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MASTERS TOURNAMENTApril 12, 2015Darren ClarkeAUGUSTA, GEORGIA Q. (No Microphone.) DARREN CLARKE: I hit some good ones and just a little bit ‑‑ I didn't play that bad yesterday, but I was a yard off here and there and I paid a pig penalty for it. But that's all it is. Q. Four birdies or five today? DARREN CLARKE: I don't know. Was it five? I had a lot of really, really good shots. My game's not bad, not that far off. But obviously disappointing yesterday to shoot the score that I did, it was just disappointing, the fact I was not playing as badly as my score suggests. But I've been coming here long enough to know that that's Augusta. Q. Ian said yesterday he thought there was a more relaxed approach to you. I know content is a long phrase, but he sensed a difference in your character. Is that the proper way to describe it? DARREN CLARKE: Yeah, probably everything, but certainly with the Ryder Cup, it has, obviously, got my attention, it will have more of my attention as the time draws near. But I spent a bit of time with Doctor Bob yesterday as well and just basically was out there trying to, not trying to, enjoying myself and wherever the ball would go, that was fine. So, invariably, in the past, whenever I played my own best golf it's when I haven't really cared about it. Which is very difficult for me to clear my mind. But when I do, I tend to enjoy it a little bit more. Certainly I've got other things maybe a little bit more important than my own golf. Don't get me wrong, I still want to compete, I still want to play, but the Ryder Cup is obviously at the forefront of it all. Q. (No Microphone.) DARREN CLARKE: Yeah, I'm very happy with the way I'm hitting the ball, I really am. I want to keep playing. Q. On this golf course do you ever feel that you can have it under control? DARREN CLARKE: I don't think anybody, I don't think anybody ever has this course under control. Greens are much firmer today. I think you're in for some interesting viewing this afternoon. The greens, they firmed them up massively. If the guys start missing the fairways, even in that first cut, they're going to really struggle to get to some of the pin positions. It's a different golf course today, totally. Q. What do you think of Tiger doing what he's done this week? DARREN CLARKE: He's been absolutely brilliant. I think both for the game of golf standpoint and being a mate of mine standpoint. I think that's been great. Tiger's made a, he's not made a career, but he's had a career where he's been questioned and doubted many, many times. There's a reason why he was the best player in the world for a very long time and it's great to see him coming back and playing. The game, the game, our professional sport is a better game for having a Tiger Woods playing well in it. I think you would all agree with that. Q. You're not surprised then? DARREN CLARKE: No, no, oh, no. He's that good. Q. Next week? DARREN CLARKE: I'm going tarpon fishing now for three days in the Boca Grande. That's where I'm going. I've been waiting for this for a long time. After that I'm going to Dubai on Sunday for the Icons Cup next week and then I come back home from that for four days and then I'm going to Vegas to watch the fight and then going to TPC. It's great. Q. Can you imagine Poulter not being on your team next year? DARREN CLARKE: I'm not going to comment on that sort of stuff. It's a far, far cry from that yet. But as I told you guys yesterday, I was delighted to see him play as well as he played yesterday and, you know, that was the best I've ever seen him play. He was very, very impressive yesterday. And it's great to see. The more guys that play well, the easier my perspective job becomes. Q. What do you think about the U.S. Open and what do you think about the national championship being played on a links course similar to what you're used to? DARREN CLARKE: Well Chambers Bay is going to be interesting, isn't it. I don't know that much about it yet. I don't know ‑‑ have any of the guys played it? Q. A few. Not that many. DARREN CLARKE: Okay. So, but, no, I heard good things about it. We'll see. I think it's great that the U.S. Opens are moving about to not just be the standard perceived U.S. Open golf course. Thick rough, hack it out, blah, blah, blah. But it's great to see them moving it around the country and giving us different options. Pinehurst last year was brilliant. So I think it's great. Q. The Scottish Open on your map this year? DARREN CLARKE: Yeah, I think so. My schedule is yet to be determined for the summer, but probably. Q. Justin will be one of your senior players when it comes to that team. DARREN CLARKE: Well, if Justin was to make the team, then most definitely he would be one of the senior figures. But there's lots of guys who have got massive experience, they have all played a lot before. The team that was in Gleneagles, I would imagine, I don't know, but there's always, there's always a few teams, but I would imagine looking at the team that was there, the majority of those guys I would expect to be very, very close to making the team again. So, experience is obviously key. Q.  Comments on Jordan Spieth? DARREN CLARKE: Yeah, I don't know what golf course he's playing, but Jordan‑‑ first and foremost, I played with him, he's a wonderful young kid. He's a really, really good kid. He's a "please" and "thank you," he's got it all. Obviously the golf that he's been playing, he's making Augusta look benign. And saying that, there's always, it always throws something at you, it did it yesterday with him on 17, but he made an unbelievable up‑and‑down on 18. And he certainly looks to have a ‑‑ he certainly seems, would appear to be a guy that learns a lot both from success and his mistakes. Q. Crenshaw said he was like Wyatt Earp, a bit of a gun slinger. There's a few of them like that. DARREN CLARKE: Yeah, no, I think the future of the American Ryder Cup team's very, very strong. You got a lot of young guys pushing forward, really, really good players. I think that the team may look a little bit different with some of that young guard, there might be a few fresh faces. We will see. But all in all, it's a long way off, but it will be a very exciting week. Q. Rory, you said before the start, that if it doesn't happen this time, it's going to happen in the future. DARREN CLARKE: Yeah. It will. You know, he's, he hasn't quite been on his game this week I don't think. I haven't seen an awful lot of it. But Rory's Rory. He can win anywhere, any time, any week. If it's not this year, I still believe it's, his game is perfect for here and he will win here. Q. (No Microphone.) DARREN CLARKE: No idea. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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