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THE CELTIC MANOR WALES OPEN

June 1, 2010

Phillip Price

NEWPORT, WALES

GORDON SIMPSON: Very familiar setting, good field this year, just give us your thoughts on this week's event.
PHILLIP PRICE: I'm guessing but this is probably the start of the build-up to The Ryder Cup, I imagine there will be more spoken about The Ryder Cup than actually The Wales Open this week, but that's probably a nice thing.
GORDON SIMPSON: Can't really escape that at this stage, can we?
PHILLIP PRICE: It's the talk in the building. Obviously Monty is playing and everyone will be asking a million questions which he probably doesn't want to answer yet.

Q. Have you seen the changes on the course?
PHILLIP PRICE: I'm a member but I haven't played for ages. Apparently they are very subtle. So I don't think we'll notice many of them. I think there are a lot of bunker changes, the way they look but I don't think there's anything obvious out there. Whatever it is, it's subtle. I'll find out tomorrow.

Q. How many times have you been up here?
PHILLIP PRICE: I bet I haven't played more than a dozen times in a year, not even that, a half a dozen times in a year. I'll drive down and practise once every three weeks probably.

Q. How far from your home is this?
PHILLIP PRICE: About 15 minutes.

Q. It may be a Ryder Cup year and it may be The Wales Open, but there's been a lot of Welshmen on the leaderboards, recently.
PHILLIP PRICE: Obviously Rhys Davis and Jamie Donaldson and Stephen Dodd has made a return to form, as well. It's been really good the last few months.
GORDON SIMPSON: There's a bit of excitement about Rhys, probably because he's young and fresh and different.
PHILLIP PRICE: And talented, a very special player, I think. As I said, he's a special personality. I think people are probably beginning to realise he's the best putter in the world and very confident and he's going to lead the way I think.

Q. Is it nice to have a week coming into the Wales Open where every year, talking about who the next home winner is going to be, do you feel there's less pressure on you?
PHILLIP PRICE: I mean, maybe not so much -- maybe the last three years, maybe five or ten years ago, it may have been a lot more fussing, but recent years, nobody cares what they say. It's been a lot easier I have to say.

Q. When you say that Rhys is the best putter in the world, fantastic on TV, how much have you known and watched his development?
PHILLIP PRICE: Not massively. I heard a little bit about his college career. Played with him in Abu Dhabi and practised with him a little bit, not every week, but a few times already, and mightily impressed. Really, really -- and I'm seeing the results, as well, watching on TV.

Q. What's his temperament? What's his best asset?
PHILLIP PRICE: His mind. His physical attributes are okay, but his mind, his confidence, the way that he deals with pressure, the way that he sees the world, I think is as good as you can see it.

Q. Very level-headed, is it the same on the golf course?
PHILLIP PRICE: He's mature, thinks in the right way for me, and he loves the game. I played with him when he was about 16.

Q. Before he won the British Boys'?
PHILLIP PRICE: Around that time, I would say.

Q. What do you think of him then?
PHILLIP PRICE: Looked pretty average. Didn't look anything special, physically, but he was showing us what he can do.

Q. Do you think the fact that he spent nine years before getting on Tour, rather than some of them are rushing out a lot younger, has allowed him to build that mature attitude gradually?
PHILLIP PRICE: I think some of them, Rory McIlroy is the one to do it. I think sometimes when they come out on Tour at 18, they get sucked into trying to make cuts and keep their card and make money and survive and they stay in that cycle for so long, and I don't think it's a good recipe for major success. It's limiting to go out with all of those thoughts all the time. Whereas Rory got his card in a few tournaments, Rory is not thinking of keeping his card and making cuts and making money. He's thinking, how am I going to be world No. 1.
I have to think Rhys has probably managed to do the same thing at a later time. He's 24 maybe, 25. Right now he's going to be able to focus his mind on how to be a really good player and not really worry about paying your expenses, which I think is a great way to be for a great player.

Q. Also talk in Wales about him being an outsider for The Ryder Cup; is that fanciful, the romance, is it getting ahead?
PHILLIP PRICE: I'm not sure whether he's going to play the schedule that will allow him to do it. I think some of the boys have won so much money already, Poulter or Westwood, and I'm not sure Rhys is going to play for enough money from now on in.
You know, if he could start again playing the right tournaments, I think he could make it, but I'm not sure if it's a little bit late for him to be playing in two events and majors and playing the best tournaments. The others may be too far ahead of him.

Q. He obviously went to America and did the Asian Tour, do you think that's all helped in the package?
PHILLIP PRICE: Yeah, I spent a little bit of time with him when he was on the Asian Tour, and he didn't mind where he was going; I'll fly anywhere. There are some guys, it's not easy to go out, but didn't bother him at all.
GORDON SIMPSON: Not scared of hard work.
PHILLIP PRICE: He was willing to do whatever he needed to do.

Q. You should remember how the pressure builds the closer you get; do you recall all that?
PHILLIP PRICE: Oh, yes.

Q. Does it change massively?
PHILLIP PRICE: Off the charts. I don't know who is going to be in the running shortly. I would probably say from, just have a guess, maybe the last two months, probably a crazy time, and it depends where you are.
So if you are -- it really depends who you are, and where you are on the list. You'll have guys who need a run of tournaments to make the team, just sort of outside, or I hung on, and it was an awful period of time.

Q. Do you think he's got the mental strength to cope with it if it comes?
PHILLIP PRICE: I do, yeah. I think he has -- I don't think he'll -- the time I spent with him, I don't think he'll experience the pressure, because I don't think it -- he doesn't seem to care what people think too much about him, which I think is a nice relief to have.
I think you just get on with playing, and if he makes it, he makes it. And if he doesn't, he doesn't. I think he'll look to be -- I don't think he'll experience the pressure just by the way that I understand him. I don't think he'll experience the pressure, because I don't think it's -- I don't think he feels social pressure of what people think about him.

Q. Does he seek you out for your advice?
PHILLIP PRICE: Maybe a little. We practise a little bit together, not massively. I think he's already got what he needs. I don't think there's a lot I've got to say that I could -- and I love what he's doing, so probably wouldn't advise him to do anything differently.

Q. How much of a difference do you think it would make to the crowd here for The Ryder Cup, were he to be on the side, not in terms of numbers, but in terms of the atmosphere?
PHILLIP PRICE: I think it would be nice. Not a massive difference I don't think. I think there will be enough -- I wouldn't say a massive difference.

Q. A lot of people are talking about this Ryder Cup, is this something that you would like to be involved in in some way, shape or form, in the back room?
PHILLIP PRICE: The way I'm playing -- I'd love to be involved, I'd love to be involved in some way, shape or form. I'm a member so I have tickets for my family. That will be the first one and whatever else comes along, it will be an important week for me whatever role I do.

Q. Monty has been on record saying he wants some kind of Welsh involvement. Has he approached you?
PHILLIP PRICE: Not at all. No, not at all. He's not said a word to me.

Q. When these Ryder Cups, like in Ireland, Woosie had Irish on the team and in Spain at Valderrama, as well, would you be surprised if there wasn't Welsh involvement?
PHILLIP PRICE: I don't think so. I think he's got to pick what he thinks best, and I don't think anybody really knows -- he's just got to pick the guys who he thinks are going to be his best support.

Q. Do you think there should be a Welshman in the back room? Is that a romantic thing that people sort of cling onto more?
PHILLIP PRICE: He's got to decide, does he think that's going to help things, or does he think that makes no difference. It's Monty's decision. He's got to decide who makes a difference. Monty is very popular himself and, I wouldn't call him Welsh but he's very popular. I played with him in The Wales Open last year for a few days and he's very popular. I think it was a great choice to have him. He's more popular here than everywhere except Scotland.

Q. He's got the course named after him and I think he's got celebrity things, as well.
PHILLIP PRICE: I think the crowd will love him and having him here will get the crowd excited.

Q. Why do you think that is?
PHILLIP PRICE: I really don't know. Maybe he's always supported The Wales Open, maybe he was in a great mood when he played last year. I mean, he was in a fabulous mood for two days and the crowd loved him. He's very popular here.

End of FastScripts

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