MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2021

Ian Woosnam

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you assess the round today, particularly physically?

IAN WOOSNAM: Whoa, man. I don't know. You know, I've pulled a muscle because I've tried to hit the ball a bit further. I've strained my right groin, and it was such a --

Q. When you did do it?

IAN WOOSNAM: I did it the other day. I've been here over the weekend, just trying to hit it further. It is a hard walk, and I've just pulled a muscle in the groin and the back. The back is good, but --

Q. Are you wondering whether you can continue?

IAN WOOSNAM: Yeah, I am.

Q. Sorry.

IAN WOOSNAM: Yeah, I was thinking of coming in after 11. I was scoring quite well, you know.

Q. When did it start bothering you today?

IAN WOOSNAM: Oh, straight -- it had been bothering me all day yesterday from the first shot really, and it just got worse.

Q. Are you going to try and get some therapy?

IAN WOOSNAM: Yeah, and it's in a place where it's not going to go away like that. I've tore a muscle or something.

Q. What do you think the odds are that you'll continue?

IAN WOOSNAM: Well, being that I'm stupid, I'll most probably play, get out there, and if it is unplayable, I'll just have to come in.

Q. How big of an accomplishment is it to shoot 76 with the way you're feeling?

IAN WOOSNAM: Wow, I'm playing on one leg really, so yeah. Plus I haven't had a scorecard in my hand for 18 months, so I was pretty damned pleased really.

Q. When is the last time you played?

IAN WOOSNAM: 18 months ago.

Q. What tournament?

IAN WOOSNAM: A seniors tournament in the UK. But I've been practicing on my SkyTrack at home and everything trying to get myself ready for that. Yeah, plain looking forward to it, and all of a sudden it's the same old thing. After the back operation I feel pretty good and then I get to this place and it just tears me apart.

Q. When did you have the back operation?

IAN WOOSNAM: 14 months ago.

Q. And that was for what, a disc?

IAN WOOSNAM: L3 and L4, yeah.

Q. You felt like you've recovered pretty well?

IAN WOOSNAM: Yeah, when I don't play golf I'm fantastic. On a pretty flat course, I'm pretty good, but as soon as you get on this course, you're on different slopes and everything, you're twisting your hips all different ways, you're hitting off up slopes, downslopes.

Q. It's a little different than links.

IAN WOOSNAM: It sure is. You've got to be physically fit for this golf course.

Q. Were you thinking how many Masters you might be playing or would you like to keep playing as long as possible?

IAN WOOSNAM: Yeah, well, I was hopefully -- with this being my 30th year I definitely wanted to make this. I wanted to definitely play this year and see how I went and see how I feel tomorrow. I keep saying it --

Q. We love seeing you out here?

IAN WOOSNAM: I know, and I just feel like I can still play good enough, but I just can't get my body good enough to play it.

Q. You mentioned that you're kind of stubborn when it comes to pulling out of tournaments. Do you remember when the last time you WD'd from an event was?

IAN WOOSNAM: Oh, I don't know. I can't remember. It was probably signing a wrong score or something. No, no, I've suffered with a bad -- I have ankylosing spondylitis, which is another form of arthritis of your back. It's done well to play golf at all really over the years, and it shows up on this sort of terrain really.

Q. How did you find the golf course? People talk about it being really fast and firm.

IAN WOOSNAM: Wow. I didn't play yesterday. I just did some chipping and putting and hit a few balls, and I went on that first green, and I thought, what's happened here? It was just like -- it looked like glass. If it dries out this afternoon, it wouldn't surprise me to see them have to put some water on the greens.

Q. I can't remember the conditions in '91 --

IAN WOOSNAM: It might have been a bit softer, I think.

Q. All these 30 years, is this course as fast as ever?

IAN WOOSNAM: I think so, yeah. This is about as fast as I've seen it.