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ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIPOctober 5, 2012Anton HaigCARNOUSTIE & KINGSBARNS, SCOTLAND ANTON HAIG: It's been great. This year has been more getting back into things. I found a new manager, Philip Manduca, who has been looking after me. I have a great team around me. Simon Holmes is coaching me and we have been working a hell of a lot on my swing, and finally I've got a swing that I can trust now and I can go out and picture a shot and visualise it and hit it, and that's what I've done both days. I've hit my driver in play. I've putted really well. My irons have been spectacular, but apart from that, I've just kept it out of these bunkers and that's all you need to do. Q. You rattled in a nice 29 strokes just on the front nine yesterday to get off to a good start and with the wind picking up today, you held firm. ANTON HAIG: It's not easy being your first tournament back on The European Tour and being on the world stage again. Coming out here with low expectations, and you know, I'm a mud hut player; I'm no one yet, and I'm fighting my way back up there again. I'm heading back to Tour School in December‑‑ end of November, and that's what I'm would being towards. These tournaments are giving me great practice to see if I'm game for it, and it looks like it so far. But not going to put any pressure on myself. At the moment, I'm just taking one shot at a time, not expecting to win, and just out there to try and play each shot to the best of my ability. Q. A mud hut player, that's a lovely expression; do you really feel like that? ANTON HAIG: I felt‑‑ you know, I wasn't a mention. I won a tournament, I was up here with the boys, but I've been away. I took a year off, and I'm coming back. So at the moment, I'm not expecting much from myself, and it's been great. You know, no expectations, it's a good way to think. I'm loving it again. I've really taken to the game again, and that's what I lost. And my manager has really helped me gain that confidence again. Q. It's great to see you back, and essentially last November, we didn't even know whether we would ever see you back on the golf course? ANTON HAIG: Sure, thanks to Sporting Balance, Lorraine and Tom, who have helped me so much down in London. I had to lose ten kilograms of muscle because I was way too big in my upper section, and that was causing a lot of trouble in my neck. Thanks to Sporting Balance, they have really kept me in shape, and yeah, I'm thin‑‑ well, I'm a lean, mean machine now. I'm not that big bulky body builder look that I was going for, so chuffed to be back competing again. Q. We've dragged you out of the physio truck but presumably that's something you have to keep a check on? ANTON HAIG: It's very important. I mean, as tall as I am, and back pain that I have had and back trouble, you know, I've got to keep exceptionally fit and even when you don't want to do it, it's on the back of your mind, where if you want to be the best, you've got to do it. Q. Presumably it's not quite a hundred percent, therefore, but you can keep it steady as, what, 90 per cent or something? ANTON HAIG: Obviously tournament play, you tend to lay off the training, heavy training. But this is just more ten minutes on the bike, a couple weights there and there, just to keep the body in check, and you know, keep it tight. But apart from that, just getting to bed early and the night scenes are long gone. Q. Genuinely? ANTON HAIG: Genuinely. I've given up smoking. Haven't had a cigarette in 2 1/2 months now, so things have changed for the good. Q. Yet there are certainly temptations here in St. Andrews, this is very much the Alfred Dunhill Links, a very South African tournament, you're in amongst your mates ... ANTON HAIG: Let me tell you, Johann Rupert puts on a hell of a week and it's always one of my favorites to come to, yes, there are those temptations, but I will be staying well clear from them. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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