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VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONSJanuary 10, 2013Thongchai JaideeDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA PAUL SYMES: Thanks for joining us, birdie at the last, perfect end to a great day. THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, first event in 2013, I'm not really much practice at home. We have short break, 2 1/2 week break. I think we have about seven days, or ten days no golf, and then after that, we have about five days of practice before we come here. Very, very exciting to come here because I've never been to South Africa before. First time in my life. And also we came here and look at the courses, very simple. It's hard to get‑‑ yesterday we practice but the wind direction is different than today. I'm thinking about using a lot of irons from the tee, that's most important. Yesterday I hit a lot of drivers, because the wind direction different. Today a lot of change. Thinking about my caddie, we use a lot of irons. Normally we don't have any 3‑irons, we took 3‑iron in, last 15 [] before ten minutes, we don't have any 3‑iron, we took my wedge out and took 3‑iron in. Last 15 minutes before I tee off, a good thing. That's a good thing. We use a lot of irons from the tee. I make a good chance to get on the green, and then we are very good today, because today we are putting very well. We make a very good up‑and‑down. We make long putt and everywhere we can be one putt, you know, 24, 25 putts today, I think very about round and very good putt. I never had good putt like this before. First time, first year, first stop for 2013, yeah. Make it 7‑under for the first start. Q. You talked about you only hit the driver twice. Can you just expand a little bit more on how enjoyable it is to stand on a tee and have to think a little bit more and just take the driver? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, you know, because the wind, you need long anyway. The fairway very much run, you hit the ball on the fairway to go land the ball 70 yards, 60 yards sometimes. I think the best thing to take a little bit longer, take an iron‑‑ take a good chance from the tee to hit it on the fairway, otherwise you get not easy, depending wind direction. The most thing everyone took a lot of iron shots from the tee. I saw a lot of people, not much people use the driver from the tee. I think a couple of holes, like 18, we hit a driver and them a couple holes on the front nine, I can't remember, par 5, 72 holes today. You see a lot of guys use iron shots from the tee because make a good chance because the course is not long. Fairway is not very hard, otherwise if you pitch on the fairway, ball lands 30 yards, 40 yards easy. Q. It was already very windy when you teed off, what do you think of the score? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: My shot, that's a good thing, because sometimes you make a mistake, how do you make a good up‑and‑down. I think my chance is to use on the fairway. I know the fairways very tight and also the wind direction is going to be tough today. Besides on the back nine, the back nine last three holes are going to be‑‑ except on 18, about 15, 16, 17 are going to be hard holes. Q. How many times did you use a 3‑iron? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Oh, a lot from the tee. I mean, like seven, eight times I think today, a lot of 3‑irons from the tee. I think like the first, the second hole, third hole, I think about seven holes, seven or eight holes today, hit a lot of 3‑irons. Q. What was the best birdie? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: The best birdie I think is back nine, I think it's quite a long putt on, 14 I think. I think I make birdie, yet I can't remember, so many. (Laughter). I think one on the back nine. I think, yes, I think on the back nine we make good putt on 7, long putt on 7. We look at opposite side. Q. How long? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think we had about 25 feet putt, yeah, quite long. Q. Do you enjoy playing in windy conditions? Is it something you thrive on? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: We have no choice. Everyone have to play. I enjoy it. Q. Do you have a lot of experience? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: We played most of the time in Europe like this in conditions like this, a lot of wind, like Scotland, like a links course, it's almost the same. I learn a lot of things. I played in Wales. I won in same wind like this and raining also, that one. Yeah, we learn how do it. I think today is a very good score, 7‑under par. Q. Going into tomorrow's round, do you feel that you can hold the lead overnight? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: It's my initial, I do my thing every day, doesn't have to be the same thing. Tomorrow, it depend. It's my personal, I play my own game. Just a lot of things. From the tee you have to be‑‑ depend on wind direction. Sometimes you can change because the wind direction. Normally this course, except this course, you have to be on the fairway. Otherwise they make a good chance for a second shot. My thing is don't think‑‑ my thing is play hole‑by‑hole, shot by shot, that's the most important. Q. What's the big goal for you this season? Things like The Presidents Cup? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think my goal is to play‑‑ this year my goal is Top‑50 in the World Ranking for play in the Masters. That's my key goal today, this year. You have to be Top‑50 and then try and make a good chance, we try. If not possible, we try the next time. The most important this year, we try to get, if possible, to get into the Masters. That's my goal this year. Q. You say that playing in Scotland has helped you with the conditions. Do you remember the first place you played in Scotland and did you like it straight way? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: First, my play in Scotland, 2001, we played British Open in Muirfield. The wind direction is almost the same like this. It's much stronger. You remember the year Ernie Els won, playoff? 2002? That's the first time. Q. And did you enjoy it? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Oh, we hit the ball‑‑ we withdraw second day because of back injury. First ball, we hit the ball 80‑something, almost 90. 92 highest score, the first round in 92. It is so tough. Q. Given you had withdraw, looking forward to going back this year? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, we are thinking about this year, much better. We learn a lot of things about almost ten years in Europe, I think it helped me a lot to play with the conditions like raining, windy and cold. Have to be sometimes come together. I've learned a lot of things. Q. Did you speak to anybody about this golf course or just find out how to play it, from some of the South African players before you play out here? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Say again? Q. Did you speak to any of the South African players or somebody about how to play this golf course before you play out? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Because I speak to someone, I just came on Tuesday in the afternoon, quite late, about 5.00, afternoon. We never see the course before. I came on Wednesday. We talk to someone, say hello to someone, like Branden Grace, we say hello to, happy new year. I never thought much about, we never have any time. We think about playing with my partner in the Pro‑Am. He's a member. He helped me a couple things. He asked me about the course, this course, you have to know about the wind direction, most important. When you practise, we play Pro‑Am with them on yesterday, the wind direction is different, opposite side. They said about me, if the rain coming, it come on this side. If no rain, it come other side. That's what they ask me about and I remember how to play, and this course how tough. They help me from the Pro‑Am tournament yesterday. Q. When you were a paratrooper‑‑ THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I joined the national team in 1996, Thailand national team. Was with them about four years. When I won at 25‑‑ turn pro at 29. We improve a lot when we join with the national team, but I'm still army. Q. So you played while you were in the army? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Say again? Q. You played a lot while you were in the army? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, because that's why I need to come to join with the national team. Otherwise, we work with army because the government, they ask me to stay with them, you need to work about four years, and then after that we come back working, four years, and then we join with the‑‑ after that we qualify for Asian Tour, 1999. Q. And what was the most scary thing you did? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Well, the army helped me a lot because training is very hard. We are landing, wake up, five clock landing every day. Q. Jumping? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Everything we try, it's everything, army. You know how hard training. Training is most about two‑year training with the paratrooper and also ranger three months and paratrooper about six months. About nine months all together. Going to be tough, yeah. Otherwise helped me a lot of things about mental ready, how to think on the course. Helped me a lot. Thinking about if you join the army‑‑ if you not join the army, it's going to be worse, my thinking. Now it helped me a lot, how to make concentrate, focus, that's the most important thing. Otherwise my body is getting stronger. My age about 43 now, 44 in November. Q. How many parachute‑‑ THONGCHAI JAIDEE: About 60 times, 12 years, 13 years. It's not a lot but just about‑‑ you know, you have to be six times a year, the rule, you have to jump six times a year. We have 13, so about 60. Q. Last night you said the situation‑‑ your mother might not be very well, how do you keep that out of your mind? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I'm thinking about, I enjoy the course, that's most important. The course is not very long. You have to think a lot from the tee to the fairway. And then the fairway to the green. I like the course, because the course is not very long, very tight course, so you have to be thinking very good thing, about hit all the fairway, hit all the green. That's the most important to think. A another thing, today we got very good putt. That's why the game, my key game change, normally I put not very well. Yesterday we hit a lot of greens. I hole only one hole put, one putt, otherwise I make every hole 2‑putt. Competing today is different, got the feeling, try to get my best, putting, today is the most better last time in my putt. Today is much better. I think my first tournament this year, today, is most better putting. PAUL SYMES: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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