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BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 10, 2008

Thongchai Jaidee

LUSS, SCOTLAND

SCOTT CROCKETT: Fantastic start at the Barclays Scottish Open, you must be very pleased with the day.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, I played very well today. I missed two fairways today. My tee shots and my irons were working today and putting was very, very good today. I had a long putt on No. 17, the par 5, from about 20 feet, 25 feet. Putting is very important for this week, and I putted very well today.
SCOTT CROCKETT: And have you been doing a bit of work on your putting? You felt it was something you needed to work on and it's obviously playing dividends.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: This week I start Monday or Tuesday, Wednesday, I have my coach with me and we work together. I have a problem with putting for a long time, about six months, putting is so bad.
Last week I missed by a few shots because I have 34 points in first round, and second round I have 33 putts, so the putting is very, very important. You hit good shots and then putting, no birdies, you make bogeys, you shoot over par. That's why I think the key for me this week is putting. If I'm putting very well, I think I can do better now.
SCOTT CROCKETT: You've obviously done something right.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, this week I feel very comfortable with it.

Q. Can you explain what was wrong with your putting before and what have you been working on to make it better?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I work with my coach. My coach he's from Germany, teaching from Germany. And I have to go there one time in Germany, but depends, but we work a lot with -- like to the pin. I work with the one, they call the machine, the small one, I work with that. We change a lot the ball position, before my ball position is so bad, I am too much open, and now closing up and making good contact for the ball and lining up is better now.

Q. Have you played here before and how did you do?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I start here in 2004. I think I learn a lot here. Think this year this is a very good golf course and very nice layout and very nice location. I know how to play links course but depends on putting and weather, those are very important. I think weather is a problem for me and sometimes it's very cold and very windy, and I come from Asia, different weather. When it's like this, it's okay, I still can play, only one or two shirts, that's a key, very, very important.

Q. Can you tell us how you did the first time you came here, what position you finished?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think Top 15, I can't remember which year, 2004 or 2005, I cannot remember, long time, only three years ago. I think 10-under for four rounds. Very good golf course.

Q. Did you have any injuries? You didn't play for five or six weeks.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes, I have my back injury because it's like you know, we travel anywhere in Asia, Europe, very far, long flight. It takes about 10 hours, 11 hours to come to Europe, and then back again and too far too my home, and maybe I had a problem with my back.
So I come to see a doctor and he said a bone inside has come out, what they call it, I can't remember, it's very difficult to call that. And then I cannot do anything for three months; golf, I can do nothing. Three months ago to now I cannot do nothing, keep stretching and swimming.
I have two more months and the doctor said to me about two months, I think it would be better if you come to see the doctor again after you finish this week and he can see what's wrong and then you can do something.

Q. Talk about how you found the conditions today.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: The conditions are quite good because after the rain, we had a delay of about 1 1/2 hours. The green is quite good because we started early and not many people had played the golf course.
I think the greens were very well today because the greens were very smooth. The rolling of the ball is very well today. The condition is not -- I think quite okay, you know, the fairways are softer but with prefer lies today, you can hit the fairway, it's easy to hit the greens. The par 5s were very difficult. They move the tee box forward many holes today.

Q. Apart from the weather, is there anything else you still find tough about playing in Europe?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, the weather, like this, I still can play because it's not very cold, I still can play. I came here to play European Tour after about five years in Europe, when we came here the first year, that was very difficult and you cannot use the long sleeve and you cannot use the rain gear and that's why a big problem.
Now I've learned a lot how to wear because I have to use every week sometimes, maybe four, five weeks raining and that's why I try to use it. Now it's going to be five years, and I've learned a lot and we have some things to do and I practise at home every day in rain gear and long sleeves. We play in Asia, never I never played with long sleeves and only in warm weather.

Q. In Asia in warm weather you were putting on your winter waterproofs and practising?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes, at my home, practise a lot inside for one hours, two hours and to practise and then take it off.

Q. Did people ask you what was wrong with you?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Somebody told me I'm crazy, but no, if you come to Europe, you have to use it, like raining season. But in Asia, you cannot play in it because it's very hard and very strong and lightning, also. I cannot play in Asia in rain but here, you have to play, that's why very different. I keep trying all the time using the long sleeves and rain gear for five years now.

Q. Having one of the early tee off times, is that something that you like?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: No, because I think that we get lucky because the wind stop a little bit. When we came here, my tee off time supposed to be eight o'clock and there was a delay of about one and one-half hours, and the wind stopped a little bit and the greens and fairways were very smooth. The greens were softer and you can hit the ball but it's softer, and the ball will stop very quick.
Then today, we got lucky, we started early. I think the key, the putting was very important and I putted very well, and one hole made the long putt and hit a lot close to the pin, so that was the key. Putting was very important.

Q. Tomorrow will be a later tee time.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, I try every day to hit the ball well and hit the tee shots very good and then hit irons very good. So hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens and make a lot of putts. Putting is very important for me. Irons are good, driver is good but putting, six months ago I couldn't line it up and now putting, right now, starting today, I think better. I practised a lot on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday. That was the key, putting for me this week.
I went to see the doctor for the problem with my back and next week I have to go for the X-ray, so I have to go back. If I get in, I could play next week.
SCOTT CROCKETT: If you qualify for The Open, you will play and put off the back problem until the following week?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes.
SCOTT CROCKETT: If you don't qualify, you'll get your back sorted out.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes.

Q. There's a story in the European Tour guide that you first started playing golf when you found the head of a 5-iron and tied it to a bamboo stick. Is that true?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes.

Q. How far could you hit the ball with it?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I cannot tell because 20 years ago, not my future to play golf. My future I think is soccer.
But my family, nothing, no money, nothing, we have to -- I got lucky, I have somebody help me a lot. I find a golf ball for sale. Because my house is close to the golf course, there is a cart barn -- they have some money to go to school -- I help my family and my mother and my dad, and that's a very good thing.
You try very hard to get very good spot, like even nobody to help me, I got lucky, still play golf and I have my job. I have big family and I help a lot my family. It's really good for me.

Q. Did you know right away after hitting the first few shots that you could be a good golfer? Did it seem natural to you?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: No, until 25 -- starting play golf at 16, that was between golf and soccer, what is going to be better. Because 16 years old, I have my ankle broke, that's why I couldn't play football and go instead to play golf. I turned pro at 29, about four years, after being on team and be a professional.
Now I'm still happy, 39, late start, but it's okay. Enjoy my life.

Q. Els was saying you spend time as a paratrooper. Can you tell us what that involved?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I started to join the Army at 19, and I had another good job. That's where I got money, I have somebody help me a lot, put me into the Army. That's where I learned a lot of things, like training very hard, we have running every morning, for two hours with training with the Army. We have to do it with everybody and we are training about one year to do parachute. We practise it very hard and then running, everything, muscle, we have to run all the time and we are training. And joined Army for about 12 years and retired about nine years ago because we cannot do two jobs, professional golf and Army. That's why I quit. I tried to concentrate my game to play golf.

Q. It sounds very dangerous.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes, very dangerous. You know, depend, you know, you take your parachute on your own, you have to do for yourself, and then you can make for yourself. If you do in the sky and then you are jumping down, nothing -- and if you get lucky, the parachute -- I have my friends, died, I was lucky, we had some accidents, and you have to do for your own and that's why it's very dangerous. If you are not fit enough, you cannot do it. You have to have very good heart.
Very good for me, training very hard and give me a lot of things, stronger muscle and then keep me lasting. That's why I play very good golf, give me a lasting, very good -- and heart is very important, too.
SCOTT CROCKETT: How many parachute jumps?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: About 60 times. Many of them, 8,000 feet, you have high about 12,000, you have ten seconds, 20 seconds, jump, and then open.
SCOTT CROCKETT: And then you open the chute up, fingers crossed. You've done well on that and you've done well today, thank you very much.

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