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ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPJanuary 18, 2015Gary StalABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES NICK TOTTEN: Welcome, Gary, Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Champion. Start off, just tell us how it feels. It was a crazy day out there. GARY STAL: Yeah, it's really crazy and very happy to win this tournament, and that's all. NICK TOTTEN: Obviously a lot of big players playing in this tournament, people like Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer. Martin had a big lead. How does it feel to beat players like that and to come back like you did and catch Martin? GARY STAL: It's unbelievable to win, because when I see the leaderboard and the 5th hole, I saw Martin Kaymer on 24‑under, and I say, it's not possible to win. But when I saw the leaderboard on the 16 green, I saw Martin Kaymer and 17‑under, so in my head, I say, it's possible, you can do it. NICK TOTTEN: And what did you think when you saw that and you saw it was possible, how did that make you feel? Were you sort of excited, nervous? GARY STAL: Yeah, very excited. Q. What were your expectations when you actually got here this morning? Was it for second place, or did you think you could catch Martin? GARY STAL: No, this morning, I think to the second place, I didn't think to the first place. So, that's all. Q. What were you when you saw his best position? What was your score at that stage? GARY STAL: When I saw that, I was at 13‑under, yeah. Q. For someone who has won his biggest tournament to date, you don't seem to be too excited. Is this your normal attitude towards life? Are you normally this relaxed and calm about everything, or is it just not sunk in as yet? GARY STAL: Yeah, in the life, I'm a little bit calm, so I was a lot of pressure on the last hole, but I keep calm. Q. Which was the toughest shot on the last hole? GARY STAL: I think the putt, the first putt is the most. Q. When you looked at the leaderboard after 16 holes and saw Martin was 17‑under, did you have a sense of disbelief? Did you think they had made a mistake? GARY STAL: It's unbelievable. I think Kaymer played 20‑, 21‑under, not 17 or 18 where he finished. It's the game. Q. I was going to ask you, growing up, who were your golfing idols? And as you've come on to The European Tour after your two wins on The Challenge Tour, who has been your biggest influence? GARY STAL: My favourite golfer when I was young was Tiger Woods, but now, too, it's Tiger Woods. I like Rory McIlroy, too, on The European Tour. Q. What about the big influence, now that you're on the Tour, who is the person that's been responsible for getting you here? GARY STAL: I think it's my decision. My dad and my mother, they made a good thing for to be a good golfer, and I just applicate my sport every day. Q. What are your feelings for what Martin went through, one competitor's feelings for another? GARY STAL: Obviously I feel for him, and if I was in his shoes, I would feel kind of in the dumps, if I can put it that way. But as a competitor, I'm very happy. So that's part of the game. Q. You know have virtually a three‑year exemption on The European Tour, a place in Bridgestone this summer. Is it going to change your life? GARY STAL: It's basically a step for my goals. It's going to allow me to practice differently. You know, it's one step at a time. Q. What is it about this new generation of French golfers? We had Victor winning last year, Alex winning twice and now you've won. GARY STAL: It's just one pulling the other, basically. One won, the other one wants to me, and now it's me. Hopefully it will be more after me or more for me. Q. You speak of your admiration for Rory McIlroy. Just wondering, how does it feel after four days to look up at the leaderboard and see your name above his? GARY STAL: So when I saw my name on the leaderboard, I started thinking, well, don't get excited, but I'm very happy obviously. It's an incredible feeling. Q. What was going through your mind when you started the day, and what were the thoughts that you were focusing on as the round kept progressing? GARY STAL: For the four days, my attitude has stayed the same. I've told myself at the beginning of the tournament that I wouldn't get upset, and it paid off. Because I thought if I could putt well, if I could play shot by shot, it would pay dividends. Therefore, I just kept the same way, the same attitude. Q. Can you give us an idea who you work with on your game, anybody in psychology, stuff like that? GARY STAL: So Jérôme Simian is my physio and he works on my preparation, my physical preparation and helps me, as well, when I have a problem. He has a tendency to be very close and calls a lot, etc., etc. Patrick Cooper (ph) helps on the mental side. Hubert Sauzet is my coach. Q. What did you feel playing the shot on 16, and having played it successfully, did that give you encouragement? GARY STAL: When I saw the leaderboard, obviously my heartbeat went up, but I tried to stay focused on the next shot. I said, you know, let me continue to play the same way. I just continued. Q. What was the next shot? GARY STAL: It was an 8‑iron on the par3, 15. I actually was past the hole quite a bit, so there must have been adrenaline. Q. Is that the next time you had seen a leaderboard after the fifth? GARY STAL: So when I was minus 18 on hole 12, I was looking at the score, and it's only on the 15th that I saw that Martin Kaymer was behind. Q. Can you give us some of the details of the birdies that you have made today, clubs and length of the putts? GARY STAL: On the 4th hole, I had a putt of 10 metres, 30 yards, and that's basically when things got started. On 11 I hit my drive in the bunker on the right and hit the shot next to the pin and made the putt. That was clutch. Q. What was the yardage and what club from the bunker? GARY STAL: Wedge. On 16 was definitely clutch. It was a long putt about seven metres, 21 yards, and the ball actually dived into the hole. It was like, boom, it went in. That was very important. Q. When you were walking off the 18th green, you seemed very emotional. What was going through your head at that point? GARY STAL: I thought about all the people that were looking at me. I thought about my mother that died in May while I was playing Wentworth. She passed away while I was playing, and I thought about her a lot, obviously. Q. What was her name? GARY STAL: Christine. NICK TOTTEN: Thanks very much, Gary. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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