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THE RYDER CUP

September 23, 2014

Jamie Donaldson

AUCHTERARDER, SCOTLAND

STEVE TODD: We're joined by Jamie Donaldson. Warm welcome, Jamie, to your first Ryder Cup. I'm sure the qualification process seems like a long time ago when you were up there from the very start, but how does it feel to finally be here at Gleneagles?

JAMIE DONALDSON: It's great to be here. It's great to be back at Gleneagles. I always enjoyed playing here in the Johnnie Walker, and it's great to be back up here again. It did take a long time to get in the team. You know, it's amazing how long it takes and how difficult it is to get in. It took me the event before the last one, qualification event, to get in the team, and I felt as though I played really well in that season. So it's difficult to get in. I'm very happy to be here and looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead.

STEVE TODD: Having sealed the qualification, how much confidence did you take from coming in with three consecutive Top-10 finishes?

JAMIE DONALDSON: Yeah, the game's been good of late. It had to be good at the end there. I played well in America. I didn't quite do enough, so to then go to the Czech Open knowing I had to get on the team and I didn't want to leave it to the last event if I could help it, and obviously it was a great week to secure the place.

Q. As you've alluded to, it's been a long, hard road. Wonder what it felt like for you in the team environment? Is it all you expected? You had dinner with Paul at Celtic Manor on Wednesday, and last night; what's the behind the scenes been like for you?
JAMIE DONALDSON: It's been great. The lads are all very relaxed. There's a lot of camaraderie between the guys. It's good fun. It's a lot of banter. I played table tennis last night with Thomas BjÃ¶rn, who had a jumper on and I had a tee shirt on and I was dripping with sweat and he didn't have any sweat on him at all, and he battered me 3-nil. He was winding me up all morning, and I'll be looking to playing him tonight. So it's very relaxed in there, and it's a great environment. It will be nice to get on the golf course today.

Q. It's 12 years since a Welshman competed in The Ryder Cup, Phil Price. Did you have a chat with him maybe at the Welsh Open about it? Did he share his experiences with you?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Yeah, I chatted to Phil last week briefly. He said just to go out and enjoy yourself and that it takes a while for the golf to get going, and then it goes very quickly. Enjoy your time here and go out there and give 'em hell. It was a brief chat. But, yeah, he said mainly just go out and enjoy yourself and have fun.

Q. What's most surprised you so far, arriving at your first Ryder Cup? Has anything particularly hit you and what's the best bit of free kit you've got so far?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Walking into the media room, it's pretty massive, isn't it? It's all pretty incredible. Yesterday I arrived at 2 o'clock. I was more just looking at all the wardrobe, the clothing we've got to wear in the room there, and today I'll be seeing the golf course, seeing what's going on. But the whole occasion is just huge and everything is bigger and better, isn't it, here. Yeah, it's quite amazing.

Q. How many things did you have laid out in your room yesterday when you arrived?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Pretty much everything. You know, you've got a clothes rail just full of every outfit that we're going to wear all week, all laid out perfectly. It's a case of just trying everything on, making sure everything fits and off we go. But yeah, everything that we need this week is there in front of you.

Q. Just on top of what you've just been discussing there, do you have to take steps or measured to make sure you don't get swallowed up by the whole event?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Yeah, I suppose you've got to conserve energy as much as you can and not get too involved or drifting away, but at the same time enjoy the experience. The most important thing I think is saving energy and not overdoing anything and not playing too much table tennis. So, yeah, it's just a case of enjoying all the surroundings, getting used to the environment and getting ready for Friday.

Q. When you look at the clothes laid out on the bed and everywhere, do you ever think, crikey, I can't possibly wear that.
JAMIE DONALDSON: Not really. All the outfits have been -- they all look great, to be fair. Everything's looked really, you know, very much suitable for the occasion. Whoever's designed all the outfits have done a very good job.

Q. And the checked jacket was you, was it?
JAMIE DONALDSON: I liked it. Some of the guys I think maybe didn't, but it was -- it's all good. It's quite out there, isn't it. But the outfit I think came quite well together, so it did the job perfectly.

Q. I know that you'll know everybody in the European locker room, but is there a sense that you almost gravitate towards your fellow rookies in the room, given that this is all just something new for you and for the likes of Stephen Gallacher?
JAMIE DONALDSON: No, I think everybody's pretty much mixed in quite well, really. We've not really, the three of us, been sat in a corner chatting sort of thing. Everybody's mixed in together irrespective of who the rookies are and who aren't the rookies. Everybody's gelled and bonded pretty well because everybody gets on well, anyway. So there's nobody that really doesn't get on with another member of the team in the room, so it's perfect for a team environment.

Q. Inevitably, in a group of 12 people, you'll get different types of personalities. Can you run us through a little bit of who will be the noisy ones and who will be the quiet, reserved ones, how it works, that mix.
JAMIE DONALDSON: Yeah, obviously there's some guys louder than others. Obviously Poults will sit away in a corner and read a book quietly (laughter). There's some bigger personalities. There are some guys that are pretty quiet, some guys are that noisy. But we've only been here one night, so it's been pretty quiet. I'm sure as the week goes on, guys will get more revved up and louder. But at the moment, it's pretty quiet. I think there's only been a couple of games of table tennis so far, and that will be good banter and chat of an evening. At the moment, it's pretty cool. Nobody's done anything crazy, but I'm sure that will happen as the week goes on.

Q. If Thomas BjÃ¶rn beat you 3-love, have you got a rematch, and is he the best table tennis player in the team?
JAMIE DONALDSON: No, he's not apparently.

Q. Who is?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Well, talking to Sergio, he was going, "Who? Thomas? Beat you 3-nil?" So obviously he's pretty -- but I'll be trying to get my revenge this evening, have to change my strategy on the table tennis. It's all good fun. Apparently Sergio is very good. There's a few good players. Apparently Peter Hanson was very good, but he's not here, so I can't get pummeled off him, as well. So see if I can get one back tonight.

Q. What are the other games that they have for you to amuse yourself?
JAMIE DONALDSON: At the moment just table tennis. That's it at the moment. That's all you need, I think. It's amazing how you have a team of golfers, and I've never played with a golfer yet who is not very good at table tennis. You can play pool and some people are literally useless, but everybody seems to play table tennis pretty well, which is quite mad.

Q. Were you at Celtic Manor? Have you been to a Ryder Cup before?
JAMIE DONALDSON: No, I've only seen them on TV.

Q. Is it surreal to be in these shoes at the moment?
JAMIE DONALDSON: I don't know if it's not quite sunk in, but I think because things have taken so long for me to get to this position, everything seems to slip more into my stride than maybe if I was 25, as opposed to 38. I don't get so wowed that I might have done if I was younger, sort of thing. It's just, you know, all the surroundings change, but the game still stays the same. So all I try and think about is my game and what I'm trying to do and where I want to hit the ball, and what line I want to hit the putt on, just like I would do every other week. It's just the whole surroundings change for each tournament.

Q. And how many people have you had to say no to for tickets?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Do you know what, not that many. I think people have been -- I've got no mates (laughter). People have been scared of asking, I think, because you get in The Ryder Cup team, and everyone's like, well, we're never getting tickets off him. We'd better not ask him because he's not got that many. Not that many people have asked me. I don't think I have quite filled my free allocation, but don't tell anyone that. Yeah, I've given out most of my tickets now but not all of them.

STEVE TODD: Expect a few phone calls now, I think.

Q. Has there been a bit of banter about you and Stephen Gallacher? You seem to get on great?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Yeah, we do get on great. Steve is a great one. He's just that year older, which is perfect for banter. Obviously we wind up on 5Live. It's just a bit of Mickey taking, isn't it. He's just that year older, which is perfect. Yeah, I get on great with Stephen. We've played together now for quite a long time in different tournaments and stuff. We played in the Czech Open and got on well. Like I say, I've known him for quite a while. He's good fun and we get on great.

Q. Wonder if you've had any sort of messages from back home, and if you do win, are you going to do a Gareth Bale with the Welsh flag on your neck?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Yeah, definitely have a Welsh flag on my neck. Yeah, I've had a lot of support from family and friends all over, so I've had a lot of texts and messages on Twitter, etc., which has been great. The more, the merrier.

Q. What's the most nervous you've ever been on a golf course and how do you expect that to compare to Friday?
JAMIE DONALDSON: The most nervous -- it's usually first tee nerves. After first tee nerves, you're not too bad. I've been nervous first tee in the Irish Open when I was leading. Hit good shots straight in the middle. I think the first Open I played in, I wasn't playing great and I was on the first tee and was a bit nervous then. I think I blacked out at the top of my backswing and then hit it straight in the middle of the fairway. As much sometimes as nervous as I've been on a golf course on the first tee, I've hit a really good shot. So I'm hoping that's very much the same this week.

Q. How difficult is it to try and calm yourself down? What techniques could you employ?
JAMIE DONALDSON: Sometimes you can't. You just have to go through your routine like you normally do and do everything like you normally do and trust your ability to hit the shot. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. You just have to go through your routine like you normally do and do everything exactly the same and just pull the trigger.

STEVE TODD: Thanks for joining us. Good luck this week
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