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SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY KITCHENAIDMay 26, 2011Kiyoshi MurotaLOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY KELLY ELBIN: Kiyoshi Murota of Japan in with a 6-under par 66 for the first round lead in the 72nd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. He will be helped today in the translation by his caddie. Open it up with just general comments. Congratulations on the round today and what went so well to be able to fire six birdies and shoot 66? Some general comments on the round and what worked well, particularly on such a difficult day for scoring with all the stops and starts. KIYOSHI MUROTA: All the fairways are so wet, not good. So I kept it in the fairway with his driver. The conditions were not good today. I tried to keep it in the fairway today. That was my thinking. KELLY ELBIN: Open it up for questions. Q. What were your thoughts going into the tournament, whether you thought you could contend to win the championship? KIYOSHI MUROTA: No thinking. Just planning to come to the tournament. KELLY ELBIN: Did you think you had much of a chance at winning coming in? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Nothing. No chance. (Laughter.) Q. How have you been playing recently in weeks or how have you been playing coming into this tournament? Was your game in good form? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Only this tournament? Q. No, before this tournament. KIYOSHI MUROTA: In Japan before here I played two or three weeks tournament, each round was played in the same conditions as coming to this tournament. Q. During one stretch I think there were eight 1-putt greens out of nine holes. Are you traditionally a great putter? Is this something that's not uncommon for you or what's usually considered to be the strength of your game? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Only today good. Q. You're not known as a good putter? KIYOSHI MUROTA: I'm usually so-so. (Laughter.) Q. After the practice rounds did you think that a 66 was possible out there for anyone in the field? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Somebody in the U.S. Champions Tour, I think someone can shoot 66. Q. How do you like competing in America? You've done it a few times. Do you enjoy coming to America and playing? KIYOSHI MUROTA: United States golf courses are very different. Nice golf courses. And I want to try to come over here because I enjoy playing golf every time coming here. All the courses here are great. Q. Wondering whether your life at all had been impacted by the earthquake. KIYOSHI MUROTA: Very shocking. But I can play here with many good friends, many good friends in Japan watching. And so I want to keep playing and play good. It's very shocking in Japan, the earthquake. But I'm playing here good, maybe I can tell in Japan people that will give more power to the people. So I never saw before like the tsunami, you know, that high. So I give it to the power in Japan, you know, to help the people from the tournament. Q. I noticed you have a big band-aid on your right elbow, is that a cut or is that a swing aid or what is that? KIYOSHI MUROTA: It's tennis elbow. So the pain is coming every time. It's not good. Q. Wondering how nice it is to get your round in when some people will only play a few holes tonight. You can rest a little tonight before you have to play. KIYOSHI MUROTA: Tomorrow is going to be a long day? Q. Some others are going to have a long day tomorrow. KIYOSHI MUROTA: Tomorrow's a long day for people, right, but more people will play and keep going and it's fine. I'll keep going too. Q. What would winning or playing well here mean to you? Winning or playing well here, what would it mean to you, to your career? KIYOSHI MUROTA: To win would be great. Q. What is the name on your cap? What type company is that? Golf equipment? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Like they have like housing kind of things. Q. Have you played at Valhalla ever before this week? KIYOSHI MUROTA: No. This week right before? Q. Yeah. KIYOSHI MUROTA: First time this week. Q. Tell us something about your family. Do you have a large family, are you married, do you have kids? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Three daughters. Q. Do they play golf? KIYOSHI MUROTA: No golf. Q. Can you shoot another 66? KIYOSHI MUROTA: No. No more. No more. (Laughter.) Q. No? KIYOSHI MUROTA: No. It's too wet, the tee advantage up front, so maybe today's easy, maybe they change it. Maybe it's more difficult. Force you to hit longer shots. Q. What's the closest you've ever come to winning in the United States? KIYOSHI MUROTA: On the Champions Tour, okay, I finished second at Turtle Bay. Four years or three years ago. Q. 2007? KIYOSHI MUROTA: 2007. I think. Q. Is that right? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Yeah. I think 2007. Q. In Japan what are you known for in terms of golf? Are you a big hitter, you said you weren't necessarily a good putter, is there something that you've done well or something that if people heard your name they would say, oh, yeah, I know that about you? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Not much long ball. But just even. Even player. Q. Are you surprised you're in the lead? KIYOSHI MUROTA: No. Somebody has to be leading. KELLY ELBIN: You had 10, 1-putts and only 26 putts for the day. Was there one hole, was there one shot in particular that stands out in the round? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Number 8, par-3 I made a par putt, I think a long putt. Q. Number 8? KIYOSHI MUROTA: Number 8. KELLY ELBIN: What was the distance on that? To stay at 6-under. What was the length of that? KIYOSHI MUROTA: 10 feet. Q. It was longer. KIYOSHI MUROTA: Longer. Yes. KELLY ELBIN: Kiyoshi Murota, in with 66 to lead the Senior PGA Championship. Congratulations. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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