BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

September 7, 2021

Bernd Wiesberger

Wentworth Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. You've played most of the golf course, tell us how it's playing and what challenge it it's this week?

BERND WIESBERGER: Yeah, very different to last year. As far as I remember, it was quite soft. Played long. Roughs were still no good but were quite soft.

This year the course is a lot more fiery. It does play shorter but it's definitely a lot less control into the greens if you miss the fairways. Felt like some more of the traps are in play up the third where you get into the second trap now and 6 and also on 12.

So it plays quite different. They have narrowed some of the fairways and due to the weather we've had so far, it's quite fiery. So it's going to play a little bit different but obviously we are expecting some rain. So we'll see how it develops over the first couple tournament days.

Q. Obviously disappointment for you in Switzerland not to convert the opportunity to win but on social media you said there were lots of positives to take from the week. What are those positives and how do you reflect on a week like that?

BERND WIESBERGER: Yeah, I came from well off the pace on Sunday and had a really good day. I've done not much wrong. It probably looked a little bit silly what happened on the last but that's something that's happened and it's gone. But I felt like I had great control of my game and my pace and my putting and my emotions, so it was all good.

That's all I took after that whole week. You know, make a double-bogey on the third hole of the tournament, nobody cares on Sunday about it and the way it happened it was unfortunate but didn't take anything away from what was a good Sunday. I felt I played really decent golf tee-to-green last week, as well. It wasn't particularly a golf course that I played too much into my strength but I still felt like I was playing really good golf. Just didn't convert as much as the week before.

So everything is really good and I'm quite happy where I am with my game and I'm really looking forward to bringing some of that into this week as well.

Q. Trying to win the p BMW PGA Championship but also trying to get into The Ryder Cup Team. Can you explain how much you want to make the team? It must be a burning desire to make that team.

BERND WIESBERGER: Of course. There's very little opportunities for individual sportsmen to be part of a team and especially a team that has such deep routes in our game, especially for the European players, I would say. Come out here and the Wall of Champions here, all great Ryder Cup champions, so that would be an honour to be part of one of those teams, as well.

But that's thoughts that happen off the golf course and not too much on the golf course and really focus on what I can control, and that's playing as good a tournament as I possibly can. If I can take care of that, hopefully it's going to be good enough to be a part of Paddy's team in a couple weeks' time, and you know, nothing else other than that that I'm going to focus on.

Q. You are just behind Rory McIlroy in the table and he's not able to add to his tally this week, so you have the best opportunity of the chasing pack to make that team. Are you aware of the scenarios and what you need to do?

BERND WIESBERGER: No. It doesn't matter. It's 72 holes of golf and at the end of the day, I want to give every golf shot as much attention, as much focus and as much determination as I can and if I can do that over those four days of golf, regardless the outcome, we'll see what happens. I'm not starting to look at rankings or possibilities of what needs to be done this year.

It's lovely for you guys to have some in-between shots footage but I'm focusing on what I can control.

Q. 12 different countries have represented Europe in The Ryder Cup, you'd be the first Austrian to do. So how big a deal is The Ryder Cup in Austria?

BERND WIESBERGER: Increasingly so. You know, obviously we haven't had any player representing or being part of a European Team.

But the Austrian Federation together with actually two guys who wanted to have a bid for The Ryder Cup a couple years ago, it obviously went to Rome, tried to spike a little bit more of awareness of The Ryder Cup within the country, and with that, a lot of the people in Austria realise the importance of the event as well.

Obviously as players, we are well aware of it but I think it's getting the popularity it deserves within the golfing community in Austria as well. So with that bid a couple years ago a bid on a great golf course just south of Vienna, which I think will have the possibility to host it at some point down the stretch.

I would have loved to have seen the new shape it's taken, off and on fan that golf club will be a great venue for a Ryder Cup and great match-play course. With that, I think the Austrian community has seen a lot more awareness about The Ryder Cup and hopefully an Austrian player this year will bring even more.

Q. Wentworth in its splendour today. How much do you enjoy this tournament?

BERND WIESBERGER: It is our Flagship Event. It seems like we are coming here every year and getting something a little bit different. Last year was very soft. Played long. Cold weather. Seeing pictures of Tyrrell with the thermal hoodie on, pretty cold, and roasting and playing firm and fast, so a little different to what they present to us each year but nonetheless, I'd have to say it's probably the best condition I've ever seen it in. It's firm and fast. Golf ball wants to be on the fairway to be controlled into the green, so that's kind of exactly how the golf course should play.

Rewards good shots into the greens. So yeah, it's going to be a treat this week.

Q. What was it like playing without fans last year? What does it mean to have them back this time around?

BERND WIESBERGER: Yeah, I mean, obviously we're individual sports men playing for trophies but it's always nice to have support outside the Irish Opens or in the tournament. And I said last year, there's a couple of events where it really felt like it didn't feel the same way without the fans, and it was Augusta and this week. With the kind of tree-lined fairways here and you have very knowledgeable crowd out here in the south of England, it just doesn't feel the same. It's quite nice to actually have what I've heard full spectators back this week and hopefully we're getting some good weather, as well and getting the support and exposure that the tournament deserves.

Q. How important is it to the players, the knowledge of the crowd?

BERND WIESBERGER: It is, especially when you play tournaments in the U.K., this week, The Open, crowds are very knowledgeable. They know what a good golf shot is even though it's finished 30, 40 feet from the hole and they are very supportive. They are out there regardless, whether it's sunshine like today or the rain. We have always been very fortunate with the crowd here at Wentworth, especially.

Q. You've had two weeks to digest Switzerland. Obviously didn't quite go your way but a lot of positives for that week for you, especially in the final round.

BERND WIESBERGER: Yeah, as I said it wasn't like I was front-running the tournament. I was coming from quite a few shots behind and got myself right into the position I wanted to be ideally after nine, 12 holes. I hit really good shots. Even the last hole, it's not an easy tee shot. I just probably came up a couple of feet too far right off the tee and went to the bunker and what happened, happened.

But that's it sometimes. Got to take the positive with that as well and there was so much more positives from not only that day but from the week that I would like to take into this week and onwards. It was nice to be in the position to play for a tournament again. And you know, sometimes you need that one or two setbacks in order to ignite something good and I'm just really happy with the way that the game is trending.

So if I can continue doing that, I'm sure I'll have plenty more opportunities late on Sunday.

Q. Moving into the last counting week of The Ryder Cup, how would you feel about your position in the rankings?

BERND WIESBERGER: Yeah, I feel good. I am really looking forward to what is now the last week of qualification. Lots of guys in the vicinity of directly qualifying and trying to give Paddy a little extra incentive for if they are playing well.

But at the end of the day, I'm here to play for a BMW PGA Championship, 72-hole tournament and that's the main focus right now. That's what I want to be 100 per cent committed and dedicated to, and however it pans out at the end of the week or early next week, as long as I can do the best and enjoy this week, I'll see how it pans out for The Ryder Cup.

Q. Several players being just outside does that come with added pressure this week?

BERND WIESBERGER: You know, it's such a big event, and like I said, you could be well off the radar and fly up the rankings with a win here.

No, I don't feel extra pressure at all. I feel like I've come off two weeks which were very steady in Switzerland and Italy, as well, where I was striking the golf ball really well and it was maybe golf courses that there wasn't as much added value to that as much as it is here.

Here I feel you really need to strike the ball well to be in the fairway and get it into the fairways and have good spin control into the greens, and I thought I did that really well the last couple weeks. So on a golf course that demands it this week, I feel I'm really in a good place.

From here on out, I'm just going to be as determined but also as free going as possible into the week. Soak it all in and just enjoy the week. As I said, in front of fans again this week and on a great golf course. So hopefully the game is going to show up as well.

And yes, I would love to be part of The European Team, but it would be foolish to make it too big of an issue with seven days to go, you know. There's other things that I need to be aware about and focus on, and if I do my job well as I know I can in a great tournament and with a really strong field, I know I can be competitive in a week like this and if I take care of that, the rest takes care of itself.

But obviously would be a tremendous honour to be part of The Ryder Cup Team.