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OMEGA MISSION HILLS WORLD CUPNovember 24, 2011Richard GreenBrendan JonesHAINAN ISLAND, CHINA JOEL SCHUCHMANN: At this time we are joined by Team Australia, the duo of Brendan Jones and Richard Green today shot 61 with two eagles. If we can maybe start with some opening comments, a good day for you, a lot of players still on the course but as of right now a four‑shot lead which is a great way to start the week. Maybe some opening comments from each one of you, please? RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, we combined very well today. Brendan obviously started very well and built the momentum. It helped me progress with my game sort of throughout the round of golf, and you know, towards the back nine, I was able to contribute a little bit, and get the eagle on the par 416th, and you know, that really helped us at that stage. So it was a very, very good day. BRENDAN JONES: That was fun. It was a lot of fun. As Richard said, I made a few birdies on 2, 3, to sort of get the momentum started. You know, I made a good eagle on 12, I think it is, and then Richard took over. But he's such an easy guy to play with, because he's in play all the time, and between us, there was always someone in the hole to give the other guy a chance. You know, we just combined perfectly. We never doubled up on birdies, and that's the key in this game. You know, you want to make a lot of birdies, but you don't want to make them on the same hole, and that's what we did. JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Even on a day when you shoot 61 and played so well, two of the par 5s you made par on, is that something you kick yourself about, or is it just kind of one of those things that just happens? RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, well, obviously the par 5s are great opportunities. But you know, we were probably a little bit out of position on 13, as far as I can remember. I can't remember the other one. BRENDAN JONES: I don't think there is a good position on 13. RICHARD GREEN: It's the longest par 5 I've ever played in my life. It's a serious challenge. You know, in this game, it's just a matter of, you know, positioning yourself and giving the other guy an opportunity if you are slightly out of position and allowing them to be a little bit more aggressive. And like I said before, we did that well all day and didn't matter what hole we were faced with. We just combined so well, just very good. JOEL SCHUCHMANN: And how do you both feel about the decision to play 16 kind of with the tees up and the ability to make an eagle like you did? RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, obviously it's an aggressive game of golf, foursomes‑‑ or four‑ball. So you know, obviously I was trying to get the ball in position to be a little bit more‑‑ more Brendan to be a little bit more aggressive. The shot came off for me and I ended up making eagle. It was a great little hole to help the score and progress an exciting game of golf. It was a good decision to putt the tee up. We'll see what happens tomorrow in a different game. Q. You guys teamed up together back in 2008, finished tied for third. What is it about the relationship between you two that makes you a good team? BRENDAN JONES: Well, Richard's just a lovely guy, for a start, but also his game is just so steady. You know, I hit the ball a little bit longer than Richard, and we combined the way the golf course was in Shenzhen, it just fit both our ayes for a start. But you know, Richard, he's such a steady player that we have got a lot of chances out there. We are not sort of grinding just for pars out there. We have always got an opportunity. When you're playing with somebody that you think is a very good player, it lifts your game, as well. Richard, he's a very good putter. I fed off that a little bit, too. So for me, I think that's why we gel so well, because we both have confidence in each other. And for a start, we both really want to be here, too. And that's the key. Q. Do you two know much about the golf on Hainan Island other than the Mission Hills course, and do you have any suggestion? RICHARD GREEN: No, it's my first time to Hainan Island, and I think it's Brendan's first time, as well. BRENDAN JONES: (Nodding in agreement). RICHARD GREEN: It's new, and what we have seen so far is fantastic. The golf course is beautiful. The hotel and the resort is amazing. We do a lot of travelling around the world and see a lot of golf courses in a lot of great places and Mission Hills is certainly a very nice place to be. Outside of Mission Hills, I haven't seen a lot but hope to get out and have a look at some stage during the week. Q. Previously some players have ignored the World Cup and looked at other tournaments. Do you see that changing and the competition becoming more and more important in the future? BRENDAN JONES: Well, look, Richard and I both think it's very, very important. We jumped at the chance to represent Australia. You know, we are not the highest‑ranked players in Australia; we both know that. But you know, we always talk about hopefully teaming up again to come back. The experience we had back in 2008 was fantastic, and you know, they really want to get this tournament back up to where it should be as one of the premiere events in the world. And while‑‑ I'll throw my name up every year to come and play the World Cup. But look, we go away and tell everyone what a fantastic tournament it is. Obviously there's a lot of golf being played around the world, and other people have different opinions about where they want to be. But you know, Richard and I will jump at the chance any time. Q. Your 2008 experience in Shenzhen, what you do take away from that so that you can emerge here as the winners? RICHARD GREEN: A little bit of what Brendan just said before. We combined very well. We both are very excited about being here for the World Cup and representing Australia. We have got a lot of spirit between us representing Australia. We combine so well‑‑ we are great friends. We combined very well at Shenzhen, the first World Cup we played, and it's given us a lot of confidence and belief that we can come into this World Cup and compete and do just as well, if not better. So we have been excited about the week for quite some time and looking forward to representing our country. I certainly know it's lifted my spirits, and I think Brendan's been the same. Q. Just on that, do you recall where you were when Australia last won the World Cup which was in‑‑ JOEL SCHUCHMANN: 1989. BRENDAN JONES: I was still in school. RICHARD GREEN: I was still playing amateur golf. I turned professional in 1992 I don't particularly remember seeing it on TV. But I do remember watching the World Cup through the early 90s and watching the Americans do very well at the game. So you know, it's always been very well covered on TV, that's for sure. Q. We want to ask you about what you think about the following competition, the next three days? What's your expectation? RICHARD GREEN: Next week‑‑ tomorrow, not next week, tomorrow is a different game, obviously foursomes, and we know we are going to be faced with a different challenge and one that we are probably going to do a bit of talking about tonight on our strategy and how we are going to handle it. You know, tomorrow is a bit more difficult game. So it's all about being smart, being sensible with your game and then, you know, hopefully play well tomorrow and then getting ourselves back into a position to play like we did today in the four‑ball again on Saturday and then obviously protect and play smart again on Sunday and hopefully compete and win. Q. There are some other Australian players who are higher‑ranked in the World Ranking, so both of you are not the highest‑ranked players playing in this World Cup this year, but if you're not winning the Cup, and you're going back home, will you get a lot of pressure and a lot of criticism from other Australian media? RICHARD GREEN: I don't think so. Look, Australia has got a lot of great golfers. Fortunately guys like Jason Day and Adam Scott that represent Australia in The Presidents Cup or the Internationals in The Presidents Cup last week, they have had a pretty busy schedule. We have got a fairly strong selection of good players in Australia and I guess Brendan and myself would like to think that we are in that bunch. I don't think we'll get any pressure from doing well or winning. I'm sure it will be reported pretty well, won't it? BRENDAN JONES: A lot of people behind the Australian PGA, but anyway. (Laughing). Q. What was your thought about the Opening Ceremony last night when you walked out with the flag and the show, was it a very localized show to you or is it similar to what you might expect from the Commonwealth Games or the Olympic Games? BRENDAN JONES: Yeah, look, I think it's fantastic. I play a lot of my golf in Japan, so I'm seeing a different culture all year. Obviously the Chinese culture is a lot different to the Western culture or Australian culture, and to come and see a little bit of the local fanfare, I think it's great. It adds to the tournament. It is a big deal. It is a big tournament. So I think it was done very, very well. We get looked after so well here, the food is fantastic, and just a bit more entertainment was nice. Q. You're playing in the World Cup this year, would you like to pick up the trophy a bit more, or are you looking forward to that 1.5 million USD first prize? BRENDAN JONES: I think we are looking forward to filling it up with ice and beer and drinking out of it. (Smiling) RICHARD GREEN: Definitely, it would be a great honour to win the World Cup for Australia. It would be very nice feeling. We have got a lot of friends here this week and it would be very nice to fill it up with ‑‑ BRENDAN JONES: Tsingtao. RICHARD GREEN: ‑‑ like Brendan says, with beer and have a good time, and it would be nice. Q. So you would rather have the Tsingtao than the hard cash? BRENDAN JONES: It goes together (laughing). Q. Now that golf is an Olympic sport in 2016, do you think that players from Australia or yourself would love to represent your country and maybe play in the Olympic Games, other than The Presidents Cup or the World Cup, would you like to see yourself in the Olympic Games? RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, absolutely, I would love to. Any chance we possibly get to represent our country would be an amazing honour and a great feeling to do. I would love to be a part of the Olympics, and if it was based on this format, representing Australia with Brendan and any of the other guys, it would be a pretty good feeling, that's for sure. BRENDAN JONES: Yeah, I'm not real sure about‑‑ any time you get the chance to represent Australia, you would do that. But at the same time, you know, the pinnacle of golf is probably not the Olympic medal. Growing up, knowing that golf wasn't in the Olympics, I never dreamt of winning an Olympic Gold medal. It's more about winning the Majors, the British Opens, the Masters, the U.S. Opens, which is what we think the pinnacle of our game is. But having said that, the Olympic spirit is a pretty amazing thing, and to be part of that, it would be fantastic. But I must say, growing up, it was never a goal of mine to be at the Olympics. But now it is there, and of course, any time you get the chance to represent your country, then you want to do that. Q. Three years ago, you finished quite close, in the top three; do you think something must be missing on the last day from three years ago that you could finally pick up the trophy? Do you guys talk about it? RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, we've definitely talked about it. Again, the format is four‑ball, foursomes, four‑ball, foursomes, and a it's much more difficult game. It's one of those games that you kind of need to have momentum, and that last day, it just didn't happen. And that's golf, unfortunately. There's times where the game does happen and there's times where it doesn't. Today for us was one of those days where it did happen, and you know, hopefully we can just continue through the week and steady as it goes and build our momentum every day and keep in it, would be good. JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Thank you, gentlemen. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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