General Comments
Garcia:
"As you said, a great year. I couldn’t have asked for anything else The last couple of weeks, a couple of victories, and looking for a third one. That is why I am here. Retief is a pretty good player. It is going to be tough to beat him. I will just go out there and try to play my game, try to make a lot of birdies, and not too many mistakes, and let us see if I can make it."
Re Nick Price’s comments about the need to make some refinements?
Garcia:
"I am very pleased with my swing, and I am very pleased with the way I am hitting the ball, and I have no complaints right now with my swing. If it is working you don’t have to change it.
Somebody told me that he said with the driver I should not to hit it too long and try to hit it straighter. I don’t consider myself a bad driver. I usually hit a lot of fairways. I think I am hitting the ball well, and I think if you are playing well you don’t have to change anything."
Wentworth? Came as a 15 year old – your first impressions?
Garcia:
"I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a great golf course – really beautiful with trees and all the little creeks and all the bunkers. When the weather is good you can have some good rounds here, if you have no wind like today, and you play well, you can have some good rounds. But if you make a couple of mistakes they can cause you very expensively. Shot 67,72,69 and won by 14 – I remember that!"
Tired?
Garcia:
"No, I am very good. That is why I took three weeks off before the Ryder Cup. I wanted to be fresh for the Ryder Cup and the end of the year. I am feeling very good, and I have a week off after this, and I think that is enough, and then three weeks off after the $Million and that will be perfect."
Celebrations on Sunday?
Garcia:
"We had some dinner with some friends, some champagne, that kind of stuff, not really a big celebration. Didn’t shave my head. I don’t know if I will do that again. Couple of girls told me I looked better with long hair!!"
Surprised how fast made it?
Garcia:
"Not really. When I turned pro I wanted to play well, I wanted to get my cards and I wanted to be on the Ryder Cup team, so I just did everything I could to be there, and, well, it was enough."
Wentworth and St Andrews are very different – difficult to make the change?
Garcia:
"Not really. You can get some wind here. When you get wind it is sometimes more difficult than playing at St Andrews because at St Andrews it is clear, and you know where the wind is coming. But here because of the trees and everything it can be changing all the time. It is not difficult to realise that now you can have days like today and just play normal golf, not try to aim 30 yards right and trying not to cut it, not to hit it too far left, those kind of things."
The three shots to 17(at St. Andrews) – how good were they?
Garcia:
"I think they were pretty good. The first couple of days I was so scared about that hole, because speaking with Miguel Angel and Jose Maria, they would say well you know, ehh, good spot here, that is a good spot to make a good up and down, and if you miss you are going to miss short right and then you are going to have a lot of green to work with. So first day just tried to hit it short right and made 4, second day hit it left to the 18th tee made another 4, and the third day I went like, just try to put it on the green. Just try to hit a low one, try to carry the hill and put it there. So I hit it to about 8feet, then next day I hit a better one against Ernie to about 6 feet, and then last round I hit another good one just short to about probably 15 feet, but I couldn’t make a three. (Saving that for next year?) I hope so. I hope not to see the road next year, not the bunker"
Ernie the player to beat this week?
Garcia:
"I think everybody here can win this tournament. It is a small field, but it is a very good field of great players. Olazabal, Ernie, Price, O’Meara, Monty – everybody here can win. You just have to focus on beating everybody you play against and try to win."
Do comments about your swing annoy you?
Garcia:
"No, I don’t care. I have something in my mind very clear, and it is that if I feel OK with my swing I don’t care what the people say. If my dad doesn’t say that, or a person that I really trust, and a good teacher, I am not going to change anything?"
Nick was talking re courses such as US Open courses, that you might have problems on those courses?
Garcia:
"That is right. I play one PGA, I finish second, so I have a lot of problems!!
Still basically work with my dad. Sometimes I see Jesus Arruti in Spain, and Butch Harmon sometimes told me something but small things. I will talk to him, just to know what he thinks about it, but then I have to make what I want. Sometimes it is good to hear what some good players think, but that doesn’t mean that they are always right.
List of winners of this event excite you?
Garcia:
"Of course. Every tournament is a great tournament, but this one is a little different because it is match play. I just like to win everywhere I play, and that is what I am going to try."
Of all things achieved in the last six months which gives you the greatest pleasure?
Garcia:
"Everything. The Ryder Cup was amazing. I don’t know. Everything I have done I have really liked it, and enjoyed it. First tournament as a pro was great – the Spanish Open. The Irish Open of course – the first victory. Loch Lomond was amazing shooting 62. Then we have the PGA, Byron Nelson also, the Ryder Cup,German Masters, Dunhill Cup, everything is perfect. Probabl;y the Ryder Cup was the most exciting. But everything else has been very good."
Worst moments?
Garcia:
"You know! Carnoustie. Sometimes happens. I am sure I will remember that if I win the British Open. It will be a sweet thought."
Is Ryder Cup most nervous you've been?
Garcia:
"You can’t realise how calm I was at the Ryder Cup. I was probably calmer because Jesper teed off first, but on Friday afternoon when I teed off on the first, I thought I was going to be nervous. I thought I was going to be shaking all around. It surprised me I was very calm. It was like what happened at the Masters this year – the first three holes I was really nervous, I was shaking and then on Saturday everything went like ..phet.. finished. I was surprised. I told my dad, dad, I think I am too calm. I can’t feel anything. I was pretty calm at the Ryder Cup."
Golf improved over the last six months?
Garcia:
"I think so. It has been improving the whole year, but the Ryder Cup has helped me a lot. Since Ryder Cup I feel I know a little more about golf., when to go for it, and when to hit some shots, and how to handle the pressure."
Did feel nervous when winning?
Garcia:
"I was a little nervous at the IrishOpen. I was a little nervous at the PGA after I made birdie on 13 and Tiger doubled, I felt like I had a chance. I was kind of nervous. I could feel it with the putter but it didn’t matter. I was still hitting great putts so it wasn’t a big deal."
Do you know how much money you've earned?
Garcia:
"No. No. My manager has the account. I don’t really focus in there."
Buying things?
Garcia:
"Nothing yet. I haven’t had the chance to, but when I get to my house next week I will try to buy some furniture for my mum for the new house, and also I will try to buy her a car. Computer games? Probably, we will see. Bought yourself a car? No. Because I think my manager Jose is talking to some car companies."
