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ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT SCOTTISH OPENJuly 8, 2015Rickie FowlerGULLANE, SCOTLAND PAUL SYMES: Many thanks for joining us. How is Gullane compared to other links courses you've played? RICKIE FOWLER: I played it once, yesterday, and for me it's more straightforward tee-to-green just visually but still not one of the easiest. There's a lot of good driving holes out there. Even with it being visually straightforward, it's still very tough. Any bit of wind out there really can dictate how the golf course goes for the week. PAUL SYMES: Being here a bit later in the week; do you enjoy bringing your game to different courses? RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, I think it's something you expect when you come over. You really never know what you're going to get. You can have four different days of weather for the tournament, and that's part of the fun of it, seeing a different golf course every day. Kind of have to adapt and change as the days come. Q. Have you spoken to Rory -- RICKIE FOWLER: I mean, I didn't get to see it. I haven't spoken to him yet, but it is unfortunate. I'm on the same impression, that you have to live, you can't be too cautious. Yeah, it is unfortunate and hopefully he's back well soon. Q. Is that something you -- RICKIE FOWLER: For me, no. I didn't grow up playing football. Soccer is not as big of a sport in the US, but I grew up with my fair share of action sports. That's something that I don't do as much now but I don't stay away from completely. I still like to live and have a little bit of fun. Q. Inaudible. RICKIE FOWLER: Not necessarily. Yeah, Rory is the best player in the world, and he has been playing very well the past few years. He's the No. 1 player in the world for a reason. But that's just one guy that you're looking to beat. Everyone in the field really has a chance. You look at guys coming out and winning tournaments that are ranked 300, 400 in the world. Really, anyone that goes out there and plays well and has a great week has a chance to win. Rory just puts himself in that position more often. Yeah, like I said, it is unfortunate not to have him this week and possibly next week. He is a huge draw and he's a lot of fun to play with, and I had a great time playing against Phil at The Open last year. Just hope that he gets healthy soon. Q. Players coming over to familiarise themselves with the Old Course -- what do you make of that? RICKIE FOWLER: Not a bad idea. I can't say I've never done that. You know, with him being involved with EA SPORTSTM and the games that they have produced over the past few years, it is pretty crazy to see how realistic some stuff is and to be able to visually see where or how the golf course lays out. I know some of the 3D imagery and being able to get the overview of the hole, visually you might be able to see some stuff there that when you are standing there on a tee in the practise round, you might not be able to get a bird's eye view of what's going on. It's not a bad idea. Since he's not able to be over here earlier than Monday, being that he's playing the John Deere, I guess you have to do whatever you can to get a head start. I think that's probably one of the best things that he can do being in the US. Q. Bearing in mind that he won the first two majors, and almost a unique scenario with the possibility to make it three in a row -- RICKIE FOWLER: I believe that playing the week before or playing competitively leading up to a major is a good thing. You know, being in a different time zone is tough. But I have seen him go back-to-back wins playing in Australia last year and coming to win Tiger's event the week after. So if he's playing well, I don't think it really matters how big of a travel it is. I know he's certainly going with a want to honor some commitments that he had playing in the John Deere this year. So it's cool to see him do that and stick to his commitments. When he comes over here, he'll be just fine. If he's playing well, he'll be tough to beat. Q. Inaudible. RICKIE FOWLER: Well, I've never seen Augusta. That's the first way I saw Augusta was on a video game. So I had a basic overview of what was going on over there through that. I can't say I specifically went on there and played the golf course over and over to get an idea, but no, it is pretty crazy how realistic the video games are. Q. Do you think that's a fair assessment -- RICKIE FOWLER: I mean, I never looked at it that way. I know there's something to be said about momentum being built in a group when some guys are playing well, and sometimes the group gets going the wrong way. But it was never looked at that way. You look at Louis, Louis turned it around, got a good round of it Friday, and made the cut and ended up having a great finish on Sunday. No, I didn't play very well the first day. Tiger wasn't playing that well. But no, we all had a great time hanging out together out there. It was just unfortunate, got it going the wrong way and it was what it was. But no, never looked at it that way as far as any disadvantage. Q. (Inaudible.). RICKIE FOWLER: I mean, that's the first I've heard of it. When it is something that is prescribed by a doctor, I guess -- I don't know. It's just being aware and maybe double-checking on some stuff. But I mean, from the info that you're giving me as far as like him being tested and that not coming up, you're saying, I guess I'll have to get some more info. Sounds a little iffy there. Q. What do you like most about playing links golf? RICKIE FOWLER: Just the amount of spots that you get to hit, the amount of imagination you get to use. And like I talked about earlier with the weather how the golf course is play a little different every day and how make you can see four different courses throughout the week. You just have to be able to adapt to change. Q. Being back in Scotland -- RICKIE FOWLER: You know, I'm excited to be here. I love playing links golf. Played well here for the Scottish and the Open here last year, so hoping to grow off of that and it would be nice to get some good weather while we're here. We got in before the rain yesterday, which is nice, and managed to stay dry for the Pro-Am today. I love playing over here. I love links golf and great to be back in Scotland. Q. With the weather, can you actually enjoy -- RICKIE FOWLER: Well, I'm ready to play in anything. I've played well over here, good weather, bad weather, some of the worst weather I've played in, St. George's a few years back in The Open, and you've got to be ready for really anything and accept the challenge and try to make it as fun as possible. Everyone is out there dealing with the same thing. So the more fun you can make it, then you can take out most of the field that way. Guys are going to struggle and not really give a sideways glance -- and somehow if you can make it fun and get them beat. Q. How does it feel to be back playing a traditional links after Chambers Bay? RICKIE FOWLER: Like I talked about, this golf course is fairly straightforward. I got to see it for the first time yesterday and I felt like I had a good idea of what I needed to do in lines off the tee, but still not easy by any means. I really actually enjoyed Chambers as far as the layout and it was a fun golf course. You got to hit some different golf shots. But obviously I didn't play well. If I play well here, it will make the week a lot better here than it was at the Open. But that's the past and glad to be here and looking forward to the weekend. Q. Could I just get your reaction, please, to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf being moved from Donald Trump's course in Los Angeles? Do you think that's the right decision? RICKIE FOWLER: I had not heard about it yet. Where are they moving? Q. They haven't decided yet. They just said it was mutually agreed to move it from Los Angeles. RICKIE FOWLER: I'll have to find out where it's going and let you know if it's better. Q. Not quite the question I was asking really. Well avoided anyway, I'll try again. Do you think other organisations are likely to follow suit given what Mr. Trump said about Mexican immigrants? RICKIE FOWLER: I'm not too sure. It's not exactly my spot to comment in a way. If that's what they feel is best, then it is what it is. We go and play the best tournaments in the world, wherever they may be, we prepare to play there and go tee it up. But that's the Tour's decision to make and I feel like they do the best job for us to give us the best places to play. For the most part I'm get to go live my dream out here and play the PGA Tour. I'll have fun wherever we get to play. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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