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THE 3 IRISH OPENMay 16, 2009Graeme McDowellBALTRAY, IRELAND MICHAEL GIBBONS: Graeme, thank you for joining us under some very unfortunate circumstances. Give us an update on your injury and course of action you've decided to take. GRAEME McDOWELL: Obviously not what I was looking for. I picked up a shin splint injury on Thursday on the golf course, and yesterday it got progressively worse, but I was still in position to get around the golf course. This morning after I warmed up, I was off the 10th tee at 7.25 and I was walking across to the 10th from the range, and I was really struggling to walk. I got straight on my phone to Dale Richardson, my physio, and he sent one of The European Tour physios to strap it up and get me in position to get around the golf course. Difficult conditions this morning, I'm not making any excuses but I was in a lot of pain and struggling to get around the nine holes anyway. So I just feel like 3- or 4-over par this morning, I'm not really in a position to attack this golf tournament, and on my physio's advice, I've got to take the rest of the weekend off and try and rest this up. It's got progressively worst last couple of days, and I can't really risk it with two very big events coming up the next two weeks. So unfortunately I'm going to have to withdraw. Q. Which leg? GRAEME McDOWELL: My right leg. Q. Have you ever had this before? GRAEME McDOWELL: I've had shin splints in the past, nothing too major. To be honest when I got it on Thursday morning, I didn't take it very seriously. I've had this before, I've had it and it rubs off in a couple of days. Like I say it was a little worse yesterday, and this morning it was extremely bad, extremely swollen. Not a lot of fun and basically just having some severe problems walking down the fairways. It's pretty tough to be in a good mood out there this morning anyway, but being in a lot of pain, as well, I wasn't exactly comfortable playing golf. Q. 77, 61, shin splints, you've had just about everything, emotions must be -- GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, I'm disappointed with the week that wasn't to be that was to be that wasn't to be, unfortunately. But I'm very disappointed obviously. Circumstances this morning, weather, the way I feel physically, obviously after the elation of yesterday and to the absolute lows of this morning, that's the game of golf that we all know and love unfortunately. I'm disappointed that I have to do it here. This is only my second withdrawal of my career and it's not something -- not something that I like to get in the habit of doing. But like I say, you know, circumstances, yeah, I'm a few over par out there on the golf course. I played myself out of the golf tournament and I'm not in position to attack the leaders, and the weather is not going to allow me to do that, either. Physically I can't put myself through that and I feel like I could jeopardise the next couple of weeks if I don't rest up and get it right this week. Q. What is your schedule? GRAEME McDOWELL: Wentworth and The European Open. Wales a question mark. I was hoping to play Austria, but with the cancellation there, that's kind of thrown my schedule a little bit off. So I'm hoping to maybe play the week before the U.S. Open in Memphis, but if that doesn't pan out, maybe I'll have to play Wales. Q. How serious do you think it is? GRAEME McDOWELL: You know, Dale doesn't really think it's anything quite serious, it's just a case of inflammation. I'm be taking some anti-inflams, and just a case of icing it and resting really. I've just got to be off my feet. Like I say, the more I've been walking on it the last couple of day, conditions have been soft out there, anyways, and it's not great for walking anyway. Like I say, I've had shin splints in the past, but not ones that have got progressively worse over a couple of days. Certainly I could strap it and go out there and grin and bear it, but am I doing myself anymore harm? Possibly. Q. How much were you aware of it yesterday while you were shooting 61? GRAEME McDOWELL: I mean, believe it or not, I came limping up the last fairway yesterday. When you're 10- or 11-under par, you're not exactly going to give up at that point. But yeah, I've been very aware of it the last couple of days, no doubt about it. I was certainly hoping things would be a little bit better off this morning, but like I say, on my trek from the range to the 10th tee, I was struggling enough to want to call my physio at four past seven in the morning and ask him could he come out and help me and maybe strap me up and do something to maybe get me out there. Certainly didn't want to be withdrawing this weekend. Q. Was it mostly the walking or was there pain during shots? GRAEME McDOWELL: There was no pain hitting shots at all. It was getting around the golf course. It's a tough enough walk out there, and it was just discomfort, major, major discomfort. Q. And what did you think about being out there anyway this morning? GRAEME McDOWELL: I thought it was pretty ridiculous, yeah. I thought it was -- you know, I couldn't understand why when they called it off, I really didn't feel like the wind was blowing much harder than it was when we teed it up. The course setup was all right. I feel a bit hard done by, you know, being on the toughest nine, in the toughest conditions and then when they called play, I was a bit like, what's going on here? The leaders have just teed off, it doesn't feel much tougher than it was two hours ago. I feel just a bit hard done, but you take the rough this morning, I'm sure the guys this morning feel hard done as well. Q. Yesterday you were saying the wind might do some people a favour or whatever. In terms of the weather, is there a solution to the Irish Open, even if we move it to July, will that make any difference? GRAEME McDOWELL: Obviously the politics of scheduling is very difficult. I would love to see this event moved three or four weeks ahead in the calendar. You know, it seems to have a little bit of a curse on this tournament: Fantastic venue, great sponsors and field, and the weather has not been kind to us at all, Carton House, Adare, and we've had some tough years. Maybe shed this off, have it a little later in the year and maybe get some sunshine. Q. In terms of moving the tournament to Portrush or Royal County Down, what would you think of that? GRAEME McDOWELL: I would love to see it go north. I'm biased, obviously. I'm a Portrush boy at heart and I would love to see the golf tournament go north of the border. It would say a lot about what's going on in Ireland as far as cross-border relations and such. I would certainly like to see it. I've said it many times this week, we have a great sponsor on board now, and this venue is fantastic. I think certainly the Dublin area is the place to have the Irish Open. You know, I just hope we can get some sunshine tomorrow and get a great winner and move this tournament forward. That's what we need to do with it. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Graeme, thank you. End of FastScripts |
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