WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 19, 2002

Jose Maria Olazabal

SCOTT CROCKETT: Jose Maria, welcome. You've had a good couple of weeks, money off the Buick and money off Darren Clarke, can't be bad.

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Darren Clarke, I think it was his fault, it was not me playing well.

SCOTT CROCKETT: He was very complimentary about your game. You must be very pleased, yourself.

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I'm playing better, obviously. The key for me has been driving the ball better off the tee. That has been my Achilles tendon for quite a while, and it started to come back last year, the last two tournaments I played in Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. I've been driving it better since then, even though I know I do have still room to improve, I still have to work hard at it. It doesn't feel comfortable. It will be a matter of time until it feels comfortable, so all I can do is just keep on working at it.

Q. The way you've been playing now presumes it feels more comfortable, doesn't it?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No, it still feels the same. It's just a matter that you have to keep on trying and always, the results help. That will give you confidence to keep on doing it. But it still feels uncomfortable.

Q. How have you brought about the change, the improvement? Equipment? Technique?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Really, it's just a matter of technique, changing the swing and that's pretty much it.

I've been doing not the right swing for many years, and it's going to take me a while to get rid of those bad habits. You know, I spent last year with Butch -- I didn't spend much time with him, actually. I saw him during some of the tournaments I played here in the United States, and maybe not the right time to work at your swing when you're playing tournaments and major events. But having said that, I think, you know, the results are starting to show up. Hopefully, I'll keep on improving in that department.

Q. Is there any sense of wishing you had decided to come to America for a stretch of tournaments earlier, would that have brought benefits?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I've said, what are the reasons for me to come here. I think it's easier traveling-wise to come to the United States instead of, you know, going to, let's say, Australia and Asia and all of those countries early in the season. By the time you get to April, you have a lot of miles, or at least a lot of extra miles that you shouldn't have. I mean here, the golf courses on the West Coast, maybe the greens are not the best because it's early in the year, except maybe Phoenix and L.A. last week they were pretty good, and Torrey Pines, they were good on the South Course. The only greens that were not all that good were the ones at AT&T. But the facilities are great. The competition is always good. You know, I think it's pretty much a force of nature. Even if you don't realize, you still have to increase the level of your game here to be competitive. I think those are the reasons why I decided to come here the last couple of years.

Q. Did your win come as a surprise or was it expected through your hard work?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Well, I think both things. When you just make the cut after two rounds, you don't expect to have a chance to win the tournament, even though it was like eight shots only from last to first.

But the way I played over the weekend, especially on Saturday, it was pretty windy and I put up a good score. Well, even though I knew it was going to be tough, I knew if I put another good round on Sunday, I was going to be finishing around the top.

So it was a surprise in that sense; that you don't expect to win when you just make the cut, but at the same time, I think it's just a reward of hard work.

Q. Do you approach this week with particular relish, given the format?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No. I think it's a different format. You have to really change your approach to the round. 18 holes is not much. I mean, anything can happen in 18 holes, match-play.

But that's all you have to change, your approach to the round. You're not trying to beat the golf course. You're just trying to beat an opponent, and all you have to do is just score one less than he does on every hole. If that has to be a 3, then it will be a 3, and that has to be a 6, then it will be a 6. That's what you have to do.

Q. A lot of people say they play the course when they are playing match-play, so you don't believe in that then?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I don't. I don't. I don't play the course.

Q. Do you enjoy match-play?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I like it. You know, I enjoy it. I think that would be an overstatement, but anyways, I think it's different. It's a different format. From time to time to play a format like this, I think it's good.

Q. Given your form, is there any regrets that you not be at The Belfry?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I had my chance to be, but I missed it, and I have no regrets about it. Nothing I can do about that.

Q. Would you like to see some sort of thought given to perhaps a revision of the team?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: The decisions are done. I think it would be pointless to talk about it anymore. I think it will be on the benefit of the team itself not to talk about this issue at all, concerning anybody. I think that will have to be -- made very clear to everybody.

Q. Did you see that Seve had spoken about it?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No, I didn't know that.

Q. He said you should be on the team.

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Well, that's his point of view. I mean, you have to respect every point of view.

Q. Given your reputation at match-play, people might be surprised to hear that you don't enjoy it, what don't you enjoy about it?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: When you're out there, there's very few times you enjoy it. It doesn't matter if it's match-play or medal play. When you're playing competition golf, it's just -- it's hard, it's tough. You have to give your best and you enjoy it when you deliver, when you do what you're supposed to do or you think you can do. That is when you enjoy.

But if you go out there and imagine you can play a great round but your opponent has a better day that day and you end up losing, I don't think there is much fun about it.

Q. Darren was in earlier and he was talking about one of the main things when he won here two years ago was how relaxed he was all week. Is that a trend, when you play better when you're relaxed or intense?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: It depends. There are times when you play better when you're relaxed. And at times when you are tense and the adrenaline is flowing, you may be able to hit shots that you may not be able to hit when you're relaxed.

Q. You don't try to get into any sort of frame of mind?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I just try to keep myself as relaxed as possible. But when you are in a situation to win or when you are in a situation under a lot of pressure, the adrenaline is flowing, you're not going to be relaxed. You're not going to be able to deliver under those circumstances. Sometimes, you know, that adrenaline helps you to concentrate better and to give your best.

Q. Looking back on Ryder Cup, this goes back to your last answer, in that successful series with Seve, did you feel that you were playing in a relaxed mode or was the adrenaline flowing?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I think the adrenaline is flowing playing the Ryder Cup, since you stand on that first tee every day. I never played relaxed, but I played good, overall.

Q. What do you think of your opponent (Justin Leonard)?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: He's a good player. I think his game has improved. I mean, he managed to win last year, at the end of last year. I think his game is coming along good again after a bad spell. I think, hopefully, that we will play good golf and see who wins.

But I think it's going to be a good match. I don't think there should be any reason why not to play good golf tomorrow.

Q. Is there a sense of just something being unresolved between the two of you?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No, not at all. Everything was resolved a few years ago.

He did what he was supposed to do. I mean, he tried to play his best. Finally, he won, there was nothing wrong with him.

Q. Is that the best somebody has ever putted against you for a stretch of holes?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I guess so, yes.

Q. And we all remember the one on 17, but he holed before that?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: Yeah, he holed a couple before that. That one he holed a very good putt on the par 5, 14, I think it was, the par 5.

Then on 15, he made a huge putt. I mean it was, I don't know, about 20 yards away from the pin and he made it.

Q. What about 14?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: It was just about two or three feet outside mine. I think his putt was like 12 feet, something like that.

Q. You've played with him since then, haven't you, in a tournament?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: I think we've played together, yeah.

Q. What did he say on the range, he just came up to you on the range?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: He just congratulated me for the victory at Torrey Pines, "Well done". The usual thing.

Q. Didn't mention the putting?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No. I putted well, but I don't think I putted that well, compared to him, anyway. (Laughs).

Q. Do you think he might be a little weak, just because he got married a couple of weeks ago?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: You know, I think for a guy that can run a marathon, I think he can take care of that business all right. (Laughter.)

Q. You don't know what it's like?

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL: No, I don't think I do.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Thank you very much.

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