HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 24, 2023

Victor Perez

Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. After your Rolex Series win last week, have you had an opportunity to evaluate it and reflect on the week?

VICTOR PEREZ: A little bit. You know, I think obviously Sunday night was still a bit of, I didn't really know what was happening, and yesterday as the intensity drops, the adrenaline drops, I didn't sleep at all pretty much Sunday night.

Yeah, you kind are able to reflect a little bit and think it through, and yeah, you realise how big of an event it is and how much it's going to weigh into the balance throughout the season. You know, Thomas got off to the same start last year, and you saw how good of a season he had. So yeah, it's very exciting.

Q. A new week, another Rolex Series week, I can only imagine coming off the back of a big marquee event and victory that it takes a bit out of you. How are you feeling?

VICTOR PEREZ: I think it's going to be challenging balancing that out because you don't want to feel entitled. You don't want to feel like, oh, I've won, so now I can relax because you won. You know, you were nervous and you had that pressure and you want to perform.

So you want to use the win as just like, oh, now I can build on to the win but you definitely don't want to start getting a little complacent and start being like, oh, I can get away with this practise or I don't have to do these little things. I think everybody is too good now. The margins are so small. There's too much information with data and stats and informations out there and coaches becoming really good. There's not much time to sleep and start just thinking you can get away with it.

Q. I've got to ask you and address the elephant in the room, because it is a Ryder Cup year and given the incredible season you've had already, what are your sights on for the year?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I think 2020 gave me a lot of experience. I was really close to making the team for Whistling Straits. Like I was saying earlier, it's part of my journey, and the chips ended up falling that way. I didn't make that team and really want to make the next one. Got off to the ideal start.

But like I said, it doesn't mean anything. You don't want to get complacent. You don't want to think you've arrived. There's nine months to go. Everybody plays fantastic golf and I've just got to keep pushing.

Q. On the whole your performances would suggest that you like this course very much. How does it suit your eye and how do you feel coming into the week?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, like I said, it's been great because it's actually one of the rare course that I've been on the schedule every year that was on my schedule as well because obviously it's such an iconic event. But we played in Abu Dhabi at the other course and swapped. The French Open stopped a couple years with COVID, and this event was always able to sustain and be on the schedule.

The course has changed a little bit, but I think definitely I think a place that everybody enjoys coming to and tries to perform. I had some good results. I've had a terrible Sunday a couple years back where I shot 79 with a chance to win. We'll see. It's definitely a place that I enjoy playing.

Q. Arguably one of the most iconic holes in the Middle East is the eighth hole here. Tell us your first impressions and the first time you played?

VICTOR PEREZ: It's one of those things where you come to the eighth hole of the Emirates and everybody is talking about the 8th hole at the Emirates, and you think, it's just the 8th hole at the Emirates; and you come in, you can't believe what it is and I think it's even more impressive when you see the pre/post pictures and how Dubai has developed in only 30 years and how this hole has changed from a visual perspective.

It is a little intimidating, I'm not going to lie. It's a big hole. It plays kind of a big part of that stretch, 7, 8, 9, where they are not easy holes, and you want to try to make four pars.

Q. How do you tackle that hole off the tee? Is there a stock shot or does it depend what the wind is doing that day?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, I think the wind plays a big role. It's difficult because the fairway sits at an angle and it's always difficult to get the line just right because maybe you take it a little too far right and don't quite make it or you take it too far left and you run through and generally you have pretty juicy rough on either side.

It is an intimidating tee shot that leads to an important second going up the hill, which is kind of a semi-blind shot where the pin is where you can't really see the ball land. So it is a difficult shot, especially when the wind starts blowing which it does here in the afternoon.

Q. Hero, a new sponsor for this week, this year. How important is it to have people like Hero with the Dubai Desert Classic?

VICTOR PEREZ: Yeah, I think you can never say enough about Dr. Munjal and what he's done. I was very fortunate to be on the Continental team two weeks ago at The Hero Cup, and you know, like I said, it was a massive success for Continental Europe winning, which was nice personally because I had a good week, and also as it led me into last week, because you know, you felt like getting that competition, the match-play element which I generally enjoy playing in is big.

And he backs it up by taking over the Dubai Desert Classic, now Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which is massive, and there's not enough that can be said about Dr. Munjal and the help and the link that there is between Hero and the DP World Tour. I think we are in great shape.