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ISPS HANDA PERTH INTERNATIONALOctober 16, 2013Brett RumfordPERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA OLIVIA McMILLAN: What's your home coming been like to come back to Perth and friends and family and golf fans? BRETT RUMFORD: It's been great. Unfortunately I wasn't able to celebrate the two wins as much as I would have liked. Basically got back on the 6th, and the 8th we spent the day packing and we flew out, so I couldn't really celebrate the victories as well as what I would have liked. And of course the time and the duration of the six months sort of dilutes that a little bit. But it's still nice to be back and obviously the reception back here was great after the wins, and still is. So, yeah, it's nice celebrating the victories even six months down the road. Still it's a nice feeling and it's a nice feeling to be home. Q. How different is the buildup this year given the year you've had to last year? BRETT RUMFORD: Yeah, very different. It's definitely a step up this year in my game. Obviously my expectations, as well. Just got to keep things realistic as well at the same time. It's a very difficult game and it's difficult to keep your intensity up to the level that you need to be able to compete at this level. That's why there's a lot of peaks and troughs in this game. It's more the internal desire and the internal fire, the flame that you have, that sort of creates the good performances. You definitely need that, but at the same time, it's very, very difficult to play week‑in, week‑out from April‑‑ once The European Tour season started up, and obviously with the doors that opened up with the Volvo China Open. So the Volvo China Match Play‑‑ excuse me, the Volvo World Match Play, with that, and then running into Wentworth and the events that followed on The European Tour calendar; usually there's a four‑week window to put the feet up and recharge the batteries and work on things that need to be worked on. But that was filled with traveling to America, playing in the Bridgestone, the PGA and then flying back to then continue with Gleneagles, Wales, Celtic Manor. So it's just been a mad rush just this whole year, and pretty much I've travelled every Sunday or Monday. So it's the later part of the season and I have another five more events and I'm trying to get myself up to finish strong, where I started so well and the middle part, as well, I've held my form. Just trying to be realistic with the fact that it's been a long year, and I am a little bit tired. But still, you know, it is home and I'm going to have the adrenaline running tomorrow and I'm sure I'll manage physically no problem at all. Just so far as working on the game and the elements that I guess that I need sharp, I'm not quite as sharp as what I would be. But apart from that, yeah, it's been a great year and just obviously looking forward to the finish. Q. Aussies didn't do so well last year. Hoping this year around we can do better? BRETT RUMFORD: Yeah, absolutely, no doubt about it. I didn't play well at all last year. First two rounds‑‑ I played better as the week progressed. Thursday and Friday was a bit of a struggle and Saturday and Sunday I played well but just didn't really hole anything. A lot of the people were in a similar boat, either holed everything or didn't hole much with the way the grain was running last year. So this year, the greens are better. The golf course is in perfect condition, so there's no excuse. You play well, you're going to get rewarded, simple as that. Q. How much have you played here over the years? Maybe you would have an advantage being from Perth? BRETT RUMFORD: Definitely the advantage I guess lies in the greens. Tee‑to‑green it's a fairly simple golf course now. It's nice and wide, it's open. There's nothing really in your way. It just comes down to how good your wedges are during the week. The par3s are strong, yes, but it's just leaving the golf ball in the right place and having the knowledge of where to miss it and where not to. Being patient, as well, when things are not going your way, this golf course is really turn on you if you start to get too aggressive and your game is not quite as sharp as what it should be. Some of these pins, if they start tucking them, you can shoot a lot over around this place, and at the same time you can shoot a very good score. Course knowledge, most of the guys‑‑ and I think they can get a feel. They are great players and you can't underestimate the quality of the field this week, and they do it for a living. Everyone has a game plan and once you sit down, it's just a matter of planning the work and working the plan, as simple as that. Q. As the hometown hope, how do you deal with that pressure? BRETT RUMFORD: Yeah, there's quite a few West Aussies playing this week so it would be nice for a West Aussie to take out this tournament. Obviously myself being the No. 1, not No. 1 player in the state but for my own liking. Yeah, the pressure's there. You put the pressure on yourself really. And I expect to perform well this week, no doubt about it. But at the same time just trying to keep realistic as well. If it doesn't go my way, I won't be beating my head. Q. What about being able to sleep in your own bed and having friends and family around, is that a big advantage? BRETT RUMFORD: Not necessarily. You get used to the travels. I think going home is where you hang your hat; you learn that pretty quick. Once you get traveling, it's really nice to actually be at home and have all the creature comforts that just make life traveling on the road a lot easier. So just going out and getting groceries and simple stuff like that, just going in the fringe and stuff being there in the pan try, things are a lot more accessible. I guess it all adds up at the end of the week. Yeah, it just nice and obviously family, friends, having the support, walking in the galleries. It's going to be a good week. Q. I think you mentioned at the British Open you had a slight swing change. How has that settled in? BRETT RUMFORD: Look, that's just a work‑in‑progress. You're always tinkering in this game. There's always something that you try to improve on or just try to iron out. Everyone's got those two or three things that they have a tendency just to creep back into, and it's just a matter of monitoring those. Yeah, the golf swing, it's okay. But as I say, it's just been week‑after‑week. So actually haven't had that window or that chunk where I've been able to knuckle down and hit a lot of golf balls. Just working on a particular feeling and over‑exaggerating the feeling, you can't go from an exaggerated feeling working on drills and expect to take it to the golf course. It's just too difficult. A lot of it is maintenance work. I tried to do a lot of work earlier in the year. After the wins I tried to tinker with it and just wasn't happening and backed off a little bit and started to play a bit more with basically what I had. I wasn't trying to find the positions of the golf swing; I was just letting the flight go where it wanted to go and just trying to play a bit more. That's what I've been mainly doing this last half, and that's what I'm going to be doing these next five weeks, as well. I have a six‑week window coming up with Christmas and New Year's and will do most of my work through there. Q. You came home a week early, you came to Perth a week early and you've been practicing very hard. Guys have been telling me that you've been working hard on your short game and everything. Royal Perth, which is your home club, of course, very similar greens of speed like these here. BRETT RUMFORD: Exactly the same at the moment, which is great. Q. Which is where you've been working and doing all your work and so forth. BRETT RUMFORD: Yeah, the greens are perfect. We've had a really long winter, as you know‑‑ you probably know better than me if you've been around. Obviously it's just the ideal conditions when the temperature is for bentgrass, anyway, when it's not so hot and you're getting a lot of rain, you can really starve them and cut them down. So I was quite surprised with how firm‑‑ possibly the firmest I've ever seen the greens at Royal Perth the day I got back. We had the ladies club championship on, so obviously Mickey‑D was getting the greens up firm and fast for that championship for the ladies, which I've been enjoying, so I've been utilising that and obviously practicing out there for the last week and a half. There's no change whatsoever between those greens and here. My game's ready. Q. How did you find the bunkers here? How are you finding the bunkers? I notice they are a little bit hard, firm? BRETT RUMFORD: I think so. Q. Quite firm. BRETT RUMFORD: I played maybe three bunker shots today, just green‑side bunkers, not fairway bunkers, but green‑side. Two were perfect. Two were nice. Left on hole No. 6, the par 4 up the hill, the pin was back middle. Hit in the left‑hand bunker and it was firm. There was no sand whatsoever, like this table pretty much, and even that surprised me. So it's tricky when you get into a bunker and you bury your feet in, and all of a sudden the club reacts a different way, only three foot or two foot away from you. It's quite a scary feeling. And the trust, as well, that you have to commit to the next golf shot, not really knowing. In saying that, still, I'd rather be too firm than too soft. Q. You mentioned the travel this year. Have you had a busier year on Tour, and is there any risk of burnout at all? BRETT RUMFORD: Yeah, absolutely. It was only just a couple of weeks ago at the Dunhill Links Championship, I had two weeks off and I was just trying to get back in the gym and push myself a little bit harder than usual. Just through hitting balls, I pulled just a rib I guess, or the front of the back, not too sure. I had to play with that through the Dunhill and just tweaked my wrist, as well, just hitting off a matt with the body being tight and fatigued. Settled down now, but yeah, unfortunately‑‑ it's a good problem to have, playing too much. Obviously after the wins, opened a lot of doors, and you can't not play in World Golf events and major championships. It's what you play for. So with those windows that have opened up, plus obviously the European side, you just try to maintain your spot on The Race to Dubai as best you can. You're just trying to manage flight travel, and your schedule is changing all the time. But you just‑‑ with my experience today, I've just tried to manage it as best I can. I think I've done very, very well. But yeah, I've caught the flu; I never catch colds, ever. I can't remember the last time I caught a cold. So they are all signs that your body, it's overworked, it's tired and it's just screaming out that it wants a rest. But unfortunately you've just got to play through it, don't you. Q. Would there ever be a time where there's a tournament you really want to play, would you consider just skipping it just to give your body that break? BRETT RUMFORD: I'm just trying to think: I'm tired, I'm fatigued, I've got a cold. And I've got four tournament after this: 8 million, no cut, 70‑man field, I think I'll play (laughter). Other wide, if it was in Spain for a million Euros, I'd probably miss it. Q. Just in terms of Australian golf in general, obviously we saw Adam Scott break through for his first major and Jason Day seems to be up there. Seems pretty healthy at the moment. BRETT RUMFORD: Yeah, he seems healthy? Q. The game. BRETT RUMFORD: Oh, the game in Australia, absolutely, no doubt about it. Greg Norman, he was incredible for the game of golf worldwide, but more so in Australia, and he dominated the world scene for so many years. And we had that luxury where, yeah, promoting golf in Australia, it was pretty simple with the No. 1 golfer in the world. Scotty has been carrying the flag so well. He has not hit No. 1 in the world, but still 3 in the world or 2, or wherever he is at now, with the major under his belt, and he's doing a tremendous job at taking over from Greg's role. Obviously he's playing a lot of golf here in Australia later in the season. He's playing I think three events out of the four or five we have. Yeah, it's going to be a real buzz and obviously we are all happy for Scotty. He's a great lad and very deserving of a major. I think that it actually is inspiring a lot of guys that Marc Leishman is coming through and the Jason Days. Jason Day and Scotty, they seem to be‑‑ there's a lot of golf tournaments where those guys seemingly are within one or two shots of one another. Most tournaments if you actually look at it and study it pretty closely, when Jason plays well, so does Scotty. So there's a good rivalry there; whether they are spurring each other on or it's just coincidence, I'm not sure. He's definitely lifting everyone else's game, and obviously giving the realisation that, hey, if Scotty can win at the Masters and such, the doors have opened now that the monkey is off your back. OLIVIA McMILLAN:  Thanks so much for joining us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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