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CROWNE PLAZA INVITATIONAL AT COLONIALMay 19, 2015Jimmy WalkerFORT WORTH, TEXAS THE MODERATOR: All right. Jimmy Walker, thanks for joining us for a few minutes here at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, making your third start in the event this week, coming off tied for tenth here last year and certainly off to a great start again in 2015. Well, we're not off to a start much anymore, but you've won once in Texas, two wins on TOUR this year. Just some thoughts on being back here at Colonial. JIMMY WALKER: It's good to be back. I was really surprised actually how dry the golf course was. We got on it yesterday and today, and I know how much rain we've been getting in the area, and the golf course has drained unbelievably well. It's in great shape, lots of rough, which you'd expect from all the rain. I'm excited to be back. I played last year, and I've always kind of been hurt, struggling, something was going on that didn't ever allow me to play here. But I was happy to play last year and love the golf course and happy to be back. THE MODERATOR: And you're part of a unique thing this year, the Crowne Plaza Always On Charity Challenge. If you could talk a little bit about your involvement with that and what that's about being part of that this week. JIMMY WALKER: It's a cool deal. I've gotten to ‑‑ as I've learned over the last year and a half, two years, you know, the better you play, there's more opportunity for you to help, it sure seems like. And this week I think 90,000 gets raised for local charity. We've got a little bonus pool. I think there's nine players and then Crowne Plaza chips in I think 10 to a charity of our choice. So definitely that's dear to my heart. Really pushing First Tee in San Antonio and South Texas Junior Golf through the PGA. So that's kind of why I'm doing it. THE MODERATOR: Okay. With that we'll open it up and take a few questions. Q. Jimmy, can you go into more detail on how this course fits you and how much, you know, last year obviously you played the best you've played so far? JIMMY WALKER: Yeah. It's got a very classic look to it. Kind of tree lined, and it reminds me of a course that I play kind of at home a little bit. Oak Hills in San Antonio. Reminds me of a course I played kind of in college in Waco at Ridgewood Country Club. So it's got kind of that hold feel to it. Not this giant, expansive golf course that spreads out over, you know, seems like thousands and thousands of acres. So it's cool. It's all right here. I think it's a great tournament to watch for the fans because of how close everything is together. You can sit in one spot, see a bunch of golf holes. There's certain spots on the golf course where you can do that. I think that makes for a great atmosphere, and it certainly makes for a great atmosphere on the weekend when you get everybody kind of bunched in there together. Q. Jimmy, I was wondering, when you get to the first tee, how many times you look at the wall of champions, and do you remember the first time you saw it and what it means, I guess? JIMMY WALKER: Yeah, I do. It's there every time you tee off on 1, and it's similar to what‑‑ I know they've had this here for a long time, but it was kind of like that in San Antonio at the JW since they've made the new hotel and we walk out of the locker room and you walk down to where you eat and they've got the wall of champions there, and to sit there and see that and look at all the names that are on there and the people that have won it. And the same here. They've played U.S. Opens on this golf course, and the people that have won this tournament and other tournaments that have been played here, it would be an honor to get your name up on the wall with the rest of those guys. Q. Jimmy, you talked a little bit about how happy you were to see how well the course had drained so far, still firm and fast. Probably is not going to be in the equation this week. Do you adjust your mindset knowing you're going to have softer greens, and could we see like, you know, some record scores this week? JIMMY WALKER: I really don't see the greens being that soft. When the ball hits, it just kind of bruises the green right now. It's not taking these giant chunks out of the green like you might expect with thin grass there. There's a nice bruise and the ball is hitting and releasing, and it's not spinning back by any means. The fairway grass is‑‑ the grain in the grass kind of moves all over the place. So it's difficult to get a very clean, crisp strike on the ball, as opposed to sitting up on a Zoysia grass or a nice down‑grain patch of Bermuda. And it's tough. Solid ball contact this week is a plus, so I think that's going to keep spin off the balls a little bit. And like I said, I have not had a mud ball. I played nine yesterday, nine today. No mud balls. And the golf course is‑‑ I think it's in great shape. The greens are beautiful. There's absolutely no grain on the greens. It's a very true read. Balls are rolling good. Q. How great the technology is for you guys in terms of the ball itself and the clubs? Is it too good? Is there such a thing as the technology being too good for you guys in terms of being able to hit off the tee or even putting? JIMMY WALKER: I don't think so. Putting is putting. I mean no technology is going to change that. And as far as hitting a golf ball, I think they've actually‑‑ I think they've almost‑‑ technology has gotten so good, they've made everything, the golf ball go straighter and straighter and straighter and it's hard to work a golf ball anymore. Guys that enjoy doing that, I think find it harder to move the golf ball. I don't think technology has changed really anything, honestly. I mean, yeah, you can hit it further. The golf course design is kind of‑‑ they've tried to move bunkers further out. You know, scoring averages haven't changed. The top scoring averages haven't changed, I don't think. You guys can correct me, but I think the scoring averages have been the same. Nobody's averaging 66. You know, somebody may crack 69 for the year. But they've been doing that for a long time. I just think‑‑ I think it's still harder than ever to play golf, and what really shows you what scores do is it's all about weather and how you play the golf course, because if you get these guys out here soft greens that roll good, it's going to get lit up pretty good. If you have firm greens, tight fairways, good rough, it's all about firm greens, because if you can't control the ball, then that's where the scores start to run up. So that's the big deal. I mean whether you can do that is the tournament, is the golf course, is Mother Nature going to allow you to do that kind of thing. I think that's the difference. So I don't think technology can keep up with that if you have those conditions. THE MODERATOR: Anybody else? All right, Jimmy, as always, we appreciate your time. JIMMY WALKER: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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