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FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSICJune 6, 2012Robert KarlssonMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE DOUG MILNE: I'd like to welcome Robert Karlsson to the interview room here at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Robert, obviously your track record here in the last two years speaks for itself. If you could just talk a little bit, I know you played the golf course this morning. Just maybe a few comments on being back here in Memphis and how the golf course was this morning and then we'll go to questions. ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah. Obviously it's great for me to be back here. I look forward to this week. I played well here before. I like the golf course. This year it's playing slightly different with a bit softer greens and softer fairways. It plays way longer and probably a little bit easier. The ball stays on the fairways a bit more and the greens are holding a bit better. So probably the scoring is going to be a bit lower this year. DOUG MILNE: Great. We'll go ahead and go to questions. Q. How are you playing (inaudible)? ROBERT KARLSSON: I hadn't played that great, but when I played a couple of events in Europe after the TPC and I played quite well at the PGA. I was hitting good all week, but I played well on the golf course, but I felt pretty bad, so I didn't put any scores together, but the game is coming and I'm feeling very hopeful for the next coming tournaments, so I'm pretty happy. Q. (Inaudible). ROBERT KARLSSON: I mean this is a golf course I like very much. It's a golf course you need to keep the ball in play, especially the way it's played the last couple of years, it's been very bouncy, and you've gotta make sure to hit the fairways and greens because it's not easy to save yourself around the greens here. So it's very much a ball striker's golf course, and I said before it's probably going to be slightly different this year with the softer conditions, even though it's way dryer today than it was yesterday. So hopefully it will keep drying up. But it's just a very, very strong golf course all the way around. If you look on the winning scores and the way the golf course usually plays, it's just a good solid test of golf. Q. How have you dealt with the fact that you played so well here the last two years and still came up just a bit short? ROBERT KARLSSON: Well, if I played like I've done here every tournament, I'd be a very, very happy man. Obviously I would like to win one as well, but if I keep playing the way I've been DOING go around here. I mean nobody's beaten me over 144 holes. It's those extra ones. Q. (Inaudible)? ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, I think it's each one if you look at it on sort of hole‑by‑hole, it's probably not that spectacular. And it's ‑‑ I mean it's not bad. Any flashy water hazards or big walls or anything like that, but playing wise, the whole 19 holes it's a great mix of golf holes, and you just have to play well around here. So I think it's great. It is one of the stronger golf courses. And I mean if you look back on the golf course, I think many guys are ranking very high.  They like Memorial and those kinds of golf courses. This year it's a little different golf course from the Memorial. But it's still a very, very tough course, and it doesn't produce many low scores around here. Q. Back on the same question a while ago, how long did it take you to get over coming that close? I mean did you leave and go home and kick the lock on or how did you deal with it or what did you do for the next week or so? ROBERT KARLSSON: If you look at it, the first one I kind of was invited on a wild card to the playoff. I mean it was Garrigus, and unfortunately what he did on the last hole you don't wish anyone to do. And I was second in that event the whole week. I mean the whole last day. It was his to win. And that didn't happen, so all of a sudden it felt a bit funny to be in the playoff. And last year it was just a battle between me and Harrison Frazar. We both played well, and for me I was very, very happy with the way I played, and if I play like that, I cannot be angry. I can't be disappointed on what I'm doing. If I look back, yes, it was a poor chip and two‑putt. I had a chance to win the last hole, and he won it, and I don't remember exactly, but I think I had a pretty good chance on the 11th hole we played in the playoff, but I hit a good putt where I wanted to and that's all you can do. Sometimes it's a cruel game, but I mean I went home from here second with many dollars in the bank account and I was a happy man. If I was the leader, I would've had one of those trophies one of these days. But for me, playing the way I did the last day under the pressure, playing the way I did in the playoff, it does not make me disappointed. If I would have come down to the last hole, and I think Robert Garrigus, I mean he would have a right to feel disappointed. I mean I'm very happy for him the way he came back and won a couple of events very close after. That shows strong character. But as a golf player, you know, you can only do your best, and some weeks your best is 45th, and some weeks it's first. And you're playing the course. I try to play the course as best I can, and if I walk off the 72nd or 75th hole in this case or 76th feeling you've done your best and you've played well, I'm not disappointed. Q. How much preparation with this course playing tough is it going to help you going to the U. S. Open next week? Is it more mental, the competition? What is it you use to help you prepare? ROBERT KARLSSON: Well, for me this is my favorite week of the year. Doesn't matter what tournament comes after. This is more important than the U. S. Open right now. But generally for me, or at least I'm trying to play the week before a major, and if it's a pretty tough test, it's even better. This week is probably not as good for Olympic Club because it's completely different conditions. You have Bermudagrass here. You won't have that over there. We're going to have hot conditions here, even though the weather forecast looks nicer than normal. But it's just mentally as I said, to keep playing, and hopefully if you can play well as well, it boosts the confidence a bit. DOUG MILNE: Okay. Anything else? Robert, thanks for your time. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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