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BMW INTERNATIONAL OPENJune 24, 2012Danny WillettCOLOGNE, GERMANY MICHAEL GIBBONS: Danny, you're a little bit late but thanks for joining us. BMW International Open champion 2012. How does that feel? DANNY WILLETT: Brilliant. I mean, it's what you work for since you're a little kid. Took a little while longer than what I probably hoped but it's been a rough couple of 18 months, so feels good to win. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Talk us through your day, long as I said. DANNY WILLETT: It was a tough day.  It was raining and windy when we warmed up, and it rainy and windy on the first, and it was still raining and windy. It was a brutal day. I mean, you know, to finish 11‑under par, you know, and get in a playoff was good. Pars on 17 and 18 were really good. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Talk us through the playoff. You tried to give it away, didn't you, the second hole. DANNY WILLETT: I tried to. Got fortunate the third time playing the 72nd hole and tried to make it a little bit more difficult. Me and Marcus both played it as well as we could. We both probably missed a couple of putts, and luckily enough, in the end, it was all right. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Must be a special day for you, your first win on The European Tour. DANNY WILLETT: It is. I mean, I've been on Tour, this is my fourth year now. I've had a lot of good finishes, been in contention a couple of times, obviously with Kaymer at the Dunhill a few years back. And to polish it off, it feels good. Q. In 2008 you were ranked as best amateur in the world. Are you with this victory still on your schedule or are you late with the first victory or does it surprise you? DANNY WILLETT: No, I would say, it is what it is. Ideally I would have won earlier but probably winning a bit later on now, it gives me a little bit more to think about and probably a little bit more mature now than I was when I first came on Tour. It would have been good to win a few years ago, but finally to win; a win is a win. Q. As you've been saying over the last few days, you're now playing injury‑free, is this in some ways a real weight off your shoulders? DANNY WILLETT: It is. You get the question all the time, best amateur in the world at one point, but pro game is a completely different game. You know, the guys out here are brilliant. They play week‑in, week‑out, and it's competitive. I'm just thankful for finally winning one. Q. How good was that chip shot on the back of the 18th green in terms of the pressure you were facing? DANNY WILLETT: It was good. To be honest, I didn't feel‑‑ it's strange. When you get a very simple shot, there's so many ways to play it that you probably‑‑ your mind is probably racing a little bit more. Whereas that one, there was only one play to play it: Lob it up just a little bit on the front he edge of the green and just release down. To be honest it was probably easier to hole than any of the other ones than I had on the 18th. In that respect it was probably a bit easier in the fact that there was only one way to play it. Came off nice. Q. But still, your playoff was kind of a roller coaster ride. There were bad shots; there were good shots, but I have the impression you really enjoyed it. There was a lot of chatting a lot with your caddie, so did you like the situation? DANNY WILLETT: Well, I mean, regardless of what the situation's been, to be in a final group on the last day for me was a success in itself this week, and to be in contention is always good. And if you polish it off, you polish it off. I wouldn't have gone away from here disheartened about how I played over the week. Obviously to win it, me and Ryan, we were trying to just have a good time on the last few holes anyway. It was tough out there. It was wet and it was windy, so we tried to keep smiling, all day, keep having a good laugh and keep hitting good golf shots and that's what we did. You know, we had a few awkward ones, but who doesn't in 72 holes. At the end of the day, that's why we're out here. Q. What are your expectations now from now on? It's quite early to look in the future. DANNY WILLETT: No, the expectations for this year are the same. Going to keep working hard with Graham Walker, my coach, and see if we can get in contention a bit more. You know, if you win again, great. If not, no worries. We are just going to keep working hard physically and with the game. Like I said, I'm injury‑free now and I can really push it a little bit and it's exciting so see what we can get to for the rest of the season. Q. One word of your mental strength today, was there a moment today where you said to yourself, today I make it happen? DANNY WILLETT: It's been strange all week. I've struggled mentally in the last year and a half because things haven't quite gone my way but this week has been strange, I've been very calm and in a very good place with everything. Today I've been hitting the ball great and today I never really put any pressure on myself to worry too much. I always was in front or on level terms. The last three or four was the only time it got a little bit too close for my liking. You know, but hit some decent shots. Hit a great shot into 17, then I did get fortunate on the 72nd hole, played a lovely shot from the right rough. It was just one of those things. You know, a few putts don't go in early in the middle of the round that could have, and just it happens how it does. Q. I noticed, if I'm not mistaken, you're marking your ball with a betting chip. What's the story with that? DANNY WILLETT: I've used that for years. That was my first year on Tour, I got that in a casino in Korea, there was one in the hotel, which is always dangerous. And I changed over a couple‑‑ Q. How much is it? DANNY WILLETT: I don't know what‑‑ it's about a hundred dollars. I wouldn't want to lose any more than that on the golf course. Q. Coming out a winner in the 2007 Walker Cup, a lot of the guys have won on Tour already from those teams. DANNY WILLETT: I was thinking that yesterday and today. I think even from both sides, there's probably only a handful now that haven't won. You look at the strength of them two teams was incredible. You've got Rory and you've got Webb Simpson and Dustin Johnson, me, Dave Horsey, Rhys Davies, Rickie Fowler. Yeah, it's crazy. That Walker Cup Team really was a strong one and just proves that the amateur golf is getting a lot better and then they are coming out on Tour and actually proving themselves, as well. Q. Must feel goodto get a win, too. DANNY WILLETT: It is. It is a bit of a weight listed off my shoulders, and just feels good. Q. Finally, how will you celebrate your victory? DANNY WILLETT: I'm going to get on the first plane I can and get down to Sunningdale and try to qualify for The Open tomorrow. I've still got 36 holes tomorrow for The Open, the Irish Open, the French Open, The Scottish Open. I've got a good run. I can't think of a better way to start my run off, but there's still a lot of golf left for the rest of the season. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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