|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 16, 2010Tom WatsonST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND Q. How was that last ride? TOM WATSON: Well, the last hole was one of the few birdies of today, just two. This golf course is tough today, and as I said yesterday, she was naked yesterday, but she put on her boxing gloves today and just hit us with all she had today, and it was a heck of a golf course today. I had a lot of fun playing it. I didn't play it my best. I made a mistake at No. 5, made double bogey there, and I three-putted there. But I'm thinking to make the cut with this type of wind, if I shot even par today on St. Andrews, I might have been able to sneak in there. Q. What was going through your mind, an emotional moment, the kiss, standing there, the applause, the celebration of your career? TOM WATSON: Well, I think the main thing was the respect I have for the way the game is played over here, the respect that the people have for their game. The Scots invented golf, and they love the game with a passion unlike any other people. I enjoy that. I learned from my father that passion, and I'm still looking for Eber (ph) Watson, Senior. Q. Was it difficult for you emotionally? TOM WATSON: No, it really wasn't. This is not my last Open Championship. I intend to play some more. But it's my last Open Championship at St. Andrews. Q. What happened to the fairy-tale chip-in at the 18th? TOM WATSON: Well, I pulled it just an inch is what I did. Q. What did you say to the crowd? You said something before you tapped in. TOM WATSON: Your typical -- what you say is, "is this a gimme?" Q. Was that just instinctive? TOM WATSON: It just seemed the right thing to. Q. How special is that bridge? And was there a little nostalgia going through your mind when you were standing there looking around? TOM WATSON: There was. I thought of Arnold on the bridge, I thought of Jack on the bridge, and their last Opens were both right here at St. Andrews. My last Open is not right here, the good Lord willing. The creek don't rise, as they say, and I have a few more years left thanks to the R & A's special exemption for me. Q. Talk about how special St. Andrews is to your life in golf. TOM WATSON: Well, when I first played here I didn't like it. I didn't like the blindness of the golf course and the bumps and the humps and the way it bounced. I learned to like it and eventually to love it. It's just you have to accept the luck of the bounce and the way the game is played on this golf course. And it tests you, it really, really tests you. That's why -- I like a hard test. Q. This was quite a test. TOM WATSON: This was a hard test today. Q. Was this the hardest ever at this course for you today? TOM WATSON: I'd have to say this was as hard -- maybe '95 when Daly won in the last round. It was blowing really hard when Daly won the last round. Q. (Inaudible.) TOM WATSON: There's no regret, no, none at all. I had my opportunities here and I didn't make the best of them. Q. Did you have any words for Ishikawa? TOM WATSON: I just simply said, "You're a fine player, and don't change things. You have a very fine golf swing." And I think that sometimes people get the idea that they can get better by making a major change in their golf swing, and that doesn't usually happen. It usually goes backwards when you do that. Q. How about your Champions Tour compatriot? TOM WATSON: How about that? Yeah, Calc. Third year in a row. That's right, Calc is right in there. You never know what's going to happen here. Q. He was pretty excited about his game, though, too. TOM WATSON: He hit some beautiful shots. How about that shot at 17 he hit? That was a heck of a shot. Q. Will Carnoustie next week be easy after today? TOM WATSON: Well, Carnoustie is never easy. Give me a break (laughing). That's a tougher golf course than this golf course. Q. Are you looking forward to next week? TOM WATSON: I am. Yeah, I am, very much so. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|