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PGA TOUR MEDIA CONFERENCE
June 27, 2007
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this week's PGA TOUR teleconference. My name is Joel Schuchmann, I'm a communications manager for the PGA TOUR.
Our guest today is the recently crowned U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera who recently captured the U.S. Open in dramatic fashion earlier this month at Oakmont Country Club. He will be translated today by his manager Manuel.
Angel, buenos días. If you could start with opening comments about the last two weeks, winning the U.S. Open, and then we'll open it up to questions from our people on the line.
ANGEL CABRERA: Well, taking a little break and trying to enjoy just a great victory here in Argentina.
Q. I wonder if you could run us through what you've done over the last two weeks, how you've celebrated, and what are some of the most interesting things that have happened to you since you won the Open?
ANGEL CABRERA: Well, definitely the most nice thing here since I came was to be with my family and take a rest, enjoy it with my two sons and wife, and knowing that I have this big trophy here next to me, which is very, very -- it's a lot of joy to have it here with me.
Also that -- well, here all the people here where I live, we're so happy about it, and that was very nice, as well.
Q. Follow-up is what is your upcoming schedule?
ANGEL CABRERA: We are flying on Sunday to the K Club in Ireland. I'm going to play the Smurfit European Open and then the Scottish Open in Loch Lomond and then the British Open, and then a week off, and then the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio, then the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Then a week off and the playoff for the FedExCup.
Q. I wanted to ask you about your relationship with Eduardo Romero, and specifically how you became such good friends, how he's supported you over the course of your career, and also what your contact has been with him since you've won the U.S. Open.
ANGEL CABRERA: Well, it has been a great relationship for a long time, and we've been traveling around Europe for ten years on the European Tour together. While I haven't had a chance to see him, but he has called me, and it just happens that we haven't had the time to be together. But he's definitely happy about it, and I'm going to see him wherever the schedule allow it.
Q. I was curious, do you guys follow each other's careers very closely when you're not together?
ANGEL CABRERA: Yes, we are so close, and we're very good friend, so we are both very interested in each other's career. So I'm always looking forward for him having a win in the Senior Tour, and I would assume that he's always following on mine, as well.
Q. I also wanted to ask you about Eduardo Romero, and can you describe what advice he might have had for you before the U.S. Open when you last -- when you and he talked last before the Open?
ANGEL CABRERA: Unfortunately we haven't seen each other for a long time because he's been playing on the Senior Tour, so I wasn't able to catch up with him. So I don't know, I didn't get any chance to talk to him so that he could give me advice for the U.S. Open.
Q. And my follow-up would be, what advice would you have for him because he has his U.S. Open next week? What advice would you give to him, and what would that mean to Argentina if he won the U.S. Open?
ANGEL CABRERA: Well, there's not much I can tell Eduardo because he's a great player and he's had a lot of experience. It would be great if he won the U.S. Senior Open because that would mean that we would have another big trophy here in Villa Allende, in our hometown.
Q. I wondered what you thought about going back to Carnoustie. I know you played well in the last Open there. Any recollections of the venue then, what you'd like to see it set up like this time?
ANGEL CABRERA: I see myself with a lot chances in Carnoustie because I like very much playing in Europe, links type of courses, and I've played there. I know the course, I've played there very often, so I see myself with lots of chances.
Q. As a follow-up, you obviously played well on possibly the most difficult U.S. Open venue, and it was a links style course. Do you think that Carnoustie sets up well for you, and are you just a better golfer on very difficult courses?
ANGEL CABRERA: I cannot really tell exactly, but it just happens that I have had very good results in very difficult courses, so I don't know if difficult courses adapt to my game or myself getting adapted to the condition that are difficult.
I don't know what's going on there, but it just happens to be like that. Well, looking forward to Carnoustie if it's going to be like that.
Q. The next major in the United States is the PGA at Southern Hills in Tulsa. In 2001 at the U.S. Open there, you had a Top 10 finish. I wonder if you think that's a course that suits your game, and do you like your chances of winning two majors in the States in one year?
ANGEL CABRERA: Well, I strongly believe that I have chances there in Southern Hills because I played well, and it's a course that I like. So I cannot tell you if I'm going to win, but certainly, yes, I firmly believe that I have chances there, as well.
Q. As a follow-up, can you just give me an opinion of the golf course and if there is anything about the golf course that suits your game?
ANGEL CABRERA: Well, it's a course that when it play tough, you have to place the ball from the tee very well. You have to do that in Southern Hills. So this is something that I do well, and I believe that if this is the case, I have chances.
Q. I'd just like to ask you about next week's European Open at The K Club. It's a tournament where you've done very well in the past with Top 10 finishes, whether you think you can now convert that to a victory, and what you think of the course.
ANGEL CABRERA: The K Club, I know it very well. It's a course that I know, I've played for a long time and I like it. So I'm going to be traveling there to Europe with a lot of enthusiasm and looking forward to playing very well over there.
Q. What do you think about the course in particular, what your favorite parts of it are and about Irish crowds in general, the reception you receive there?
ANGEL CABRERA: Well, I like the golf course very much because it has these South American type with a lot of trees and good greens. That's definitely one of the reasons why I like it very much.
Looking forward also to getting in touch with the Irish crowd because they are joyful, they are cheerful, and I always have a good time there.
Q. I was wondering, when you thought about the four major championships, usually played on four fairly different venues, which one of the four majors did you think you would break through first on for your first major win?
ANGEL CABRERA: Well, I never knew where and when I was going to win my first major, but it just happens that I've always thought that I would rather win the British Open first because the British Open, it's always played in difficult courses and on courses that I have played for so long in Europe in my career.
I know these courses very well, and I thought probably the British Open was going to be the one.
Q. Most casual golf fans, if they've heard your name before in a major championship, it would be from the many times you competed well at The Masters. I think two or three times you've either been in the lead or a shot out of the lead in the Masters, and I wonder if that gave you confidence at a big stage like Augusta, that you were able to take that on to Oakmont?
ANGEL CABRERA: I've played very well in majors like Augusta and all other majors that I've played on very difficult courses because I consider Augusta a very difficult course, and it tempers your spirit and gives you -- playing well there give you a lot of experience and confidence to watch the majors that are coming. Well, that's what happens.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: We appreciate, Angel, your time today, as well as you, Manuel, and all the media today, thank you for your time, and we'll see you at the next teleconference.
End of FastScripts
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