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AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AMFebruary 11, 2009Nick WatneyPEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA CHRIS REIMER: We want to welcome Buick Invitational champion and two-time winner Nick Watney to the media center. Also returning to sort of the northern California area, someplace that you know very well. Just kind of talk through what it's been like in the last couple days coming back after your win down in San Diego. NICK WATNEY: It's been great. It's been a bit of a whirlwind. I can't believe that it's Wednesday already. I'm excited to tee it up again, and like you said, excited to be back here in northern California. Q. You've won before, but do you feel different having won at such a great place against a really good field in a bigger tournament? NICK WATNEY: Yeah, I think this win is different in a lot of ways. I think I realize a little more -- well, I grew up watching the Buick Open at Torrey, and obviously being in California it's very special. And plus I think that I know this time that I tried to take it all in, but once Thursday starts then everybody is back to zero and it's another week. Last week, even though it'll be fresh in my mind, it doesn't have any effect on this week. So I know I need to get focus right back. Q. Are you replaying that putt at all in your head, or have you forgotten that, the putt on 16? NICK WATNEY: No, I don't think I'll ever forget that. But that was definitely an unbelievable feeling and really great timing for me. But unfortunately it doesn't count for this week. Q. How many times have you played here in this tournament, and how have you done? NICK WATNEY: I think this might be my seventh time at this event, and my best finish is a tie for 7th in '06, I think. Q. How do you feel about the pro-am format? Have you coped with that well over the years, with all the distractions that we know about? NICK WATNEY: Yeah, I mean, I don't mind it at all. I enjoy it. I've played with some real nice guys in the past, and this week I'm paired with Jim Lintz, who works for Lexus, so I'm looking forward to a good week. Q. Do you remember how you did the last time the week after you won, and can you just kind of talk about what it's like playing in a tournament the week after you've won? I'm sure there's maybe different expectations. NICK WATNEY: Yeah, the last time I won, the next tournament was the Byron Nelson, and I missed the cut. I don't feel like I prepared well enough to be at my best for that week. It was kind of like my head was just in the clouds the whole time. I think I kind of expected, well, I've won now, so things are just going to go well. But I think this time around, I got in some good work today, and tomorrow I just need to go back to what I was doing last week, just be very patient and take what the golf course gives and see where I end up at the end. Q. Have you been treated any different this week or these last few days, or is this just another tournament? NICK WATNEY: Yeah, definitely a lot of congratulations. That's very special to get respect from your peers. I mean, I think we'd all like to have that. Yeah, it's been a great day today. Q. Some bad weather down in San Diego that you obviously handled, and the forecast here is iffy at best. How do you play in the bad weather, rain or wind or cold or elements? How do you handle that? NICK WATNEY: I think you just need to realize that everybody is going through it and maybe play a touch more conservative because with wind or rain, mistakes are magnified a little bit. Maybe play just a touch more conservative. But other than that, I think you need to stay swinging aggressive and try to stay as dry as possible. Q. Tiger has been out but he's coming back. You were able to take advantage of his absence by winning, not that he wins every time. How does the playing field change when he comes back? NICK WATNEY: Well, I mean, I think obviously pretty much the favorite every time he tees it up. I think when he comes back he'll be great for the TOUR because he's arguably already the best golfer to ever live. Honestly I'm really looking forward to it because I think if you do win a tournament when Tiger is in it, you know that you've beaten the top, the cream of the crop or however you want to say it. I think it's great. I look forward to him coming back, and hopefully it'll be soon. Q. Have you talked at all to Butch this week and talked about anything in terms of mindset coming into this and getting a hold of your emotions? NICK WATNEY: Yeah, Butch, I talked to him Sunday night, obviously. I talked to him Monday, and he said to just keep doing what I was doing. You know, there's no -- last week there was no magic potion or tricks or anything like that. It was just hard work paying off, and I was able to handle my emotions last week. I think any time -- any golf tournament that you play well that you've managed to do that, stay in the present and all those clichés, they're actually really true. But yeah, Butch, I made it a point to ask him what's our next step in the ladder, and he said, at this point we're doing all the right things. We just need to continue to keep working. Q. As a young player, is it easier -- do you find it easier to come from behind, playing from behind on the last day when you're in contention, or would you rather be ahead have people shooting at you? NICK WATNEY: That's a great question. I think playing from ahead -- I've heard Tiger and Phil say that you have a little bit of wiggle room, whereas playing from behind you need to play really, really a tidy round, very -- not perfect golf, but you can't make any mistakes. I think ideally you'd be playing from ahead, but I'll take the last couple groups every week for sure. Q. Being five down last Sunday, can you kind of talk about when it went from just playing golf to actually realizing that I have a real chance at this thing? NICK WATNEY: I would say John getting off to a rough start, he bogeyed the first two, and then three shots on Torrey Pines is very doable. I would say with those first two bogeys, and I was five behind but I was in third. There was only John, Camilo and myself. So if I was five behind at the Bob Hope, I'd probably be in 30th or something. So the circumstances were a little bit different. But I just tried to stay patient and it worked out for me. Q. What do you think of the course changes, particularly at 6 and 9? NICK WATNEY: 6 and 9 at Pebble Beach? I think No. 6, it completely changes the drive. I think before the drive was -- I don't want to say easy, but now with the bunker and the way it's angled, the ocean is very much in play. No. 9, is it just referring to the length? Q. A lot of the players don't like that change. NICK WATNEY: I mean, I think that hole is pretty hard as it is. Actually I didn't play a practice round at Pebble. I played No. 6 at the Callaway event here in November, and I thought that that hole turned into a -- you tried to get it as far down as you could to now it's almost a 3-wood just to try to -- you have a little bit more room off the tee. So I think that makes that hole very difficult, and No. 9, just the sheer length I'm sure will make it more difficult, as well. Q. How much do you think the players will be able to take from this week and learn and apply it to next year at the U.S. Open? NICK WATNEY: I think they will, but I think the conditions -- I think the USGA will do all they can to get the conditions completely different as far as how firm it'll be. I know we got rain -- we've had rain and we have more rain in the forecast, so it'll be softer this week than the U.S. Open I'm sure. But any time you can see a golf course, it'll help. Q. I wonder if you could expand on the changes, too, especially adding the bunkers on 3 and then in general they've changed some of the holes to where the hazards come into play. Some of that was done for the Callaway event, just overall the changes that have been lengthened a little bit, necessary in your mind or just a different course? NICK WATNEY: I think that this golf course, the weather plays a lot -- before any of these changes, like the '92 U.S. Open with the wind, it played insanely difficult, and now with the changes, I mean, I definitely think it'll be more difficult, and if we get any kind of weather it'll be -- I mean, besides Tiger I think the second place was over par in 2000. Necessary? That's tough to say. But more difficult, for sure. CHRIS REIMER: Thanks so much. Congratulations again. End of FastScripts |
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