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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

September 3, 2008

Sergio Garcia

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Q. How did it play today?
SERGIO GARCIA: It was good. We actually got really lucky. I didn't think we were going to be able to finish. But you know, the rain stayed away for a while, and we got a nice round in.

Q. Your impressions of the course here at Bellerive?
SERGIO GARCIA: It's good. It looks really nice. Obviously it's quite a long course. If it rains, it's going to get even longer. Huge greens, big targets, but you can get some very tricky pin positions, a lot of movement on these greens. We'll see how it plays during the week.

Q. Do you have memories of this place from '01? I assume you made it here like most guys.
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, I did. I remember I played a practice round on Tuesday I think it was before everything happened on Friday I think it was. No, I didn't really have too many memories about it, no. I mean, it was seven years ago.

Q. Just memories of that other thing from that week. What were your thoughts about that coming back here? Did any of that come back to you at all, thoughts of that, of that week?
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, obviously you remember what happened because this is where we were at that point in time. It was a sad moment, but I think everybody got stronger from it. We moved on, and I think that things are a little better now.

Q. What do you think of this playoff format in general? Do you like it? It kind of adds some excitement here at the end of the year?
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, definitely. Obviously when Vijay won the first two it didn't help much, but you know, I think it's definitely exciting. It's definitely something extra to keep everybody involved. You know, we still have two more weeks, so hopefully we can finish it strong.

Q. Do you know what you've got to do roughly? Have you tried to figure the numbers out?
SERGIO GARCIA: I know I've got to go one, one, and Vijay has got to fall off the stairs or something (laughter). The way he's playing, he's not going to finish outside the Top 10 or Top 15 in these two events, so it's pretty much -- I think it's pretty much done.

Q. He's got to take food poisoning or something.
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, he's got to take something. I'm going to try to keep playing well and see if I can at least win one of these next two, and the rest is not up to me.

Q. When was the last time you felt this good about your game over such a long arc of time? It's Top 5s every time you're showing up now for a good long stretch.
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, we've always talked about this. This is what we practice for. This is what we always try. We practice hard to be up there or try to be up there every week or almost every week and have a chance at winning. So it's good. I feel, like I said, like I'm playing nicely. It's just a matter of keep doing the right things and I'll keep believing in myself.

Q. You said the course is long and may get a lot longer if we get the rain that we're expected to have. Does that play to your advantage? Do you like a long course, or no? Who does it help?
SERGIO GARCIA: Well, obviously for longer hitters it'll be a little better because we won't be hitting as long a club as some of the other guys might do. Because when the course is firm, you know, there's some holes that you can't hit driver, and then it kind of brings everybody closer together. The shorter hitters can hit a drive where you're hitting maybe a 3-wood or something like that and end up pretty much in the same spot.
But if it gets soft, then it's all in the air, and you know, it's going to be a bit tougher. But at the same time, you'll be able to stop the ball on the greens a little bit easier, which is important to do in some of these pin positions.

Q. Did you hit a lot of drivers today?
SERGIO GARCIA: A good amount, a good amount. No, more than that. I mean, I hit -- I probably hit like four or five 3-woods off some tees. But yeah, I was trying today, so I hit probably more drives today than I would have on a normal tournament round.

Q. Are the greens pretty soft? They're pretty soft already, aren't they?
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah. I mean, they're not extremely soft, but obviously they're not as firm as they were last week on the weekend. You know, it doesn't matter what you do, if we get what we're supposed to get. You can have them like concrete and they're still going to get soft.

Q. Did you drive back to Florida after 9/11 from here, take your car home? You were grounded. Or did you stay here for a while?
SERGIO GARCIA: I don't know. I can't remember. Carlos, what did we do in 2001 when we were stuck here? We flew.

Q. Once they lifted the ban on travel?
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, probably like three days after.

Q. Where did you fly?
SERGIO GARCIA: I think London. I think it was for pretty much all the European guys that were here.

Q. If we do get this heavy rain that's forecast, how much does that mess with your timing and your routine and schedule? Does it bug you?
SERGIO GARCIA: No, you just get used to it. We're used to it. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time that it happened in our careers. We know how to handle it.

Q. How do you compare the pressure of a Ryder Cup to playing in a regular event, a major? Do you find it to be more intense teeing off than you normally would feel?
SERGIO GARCIA: No, I would probably say it's pretty much the same. The difference is in a major you'd probably feel it more towards the last day or the back nine on Sunday.
Here at the Ryder Cup you pretty much feel it on every single match because every match is key. You know, that point or that half a point that you might win might make a difference towards the week. That's the main difference.

Q. You handled it so well your first one. Do you look back on that in a little bit of amazement, or how did you do that so young, step up to that at the time? Did you know what you were getting into?
SERGIO GARCIA: No, I don't know. Like I've always said, I've always loved the Ryder Cup, so that always helps when you're playing at an event that you love. It's kind of like playing at the British Open; I love that event, and usually I do fairly well at it. You know, when you are willing to be there and you're comfortable being there, it makes things a little bit easier.

Q. Can I ask you about Darren Clarke missing the team? What do you think about Darren Clarke missing the team?
SERGIO GARCIA: Well, it's unfortunate. It's one of those things that happens. There are probably about five guys for two spots, and three of them have to -- three or four of them had to miss it. You know, it's a shame, we'll miss him, but that's the way it is.

Q. This is the first PGA event here in 16 years; have you noticed a bigger crowd? Some of the officials noted yesterday that even for a practice round it was unusually large.
SERGIO GARCIA: It was okay, I guess, today for a Wednesday. I'm sure it'll get bigger as the week goes on.

End of FastScripts

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