	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP AT GLENEAGLES

August 26, 2011

Thomas Bjorn

GLENEAGLES, SCOTLAND

Q. What did The Open do for you?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: It's strange with The Open. I think The Open this year showed that when you come into tough conditions, a tough open like that, it's all about knowing how to play that type of golf, and I played extremely well that week, and you know, got a lot of confidence from it.
But I found myself in a position like always after playing a good Open, I get to America and all of a sudden you have to hit the ball straight up in the air and found it impossible. That was the hard bit. And my confidence got a bit knocked in America. I didn't feel that comfortable at all with my golf. I wouldn't say I'm surprised, but because I know how well I can play.
But I went home and worked for a few days and came here and found a few things that I need to do in my golf swing to control the ball again, and that's coming slowly, but today was decent. You know, it wasn't great but it was decent.

Q. Ryder Cup, the next one, is your sights set playing in that one, and in 2014; where do you envisage yourself being in 2014?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: I want to play golf at the moment. I feel -- I enjoy playing my golf. The next Ryder Cup, it's going to be an extremely difficult team to make. We have got bundles of talent. We have got the best players in the world, and that's going to be -- you've got to play absolutely put everything you have for a whole year, starting next week.
So it's going to be a difficult team to make, but you've got to play well and try and do the best. I think when you get to my age, you always hope there's one more in you. You get where that one or two years together where there's one more in it for you, but if there's not, there's not. I've enjoyed all my involvement in The Ryder Cup, and I don't -- whoever is going to be captains of the future, that's what it is.
I don't see it as something that you can stand there and say, I want to do that. It's something that you're asked to do, and I've always said, if asked, I think any player would say yes. But it's not something that I've got my sights set on, because it's out of my control.

Q. You've got strong credentials already, but if you won here, 2014, that would be quite a nice extra one to have?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: Thanks for piling that pressure on. (Laughter) 2014 is three years down the line; I'm 43. Some would argue that's a bit too soon.

Q. Your goals for The Ryder Cup, playing on The Ryder Cup Team -- actually playing, ahead of doing anything else in connection with The Ryder Cup?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: Yeah, you know, I'm a professional golf. I'm a player. That's what we are here to do and that's what I'm doing at the moment. And I enjoy my golf so much at the moment. And when I do that, you know, then you want to play. You don't want to do other things. You want to play golf.
At the moment, when I feel the way I do, I feel pretty healthy, I feel good about my game, and where things are going in the right direction, and you know, golf -- being on the golf course inside the ropes hitting golf shots, that's what you want to do. You don't want to do all sorts of other things that don't do you any good. As long as I enjoy, that that's what I'll focus on and what will be, will be.

Q. The situation with the Vivendi Trophy, the fact that you wanted to play golf rather than be the Continental Captain?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: Well, I was never asked to be the captain, either. But it was difficult. I don't think that Ollie ever thought that I would captain it. I've been inside the team for pretty much all the way and when somebody is inside the team, they should play.
And I want to play. I don't want to sit on the sidelines in a buggy. I want to play. And if I can keep myself in that team, I'll enjoy playing in that. I played in all of the ones I qualified in and I enjoy that event.
And that's where I want to be. You know, I don't -- I'm only 40 years old. I'm not late 40s. And when you're that age, you want to play golf.

Q. What do you think about Jean's appointment as a Continental Captain?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: I think it's great. Jean has played Ryder Cup. He's a great guy, and being French, you know, that probably lacked a little bit last time that there wasn't really the French involvement, and we need that.
I think Ollie has done right there. He's going to be -- he's good at -- he knows everything about the game, and he'll put that team together well, and hopefully this time we can perform a little bit better than we normally do.

Q. I think at Dunhill two years ago, you had show in the opening round and you were in the good media tent; is it fair to say then that you were not enjoying your golf?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: It goes up-and-down. It's like that. I've been out here for, what, 15, 16 years, playing professional golf for the better part of 20 years and it goes up-and-down. There's things that you just feel like it becomes a job for you, and when it becomes a job, then when things are not going well on the golf course, it's not -- you just stop enjoying it.
But you enjoy playing golf when you see results and you see progress, and that's what I always said. And I said, as long as I see progress, I'll keep playing.
Yesterday was really good. Today was a bit more hard-fought. All in all it was pretty good. So delighted to be in that position, and you know, there's still a long way to go in this tournament. So you've just got to stick with it. I played most of it is pretty good and kept it together today and happy with where I am at the moment.

Q. Are you happy to be in the clubhouse, given the weather that's meant to be moving in this afternoon?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: Well, I mean, anything can happen. No matter -- if somebody is going to play well no matter what conditions are there. I'm just happy with my score at the moment, and that leaves me in a good state or the weekend, and that's all I'm concentrating on.
Whatever happens on the golf course is out of my control, so I just try and stay with my golf and you know, I've struggled in America for two weeks and then come back here and starting to find a bit of form again, and that's good form.

Q. What are your thoughts on the par 3 with the slightly errant shot off the tee but wonderful recovery?
THOMAS BJÃ–RN: Yeah, I hit a poor 6-iron there, and it hit on the cart path and ended up in a long way away from the flag, but it was -- yeah, it was a good recovery, but that needs to happen sometimes. I could very easily have walked off with a five there but I walked off with a three and just kept everything together a little bit.
But I wasn't playing particularly well in that part of the round. So it was just -- I'm glad there's a driving range here so I can go and figure out what went wrong on the back nine today, because it wasn't my best. But yesterday was very, very good. So it's not far away.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297