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WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPFebruary 23, 2009Brendan JonesMARANA, ARIZONA LAURA HILL: Brendan, thank you for coming and spending some time with us, I know we were chatting you are not used to all of the craziness that's surrounding what's going on this week, maybe just give us some comments on it. BRENDAN JONES: Normally if I'm in a press conference there's quite a lot of Japanese asking all the questions. So yeah, I'm, it's a big style for me. I'm trying to enjoy every moment of it. LAURA HILL: We'll take some questions. Q. You've been kind of locked in on 64 and Tiger obviously decided to play, what was your reaction, were you glad he did or sort of hoping he didn't or either way you were going to play somebody pretty tough, but obviously microscope on your twosome Wednesday is going to be unbelievable. BRENDAN JONES: Obviously being 64 in the world I'm going to be playing No. 1, 2, or 3 in the world. But really I've come a long way, if I get beat by anybody, I would like to get beat by Tiger. So, yeah, it's a chance of a lifetime, really. I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm just really, really happy to have made the 64 for a start, because I've been watching the rankings since the end of the year and because I haven't played anywhere I've been sliding and sliding. And I'm thinking to myself, should I be out playing? Should I be out practicing? And one week I jumped, lose five spots, and I would say, no, I don't need to do anything, so I'll just sit on the lounge, play with the kid, my little boy. And then I sort of just hanging in there week after week and when the Pebble Beach was washed out I thought there would be a chance to get into the 64th position. I think it's a pretty lucky spot. Q. When Tiger made his announcement, on Thursday, how did you hear about it and how soon did your phone start ringing? BRENDAN JONES: Well, we're actually getting landscaping done at our place and the landscapers were there very early in the morning and my wife got a text message from one of her non-golfing friends to say that I think Brendan's 64. I think he's in. But then Tiger came out and said that he was going to play and I was overjoyed, really. The chance to play probably the best player of my generation anyway. So yeah, very, very excited to have that opportunity for one of the most anticipated comebacks in any sport, really. And to have a front row seat to all of it is, you know, it's a great honor, really. Q. What kind of messages did you get from friends when Tiger announced he was coming back? BRENDAN JONES: They have been very nice to me, my friends. They have all said, you can beat him, you can beat him. It's a different format, match play's a funny game, anything can happen. Pretty much everybody has said, if things don't go your way, just take out his knee. (Laughter.) I hope it doesn't have to get to that. But even the people in Tucson, you know, talking around the course here it's, just knock his knee, see how it's going, you know. Yeah, everybody's been very encouraging, they all know it's going to be a tough task. But if your friends aren't nice to you, who will be? Q. What do you think your chances are of beating him realistically? BRENDAN JONES: Well I'm an Australian, so I got some sort of chance. Obviously I know that I'm a long shot. I have got nothing to lose. I can just go out, be a lot more aggressive than what I normally would be. And if you say what are my chances? I have some sort of chance. But I couldn't give you a percentage number, no. Q. If you were a betting man would you put money on yourself? BRENDAN JONES: I would probably put the house on Tiger, but. (Laughter.) But I'm not, I didn't fly all this way to try to lose. I'm here to try to beat him. And there's been some funny things happen in sport. And I'm up against it, but I'm hoping that I'll put in a good effort. Q. To clarify, you found out last week both that you were in and then that you were in and you were going to play Tiger? BRENDAN JONES: I found out on Tuesday morning Australian time that I was actually in. And I found out I was 64. And there was talk back home that Tiger was ready to come back. And I was hoping -- and then I think it was maybe Thursday or Friday morning back home that it might have been Thursday that somebody said Tiger's announced he's coming back. And I got a few chills up the back of my neck, but I'm here now and two days away from it, so I'm very, very excited. Q. Have you ever had an injury-induced layoff of your own? Any kind of major injury? BRENDAN JONES: Not at all. I finished the year at the Australian Open last year. And I play the Japanese TOUR and Japan doesn't start until mid April. So I'm -- I'm a golfer that likes Tiger's schedule, although I don't quite make his sort of money on my schedule. (Laughter.) I like to play in the 20 tournaments a year and I do that in Japan, which starts in April and finishes in early December. Last year I got to play the three WGC's and the British Open, the PGA, and I just think that it fits into my schedule really nicely. Q. I meant in your career have you had an injury layoff that you've come back from. BRENDAN JONES: Oh, yeah, you know, in 2006 I had some back problems, but I haven't had any problems there since pretty much the start of 2007. And I'm injury-free now. I got a few aches and pains in the mornings, but I think that's just from age. Q. Talk about life on the Japanese TOUR and especially as it compares to maybe an event like this. BRENDAN JONES: Well there's no rental cars or there's no cars given to us. We have to buy our own lunch. You don't have the media to a point that we have got here or America in general. It's very friendly tour, it's very easy for foreigners to get around. Like I don't speak much Japanese, but with my little Japanese and their little English we can always get by. But it's a fun place to play. The people are very, very friendly. The golf courses are very good. The greens are the best pretty much anywhere in the world week after week. Q. Have you heard from Peter O'Malley? That would be my first question. BRENDAN JONES: No, I haven't. Q. What do you think the difference will be had you played Tiger a couple of years ago when he was just playing as opposed to playing at this stage when we haven't seen him in eight months and there will be a lot of attention on him? BRENDAN JONES: Well Tiger's made more history in the last two years too. I think I'm a better player than what I was two years ago, so I've had that couple more year experience. This is, Tiger went out, he had his injury when he was the best in the world and he's come back when he's the best in the world. And everybody's wanting to know, is he going to be the same Tiger, is he going to be better? Time's going to tell on that. But any chance you get to play Tiger is a wonderful opportunity. Q. Who did you play last year and how many people followed your game in the first round? BRENDAN JONES: I played Adam Scott last year and I think there were a few Australians out following us, but that's about it really. A few young girls watching Adam too. (Laughter.) Q. Off point, but since you play over there and you can speak English, what's the fallout been for the Ishikawa, the kid in Japan, I understand that he's almost a Tiger echelon over there if that's possible. BRENDAN JONES: Well Ishikawa will probably be the hottest property in Japan in as regards to movie starts, sports people, he's the king right now or he's the prince, really. He's good looking, good with the media, he's great with the galleries. He's just a complete package. And he's got the game to back it up. You haven't really seen the best of him over here yet, but I've got no doubt that he'll be here in the future. But right now I hope he stays in Japan, because the Japanese Tour's going quite well. Q. What's the strongest part of your game would you say? Driving the ball, irons, putting, what would you say? BRENDAN JONES: Generally I would think my iron play is quite good. I hit the ball quite a good distance so when I'm on my iron play is pretty good. Now my preparation for this week hasn't been great. It's the first tournament of the year and my next tournament after this is in another two months. So I've had pretty much a week and a half to get ready for it. But I think that iron play, good driver of the ball generally. In this format though it's the other part of your game that really needs to be good, so hopefully it will be all right. Q. Is it going to be difficult not to watch him a little bit tomorrow to kind of do your own thing given that none of us have seen him in eight months, we're all going to be kind of looking at his left knee and you're probably as much of a fan of the sport as anybody and we're all a little curious as to whether he's going to get back to where he was and how soon. BRENDAN JONES: Of course I'll be watching him. You watch the best to see what they do and hopefully you can learn a few things from it as well. Tiger's come back so obviously his knee isn't bothering him. I'll just be out there to watch his game up close and at the same time try and beat him. Q. Curious, you were in this week, how close did you come to being in the field for Doral or have you watched that? Did you come close at all? BRENDAN JONES: Well I don't know when the, what's the cut off Doral? Like I was 53 at the end of the season and I was thinking about the Masters more than anything. But, yeah, it's out of my hands once the end of the year comes around. So I've sort of set my Japanese schedule and if I happen to get into any of the Major tournaments, then I would come on over for it. Q. Did you consider trying to get in a couple European or PGA TOUR events in January just to maybe get that ranking up or is that your off season? BRENDAN JONES: No, that is my off season. I like to get away from golf. I don't practice an awful lot, but I find for me I play the best when I'm fresh. And I'm quite fresh now, so hopefully that's going to work for me. Q. Is it your intention or goal to get back over here on the PGA TOUR at some point or are you content with what you're doing? BRENDAN JONES: I love what I'm doing. It's a family decision to a point playing in Japan. I've got a young family now and my wife doesn't travel a lot with me, so it's good that she's able, her parents, my parents can always help out with the little fellow. But, yeah, Japan is great. I played in three tournaments, fly home for three weeks, fly out for two, home for four. It's, I get to sleep in my own bed, my own house. And I love the Japanese culture. So it's, for right now, I'm very, very happy playing in Japan. Q. Couple of questions, number one, what would it mean to you to beat Tiger? BRENDAN JONES: Oh, it would mean everything. I would have bragging rights with my friends back home. But I tried not to think too far ahead I know I'm up against it, I'm looking to go out and I think if I have the round of my life I'm going to win, you know, you've got to just take it as it comes. I've been thinking if I could win the first and then hang on, you know, that would be great, but I don't think that's going to happen somehow. But, yeah, it will be a dream come true to actually play Tiger and win, but I'm not going to get too carried away just yet. Q. The follow-up, because of the sort of the historic significance of the comeback, you talked, it almost sounds like you would prefer to be, to play Tiger as opposed to say coming in at 63 where you would have had Sergio. It sounds like you would rather play Tiger. BRENDAN JONES: Yeah, of course. I would have enjoyed playing Sergio as well. They're world class players and when you're 64 in the world you know you're going to be playing the top players. But there's one person that gets to play Tiger in the first round and I think I'm very, very fortunate to do that. Plus it makes for a better story if I win. (Laughter.) Q. What time is it in Australia? BRENDAN JONES: It's early. Q. Could you describe Tuross Head? BRENDAN JONES: Tuross Head. Q. Describe it. BRENDAN JONES: Describe it? Oh, sorry. Well it's a town of about 2,000 people. Just pretty much an older sort of retirement place. It's not really a lot that goes on in Tuross. Nice beaches, fishing, prawning, but it's just a nice place for me to get away. I grew up in a small community, everybody knows everybody else, so I enjoy getting back there, I only get a chance now at Christmas time, but just really enjoy going back. Mom and dad still live there. Yeah, it's just a really nice place, good holiday destination. Q. Australians have made a few headlines in the past against Tiger, have you had a chance to talk to them about coming up against Tiger and then their results? BRENDAN JONES: No, I haven't had a chance to speak to Nick O'Hern or Peter O'Malley, but I spoke with Stephen Ames and he had some good advice for me. (Laughter.) But to answer your question, no, I haven't. Q. Just to be clear, it's a little tough to tell on the phone whether you were tongue in cheek there or not. Did you actually talk to Stephen Ames? BRENDAN JONES: No, I didn't. (Laughter.) LAURA HILL: Any parting shots before we let you go? BRENDAN JONES: No, well, I've never met Tiger either, but I would like first thing I will probably say to Tiger is, you know, can I have three a side. (Laughter.) Maybe one more on the front, in case I don't get to the back. But, yeah, I'm excited, I'm nervous, it's a big deal for me, and I'm going out to do my best and who knows how it's going to be, but I'm really, really enjoying myself this week. End of FastScripts |
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