BILLY MAYFAIR
Yes, I had a good week at the US Open, finishing tied 10th, and I think my game is a little better than it was last year coming into the tournament. I certainly feel more comfortable being here. Last year I wasn’t sure of the golf course, where to stay, that kind of stuff.
Coming back for a second year I feel a lot more comfortable coming here. This is such a good tune up to get ready for the British Open next week, even although the course isn’t like an Open course. Good to get here, get used to the time difference and play over here. I enjoy playing over here against all these good players here on the European Tour.
It’s a great golf course. Lyle Anderson’s done a great job with the land he’s got here and last year the only problem was the rain and bad weather we had. If we get four days of good weather there’s nowhere prettier in the world than this course, that’s for sure.
It’s a very challenging golf course as well. You got to go out and hit good shots and drive the ball well. If you mis-hit it you’re going to be in the rough. You got to hit it close to the hole because the greens are pretty big and slopey.
A major? I would love to make the Ryder Cup team, but we are all out here to win major championships. If you ask any player on our Tour or the European Tour what do you want to do? Win amajor championship. That’s why I’m over here a week ahead of time and I’m trying to get used to get ready for that.
Last year at Sahalee (US PGA) I was in contention going into the last nine holes and was pretty much in contention going into the last day of the US Open, so I’ve come close. I’ve got kind of a sense of being in contention on the last day of a major championship. You know, I’d love to be contending going into the Sunday of the British Open next Sunday. I was tied seventh in the PGA at Sahalee.
Obviously with winning, or winning majors, it’s a stepping stone. You’ve got to put yourself into position as many times as you possibly can, and the more times you put yourself in a position to win, sooner or later you’re going to win one. There are only four a year and it gets difficult. At the PGA and the US Open a couple of weeks ago I felt I put myself in pretty good position so I'll just try to keep doing that.
Garcia? Well, him winning the Irish Open last week doesn’t surprise me at all. He could very easily have won the Byron Nelson in Dallas when he came and played. The Kid’s got the whole package. He’s a great players, he’s going to win a lot of tournament and I’m sure he’s going to win a lot of majors in his day.
Is he the next Tiger Woods? I don’t know if you can ever compare. I don’t like comparing players with other players. Tiger’s his own player and Sergio’s his own player. He’s definitely going to do a lot of good for both world golf and he’s really going to help the European Tour too, because when you get better players out here, the bigger the Tour gets itself. Look what Tiger’s done for our Tour. It’s absolutely amazing. We’re playing for as much money as we are on our Tour right now because of Tiger Woods.
If Sergio comes out and helps the European Tour that much it helps everyone in the whole picture which is really neat.
The last few years, definitely, if Tiger wasn’t playing out there, we wouldn’t be playing for the purses and the TV exposure we have right now.
All I’ve heard about Carnoustie is that it’s really hard. I heard some other words about it too but I can’t say that!! I heard it’s a great golf course and if the weather’s good even par could still be a very good score to win. I’ve never seen it but the pictures I’ve seen it looks as if it has a lot of canals running through the golf course but everyone I’ve talked to who has played there say it’s really, really hard.
This will be my third Open after playing the last two years.
Q Does the amount of money in the States act as a disincentive to people to come over here?
A Yes, I think a lot of guys play more tournaments at home because of the prize money and that. I know some guys get guarantees when they come to certain tournaments but the biggest reason why you see a lot of guys come over from our Tour is because we want to get over the week before the British Open. A lot of Europeans come over and play our Tour events before the majors and I’ve done that the last two years and I think it helps tremendously.
I need another good night'’ sleep to start feeling like myself again. You get into Carnoustie on Sunday or MOnday it takes you to Wednesday to feel good, so at least sleep wise and adjustment to the time I’ll be ready to go.
Q Is this like an American course in Scotland?
A Very much so. When you get out there it’s like walking down Muirfield Village or some of those great golf courses, until you look out and see that lake and you see the weather, then you know you are in a different type of territory. It’s very much like an American golf course.
It would be kind of neat if it was more of a Scottish type golf course to get ready for next week, but it’s still a fun course to play on and helpfully do well on.
To me, the best way to prepare for a tournament is to play in a tournament. I know Tiger’s coming across early to play some golf courses here and there to get adjusted to the time and all that, but for me the best way to prepare is to play. You can play all the practice rounds you want but a tournament itself in when you really learn about how your are playing and all that stuff.
You need the competition. I learned a little bit about bump and run when I grew up on courses where the front of the greens was quite open. I’ve played a couple of British Opens and once I get out there I think it will come back to me. It’s different. You have to get used to hitting the ball 20 or 30 yards short and let it run up in the wind. That’s probably the most difficult part. We would have had to do that at Pinehurst if we didn’t have the rain. We had rain three nights of the five though.
I sent a box over from Phoenix with wool pants and cashmere sweaters. I almost got woosie because it was 112 degrees in Phoenix right now, but you prepare for that and make sure your rain suit is ready because you’re going to get bad weather and that’s just part of it.
I played really good last year, winning twice, but it’s been a roller coaster year this year. I hoped to continue from 1998 and felt pretty good but missed six cuts in a row in the middle of the year, finally played good in the US Open then missed the cut in Chicago last week. It’s been a roller coaster year but the Tour is about peaks of highs and lows.
My wife is pregnant but she’s not due until December 6 so there will be no repeat of Phil Mickelson with bleepers and so on. I'’ll be home in plenty time for that.
I’m 23rd in the Ryder Cup rankings. I still have an outside chance but I need to play well here, the British Open and the PGA and hopefully move up. Hopefully if I won one of those maybe Ben would consider me as a choice. All I can do is go and play the best I can. Obviously it’s been a goal but I haven’t been as consistent as I would like and that’s probably hurt my chances a lot.
