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WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPFebruary 22, 2013Tim ClarkMARANA, ARIZONA DOUG MILNE: We're joined by Tim Clark. Tim, congratulations on a convincing 3 & 2 win over Thorbjorn. Just some comments on the match and then we'll make some questions. TIM CLARK: Well, it was a match I played well. That's the best I've probably hit the ball all year, to be honest with you. He made a bunch of good saves the front nine, kept the match close, and then I kind of won a couple holes there, and then sort of midway through the back nine, we both started making birdies. It's a match that kind of changed around, but I pretty much stuck to my game plan and was able to pull it out. Q. What is the game plan against someone like Olesen who hits it so far? TIM CLARK: Well, the back nine, those par‑5s I can't reach, and a guy like him is getting there. So I had to be pretty precise with where I laid it up, particularly the second par‑5 on the back nine. If you're not coming in from the right angle, you just don't have a golf shot. I played my wedges great today. I hit a couple to tap‑in range. That's what I had to do, against guys like that on this golf course I have to be on my game with my wedges. Q. You said that this is the best you've hit the ball all year. Is this the best you've felt in years? TIM CLARK: Well, if you asked me that yesterday, I would have said I felt terrible because yesterday was not a good day. I didn't feel good at all. I don't know what it was, but very nervous in the match yesterday. But today was completely different, like a different person, very in control of my swing, and like I say, if I look back at the round, I don't remember mis‑hitting a golf shot. Everything was right where I wanted it. It's nice to have that turnaround this quickly, and I think it's probably a lot due to the match yesterday, the fact that I felt so bad but was still able to play reasonably well really gave me confidence coming out here today. Q. You said also that being healthy has been a big plus, and I assume you were healthy at Kapalua, as well. When did you first really feel 100 percent again physically? TIM CLARK: Probably around sort of July or August last year. And the strange thing with that is suddenly when you start to feel healthy, you've now been playing golf not feeling healthy, so your swing changes again. It was a little bit to get used to. Yeah, it's been four or five months now where I'm feeling good, so yeah, there's no excuses there. I've been healthy for quite a few months. Q. It seems like we ask you this too much, but the injuries, as they built up, did you ever worry about going forward, were you ever going to be able to play at the level that you were able to play at before? TIM CLARK: I didn't really think about that much, no. I guess once you've gone through it a few times, you know you can do it. But this last one was hard. To not hit a golf shot for almost a year is a long time. It felt very strange coming back after that amount of time. Obviously the arm was very weak, and mentally it was very tough, to suddenly get yourself back to that level. When I got injured, I was playing really great golf. I think that was the hardest thing is knowing I was on my way to playing some really great golf and then I had a setback, took literally a year off, and then another year to‑‑ two years kind of gone there where I felt like I was just sort of starting to take off. Q. Had you ever played with Thorbjorn before? TIM CLARK: No, I've obviously seen him a few times on The Golf Channel, but had never played with him, no. Q. Can you give us your impressions? American audiences don't know much about him or his game. TIM CLARK: Just from what I had seen on TV, a guy with a very good golf swing, very athletic, hits the ball a long way, like most kids these days. And he seemed to have a very good short game. He made a lot of good up‑and‑downs today. And then when the match got tight at the end, he hit a lot of good shots, too. He looks like a very good player. Q. This is the third time you've reached the third round. Do you feel like match play format is something you should excel in? You've had some moments in the Presidents Cup that showed your match play mettle there. TIM CLARK: Unfortunately a lot for me depends on how the golf course plays. If I go to a golf course where‑‑ and this one sort of favors the longer hitter, too, but that's what it depends on. When we go to a place like SanFrancisco for the Presidents Cup, a nice short, tight golf course, I don't have any problems. Then I really enjoy match play. But when I feel like I'm at a huge disadvantage because of length, then it's tough. But on a day like today, I just accepted that and went about hitting good wedge shots. Sometimes if I can do that maybe I can get under the skin of my opponent. So that's the interesting thing about match play. There's not just one way to go about it. You can figure out ways to play the course. There's always ebb and flow, so you've just got to stay at it. DOUG MILNE: Tim, congratulations. We appreciate your time. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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