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VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONSJanuary 26, 2011Paul CaseyKINGDOM OF BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN SCOTT CROCKETT: Ashes aside, let's turn to you. Welcome to the Volvo Golf Champions. Always nice to see you. Let's talk about last week, Abu Dhabi, how would you describe last week? A bit up-and-down? PAUL CASEY: Yeah, just he very rusty. I played very nicely on the weekend. Saturday was the highlight with the hole-in-one. The rest of it was just average. Didn't really do anything brilliantly. Maybe it wasn't disastrous. It was just a bit sort of flat. So I still didn't see 24-under par. That was a phenomenal performance. SCOTT CROCKETT: And have you already booked your next first three nights in the Emirates Palace? PAUL CASEY: No, haven't yet, but I'm definitely going to use that prize, whether it's for it Grand Prix or other -- Volvo Ocean Race, whatever it might be, other stuff that I would genuinely get out to Abu Dhabi to watch, it's going to be a good prize. SCOTT CROCKETT: And the game today? How was it out there. PAUL CASEY: Pretty good. Speaking of the Ocean Race, I played with the skipper for the Abu Dhabi boat. We had a great time. Shot 22-under. I played nicely. Tee-to-green, I was okay and I think the golf course, pretty good tee-to-green. It's clearly interesting once you arrive on the greens. But with the green speeds, there's no reason why you can't hole putts and make birdies out there. Q. Just wonder if you can elaborate, brand new course, brand new tournaments, what are your thoughts on Monty's design? PAUL CASEY: It's clearly going to get a bit of schtick from the players, but I think -- I'll be honest, from tee-to-green, it's a pretty decent layout. I like it. It's almost like the plans came in for the greens and they got multiplied, significantly (laughing). Just very severe slopes. I think the guys will actually play the golf course very well and make putts on them. What it does it just limits pin positions, and you know, I'm sure The European Tour would like more options on the greens, as well. But it is what it is. It's wonderfully prepared, and there's a tournament to win this week. So I think the guys who are at the top of the leaderboard will put their opinions about this golf course to one side and try to figure out a way around it. Q. As a child, did you ever play crazy golf? I mean, do you like to have a bit of fun on the greens and a bit of a challenge? PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I like crazy golf. (Smiling). I like the challenge. There are one or two which are clearly too severe. There are a few greens which are actually the perfect -- 9 green I think is a perfect green for a par 5 for that particular hole. It's very well done. You're just going to have to be creative and you're going to have occasions where the ball is going to roll off the green or roll into a big swale, and how do you deal with that. Do you laugh at it, or do you get angry. So, I usually laugh at it when I play crazy golf (smiling). Q. You've become conversant with Monty's course; have you actually spoken to Monty himself? PAUL CASEY: Yes. Q. Ah, how did that go? PAUL CASEY: I spoke to Monty last week. Went very well. I said congratulations on The Ryder Cup and we chatted. It was good. Q. Did it manage to resolve any of the issues that would have arisen from The Ryder Cup from your perspective, from your non-selection? PAUL CASEY: Issues? Q. Well, the way the whole thing was handled? PAUL CASEY: The issues I had with -- I had no issues with not being selected for The Ryder Cup. I had issues with when at announcement was made, i.e., finding out on the golf course, those were my issues with it. And I still feel that that needs to be changed; moved to the Monday, wait until the tournament is over, whatever the solution is, it needs to be rectified. Yeah, I never had any issues with the decision that went down and I never had any issues with Monty. You know, there was some fun and games in the press about neither of us making contact. I don't think Colin is a big fan of phones. I'm certainly not. I'm probably the worst person at communication. So in terms of where we stand, we are friends and we always have been friends, and it was good to talk to him on Monday and catch up. Q. Of course you were playing with Pádraig Harrington that day. That must have been an awful shock to the system on the golf course to see care line smiling and nodding and giving the thumb's up? PAUL CASEY: It was very difficult, and it was very difficult for Pádraig, as well, and care line. You'd have to ask him, you know, his feelings on it and how -- you know, what it was like to sort of be in that situation. I was trying to handle myself; I said congratulations to Pádraig, and obviously I was disappointed because I wasn't in that team. But I only have myself to blame on that. But then I have to come pose myself to try and put in a good [] final round at that tournament. So it was all very sort of -- it was a difficult situation. But we're all professionals out there, and we are also all good friends. So, you know, I think it was probably harder for Pádraig than it was for me. Q. Just following up, could I just get your reaction to José Maria's appointment then as the new Ryder Cup Captain? And he kind much hinted he might go along the line of two picks, certainly no more than three; certainly that's something you applaud, as well? PAUL CASEY: Well, the pick situation has to be discussed obviously and that's something that goes through -- I don't know how that actually happens, the whole process, but I think he sort of discusses what he would like, and I think then the committee review everything and the decision gets made. I'm not sure of the timings on that. In terms of his selection, I think it's fantastic. There's no one that I know that is sort of more Ryder Cup than José Maria. He's so passionate about the game of golf, about The Ryder Cup. He's loved, respected, everybody on the range just wants to hang out with him and sort of be around him and I think that's going to translate into it being an absolute wonderful captain. And when he has been at Ryder Cups that I've been at, he's one of the sort of -- looking for the right word, one of the guys in the room that lights everybody up. You end up walking out of a room once José Maria has spoken a little taller, very proud. I think it's going to be phenomenal with José Maria as a captain. Q. Just going back to your comments -- PAUL CASEY: Ashes? (Laughter). Q. Back to the comments about the course design. When a course designer does play in a tournament and given it is very rare, but when Monty tees up this week, is he really a target regarding players' opinions to the course? PAUL CASEY: It's going to be very difficult for him. And did he know this was going to be a venue for a European Tour event when this course was being designed or built; I don't know. You would probably ask Mr. Kinnings who has just come in at the back there. It's almost along the lines of, I think a lot of players -- I mean, I was trying to think of a golf course which has similar sort of slopes. Kingsbarns would be another one. Did Kyle Phillips think that was going to be a tournament venue? Probably he didn't. It's a wonderful golf course, but possibly the greens at Kingsbarns are bordering on too severe. It's great for the Dunhill but could we get four pin positions on some of those greens in a tournament, greens like 3 at Kingsbarns, just very limited. I mean, Monty knows he's got a target on him this week, but we're going to have fun with him. We're not going to be too hard on him. (Laughter). Q. What about the announcement that The Race to Dubai is going to start next year with the winner's only event, does that excite you? PAUL CASEY: Yeah, it is exciting. I think it's great that we have got this event this week. I don't know what happened with the whole -- how it panned out, the schedule, Abu Dhabi one week, and a week between that and Qatar. You'd have to find out from George, but it seemed like Volvo stepped up to fill that gap, so I think that's wonderful that they have done that. They have been obviously huge supporters of The European Tour. Moving to the first event in the Middle East swing, I think that's great, as long as I'm in it. Q. Coming here to play on a desert golf course, were you surprised to see so much rain this morning? PAUL CASEY: Yeah, wasn't too happy this morning. What are we going to do? I mean, last week raining, this week raining; it's all right. It's fine. I would rather it was sunny, but -- Q. You mentioned going to Abu Dhabi for F1; why don't you come and to Bahrain and see the first one in the championship in March? PAUL CASEY: March? Well, depends when it is, isn't it. Q. 13th? PAUL CASEY: I have no idea what that's opposite. Q. Doral? PAUL CASEY: There you go. That could be awkward. Q. I'm going to seem as if I'm obsessing on this -- SCOTT CROCKETT: You are. Q. Going back to The Ryder Cup thing, was it difficult for you coming back in, because when you were omitted, there was so much speculation in the papers, was it because of the way he performed or his popularity, there was all of this speculation, none of this it true, I'm saying, but was it difficult for you to come back from that and to rationalise why you had been left out, because you were No. 8 in the world, how hard was that to accept? PAUL CASEY: I was 7 in the world. Q. Well, there you are? PAUL CASEY: No. No, not difficult at all. Because I think all of it was speculation. You know, I knew that I -- all I wanted was The European Team to win The Ryder Cup. So that's all that mattered and that's what happened. I was then focussed on my game and I can sit back and enjoy watching the match on TV, and then when the guys would come back, I wanted to congratulate them. So, no. Q. It seemed to motivate you, too; you've had five top six finishes on the bounce after? PAUL CASEY: Well, I was just playing well. SCOTT CROCKETT: Well, here's hoping you play well this week. Thank you. End of FastScripts |
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