|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY KITCHENAIDMay 25, 2012Roger ChapmanBENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN KELLY ELBIN: Roger Chapman in with 4‑under par 67 for a two day total of 7‑under par, 135. Tied for the moment with John Cook in the second round of the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Roger, again a nice round today, one better than yesterday, comments on today's play and remaining atop the leaderboard. ROGER CHAPMAN: Obviously very pleased to be at the top still. I maybe didn't quite play as well as yesterday, but certainly didn't make any real mistakes until the six at the last, I just 3‑putted and it was just lack of concentration. Didn't feel tired, but I think that we were out there for five hours or so, it takes its toll a bit. KELLY ELBIN: You did make five birdies, could you go through those briefly. Starting on No. 12. ROGER CHAPMAN: 12, I hit driver, wedge, to about 15 feet. 18, I hit a driver and a wedge to about three feet. The first I hit driver, gap wedge to 15 feet. 5, driver, just laid up, pitched to about eight feet. 7, I hit driver and 8‑iron to about 25 feet. So good putting day, it was very solid, and I made some good putts for pars on 4 and 6. KELLY ELBIN: What was the length of the first putt on 9? ROGER CHAPMAN: It was about 20 feet left of the hole. It was pin high and it deceived me a bit, I thought it was fairly flat, but it was just a, it just ran away from me and went about four and a half feet by and just missed it coming back. So it left sort of a bitter taste after working so hard to get to where I was and just let one slip at the end there. KELLY ELBIN: Open it up for questions. Q. How did the play today with the wind compared to yesterday? ROGER CHAPMAN: It was a lot easier today. Although the wind was in sort of changed 180 degrees, I think. It was from the south yesterday and north today. A lot cooler. It was very hot yesterday for us English boys. It was 88 or something I think yesterday. I believe it's going to be sort of 92 or something on Sunday. So, yeah. But I think we got the right end of the draw. Yesterday morning it wasn't too windy and it got up a bit during the round. Then today it was only sort of six to 10 miles an hour. So it made the golf course play quite nicely. I think they watered the greens a bit because they were a bit more receptive today. KELLY ELBIN: Our stats show you hit 16 of 18 greens both days. And you've only missed one of the 26 fairways. Is this just a very exceptionalweek? ROGER CHAPMAN: I think so. I got my coach here, Gavin Christie. He coaches Gordon Brand, Junior and Mark James and we brought him out here and I think we needed some work done to my game, so, no, he's done well. KELLY ELBIN: Anything in particular that you've worked on? ROGER CHAPMAN: No, I mean, two years ago I lost my coach George Will who passed away. And he had been looking after me since I was 13. But he was pretty ill the last couple, two or three years, so it was difficult to go and see him and it was unfair to have him come out on to the golf course because he could only walk sort of 20, 30 yards. So I started working with Gavin Christie and we just basically are working on sort of hitting the ball lower because I used to hit the ball very high. And we're just getting a bit of lag in the golf swing and getting more compression on the ball to get a more penetrating flight. So I think it's helped certainly with the driving and iron shots in the wind as well. Sort of a normal shot for me now is a knock down shot. Q. Is there any one thing that's really put your finger on that's been clicking this week to put you where you are, maybe your mental state or putting the ball in play off the tee? ROGER CHAPMAN: No, you hit it there. My mental state is very good.  In the past I've tended to worry about outside things that are not in my arena, nothing to do with me. And I think that mentally I'm just in a good place at the moment. Just feel very comfortable out here, wasn't too worried about all the crowds and everything, so, yeah, very happy with the way things are going mentally. So long may it continue. Q. Two part question. Part one, how often, if at all, have you had a chance to be a playing partner of Hale Irwin; and two, as a casual observer, what are your thoughts on his game at this stage of his career? ROGER CHAPMAN: Firstly, I haven't played with Hale. I met him a few times at various Open Championships back home. And I met him when I played Champions Tour at the start of last year, introduced myself and everything. And he seems a really nice guy. But for what he's done in the game of golf over here is, I mean what is he 66 now? Incredible. Incredible. KELLY ELBIN: Almost 67. ROGER CHAPMAN: Incredible career he's had on the Champions Tour. Wasn't too bad on the main TOUR. But the Champions Tour he's just seemed to have just been a money making machine. A cash register. KELLY ELBIN: Can you talk a little bit about a superstition you have with your dining choices the last couple nights and whether that will continue? ROGER CHAPMAN: It will. I'll tell you that. I came down to dinner or to the reception at the hotel the other night and just asked for if there was anywhere good to go and eat. And this was the Wednesday night. So I went to the Grande Mere. The Grand Mere Inn. Had a nice night, shot 68 yesterday. Went there last night, shot 67 today. I'm definitely going back tonight. (Laughter.) KELLY ELBIN: Do you have the same food, same seat? ROGER CHAPMAN: No, pretty much the same seat. I just take a book and I just go out on my own and chill, because my wife's not here this year. So yeah, just been on my own and go back and watch NCIS again. KELLY ELBIN: But not the same food exactly Wednesday night and Thursday night? ROGER CHAPMAN: No, it was different. I had a bit of fish and then some lamb last night. So we shall see what's on the menu tonight, but I'm definitely going back there. KELLY ELBIN: Roger Chapman, in at 7‑under par. Thank you very much. ROGER CHAPMAN: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|