MONDAY JULY 9
SERGIO GARCIA – PREVIEW INTERVIEW
Q. Tell us about what you were doing with the young kids on the range?
A. It was a lot of fun with the kids, teaching them about fitness for golf and how important that is, it was just a little thing we did with Adidas and it is always nice to try and help the kids because they are the future of the game and they should be well treated.
Q. Your own game is in good shape, you must be pleased?
A. Of course I am, it has been very good and I have been playing pretty well. I am a little unhappy about the US Open because I really felt I had a great chance of winning there but it is that kind of tournament, it is probably one of the hardest tournaments all year and if something doesn’t go your way then that can happen. But I feel I’ve been playing really well and to be able to win a couple of times and have another couple of top tens is always good for your confidence.
Q. Are you surprised at how well you’ve done?
A. Not at all. I’ve been playing well and it was just a matter of waiting. Unfortunately I didn’t win in the year and a half before that but it was just a matter of waiting for things to turn out my way. It is great to do well but I am not surprised because I’ve been working for it. I was hoping to do it and fortunate to do it in the last couple of months.
Q. Your driving has been particularly good?
A. I feel like I’ve always been a good driver of the ball but now with the new ball, I am straighter than I was before and longer so that helps a lot. But more than anything I would say I have improved my wedge play a lot, from nine iron to lob wedge, my form has been a lot better and my putting is behaving a little better. The new ball is the ProV1. There are some people who will not be confident in the way it reacts for them but sometimes you have to realise it is not the ball. I am not saying I am hitting the ball better because of the ball, I am saying I am hitting it better because I am practicing harder and just getting better. It just gives me that little bit more length and the par fives are easier to make birdie on now and eagles. With the driver I’d say I get an extra 20-25 yards.
Q. You’ve played much more in the States, is that the way you see your career panning out?
A. It probably will because I have always said that, unfortunately, for Europe if I want to be the best player in the world I have to play more in the States. I said that the way Montgomerie played for seven straight years and he was never able to be second, but he never made number one. I don’t think anyone could play any better than he did in those seven years so that shows that if you played that way in the States, you’d be world number one. It is just a good tour to raise your game.
Q. Can we expect to see more of you in relation to Ryder Cup points?
A. This week and next week are big weeks and hopefully I will be able to play well there and get some nice points. It’s not that I’m that far away from the Ryder Cup, I’m not 50th or anything like that, with a couple of good weeks I should be able to get in. I will play these two weeks then the USPGA and hopefully the NEC, but if not
Q. Have you spoken to Sam?
A. Yes I have.
Q. Did you say you would try to play over here to make the team?
A. Yes I said I would try my best.
Q. Would you add a tournament if you were struggling?
A. Probably BMW would be the one I would add because other than that I don’t really have a chance of playing an other one, it is just too busy but if I have to come from the States to play the BMW because I’m not in the NEC then I would just take a flight and try to get the points but hopefully I will be in the NEC and if I play well there, it is a lot of points.
Q. Do you come here with nice memories?
A. Yes, of course. I remember the last time I played, 1999, I finished second and it was very nice. I have always liked the course, it is in a beautiful place with the mountains on the left and the lake on the right and when the weather is good it is even better. The course is usually in very good shape too – I really like it.
Q. Does it bring the best out of you?
A Yes, every tournament has to bring the best out of you if you want to win it, and this place does. When you play a course that is not as difficult as this one, it looks like you don’t have to play as well to win but I think this course, with the movement on the greens, and it is not short either, it means you have to bring your best golf to win.
Q. What happened at the US Open, can you learn if you get in that position again?
A. For sure I will try to change a couple of bad breaks I had in the first five holes but I would try to realise that even when the guys were six under par I still had a good chance of winning. When they got to six under I thought I had to make a lot of birdies to win and put some extra pressure on myself and started missing putts. That happens sometimes and I have always said that you work hard to put yourself in a position to win a golf tournament and that is what I have been doing, sometimes things go your way and you win and sometimes they don’t. At least you have tried to do the best you can and you always gain experience for the following year.
Q. Tiger has Mark O’Meara to keep an eye on him, who do you have?
A. Of course my dad, but player wise in the States, I would probably say Jesper. I play with him every tournament and we are very good partners and we mix well, our personalities gel well and I have always felt very comfortable with him and it looks like he feels comfortable with me too.
Q. Did that start at Brookline?
A. It kind of made it bigger. We knew each other and were friends but Brookline made it bigger and I am glad I had the chance to play with him there, - I was able to make a good friend out of it.
Q. Would you always try and play here before the Open?
A. It all depends on how the schedule is. Last year, unfortunately, I felt a little tired and I wanted to take a couple of weeks rest before the Open but this year I took a couple of weeks sooner and I like this tournament, I need points for the Ryder Cup and also it is a good tournament so I wanted to play it.
Q. Some players like to play links golf and just practice before the Open, do you think competition is better?
A. I don’t know what the best way of doing it is. I think I am in a different position because I have to play this week more than anything else because of the Ryder Cup and I need to get as many points as soon as possible. I usually like to get a week off before Majors but I always like this course to play.
Q. Presumably you will be in the Ryder Cup team via a wild card anyway, but would you prefer to play your way in?
A. Yes I would because first of all you never know if you are going to be a wild card, that is up to the captain, and then secondly if I am able to make it then that is another wild card the captain can use. So you always prefer if you are able to make it on your own because then you know for sure that you are on the team.
