	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

November 4, 2009

Sergio Garcia

SHANGHAI, CHINA

SCOTT CROCKETT: Sergio, thank you very much for coming in and joining us, and welcome back to Sheshan as defending champion of the WGC - HSBC Champions. Just give us your thoughts, looking back to last year. It was a great victory for you and a memorable week.
SERGIO GARCÃA: Definitely. It was a wonderful week. I remember, you know, it was a long week; we finished on Monday. But it was one to remember for various reasons. One of them was I played nicely. The other one, thanks to my victory here at HSBC Champions, we got to No. 2 in the world, which is the highest we've ever been.
So, yeah, it was a great week and really looking forward to hopefully do something as good or similar as we did last year.
SCOTT CROCKETT: You had an interesting day yesterday in the centre of Shanghai hitting balls across the river, it's always fun to do something like that, something slightly different, isn't it.
SERGIO GARCÃA: Yes, we had a good, fun day hitting balls into the water, and a couple of pictures and we obviously did the presentation for the tournament and the press conference and stuff. It was good. Surrounded by three great players with Tiger, Phil and Y.E. Yang. It was a fun day and we are happy that we are here now and we are concentrating on the tournament this week. You know, hopefully play well and have a chance on Sunday.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Did you manage to hit across the river?
SERGIO GARCÃA: It was 550 yards. It was into the wind. (Laughter).

Q. You mentioned you left here last year as world No. 2 slightly slipped down a bit; how do you reflect a year on and do you look as this as a kick start to progressing backup in the World Ranking and Ryder Cup points?
SERGIO GARCÃA: I think so. It's a great opportunity to play well, like you said, and not only get some nice World Ranking points, but also get some good Ryder Cup points. We know it's a Ryder Cup year, so we always try to play a little harder in those kind of years. So that's my goal, too. So I'm looking forward to that.
I feel like the game is starting to be pretty good, so that's always a possibility.

Q. Would you rate that as disappointing? How would you rate going full circle back to here?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Yeah, on the performance kind of way, probably a little bit disappointing, but on -- if I had to think about it and how I've matured and how I learned from not only in golf but in life, I think it's been a very positive year. So you always have to look at it on the bright side.

Q. As the defending champion, does that bring pressure with expectation, or does it bring confidence, knowing what you've achieved here before?
SERGIO GARCÃA: No. I would say that it brings confidence. It brings me good thoughts. It's a course where I've always done well, so always a positive thing. There's no doubt you're thinking about defending your title.
But if I didn't win last year, I would be standing here trying to win the title again. So the main goal is still the same way.

Q. I'm trying to get a sense of whether this tournament is any different now, just because it has a World Golf Championships logo with it. Looking at all of the players on the wall here, what kind of tournament does it feel like to you?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Well, I think that this tournament was a great tournament before. Now, it's even better. So it's kind of taken a step into a higher level.
But you know, it was a very good tournament before. It had some really good players, too. Now it's just probably a little deeper field. But you know, when you talk about a World Golf Championships event, it's always a little bit special. So it definitely brings something else to the table.

Q. With The Race to Dubai going on, at what point do you say, right, okay, that is 2009 out of the way and I'm having a break now, and how do you use that time to sort of get yourself set up for 2010?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Well, we will be playing Dubai in a couple weeks, and then the World Cup at Mission Hills. And then that will be my year. So after that, I'll start getting ready for 2010 and we'll start a new year.

Q. And will that be a period of pure relaxation or will there be a period of reflection to strategise for 2010?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Well, I think it will be a little bit of both. There's no doubt that there will be some relaxing time which is needed. But at the same time, without letting go, we need to still work on some things, try to keep improving and you know, we'll take a little bit of rest and then get back on the horse and try to be as competitive as possible starting the first week we play.

Q. A personal question for you. Any reflection on your game, on your love affair?
SERGIO GARCÃA: If you affect it? Yeah, it definitely did a little bit. Not so much on the game but more than anything on the head. But yeah, I mean, we went through that, middle of the year, and you know, it took me a little bit to get over. But it's finally over and now I can focus on playing again, trying to do well and trying to improve. So that's the most important thing.

Q. Just looking ahead to 2010, what's most important to you? Is it winning majors? Getting up the ranking table, Ryder Cup? Can you prioritise that a little bit?
SERGIO GARCÃA: All three. (Smiling).

Q. Which is most important?
SERGIO GARCÃA: All three. (Still smiling).
SCOTT CROCKETT: Do you want to expand on that, Sergio.
SERGIO GARCÃA: All three. (Laughter).
SCOTT CROCKETT: Okay. I think we have got the picture there.
SERGIO GARCÃA: A mixture of all three.

Q. As we come to the end of this decade, what do you consider the greatest moment of this decade?
SERGIO GARCÃA: I don't know. I think that there have been -- I've been fortunate to have a good amount. Ryder Cup has come to mind. The PLAYERS comes to mind. I think all three victories last year definitely come to mind, for a couple different reasons. PLAYERS, for being as big a tournament as that is; and the one in Castellon for being the first one on my home course; and this one here at Sheshan for getting me to No. 2 ranking in the world.
But like I said before, I've been fortunate enough to have a good amount of good memories in this decade, so I can't complain too much about it.

Q. If you had to rank them, would you put team success over anything you accomplished individually, whether it's PLAYERS or HSBC or Castellon?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Well, it's different. I think we all know how much Ryder Cup means to not only me but to everybody that plays them. It's a different kind of success. I wouldn't like to putt different levels on it, so I'm happy with my individual victories and also with our victories in The Ryder Cup.
So I don't think that -- like I said, Ryder Cups are always special. But you know, every time you win something by yourself, it's also very nice, because you've worked really, really hard.

Q. In 2010, The Ryder Cup will go back to Europe --
SERGIO GARCÃA: Excuse me, in 2010, what?

Q. In 2010, The Ryder Cup will go back to Europe.
SERGIO GARCÃA: Yes.

Q. Do you think you have a big advantage playing in Europe as a European player, whether it's the course or the fans supporting?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Well, I definitely think that home advantage always helps, so there's no doubt that when we play in Europe, we feel a little bit more support and that probably helps a little bit more.
But you know, nowadays, golf is so global that when we play in the U.S., we also get a lot of supporters there, and we can manage to get through the hard-fighting Americans sometimes. But definitely, I will say that, yeah, playing in Europe is always a little bit -- gives us a little extra edge.

Q. 2016, golf will become part of the Olympic Games; which one do you prefer, an Olympic medal or major championship?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Well, a hard question to answer. I think that we'll have to get to that in 2016. From here till 2016, I would rather have majors, because we won't be playing any Olympic Games. But when we get to 2016, I think -- I hope that I'll be able to qualify for it. And first of all, I think it's going to be an unbelievable experience just to be a part of the Olympic Games, and then if you have the chance of winning a gold medal, it could be something amazing.
So I'm looking forward to it, but you know, there's still a long way to go, so at the moment, I want to focus on trying to win majors.

Q. What do you think about a World Golf Championships outside of America and in China, because China is not really developed for golf at the moment?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Well, I probably have to disagree with that. I think that there's been a lot of -- obviously it's the first time that a World Golf Championships event comes to China but there's been a lot of European Tour events here in China and they have done very well. So it's not like we just started playing in China.
Obviously the game of golf is growing up very fast here in this country, but you know, I think they are doing very well. You know, we are all very happy to see that they move a little bit and I think that that's why they called it World Golf Championships, because they should be moving around the world, so it's good to see one here.

Q. If this is not a World Golf Championships event here in Shanghai, would you like to play here, as well?
SERGIO GARCÃA: Well, I played it twice before, without it being a WGC, so yes, I would.
SCOTT CROCKETT: And I think it's fair to say, Sergio, you did quite well last year when it wasn't a WGC event.
SERGIO GARCÃA: I like that picture (looking at last year's trophy presentation photo).
SCOTT CROCKETT: Hopefully you'll do as well this year, Sergio, and thank you for your time. Good luck this week.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297