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VOLVO WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPMay 15, 2012Branden GraceCASARES, SPAIN STEVE TODD: Welcome to the Volvo World Match Play. I'm sure when you come into a tournament and see the sign Volvo, you're pretty pleased to see it. It's been an incredible year for you so far. If you can start with your thoughts, a possible Volvo 'Grand Slam'. BRANDEN GRACE: Yeah, a hat trick. Definitely the thought has been in my mind, I have had good feelings pretty much every time like you say at a Volvo tournament. I managed to get on to the course this morning, and I really, really feel comfortable, really looking forward to the week. The course is in great shape. Like you say, it would be awesome getting three Volvos and like you say getting the Grand Slam and definitely going to aim for that. Definitely going to try to get that at the end of the week. STEVE TODD: Obviously your two victories, Volvo Golf Champions and Volvo China Open, stroke‑play victories and match play this week, slightly different challenge. If you can reflect on that and also your draw with Brandt Snedeker and Thomas Björn. BRANDEN GRACE: I definitely think it's going to be a little bit different this week. The form is still the same. I'm still hitting the ball well and giving myself chances and things like that. Especially in match play, if you can keep that going, it putts the pressure on the other guys. So I haven't played match play for a long time but it's something I really look forward to as a pro, to play a match‑play event. I think the last time I played a match‑play event I won as an amateur and that was nice and I think match play suits my game a little bit. I'm not a guy that gives up quickly; so fight from to the end and take it from there. As far the draw, I don't think there's really going to be an easy draw this week, no matter who you are. All of the players are first class and are here for a reason, and I know they can all play the game really good. It will be nice to get out there with the guys. I know Thomas really well but I've never really played with him but looking forward to that. Snedeker, he's a class player, as well. So it's going to be a good couple of matches going into the week, but if you just keep playing your game and make a couple of putts, you never know. Q. Obviously it's been a huge season for you so far, winning so far two Volvo events, how far ahead of schedule do you reckon you are in terms of your career? Does the winning come as a surprise to you this early? BRANDEN GRACE: It's pretty hard because a lot of people ask me this. I think it's just I always thought I'm going to win. I honestly thought I was going to win a little bit earlier. It's just now that it's come all at once, it's a bit of a shock. It's something that's nice, and it's a nice feeling to have, that the golf that you're playing is awesome at this stage. I couldn't ask for a better spot. I think at this time I'm just running with the emotion and I'm just running with positives and things like that, and it's just nice to know that my swing is in a position where it's just keeping up and keep going forward. Q. Special prizeif you win all the Volvo tournaments ‑‑ BRANDEN GRACE: Yeah, we are going to definitely push for something. It's nice, like I said before, knowing Volvo‑‑ the memories are there and everything is really high on that, and I like the courses a lot. Hopefully it can be one of those that I'm sitting here on a Sunday afternoon like I sat in the previous two. Q. It must have been special in Fancourt, finishing in the playoff. BRANDEN GRACE: Everybody can't stop talking about that. It's one of those where it was just awesome being in that position and getting into the event in the first place. It's one of those where you always dream of playing an event like that, and I think where it finished was just one for the record books. It was nice to be there with Retief and Ernie, and to finish on top was literally a dream come true. Q. Would you have bet on yourself at the start of the playoff? BRANDEN GRACE: I don't know to be honest. If I would have won the week before, I think it would have definitely been a different situation. I played with Retief the week before and I think that helped a lot. I learned a lot from the Joburg Open and I talk all of the experience from there, took it into the playoff at the Volvo Champions and I think that made me a lot better player than what I am. Q. What are the keys to being good at match play? BRANDEN GRACE: Well, obviously match play, you have to be more aggressive than normal. I think the guys are really going to go after the flags and stuff like that. It's not one of the longest courses, but there is a lot of trouble out there, as well. It's one of those that I think just towards my game, I do make quite a bit of birdies which I think is a big positive. Doesn't really matter in match play; if you make a couple of mistakes, you can get away with them; you're just going to lose a hole. But the more birdies you can make, the better, and it's going to make your chances a lot better for winning the game. But I think it's one of those, you just have to give yourself a lot of chances and make a couple of putts. Q. You seem very confident‑‑ BRANDEN GRACE: Definitely, you know, I think what's really been a big help, I've been home for three weeks now, so I'm feeling really refreshed. I'm feeling ready. Last week I played a small event back home but didn't hit the ball great, but I wasn't really motivated. Now that I get back here, I feel ready to go. Here with the big boys again, it just brings that little bit extra out of you. That's a big boost for me this week, and like you say, trying to win a third Volvo, it's going to be a tough one, but if I come out on top, it's going to be awesome. Q. (Inaudible.) BRANDEN GRACE: It's the same as the Volvo at fan for the, the guys chasing 4 won 15 majors or 14 majors. I think I see myself as a different golfer now and that doesn't really bother me anymore. I know if I can play the way I know I can play, they can come. It's one of those where I feel really positive. I don't really care who you're going to play against and things like that. You just have to stick to your game and stick to doing what you're doing, and hopefully at the end of the day you're going to be on top and it's going to be good enough. Q. There are a bunch of South African guys at ISM; does that culture bring a winning mentality at all and is there a friendly rivalry between you? BRANDEN GRACE: I think, which is nice, all of the guys that's in ISM, the South Africans, we are all pretty young. I think that's a big thing; if you try and boost each other on and take it from there. This year has been awesome so far because we have had a lot of wins between us. I think Louis, he's had two wins and coming in close at the Masters and that's been a big inspiration for me. You always try to give each other little bit of support and motivation and things like that. I know for a fact there's a lot more young South Africans coming through. I think George (Coetzee) is going to win very soon. He's been knocking for a long time and I think the way he's playing, he's going to make it soon. I think it's a rivalry, but it's also something where it's nice to see your friends doing well. Q. This is your first time in Spain, or you've played in the country before? BRANDEN GRACE: I've played in Spain quite a bit. I've played in Barcelona; played in Madrid, and it's not my first time here. Obviously we had Tour School here, as well. I always like coming out to Spain and coming to play here. You get treated nicely and the courses are always good, and the weather plays a part. You can't really say enough for where we go, it's nice and the venue this week is spectacular. I went out there this morning and it was really nice, getting to see the course. Q. Is the U.S. Open one of your goals? Is that in your mind right now? BRANDEN GRACE: Yes, it is. I think since I won the Volvo in Joburg, all of the majors have been in my mind. I came up short at the Masters and I'm very close to getting into the U.S. Open. That's one of my main goals. It's a tough one, because I really want to put my focus on it, but you can't really; you just have to play and take care. But I know the way I'm playing at the moment, I should get in. I think my game is on a good enough level to play there and to compete on the big stage. Things like, that I can't wait. Q. Inaudible. BRANDEN GRACE: In match play, I think it's a little bit of both. There's holes out there where you just need to stick to your own game, and you can't really focus on the other guy. But there's a couple of short par 4s where you can get on and things like that, and so that makes it a little bit different, as well. There are holes out where when you get the opportunity to go for greens and things like, that you have to take that. But obviously it also depends on the guy you're playing against; if he hits it in the water, it's a little bit of a thing where lay‑up might not be the worst thing out there. But I think the type of golf I play, I won't really just back off a lot of shots. I'm definitely going to stick to the game plan of on those holes, try to get on to the green and not backing off. Q. What was the tournament you won as an amateur? BRANDEN GRACE: I think I was 16 or 17, the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship, it was in De Zalze Country Club, I think it was. That was pretty much one of the last events I played I think, match play. I've always been really fond of match play so really looking forward to getting out there. STEVE TODD: We wish you the best of luck this week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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