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VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONSJanuary 25, 2011Sergio GarciaKINGDOM OF BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN SCOTT CROCKETT: Sergio, thanks, as always, for coming and joining us. Welcome to the Volvo Golf Champions at Bahrain. We last saw you in action in Dubai last year. Just give us your thoughts on what you've been doing and take us over the winter period. What's that been like for you? SERGIO GARCIA: No, it's been good. So like I said, we played in Dubai, the Dubai World Championship last year. Then we go back home to Spain. We had a little event we play every year there with the Spanish pros and stuff, and after that, I just kind of have been chilling. Spent some time in Switzerland in our place there in Crans. Spent a little bit of time in the U.S., too. So, yeah, it's been good and now just getting ready for this week and for the year and slowly kind of getting up to it. SCOTT CROCKETT: We spoke to a lot of the guys last week in Abu Dhabi last week who are keen to get started again. Clearly you have that feeling now, one week later, you're keen to get the season underway. SERGIO GARCIA: Definitely, looking forward to it. So just looking forward to playing, looking forward to enjoying it out there, and hopefully you know, have a good time and do some of the things we know how to do. So it's obviously some work that needed to be done, but I think as the week goes on, we'll get better. SCOTT CROCKETT: I know it's early to tell, you only had nine holes today, but how did the game feel out there. SERGIO GARCIA: It feels fine. So I guess like I said before, as the week goes on, you kind of get into the competition mode and you start kind of getting used to it. So I think that it will be nice and hopefully we can off to a good start, get some good confidence on our side. Q. So last week, Ollie was saying that now he's the captain, that he thought that your experience of being there at Celtic Manor would make a big difference to you and would help you to really feel excited about your golf and about getting on the next Ryder Cup to play under his captaincy. SERGIO GARCIA: Definitely. Ryder Cup, I've always said Ryder Cup is very special to me and it was no different in Wales. So I think it was a good experience. Not one that I'm looking forward to repeating any time soon, because I would rather be inside -- well, I mean, I was inside the ropes, but I would rather be playing golf. Yeah, looking forward to it, and like I said, build some momentum and enjoy it and have a good time out there and kind of get our game back to where we know we can get it. So it's obviously a working process but I'm looking forward to it and excited for the challenges. Q. We all know it was a tough year for you last year, have you done much over the winter break sort of thinking about last season, have you changed anything heading into the new year or set yourself a New Year's resolution? SERGIO GARCIA: No, not much. Just worked on the game. Just tried to improve on it and like I said, just try to have a good time out there, try to enjoy it as much as we can and I know that if we are able to do that, then we are in good shape. So hopefully we can manage to do that, but you know, you've got to be patient and hopefully we start really nicely. If not, we will keep working on it and improve on that. Q. You took a break after the PGA; is there a sense there that you were not enjoying the game as much as you used to, that you needed to make a change to go into the future? SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, obviously I wasn't. I wasn't playing like I wanted to, and when you don't play the way you know how to play, obviously it's a bit more frustrating. It was something that I felt like I needed to do, and now I'm looking forward to kind of restart and get going. So I'm looking forward to it, which is a positive, and I'm just looking forward to hopefully doing well. Q. Have you in the interim been able to put your finger on what actually caused you to not get enjoyment from the game as you used to? SERGIO GARCIA: Probably playing badly. Not playing well. Q. How does Sergio GarcÃÂa not play well for a sustained period? SERGIO GARCIA: It happens to everyone. It happens to everybody. And I don't know, I think that you kind of lose yourself out there. And you have to try to find your way back, find yourself again, like I said last year, I needed to kind of find myself first and from then on, kind of work on the game and try to improve it. So like I said before, it's a working process, and I'm looking forward to it, and looking forward to the challenges. It doesn't mean it's going to be easy, but you know, I hope that I can improve on it and get going. I'm definitely looking forward to it a bit more than I was before, so that's always a positive. Q. I don't think journalists are supposed to say this, but great to see you back anyway. Volvo just re-launched one of the models, the S60, and wonder if this is like the re-launch of Sergio Garcia's career, and what bells and whistles might you have on the game that you've been working on. SERGIO GARCIA: No, I wouldn't go as far as that. I think that obviously the last couple of years have been a little bit slow for me but I don't think that it's gone down that far I think. No, like I said before, just been working on the game, been working on trying to enjoy as much as possible and hopefully we'll be able to do that. That's the main goal. If we manage to achieve that, the rest will come fairly easy. Q. Do you think there's a direct correlation between you enjoying golf and loving golf and actually getting your game back on track and getting back into the upper echelons of the World Ranking? SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, I would say so. Everything will go together. I think if I manage to work on it, like I said, having fun and being willing to be out there trying to do my best, then I think that definitely everything will come together and everything will work itself out. Q. What did you know about Bahrain before coming here, and what have you heard about the course that Colin designed? SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, well, my father did come a couple of years, played on The Seniors Tour, and he told me a bit about it. Obviously it's similar to like places we have been in Qatar and Dubai and things like that, maybe not developed as much as Dubai might be, but you know, it's quite similar. Of course, it's nice. It's challenging. It's very challenging around the greens. It's in very nice shape. Fairways and tees are immaculate. So I think that like every week, it depends a little bit on the weather. If it firms up and there's a little bit of breeze it can play quite tough, a lot of tough pin positions that you can put out there. So I guess it depends a little bit on how the week goes onto see how the course will kind of develop as the week goes on with the weather. Q. I know you've said you're found yourself, but have you injected anything new into the mix so that now you're coming back, it makes it more exciting apart from hoping that you play better? SERGIO GARCIA: No, not really. I think that mainly like I said before, I need to make sure that to try to enjoy it as much as possible, and I think that if I manage to do that, the rest, it will come up, because I'll be a lot freer when I'm playing. So it's not easy, but I think that if we manage to do it, we'll get back on the track that we should be. Q. But does that mean going out more in the evenings, playing more tennis, not staying in your hotel room? SERGIO GARCIA: A little bit of everything. I think that you know me, you know how I've always enjoyed everything I do; so not only golf. When I go out there and play tennis, I try to do it as well as possible, because I'm a competitor. And same thing with football or anything like that. So I try to be as competitive as possible. Obviously with enjoying it and everything, that always helps. And there's definitely, I mean -- there's definitely times where I will be out there playing tennis. I brought my racquet. It doesn't mean that I'm going to be 24/7 on the golf course. Q. Just going back to that, I know you don't want to go over it, but I don't think I've ever seen a golfer as low as you go. How low did you get, Sergio? SERGIO GARCIA: How low did I get? No, I think I did get a little bit, but like I said before, it happens to everyone. You've just got to learn from those things. Q. Do you think the time you started learning was when you realised how low you had got -- do you know what I mean? SERGIO GARCIA: No, I think I learned a little bit before that. There's slumps that you go through, in everything, but obviously in golf where it's an individual sport and you are the only one that can take care of yourself out there. So there's no one else to cover you like might happen in football or anything like that. So you just have to realise from those things, make sure that it makes you stronger and makes you a better person, and then when you go out there and just try to learn from those mistakes and get better. Q. On a separate subject, Sergio, you host a tournament yourself each year, which I went to for the first time in year, and you've obviously got a certain amount of pressure on you when you're doing it. How do you feel for Colin now that he's playing on a course he's designed? SERGIO GARCIA: I think there's a lot of things going on when you're hosting a tournament like we do in Castellon, but at the same time, it's very enjoyable to see your colleagues come and play your golf course and enjoy it, and see the comments they have about the week and stuff. So it's very interesting. You know, it can work both ways, but if you try to take it the right way, it can be very enjoyable to host everyone. Q. How pleased were you for José Maria to be appointed? SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, very. I think that we all had an idea that he had a chance of being the captain for The European Team in The Ryder Cup. Obviously depending a little bit on how he felt and everything. I think it's great. I think it's going to be an amazing captain. He's been there a couple of times as vice captain and things like that, and he's done a great job. So we are looking forward to seeing him. Q. What does he bring to the European Team as a captain? What are his qualities? SERGIO GARCIA: He brings so many things. He brings so much charisma, so much passion. We know him and Seve, how much The Ryder Cup means to them and how they have done in them. So it's just -- I think until the week comes, it's hard to say, but I'm really sure it's just going to be amazing. Q. We are still a long way away before we go to the States for The Ryder Cup but you want to be a part of that team, don't you? SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, definitely. Q. On the same subject, Jose Maria's actual words were that he was delighted to see you there because he felt that being there and not playing in The Ryder Cup would give you the kick on the back side that you needed; - how frustrating was that standing there watching? It was his expression. SERGIO GARCIA: It was a bit frustrating, because even though you try to do as much as possible and you try to help the team as much as you can, obviously when you're not playing you feel like you're a little bit left out. But it was a great experience, too. So I loved every bit of it because The Ryder Cup is very special. But it was hard -- I wouldn't say it was frustrating, because it was hard just watching everybody play and not being a part of the game itself. Q. Were you reading all of the putts for the guys in your head? SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I mean, I was definitely seeing things and shots and stuff like that. But unfortunately, I wasn't able to hit them. Q. When was the last time Sergio GarcÃÂa felt like Sergio GarcÃÂa on the golf course? Was it at THE PLAYERS Championship when you won? SERGIO GARCIA: No, I wouldn't go as far back as that. There's been good weeks even in these two years where I felt good out there. But unfortunately it's just been a lot of up-and-downs I guess. So you know, there's been positives about these last couple of years. It has not all been negative. That's the important thing to see all of those things and kind of make sure that they make you, like I said before, not only a better player but a better person and just learn from those. SCOTT CROCKETT: As Mike said, it is good to see you back. Good luck this week. End of FastScripts |
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