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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2007

Sergio Garcia

CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND

STEWART McDOUGALL: Ladies and gentlemen, Sergio Garcia, 71 today, par round for a total of 136, 6-under par and leading the championship. That's a good start for you, is that what you were looking for after yesterday?
SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I was hoping for a little bit better than what I did. But that was not a bad round. Every time you shoot on a difficult course, on an Open Championship, you shoot an under-par round or an even-par round, you know you're not too far away. I'm happy with the result overall. It was more of a grinder's day today. But overall still pretty happy about it.

Q. There was a long wait for you on the 2nd, but that didn't affect you at all too much? About 20 minutes?
SERGIO GARCIA: It was a long wait. I think somebody lost their ball, not in the group -- in the group in front of us. It was a little bit of a wait. But I don't know, I guess it didn't bother too much. I didn't hit a couple of good shots on the first, managed to make a good par. So that little break helped me settle down a little bit and get back in good form. So it was okay, I guess.

Q. It was a miracle recovery on the first?
SERGIO GARCIA: I hit a really good chip there. I wasn't really going to try to go that much at the pin, because I had quite a bad lie. So I was just thinking try and hit it 10, 12 feet right of the hole and see if you can start with a good, solid putt and make a good par. But the club just got tangled a little bit in the high grass and when I saw the way the ball came out I thought this could be really good. When I saw how it bounced I knew it was going to be close. It was a great save to start with.

Q. How would you place that in your private collection of satisfying shots?
SERGIO GARCIA: I wouldn't say that. It was a nice shot. More than anything it was a really nice shot because it kept me on the right mood. But, no, I wouldn't say -- it was just a good, solid shot.

Q. Good routine shot (laughter)?
SERGIO GARCIA: I wouldn't say that. Hopefully not. Hopefully I don't need to hit many of those.

Q. Obviously there's more golf to be played out there today, but if you are on the halfway lead, how comfortable are you with that and how do you feel you're suited to handle that?
SERGIO GARCIA: Well, we'll see. I guess it's just a matter of waiting and see what happens. But I'd rather be leading than being eight shots back, that's for sure, because you don't feel like you have to push your game to the limit all the time. So I'm pretty happy the way I'm standing right now. Today, it was a nice day for me. I knew that everything -- all the eyes were looking at me. It was good to still post a good, solid round and keep myself up there.

Q. Last year at Hoylake it was very noisy with cell phones and cameras clicking, and they stomped down on that, did you notice any improvement?
SERGIO GARCIA: It's much better. If we could get the photographers to behave better, it would be unbelievable. But the crowds have just been amazing, I haven't heard one phone out there. It's definitely an improvement.

Q. How much was that a distraction last year for you?
SERGIO GARCIA: Well, more than anything the problem was -- you back away and you kind of regroup and try to hit the shot. But when you're doing that you're losing time and you're losing time and you're losing time. And you don't want to be, like it happened to Tiger and I last year, you don't want to be in the last group trying to win a British Open and be on the clock because of that. I think that's definitely an improvement. I'm looking forward to -- I think The R&A has done a great job of that.

Q. Do you get bored or frustrated or even insulated by the question, when will you win the first major, the breakthrough?
SERGIO GARCIA: Never. The first time I heard it (laughter).

Q. When are you going to win your first major (laughter)? Is that a big issue?
SERGIO GARCIA: I'm always going to say the same thing. I'm not bothered. I don't really care. I'm trying, I can tell you that. I'm trying to win. I'm trying to win as many majors as I can. I'm trying to give myself good options and good looks at winning majors. That's all I can do. Sometimes you play well and you still don't win, and some of the times you don't play maybe as well and you manage to win. Last year I managed to shoot 23 under in the last two majors and didn't win. What can you do? Sometimes you just got to give it up for the guy that does it and there's nothing else you can do, just keep trying.

Q. On the final green, were you aware of what was happening to Tiger on the first tee?
SERGIO GARCIA: No, I wasn't. I didn't know he --

Q. How important was that last putt, to sink that, to your mood and carrying it forward?
SERGIO GARCIA: Well, even if I would have missed it I would still have been happy because 72 in the playing conditions that we had today, with the tight pins and everything, it wasn't a bad score. But it's always that much sweeter to shoot even par than 1-over. It sounds that much better. It was nice.
I felt like I played those last six holes really well coming into the wind. There were some tough holes coming in and I managed to hit a lot of good shots. I managed to hit a lot of good iron shots and made a couple of nice putts for par.
Every time you finish the last four holes at even par you know you're going to be happy.

Q. Nobody seems to be holing a lot of mid-range putts today, are the pins just in more wicked positions than yesterday?
SERGIO GARCIA: They're a little bit tighter, unless you're really swinging it well it's tough to get it close to some of the pins. So you're having a lot of those 15, 18-feet putts for birdies. It's just not easy to make a lot of those putts. I hit some of those really, really nice putts but left a couple short.
You think about it, I mean I hit 3-iron into 12, 4-iron into 15, 3-iron into 16, 6-iron into 17 and 5-iron into 18. It's not easy to hit it close when the pins are tight with those kind of clubs. I hit good tee shots, too.

Q. Now that the ball is going in the hole more consistently, has it freed you up and taken pressure off all parts of your game and played more easily?
SERGIO GARCIA: I think it definitely does. Golf is a funny game and when you're struggling with your short game it does put a lot of pressure on your long game, because in the back of your mind you're thinking, you know, don't miss the green, because if you miss the green you're going to be trying to make bogey. So it does put extra pressure. When your short game is on it's easier to kind of loosen up. Even if you hit a loose shot here and there you're thinking, it's no problem, I'm going to get up-and-down and I'm just going to keep going the right way. So it does play a little bit in your head. It definitely helps if it's going the right way.

Q. How much have you fed off the support of the home fans you've had out here the first couple of days? Going into the weekend how much of help can that be? You're probably going to be the leading European, and maybe find yourself in the scenario of playing in the group with Tiger Woods again?
SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I said it at the beginning of the week, not only this week, but the British crowds, in this case, the Scottish crowds, they're just amazing. I was telling you the story about last year when I was playing with Tiger and walking down 16, I mean I didn't have a chance of winning anymore and I was 9-under for the tournament or something like that, and the applause I got -- my caddie, Greg, he looked at me and said, "If I didn't know better I'd say you're leading the tournament," because it's just amazing the knowledge they have and how well they treat you, how respectful they are. It's just been great. I've loved every single one of the British Opens. That's one of the reasons. I'm just hoping that I can keep doing good and doing well and give them things to cheer for.

Q. Would you like to get back in a position to play in the final group with Tiger again this Sunday?
SERGIO GARCIA: I'd love to. If I play well enough to get in the last group and he plays well enough to get in the last group, it will be fun to do. But we'll see. There's still a couple of days to go and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves.

Q. First of all, congratulations. We are very proud of what you and Miguel are doing for the Spaniards. I wanted to know how is your game. How is your feeling about your game for the weekend and specifically with your changes, if you look comfortable and your feelings for Saturday and Sunday?
SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, I'm feeling okay. Today, I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit nervous at the beginning because you want to do well, after a good round like I had yesterday. But then I slowly got into it and then started hitting some good shots. Other than 11, I felt like I played the back nine very, very well under the conditions. So it feels good. The belly putter feels miles better than -- under pressure miles better than the short putter has felt. So I just misread a couple of putts today. Other than that it was pretty solid.

Q. You will have a very late tee off time tomorrow. Do you find it a lot easier now to occupy those hours than you used to?
SERGIO GARCIA: Sometimes it's tough when you play so-so late. But I try to get a nice sleep, just wake up in the morning and maybe do a little bit of stretching, just keep your mind busy, keep doing things, maybe watch a little bit of TV, see how they set up the course and some of the clubs that the other guys are hitting.
I guess it is a little bit tougher when you're playing so late but I'm not going to complain about that. It's always nice to play that late.

Q. You mentioned that you were a little nervous early on, I wonder what happened on the approach shot on 1?
SERGIO GARCIA: Shanked it.

Q. Was that part of the nervousness?
SERGIO GARCIA: It was a solid thank, though, it was good (laughter).

Q. I'd rather you not use that word here.
SERGIO GARCIA: I don't mind it. I don't mind it at all. Like I said here on TV early on, the good thing about it, last time I was in that position was 2003, it was Sun City in South Africa. I was playing with Retief and we got, on Sunday, on the last group and we got to the first tee, down the middle, got the 9-iron out, same club I hit today and shanked it and hit it way right of the green. That time I made bogey. I managed to win the tournament. It's not a bad thing.

Q. Did you ever go through a time in your life when you thought the long putter should be banned? I know Colin Montgomerie did?
SERGIO GARCIA: No (laughter). I guess it did cross my mind when there was all that talk and everything and I was all happy with my short putter. I don't know, I guess things change and whatever helps the game. I think the better the guys play the more exciting the game is. If it helps, like I think it's helping me, I'm not going to change it.

Q. The weather tomorrow is supposed to be poor, rainy. Do you mentally prepare for that any differently?
SERGIO GARCIA: Well, it's been so good the last couple of days (laughter). It's been nice and warm. I felt like I was in Spain. No, you've just got to deal with it. There's nothing you can do about the weather. That's one thing you can't control. I guess it's the same for everybody, you've just got to deal with it and just get around it the best way possible.
STEWART McDOUGALL: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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