good. It's pretty forgiving off the tee. Have the opportunity to hit a lot of drivers and 3woods, a lot of longer clubs off the tee. The greens have a lot of slope to them. They're pretty big and a lot of kind of ridges feeding the ball into the center of the green, which can be helpful if you use them properly, but if you get on the wrong side of them the chips and putts from off the greens could be really, really hard. Definitely make sure you keep the ball in play, which hopefully isn't too challenging off the tee, but then into the green it's going to be important to hit some good irons into the right places this week.

MODERATOR: The winning score was 27 under two years ago, 24 under last year, so you've got to go low here.

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah. The wind I've heard picks up a lot sometimes. Right now it's not forecasted to be anything too crazy. If it stays like that, course is in great shape and I would predict it to be something in that mid 20s again this year.

MODERATOR: One more thing, going back to your PGA TOUR U, PGA TOUR Americas roots, this week you're in the field with Johnny Keefer as well. Who was the PGA TOUR Americas Player of the Year. Two guys who emerged from PGA TOUR U. Can you speak about the importance of those pathways to get both of you here?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, I think that it goes to show  I played a practice round with Johnny yesterday, we're good friends and it's so awesome that he's out here this week, and it's great that he's got a Tour card for next year through the Korn Ferry Tour.

But I think it goes to show like even the experience that I gained playing on the Americas tour last week definitely showed, I felt relatively comfortable in the final group of a PGA TOUR event where otherwise I certainly wouldn't have.

Johnny played amazing golf last year on the Korn Ferry Tour and has had some good success on the PGA TOUR as well. I think it just goes to show that the quality of golf on the Americas tour is pretty high and it does a good job of preparing golfers for the next step.

MODERATOR: Do you have any good stories of you and Johnny playing last year on PGA TOUR Americas?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, we played some practice rounds together. We would often go out and get dinners together. I think the best part about playing out here is just making good friends and going to get dinners after the round and enjoying that camaraderie and hanging out. It's kind of like a brotherhood, it's really cool.

MODERATOR: I would also like to touch on your caddie, Jeff, and that relationship. I know you spoke a lot about that when you won last week. Can you speak about that relationship and how that came to be?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah. Jeff and I were friends in college. We didn't know each other super well in college, but a couple of my teammates were really good friends with Jeff. I was looking for a caddie last summer so I texted one of my teammates, said hey, who do you think I should ask and he recommended Jeff.

So Jeff and I have been together for a year and a half now and it's been great, it's been a great working relationship. We've developed into I would say a very strong friendship over the last year and a half. We spend a lot of time together so get to know each other pretty quick. But he's been great. He's definitely very committed to get better as a caddie and improve and a valuable asset to my team.

Q. You start the year in Cordoba, missing the playoff by one. Will you please take us through the PGA TOUR Americas, your experience playing in Latin America and then in Canada? How was the year?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, it was amazing. That was my first time playing golf in South America or Latin America. The golf courses and the country clubs that we went to down there were really, really nice and very welcoming of us.

Just like being able to build off those experiences of missing by one and the playoff by one in Cordoba and just the experiences, it's a great battleground and learning experience for us and I enjoyed my time in South America very much.

Q. Ben Griffin was in a few minutes ago. He was talking about how different it will be next season for him knowing he's already qualified for Signature Events, majors. How will it feel knowing you won't have to struggle to get a PGA TOUR card? You went through PGA TOUR Americas, Korn Ferry Tour. How is the mindset knowing that you can compete on PGA TOUR next year?

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, it's a dream come true to be playing out on the PGA TOUR. There's still a lot to play for for me these next couple weeks with the elevated events. I am not in all of those yet, so I'm not quite in the same situation that Ben is. I have a pathway to get into the first couple elevated events this year through the Fall Series, so that's definitely my focus these last three events. I'm going to play in all of them and try to move inside of the top 60 on the FedExCup Fall, and if I do so, I have an amazing opportunity to play in more great tournaments against the best players in the world and that was definitely my focus and my goal. But knowing that I have two years of access out here where I can just continue to improve my golf game, it's a dream.

Q. (Questions about the Masters.)

MICHAEL BRENNAN: Yeah, like that's a tournament I grew up dreaming about winning. I think of any other tournament in the world, the Masters is one I would like to win.

And to be honest, I didn't even think that there was a chance I could be playing in the Masters in 2026. Last week definitely changed a lot of things. I've thought about it. I definitely want to stay inside the top 50 in the world come end of the year. I've just got to focus on this tournament and try to compete as best I can. I feel like if I do that and go through my process like I normally do, that's all I can really do. Hopefully I play some good golf and am able to move up the ranks, not only stay where I am, but (connection lost.)