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ABU DHABI GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPJanuary 22, 2010Rick KulaczABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SCOTT CROCKETT: Many thanks for coming down and joining us, and congratulations on an extraordinary afternoon out there, 11 birdies, five pars all day. It was exciting to watch, and I'm sure it was exciting for you to be a part of. Give us your thoughts. RICK KULACZ: Yeah, well, got off to a really good start. I birdied 10 with a 2-putt and hit it to probably two feet on 12. So the momentum was there straightaway. I got a really good break on 18 and holed it from 40 feet up the hill, and maybe a better break on 1 with a kick-in from over the back of the green, and that was going to be at least 20 feet past. A couple of birdies there where I was looking at pars or bogeys and kept the momentum doing. And a got hot putter on front nine, which was my back nine, and kept it going for the whole nine making putts and birdie. SCOTT CROCKETT: We hear players talk about being in the zone all the time; I assume that was a classic example of that? RICK KULACZ: Yeah, I just tried to get it on the green anywhere, and the putts just seemed to be going in. It was just one of those days where everything went my way and hopefully I can keep that going the next two days. Q. Earlier today Sergio came in and reached 11-under and said playing early in the morning when there wasn't the breeze, that helped him. Did the breeze get less as you went around? RICK KULACZ: It was pretty strong when we got around to 15, 16, 17 and those are holes you don't want to be playing into the wind, 17, especially. Once we got on to the front nine, it died down probably the last few holes and it was getting dark. You know, everybody is going to get bad draws every now and then. You just have to take it with a grain of salt. Q. Can you tell us what you are remember about taking up the game, something about an asthma attack and getting to see Greg Norman? RICK KULACZ: Yeah, I think I was about three years old and had a late night asthma attack, and from what my parents tell me, that I couldn't sleep, about one o'clock in the morning and the British Open was on, the '88 British Open. I was three at the time and Norman was playing and seemed to catch my eye and the next week my dad took me down to the golf course, just a public luck one and been playing golf ever since. A good introduction to the game. So I guess Norman and the TV got me into golf. Q. Where does that round rate in your career, given the performance at Q-School? RICK KULACZ: Yeah, definitely Top-5. I think the one at Q-School is probably better under the circumstances being a little more pressure and having that round allowed me to be here today. Actually I'm here on an invite but to get to Europe that last round was pretty special at Q-School. Q. Do you still get the asthma attacks? RICK KULACZ: No, not as bad anymore. It's not as bad, I'm sort of growing out of it slowly. Q. Do you have an inhaler with you? RICK KULACZ: Yeah. Q. What would you regard as your greatest golfing achievement so far? RICK KULACZ: That's a tough question. Probably winning in the New South Wales Open as an amateur, three years ago, when I came back from four shots behind in the last round and shot 65. So that was pretty special at the time and still one that ranks pretty highly for me. Q. And as a professional? RICK KULACZ: Well, my first win as a professional in the Brunei Open on the Asian Tour. I holed a bunker shot on the first playoff hole to win. That was pretty special as well. That was my first win as a pro. Q. Was the New South Wales Open an Australian Tour event? RICK KULACZ: Yeah, on the second tier. Q. You said you watched Greg Norman play on television and became fascinated with the game. Have you had any other interaction -- is he your idol, and have you had any interaction with him or have you learned something from him, talking to him? RICK KULACZ: He was probably my idol as a youngster, yeah. A lot of the guys growing up in Australia had Greg Norman on a pedestal. Actually after the New South Wales Open, I played with him in the third round of the Australian Open and that was pretty special. That was in 2006. Man, he could still play. My mates at home were asking, how is his game, was it all right and a few years later, he nearly wins the British Open. Obviously he can still play. I haven't spoken to him. I haven't spoken to him since I played with him. Q. You commended yourself on the way you dealt with the pressure at Q-School. Do you feel as though you've got the character to deal with the pressure of leading a tournament as big as this one? RICK KULACZ: I have no idea. We'll see the next two it days, tomorrow at least. But completely different story. Top players in the world are still in the U.S., so it's going to be a challenge. I'm definitely going to learn something the next couple of days and just try and take it all in and try to keep getting better. SCOTT CROCKETT: Very well done. Thank you and good luck tomorrow. End of FastScripts |
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