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HSBC WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

September 16, 2006

Shaun Micheel

VIRGINIA WATERS, ENGLAND

GORDON SIMPSON: Shaun, another fine victory, you are in the final and Europe beat the good ol' US-of-A. It's shaping up to be an interesting day tomorrow, isn't it?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I figure myself to be a little bit of the underdog again tomorrow and I don't know if there will be anybody out there rooting for me. So Tony and I and my wife will kind of stay together all day, and root each other on I suppose.
I'm excited to be here and excited to have the opportunity, and that's what it's all about, playing a great player in Paul Casey, who is obviously playing extremely well, looking at his victories here, 6 & 4, 5 & 3, 6 & 5, so he's obviously playing great golf, and I'm going to have to pick up the pace a little bit tomorrow compared to what I did today if I'm going to contend.
GORDON SIMPSON: A lot to play for apart from 1 million pounds with a chance to get back in the world's Top-50 again and play at The Grove just down the road.
SHAUN MICHEEL: Yeah, I feel like that's where I should be anyway. I just kind of slacked off a little bit in the last year for whatever reason, and you know, it would be nice. It would just be nice to got a victory regardless of what comes with that or after that. I'm just excited to be playing well.
And in match play, it's so different, you know, you're just trying to maintain your composure out there, you're trying to get good shots when you can, and take advantage of some opportunities, and I let a few slip today. But I'm just looking forward for the opportunity, because I probably didn't think I'd make it to the finals. But I think each day, I've kind of learned how to win, and just knowing which holes I could be aggressive on. I'm just looking forward to the opportunity.

Q. Considering you were one of last players to qualify for this event and then plow through Tiger in the first round, are you starting to get a sense of destiny this week?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I think you have to feel that way. I don't know if destiny is the right word. I just feel like I've been gaining a lot of confidence each day. Obviously beating Tiger, you know, can't do anything to hurt you. I've played some great golf, and I saw some stuff today that happened that almost blew it, really. I've got a lot of confidence after beating him, but again you just play each day and each match as it comes, and you play against the player, whether you shoot 74 or 65 like I did yesterday in the morning, the object of the game is just winning.

Q. How are you feeling fitness-wise?
SHAUN MICHEEL: Oh, I feel great. Little aches and pains I suppose like anybody else, you're walking in golf shoes up-and-down hills and it's pretty soft out there, so fitness-wise I feel fine. I don't have any issues with that at all. It's different for us playing basically two golf tournaments in four days, but, it makes for good watching. That's really not going to be an issue for me tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned the business of being the lone American there, how hard is it to focus and do you find yourself more than you normally do with 13,000 people around?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I don't really, it's funny, as I've gotten out here on Tour, when I first got on Tour I was playing, all of the people that were around and everything it really affected me. If I hit one off-line, I was always really upset or if I hit somebody -- or if I hit one way off-line, some comfort there, I don't really see people. I don't know if that's good or bad and I just see a line that kind of defines the fairway, that's kind of how I've managed to survive I think. I think Arnold Palmer was very charismatic of making eye contact with everyone, and I walk straight to my ball, hit the shot and walk to the next ball. I enjoy playing in front of all these people, and it's fun and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. I know you said that you are disappointed not to be on the Ryder Cup Team next week, do you feel that you might be able to land a psychological blow tomorrow on behalf of your country?
SHAUN MICHEEL: Oh, no, I don't look at it that way at all. It's just me against Paul and he wants to win and I want to win. I think that's more for media. I mean, players, we just want to play golf. We don't really care what's written about us or not written about us. We just want to win and I don't look at it that way at all. And certainly tomorrow, unfortunately, I think it will go that way against me. It started to happen a little bit yesterday on the 14th hole, and you know, kind of threw me for a loop so to speak. I just kind of smiled and, you know, you kind of expect that and it's okay.

Q. What would you do with 1 million pounds?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I've got a 2 1/2-year-old and a baby on the way in February, got some new stuff to buy and everything else. I don't really look at it from a financial standpoint. I'm trying to get back to playing consistent golf. It's a lot more fun when you're in contention each and every tournament, as opposed to just making the cut and finishing 30th or not making the cut. I don't think anybody where I am in my career looks at it from a financial standpoint. I think early on in your career you think about, well, if I miss this putt, it could be worth $20,000 or whatever it might be. You know, I just don't think where I am today that I focus on the money. I used to be very result-oriented, and I've gotten away from that. It's taken a lot of time to learn that.
Of course there are times on Monday when I look at, if I missed a 4-foot putt in Boston on the 17th hole and hit it over the green in two on 18, made two pars, that would have been $100,000. But you know, you just can't look at it like that, you drive yourself crazy.

Q. If you win tomorrow you go in the Top-50, might qualify for the World Golf Championship the week after, what would you then do next week, because you'll be able to hang around over here, you won't go back to America?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I don't know. I might stay here. I wouldn't mind if I did win tomorrow, get a chance to maybe some spend some time with the guys up in Ireland, I don't know if I have to be invited or what. I certainly wouldn't want to show up. Yeah, I'm not sure I'd want to go all the way back. I am committed to play next week in San Antonio, so I suppose if I don't win, I definitely will go home and play that event. I hate withdrawing from the events. The events on the Tour mean a lot to us and I think it would be a great addition to have me in the field, at least the way I've been playing lately. So I probably would stay over here.

Q. So you would be tempted to go over to the Ryder Cup?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I think that would be great. I mean, Loren Roberts is a great friend of mine. He lives two miles from me and he's one of the assistant captains. I'd certainly love an opportunity to go up and just see what it's like. It's something that we all dream of as kids. It kind of used to be for me that I grew up dreaming about winning The Masters or PGA and whatever it might be, and as I've gotten to play a lot more and got around some more of the European players, it just a lot more exciting I think to set my goals a little bit higher to try to qualify for a national team and I'd certainly like to do that at some point in my career.

Q. There's a story yesterday about Verplank having a little bit of back trouble or having come through some back trouble, do you think it might not be the worst idea to be there if he can't go and Tom ought to --
SHAUN MICHEEL: I think somebody said that to me earlier, and I'm sure that Tom's probably got two or three guys already in mind. Robert and I were joking about he said something to me about getting a call and I said, "How can they call me, nobody's measured me for any clothes." But the funny thing was, he said nobody's measured him for clothes and he's got to play next week. Maybe he's going to wear something from home or something, I don't know. And he's a pretty hard man to fit. You're not going to putt him in 36-32 slacks. I don't know.
GORDON SIMPSON: I think you'll find he's been measured up.
SHAUN MICHEEL: Okay. (Laughter.)

Q. The other thing is if the last time you won, Stephanie was pregnant, have you ever thought maybe you should have started having kids a little bit earlier?
SHAUN MICHEEL: People say that she should be pregnant every year. I'm going for two and that's it.
I think it would make for a good story to come through with another championship. I consider this a major championship. This is without a doubt one of the premiere events, it's one of most difficult in the world to qualify for. So to have the trophy from HSBC World Match Play would mean a great deal. But as far as that, I think when February 17th comes around, I'll be paying a visit to my doctor, and we'll leave it at that. Might be limping next time I come to this tournament.
GORDON SIMPSON: Thank you.

End of FastScripts...

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