SLYNC.IO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 27, 2022

Andrea Pavan

Emirates Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How pleasing, obviously played well last week, but to come out again this week and keep it going? How pleasing is that for you at the moment?

ANDREA PAVAN: Oh, it's definitely very pleasing. I mean, again, last week was a new golf course we had not played, so maybe it helped. But I felt like I was in control with my driver, in control enough in those winds. So that's something that was very positive, and then this week, the golf course has possibly a little less of on a few holes, a penal miss, but the targets are really small. And so you have to drive it well. And if you drive it well, you are on the fairway and you are going for the pins, like in the afternoon, it's not playing that long, and so I managed to do that on and off on enough holes, and occasionally I missed a few but I felt like I missed some in the right spots and then played solid.

Q. We spoke to you in The Scottish Open last summer, you were still trying to turn the corner. What's been the difference? When did you start to feel it all coming back?

ANDREA PAVAN: Yeah, that was -- I mean, it's tough to say. I feel like towards the end of the year, even in Valderrama, I felt like I played okay off the tee. Obviously my scores were bad. My iron game wasn't good at all but I was coming in, end of the season, a lot of baggage, a lot of stuff going in my head. It's just tough. I took time off, not time off the game but just time at home. I felt like I was narrowing down on what was going on. My coach saw me play at The Scottish Open and then again at The Italian Open, and you could see, it was fairly clear what was going on and then managed to work and improve what needed to be done, and during the season, it's harder to do.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect to play this well at Abu Dhabi or out here but I'm very pleased for how I'm handling the situation and how I've handled the last two years. You know, I'm just going to try to keep going. It's a process, but again, I'm pleased for how I played out here today and last week, and I feel like I'm in a better spot than, you know two, weeks ago or last week.

Q. In a nutshell, what was going on? How do you explain, in simple terms?

ANDREA PAVAN: I was getting ahead of the swing. Just sliding ahead. The club was stuck behind me and I just didn't have time to square it. And then, you know, like you start losing it right, and the courses we play are tough and then just get in -- obviously I was coming from two good years. In the new year, there's up-and-downs. Everyone has good weeks and bad weeks. I just, I don't know, I wish I could know exactly.

Q. Usually starts with a technical thing, doesn't it.

ANDREA PAVAN: Yeah, it's never been my strength, driving. And to be honest, I haven't played well on this golf course, ever, because it's a tough driving golf course. And I feel like this week, I played -- like today, and even practice rounds, I played a lot better than I have in the past. So my coach has always told me that, you know, when we get through this, you'll actually be better. You'll know what's going on.

I'm not sure we're through it or whatever but I'm definitely understanding more my own game. So I'm just going to try to play day-by-day and shot-by-shot, and see where that takes me.

Q. Did you always have a feeling that you could get it back or was there a point you thought, maybe this will turn? Does it get like that?

ANDREA PAVAN: Obviously, yeah, it's tough. There were moments I didn't know, but then you know, I just accepted it. I mean, it was a good time. I'm a religious person. Back home, I have a good community with my church, and there was just a lot of good time, and I felt like I kind of matured through all this. Just like I did when I lost my card and played -- struggled on The Challenge Tour. But this time around, my coach was saying, look, last time, you never really made it on The European Tour. I mean, you've made it but you don't know if you have what it takes to win. You've won twice, so you know it's new. Obviously this game, you never know. But you know you can do it, so you know, he was just trying to help me and he helped me a lot.

Q. You were good enough to win.

ANDREA PAVAN: Yeah, but then again, you can see it either way. Like there was a lot of guys go through it and get through it, and there's guys who don't, and I felt like I was lucky, look, in the end, this happened when I am not during COVID and then, you know, I lose my card and I get my game back. So lucky. I don't really believe in luck but I feel blessed.

Through it all, I can still play out here and have a chance this year to compete and turn my game around. Obviously I played five rounds this year, but the good thing, it's out there. Even in practice rounds, it's just different. I'm not going to say I'm feel like I'm not going to miss it or whatever because it starts with you getting your game back, and then slowly getting that fear and that anxiety away as you perform under pressure, and then it's just slow turning that corner. So it's a step, but pleased.

Again, you know, today I hit some great drivers and I knew I was going through a good round, and so yeah, just trying to build on it.

Q. Is it nice waking up feeling excited again?

ANDREA PAVAN: Yeah, I feel -- obviously there was yeah, I'm excited. But at the same time, you know, I don't know what tomorrow is going to be in a way, like I'm just -- it's just like it's good to play. Like I told my caddie, back home, I was having some really good days, and some days were really bad. Like it was just very up-and-down. And then last week, I told -- you know, we had a good first round and then you know, I have struggled to kind of keep it up, day after day. So last week, I felt like it was better and so you know, I'm just trying to build on it. That's all it is.

Q. Starting off the week with a 5-under 67, you must be mighty pleased with that?

ANDREA PAVAN: Yes, definitely. Anything under par is good for me out here, so I think very good.

Q. A lot has been talked about the greens this week. Obviously brand new greens here at Dubai Desert Classic. Tell us how they are rolling and how the ball is reacting to them.

ANDREA PAVAN: I mean, they are new. They did change them, from what I understand, they brought them back to what -- the shape that they used to be, a little bigger, and a few more pin positions. Condition-wise, they are okay. They have done a good job considering they are new. They just need to settle in. A few areas are firmer than others but in the afternoon they felt pretty consistent being firm pretty much everywhere.

Q. We spoke last week about the resurgence in form in Abu Dhabi. How impressive are you -- by your own way that you come into this week with the same sort of form that you left Abu Dhabi with?

ANDREA PAVAN: Yeah, I left Abu Dhabi with not a great Sunday score-wise but I felt like my long game was good enough, and I just made a few silly mistakes and come in here, it's not a golf course a played well in the past. My expectations, obviously, were slightly higher compared to last week. Just because I feel like my game is getting better and yeah, I played -- I played a few good practice rounds and today, again, it was a good driving day for me. The fairways are small and feel like I hit enough, give myself enough chances, and when I missed, I was okay most of the time and I wasn't missing by much. So for me, that's very reassuring.

Q. You just mentioned that you haven't played well around this course in the past. Does that give you a sense of relaxation when you come here because there's no expectation to do well in yourself or do you always have that expectation of yourself to play well?

ANDREA PAVAN: I think it's easier to go on a golf course where you've done well in the past because generally you can see the breaks, you can see the greens, but you know, obviously this year, the greens are newer. They are new, so the slopes are a bit different. But yeah, I mean, you know, you have to play well out here and if you play well, you can score, and today I was in position. Although I felt like my putting wasn't great in the first four holes, I managed to turn it around and that's good. I mean, putting for me, it's always been a strength but like everything, you know, some days are off and some days are on. When the greens have such subtle slopes, it's hard to trust your reads. But you know, we picked some good ones today and it was good.