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ALSTOM OPEN DE FRANCE

June 30, 2010

Jose Maria Olazabal

PARIS, FRANCE

RODDY WILLIAMS: Welcome to the Alstom Open de France, and I think everybody in golf is delighted to see you back here. So first of all, tell us how you're feeling, because it's been a while since you last played.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, it's been a while, yeah. Well, I feel better. I cannot say I'm feeling good or 100 per cent pain-free. But there has been some improvement the last couple of months, and even though I haven't been able to practise like one should to be competitive, I'm giving it a try this week, see how I hold on this week, and then I take another big break pretty much the whole summer and see if I can get rid of that remaining pain and be able to play at the end of the season a few events; we'll see.
RODDY WILLIAMS: You've been close to coming back a couple of events, Madeira and the BMW PGA, what's changed over the last couple of months, and you can if talk us through the injury over the last few months, as well.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, what's changed is the level of the pain. It not as painful as it was a couple of months before, and that's the only thing that has changed, actually, nothing else. It's down to that. They know what the problem is, but what they don't know is what is causing it. The tendons are swelling a little bit, especially in the shoulder areas and that's what is stopping me to come back.
RODDY WILLIAMS: This tournament seems to have meant a lot to you over the years. You've been a great supporter of this tournament; what's so special about this event for you?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, first of all, The French Open is one of the oldest Opens is that we play still on Tour. And secondly, Bernhard Pascassio, took a risk here, without paying any fees to top players and putting all of the money in the purse, making the tournament stronger. The early years, it was tough, but I think this year, the field is very strong, and it's more down to the respect that the -- well, the management decision here, he did a wonderful job. He brought this tournament from being one of the top events. It went down on the Tour but he brought it back up and again, it's one of the strongest tournaments that we have all year long. So, you know, great credit to him.

Q. When you talk about the level of pain, how much level of pain have you been in?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, it's hard to say how much pain. How do you judge that? Every individual is different but I've been in a lot of pain, let's put it that way; when you struggle to move around, raise a glass of water off bottle of water, it's quite severe, yeah.

Q. Have you been to see doctors --
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: I've seen a bunch of doctors already, yeah. I've been pretty much all over the place. But they really kind of -- as I said, kind of pinpoint what is causing it.

Q. Must be frustrating.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Yeah, it is. Yeah.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Exciting times for European golf in general. I'm sure that you've watched the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, first European to win a U.S. Open for 40 years; can you talk a little about that victory of Graeme McDowell and also how things are looking in the state of European golf at the moment.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, regarding the victory of McDowell, it was due to come. I remember when I was playing on the U.S. Tour, that question came up quite often, I mean, why a European didn't manage to win the U.S. Open for so long.
And the answer I gave, it was going to be a matter of time, because we do have strong players with the character that is needed to win those events. We were close a bunch of times even though we didn't wrap it up, but this time, McDowell did it and did it in great style. He held on very well.
I managed to know him better at Valhalla and he showed a lot of character. He kept his coolness down the stretch at The Open, he held his emotions very well. It was a great victory. I take my hat off to him, because what he did is not easy.
And European golf nowadays I think is doing very well. I mean, look at the results we are happening. Players like Lee, Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose has managed to win an event in the States, Ian Poulter. There's a bunch of players who are really strong and have a lot of years ahead of them. I think European golf is very strong and very good.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Do you believe we could entering another Golden Era similar to what Seve began in the 70s and 80s and you carried on?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: It's very difficult. The competition nowadays is very strong. You have to take into consideration players like Tiger and Phil and there are a bunch of players that are very, very strong ask very, very hard to beat.
But having said that, as I said before, we do have a group of players now in Europe that they are showing the right signs to be up there. So I think, as I said before, I mean, European golf is in good shape.

Q. Your thoughts on GrÃ©gory Havret, his performance at Pebble Beach, and also what it means for French golf?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: He did a wonderful U.S. Open also. He was down the stretch with a chance to win, and on top of that, we have to say that he was playing with Tiger, which made that achievement even a little bit more special, because it's not all that easy to play with Tiger. You know, there is a lot of people following the match, and you know you are on the spotlight playing with him, so he did very well.
But at the same time, French golf is in good shape, also. They do have very good players, four or five very strong players. Actually GrÃ©g managed to beat the field a couple of years ago, two years ago in Loch Lomond in the playoff he managed to beat the field. But on top of that, have players like RaphaÃ«l Jacquelin, Bourdy, Thomas Levet. They do have good players. Obviously they need -- it's true that they need one of those big wins to help the cause, but they are on the right track.

Q. Goals this week?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: I have no expectations to be honest. I played 18 holes yesterday and when I played the Pro-Am today, I know I haven't practised the way it's needed to be competitive. But it's not -- I'm not so much worried about the scoring that I can make. It's more down to how I holed on.
Hopefully, hopefully, four days, that will be fantastic; that will be a great achievement to be honest, after being laid off for so long and not being able to practise properly. And just to play decent golf, that will be the goal this week.

Q. Are you on pain medication?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: No, I'm taking some anti-inflammatories now and then but that's it at the moment. I've been, obviously, you know, that I was taking some very, very strong medication that was affecting the immune system and all that, so we had to stop that. Well, but at the moment -- every now and then, some anti-inflammatories depending on out strong the pain is, and that's it.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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