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ST. JUDE CLASSIC PRESENTED BY FEDEXJune 11, 2009Jose Maria OlazabalMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE JOEL SCHUCHMANN: At the time we'd like to welcome Jose Maria Olazabal to the media center here at the St. Jude Classic. Nice start for you, four birdies, no bogies. 66. Few opening comments about a good day for you. JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: It was an excellent day. I didn't expect it, to be honest, but that's the game of golf. I played pretty solid today and managed to score well. I have to say that the greens were a little bit softer after the rain, and I think that helped a little bit, and that's it very much. JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Okay. We'll go into questions. Q. How are you feeling just in general? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I'm feeling okay. Not a hundred percent, not pain-free, but, you know, okay. Q. This has got to be encouraging, the last month or so, has it? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Yes. I've been struggling with my game. I haven't been able to give proper shots. You know, especially the driving has been my Achilles, again earnings, and today I managed to keep it on the fairway but still a little suspicious. I think that's very important for me. If I'm -- I manage to hit fairways, obviously, happens to everybody, it's a little bit easier when you get into it from the fairway, but for me, I mean that is very important. Q. Can you just talk about the ups and downs of the last couple of years, struggling? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: It's been tough. I'm not going to -- I don't want to say otherwise. It's been a tough two years, very painful. Haven't been able to do much at all. Haven't been able to exercise for two years now. I couldn't do much for a year and a half, just lay down and -- you know, quite unpleasant. It's something that I don't wish on anybody. Q. What it's like then to come in and play a very good round like this, given -- JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: It's encouraging without a doubt. But I have to be realistic, and this is my sixth event this year. Last year I only played like three, four. I haven't played, you know, much golf at all, and I know that my game, you know, is not where it should be. Obviously to have a round like today or to have a tournament like at Hilton Head, those things help. It helps you to be positive, to go to the driving range, to do whatever is needed for you in trying to be as prepared as possible, and, you know, it's important. Q. Can you talk about getting into the Hall of Fame and kind of your emotions about that? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: That is very special. Seve was there. It's been part of it for me. Seve, he's been an important figure, but to be -- to belong or to be at least a part of such a select group of people that have achieved obviously great things in the game of golf, but at the same time, people that have done so much for the game of golf and have opened so many doors and, you know, they put the game of golf that it is today, you know. The game of golf is what it is today because of them. To be part of that select group, I mean obviously is very, very special and it's a huge honor for me to be part of that. Q. Can I ask what the last contact you had with Seve and how he's doing? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Yeah. Last week. You know, he's doing well. He's in high spirits. Obviously the fact that Jack called him and, you know -- I think it came at the right time. You know, I think he's working hard, he's doing two hours of rehab every today, hour and a half everyday at least. He's not giving up. He's in high spirits, and I think these little things for him, they mean so much that, you know, it's wonderful. Q. I'd be curious, if you wouldn't mind answering this one, too. When they switch grooves next year, A, how much testing do you think you're going to need? And B, how much of a difference do you think that's going to make on Tour? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: The difference is going to be noticeable, quite noticeable. Now having said that, the players will have to figure out what to do in order to, you know, compensate that loss of the spin. We might have to go to a softer ball, might try different things. It's going to affect the whole game, because you go to a softer ball, obviously you're going to lose distance off the tee. With that loss of spin, especially with a sand wedge around the greens, you know, those pin positions might not be as accessible as they are these days. We're going to have to figure out how the ball is going to come out of the rough. I think it's going to affect the whole game. But it's going to be interesting what happens next year. Q. Are you in favor of it? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Yes, I am, yeah. I don't understand how can you hit the ball in the rough and spin the ball on the green hitting it from the rough. I mean, when I grew up, those things were out of the question. Q. You wish they had done this five years ago? Maybe ten? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: You know, I think the improvement on the materials, I think they help also a lot of the amateurs, and I think that, you know, that has brought a lot of people to play the game of golf, but, you know, I think it's going to be a good thing. I think we're going to see a little bit of different golf next year. That's my point of view. Q. Was there a fear of golf getting so big, so long? I even think of I love this man, Alvaro Quiros, who hits it 560 yards, I think. JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Listen, I mean, it's not just the distance because of the material. You look at the players these days, physically how well they are prepared, how good they take care of their bodies. You know, they go in the gym, work really hard. They do whatever is needed to get those arms stronger and back stronger to be able to hit it harder, to swing it harder. It's not just the clubs and the ball. Listen, if you look 15, 20 years back and you look at the players of those days and these days, I mean especially the young players coming now, they're athletes. Obviously, we do have a huge example on Tiger, but I mean there is a lot of players that, you know, are coming on Tour now and 6 feet tall, and they have wide shoulders and big arms, and they're ready to, you know, feed it along. It's not just the material. I'm sure that you give those guys an old driver and old ball, they will still hit it long. Obviously, not as long but, you know -- longer than what we used to hit. Don't take all credit to the material. Q. With where you're at physically, how far in advance are you able to set your schedule? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Pretty much like a month or so. I made the schedule to play last week and this week like four weeks in a row. That's how far I can go. I played in a couple weeks. I can hold on okay. I go to the trailer there, and they treat me and I can manage to go on for a couple weeks. I'm trying to take it as -- as I can, but, at the same time, I'm pushing myself as much as I can. Q. Where do you play next? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I'm going home, and I'm not sure. Most probably it will be the French Open. I don't think I'll play any before that. Q. How do you get to the Open? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Which Open? Q. British. JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I have to qualify. The qualifying was on Monday last week when we were at Memorial so I couldn't play that one. In order to get to the Open, I would have to go and qualify the Monday and Tuesday of Loch Lomond, which is the week prior to the Open. That's my last chance. Q. Or you could finish high at the French? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I would have to -- I don't think by finishing higher at the French I would be able to make it. The other possibility is to do very well at Loch Lomond and be the best player that is not otherwise qualified for the Open. That's the other chance. Q. Will you go to the local qualifier? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Yes. Q. You will do that. I'm sorry to keep you here much longer, but I'm curious, is there any part of you especially being European that wishes they still had everybody come to the 36-hole qualifying when it was the Saturday, Sunday before the Open instead of one in America, one in Europe, on in Asia? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: The game of golf has become so global that, you know, that would be completely unfair. You wouldn't be able to hold that many people, you know, those 36 holes. I think they've done the right job trying to get qualifiers all around the world so people have the option to, you know, play those qualifiers near to where they live and give themselves a chance to play at the Open. Q. Can you at least pick your course, pick your links there for the qualifying? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No. Whatever. I'm playing in the week before in the French, so I won't have any problem anywhere. Q. When is the last time you did that at the links qualifying? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I've done it -- when was it? 2005, I think it was and '06, that's right. In '06 I tried with my painful feet and all that. I think those events are really special like the U.S. Open. The Open, for us it's a huge event. Has a lot of history, lot of tradition. The crowds there are special, truly special. They're really very knowledgeable of the game of golf, and they don't mind if it's a U.S. player or Asian player or South African. They will cheer for a good shot. Doesn't matter who has hit it. It's a special event. Q. 2005 worked out good for you? JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Worked out alright, yeah, except for a couple guys that finished before me. JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Any more questions? Alright. Thank you. JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Thanks a lot. End of FastScripts |
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