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OLYMPIC GAMES RIO 2016: GOLF

August 11, 2016

Marcus Fraser

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

GORDON SIMPSON: Welcome Marcus Fraser, who we can now say is an Olympian and leader in the clubhouse of the Olympic golf competition. I'm sure that has a very nice ring about it with a round of 63 today.
MARCUS FRASER: I think so. We said before walking here, at the moment, you've got the Olympic record. That's pretty cool. So hopefully that lasts all week.
Yeah, never thought of myself as an Olympian, that's for sure.
GORDON SIMPSON: What about your feelings when you went out this morning, because Graham DeLaet said he was incredibly nervous because it felt different. Did you feel nervous this week or this morning?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, that first tee shot, we're always at different points of our round, we're always a little bit nervous, but a little bit jumpy on the first tee because it was so different. Every week we play for ourselves at a normal tournament, but you know, firstly, we're playing for our country this week and then playing for ourselves. Maybe that's why I felt so different, it was a little bit more pressure on that first tee shot.
GORDON SIMPSON: Did you feel that kind of score was practice, having practiced here during this week?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, I think I felt like I did everything really well today and really deserved 8‑under. But that wind is pretty strong out there now and I think 8‑under this afternoon will be probably equivalent to 10‑ or 11‑under this morning.
But in saying that, we had probably seven or eight holes with that pretty strong breeze at the end there. I'm pretty happy to be sitting in here with 8‑under and let those boys go out there this afternoon and enjoy that wind.

Q. The finishing holes ‑‑
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, sure, I birdied 16 and 18, and 16 was playing down off the left and was actually a pretty good wind for me on that hole. I felt like I could almost get it on the green off the tee but just got it in a little collection area on the right and I managed to get up‑and‑down.
I hit a pretty ordinary second shot into 18, but it finished just underneath the big swale there on the right and managed to chip it up the slope to pretty close and managed to knock in a 3‑footer and signed for a 63.

Q. Talking to Pádraig, he says there's a great feeling in the locker room, and the people who decided not to play are missing out. Do you think that's the case?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, for sure, I think I was watching the World Rankings pretty much every day, and when they were updated every Monday back in Australia, to see at one point I was in the team, at one point I was out. But in saying that, with the locker room feel, it definitely has a completely different feel to it this week and something that's really special. It's something that I'll look back on later in life and really appreciate, and especially for my kids to be able to say that their dad went to the Olympics, is something that's pretty cool I think and a big part of I didn't really wanted to come this week is for them.

Q. Does the course remind you of the Sandbelt courses?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, for sure, the bunker lines, it's what the Sandbelt is, it's renowned for its bunkering. And obviously the strategy behind the Sandbelt golf courses, which this golf course feels like it's got a lot of strategy to it. They have got the variety to move tees around. They have got so many pins on the greens, and even though they are not huge greens, the greens are designed so well that every hole has its own strategy for different winds.

Q. Were you surprised at all, how you played?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, I mean, this is where I want to be. This is why I practice and this is what I want to do. I was struggling a little bit at the start of the week but luckily Finchie sorted out a few things for me and fixed up all the basics and got me straightened out. It was pretty ‑‑ it was just off and didn't feel quite right. It's always good to have that second set of eyes there and someone as experienced as Ian to be able to suggest a few things and try them, it made a big difference today and actually felt really comfortable on the golf course.

Q. Felt like I pretty special round, and then 13‑‑ after that‑‑
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, I think after the first six holes, to be honest. I birdied the first and then bogeyed the second and thought, oh, crap, there goes the good start. And then managed to birdie four holes in a row. That felt like with those conditions early today, I felt like you need to get off to a fast start and to really sort of set up the foundation for a good round. I was lucky enough that I did that because obviously it was pretty tricky late in the round and managed to make a few putts late in the round just due to being pretty patient and just not doing anything silly, just sort of keeping the ball in play and managing my round.

Q. Matt Kuchar was saying he secretly was hoping that a couple of the Americans would drop out so he would get in the field. What was your mind‑set?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, as I said before, I'm glad they decided not to come. You know, I really want to be here and I think it's exciting.
But at the same time, I've really got to respect the decision that those guys made not to be here. They know that it's a special event, but for other reasons, they decided not to, and I think you've really got to respect that for them. They have got young families and that kind of thing. There's a lot of things that need to be taken into account.

Q. Along that line, when did you know for sure you were in? Who pulled out for you? Who do you owe?
MARCUS FRASER: I think there's four guys I think, Adam, Jason, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones. As I said before, they have got young families. Family comes first.
You know, I'm just really embracing the fact that I'm actually here this week and enjoying it. But I think Matt at Akron said he wouldn't be going, so I knew when he said that at Akron, I knew I was a big chance to be going.

Q. What were you expecting today, crowd‑wise?
MARCUS FRASER: We weren't too sure to be honest. I'm not sure if they opened the gates or anything to spectators early in the week for practice rounds, but today seemed like there was quite a few people out there. It was a great atmosphere. A lot of Aussies out there cheering me on and yelling and screaming as they do. They sort of really pushed me along and kept me going today. It was nice. It was great to see a lot of people out there. Obviously golf's new to the Olympics but it's also very raw in Brazil, so hopefully we can grow the game this week in Brazil and really catapult it into one of their sports.

Q. On the first tee today, as an Olympic athlete, to the point where you tap into the 63, how would you compare this day to other great days in your career?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, I think this is probably one of the best rounds of golf I've ever played for sure. I think given the circumstances, I was quite edgy and a bit jumpy on the first tee, because it's such a big occasion to be here at the Olympics. To manage that and go on to play the way I did is really pleasing and a big confidence boosts.
As you said, tapping in on 18, looked like it was only a 3‑footer, a little two‑and‑a‑half‑footer, but when it went in, I looked down there, and grabbed my ball out of the hole is something I'll never forget, because it's pretty special to be able to shoot that score in the first round that golf's back in the Olympics, that's for sure.

Q. How about emotionally?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, I think the emotion on that first tee, I was a little bit jumpy and I think like everybody this week. But probably the best tee shot I hit all week was down the first hole. It was like, thank God that's out of the way. It was nice to be able to do that. It just felt‑‑ I felt really comfortable out on the golf course. It was a pretty surreal feeling. But I managed to do a pretty good job of keeping it in check, but yeah, it's something I'll never forget, this round, that's for sure.

Q. You mentioned the atmosphere. Have you interacted with players more than any other traditional Tour event?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, for sure. A lot of guys sort of tend to keep to themselves on a week‑to‑week basis out on Tour, and this week, it feels a little different, like I said, in the locker room, everyone has decided to be here and really happy to be here representing their countries. And that's exactly what we're doing, too. It's got a great feel to the locker room and got a real buzz about it.
GORDON SIMPSON: Is that an unusual feeling, as well, having a chaperone, a team captain, in Ian there, and Paul McGinley, a few others, Gary Player are here this week. Is that quite enjoyable, as well.
MARCUS FRASER: I think that adds a lot to the Olympics and golf being back in the Olympics. Having guys like Gary and Paul McGinley here; it's been great being able to talk to Ian all week about different things, the experiences that he had through his career and trying to pluck as much information out of him as I can to further my career, as well, because he's got so much knowledge. There's a wealth of knowledge there that any little bit that we can use to further our own careers is great. But just the stories of when he was playing on Tour, it's just been‑‑ for me, Ian was always an idol of mine growing up.
To be here playing for‑‑ he's obviously our captain this week, it's been pretty cool, that's for sure.

Q. How many times have you shot 63?
MARCUS FRASER: Not too often, that's for sure. I think probably no more than four or five. I spent a few on my home course at Kingswood in Melbourne. I think on Tour maybe half a dozen.

Q. Who else is here?
MARCUS FRASER: My wife is sitting three yards to your right. She spent about three days on a plane getting here. Archie and Lily, my two kids, Archie is seven years of age and Lily is five. We're just in the last sort of couple of months been taking them to the driving range and getting them keen on golf.
Yeah, I know they will be waking up in the morning in a state of shock to see that their old man at this stage is leading in the Olympics.

Q. When is the first time you ever heard the name George Lyon?
MARCUS FRASER: Today. About four seconds ago when you just said it.
GORDON SIMPSON: You never know, we might see a Fraser in 2036 after that. Well played today, a great score, a great round and best of luck tomorrow, thanks.

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