WGC EMC WORLD CUP

November 14, 2001

Sergio Garcia

Miguel Angel Jimenez

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I think it is going to be great, to be paired with Miguel. I think it's going to be very exciting and this event. It's my first World Cup, and I played here two years ago at the Taiheiyo. The course made some changes and they look really good. Just looking forward to start and give it our best chance.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: I do very much from the format they used to play, stroke play. For me, so it's good to play with Sergio in this World Cup here in Japan and it's always very nice to represent my country.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I certainly think so. I feel that Miguel is playing very well. I'm playing quite well, too. I've got to go check my back a little bit because it's been bothering me for a couple of weeks since THE TOUR Championship and it didn't feel that great today, but hopefully I will get it sorted out and we will be able to play our best golf. I think that if we play well, both of us, more than anything, if we are able to do well when the other partner is doing bad; that's the most important thing always. It's useless to make eight birdies, both of us, and then make five of them on the same hole. So hopefully we will be able to get that sorted out. And if we are able to do that, I think that we have a good chance of winning.

SERGIO GARCIA: I actually don't know really what it is. I checked it at THE TOUR Championship; that was the first time it happened to me. It looked like a knot, just right next to the erector (ph) , it's on the upper back. It just hurts on the follow-through. I've been getting massages and yesterday, I went to the Japanese baths and I went to the jacuzzi a couple of times, too. I'm trying to get it sorted out. But the good thing in Houston, because it was warmer, it was easy to get it -- to warm it up and not hurt as much. Here, because it's a little cold, it kind of hurts a little more, but hopefully it won't bother me.

SERGIO GARCIA: No, I don't think so. If it would have been, it would have been sooner than this. It's just, I think I just maybe slept on a bad position during Houston and it's just hasn't gone away.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I think one of the biggest differences is they put some new tees on a lot of holes. Like they made the par -3 7, 8, they made them longer. 3, they made it longer. Well, there's quite a lot of new tees and some new things on the greens, too. But I think it's going to be tough, for sure. I mean, for example, 17, I remember we used to hit a 7-iron or something like that and now we are hitting 3-iron to that green. So it does make a difference. But in this kind of format, in the four-ball, the scores will still be low because the greens are in such good shape, you can make a lot of putts. But in the foursomes I think is when it's going to be the most important thing of the tournament -- to try to keep it low on the foursomes, if you're able to do that you should be able in good shape.

SERGIO GARCIA: Not really.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: I didn't change anything. I stay with the same clubs.

SERGIO GARCIA: Same clubs I played at THE TOUR Championship, yeah.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Superstitions? Nah.

SERGIO GARCIA: I don't think so, no. My partner. My partner. That's my good luck. (Laughs).

SERGIO GARCIA: Not really. We've talked a little on the course today about who is going to tee off first. It looks pretty similar because I think there's two par 5s that are odd numbers and two par 5s that are not. And then there's the par 3s, I don't know, I have to check, but it looks pretty similar, too. Yeah, so we'll see. We'll see how it feels and we still have to talk about it. But, I don't know what, who is going to tee it up first or not.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Depending how we play tomorrow, maybe I play all the tee shots. (Laughs).

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I don't really think it's that difference. We are both players, very aggressive. I might be a little longer than Miguel, but I think he hits the ball very straight and that's always very important. So I think we are going to be complemented pretty good. I think we are going to be combined pretty good because it's important to hit it long, but it's important to hit it in the fairway, too. So if we are able to do that, for the foursomes, should be good.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I think that we can defeat them. Of course, if we are playing well and we combine ourselves good, we should have a chance of winning. But I think there are, other than the Americans, there's a lot of teams out there that can really win this tournament. Like South Africa I think is a great team with Retief and Ernie. Vijay has been playing well. So, I don't know, there's -- I'll say there's probably about five or six teams that can have a good chance of winning this tournament. So I'm looking forward to seeing what happens during the tournament.

SERGIO GARCIA: I'll say so, yes. I think Maruyama has been playing very well and his partner is a good player, too. He's done really good things. I think they do have a chance, but it's tough because foursomes is very difficult. If you're able to manage yourself on those foursomes, you should be able to have a chance, but I think Japan is a good team.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, he uses Srixon and I use Titleist.

SERGIO GARCIA: Titleist.

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: We have to see.

SERGIO GARCIA: I don't know, we'll have to talk about it. I don't mind playing with any ball, but we'll talk and depends on what we feel is the best ball to play for both. I don't know, they are pretty similar balls and we'll just see what happens.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I think what's great for me, it was a very nice experience and it was something I was looking forward to. But more than just the thing of winning, I think what has been great because I've done well in Europe and I've done well in the States and I've just been improving my game. My stroke average has been getting lower and that's what you always try to do. So I'm just going to try to keep doing the same thing, keep improving and I'll try to give myself a chance for next year at the majors and let's see what we can do there.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, it's funny because it's been going on for this year, I'll say. It is just something that I felt comfortable with. I don't think I'm doing it as much anymore, but it's just the way I feel the best to hit the ball. You know, I can't really just stand still so I just do it that way. It's not a big deal.