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VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONSJanuary 8, 2014Miguel Angel JimenezDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA STEVE TODD:ﾃつ Miguel, many thanks for joining us, welcome to the Volvo Golf Champions and a very happy birthday for Sunday, as well, big milestone at 50.ﾃつ Just give us your thoughts on coming into this week, obviously on the back of a victory last year in Hong Kong and starting 2014 here in South Africa. MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Yeah, well, first thing is I just have turned 50 on the fifth, a few days ago.ﾃつ But I look in the mirror and I see the same guy.ﾃつ He's not changed.ﾃつ Then, well, as I just say, you know, I've been finishing my season last year with a victory in Hong Kong.ﾃつ Well, it showed that when I'm coming back from my injury last year, I've been playing very well and with a victory‑‑ it's very nice to motivate yourself and keep pushing yourself forward. Now to come here, the first week of January, start my season in 2014 here, and it's nice.ﾃつ Nice to start in this Volvo Golf Champions.ﾃつ The golf course is a great golf course, super condition, super golf course, and it's nice.ﾃつ Always looking to be back, even though the break is not that long, but here we are. STEVE TODD:ﾃつ And particularly nice, obviously having missed this tournament last year with the injury. MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Yeah, I've been breaking my leg on the 29th and I've been out of the competition until the end of May officially.ﾃつ But it's not nice to miss last year but here we are again this year and I hope that my game is still the same level that I finish last year. Q.ﾃつ Did you get any special birthday presents? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Yeah, I make a special present for me.ﾃつ I jump on an airplane coming to here on the 5th.ﾃつ I arrive here on the 6th in the afternoon and I start traveling on the Sunday afternoon, but, well, we have a nice party on the Friday the third, we have a nice party in the night and we know that we can't do it any other time and we did that. Q.ﾃつ No new Ferrari? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ No.ﾃつ No, no, no.ﾃつ I think I got the best one, the most beautiful one.ﾃつ I don't have to have another one, I would love to but have to do some more different things. Q.ﾃつ On a serious note, last year, when you broke your leg, at your age, did you fear this could be the end? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ I think when I break my leg, I see my leg like that, I think‑‑ that's tough.ﾃつ I thought at that moment, probably that's finished, my career, probably.ﾃつ But then I have the same day in the afternoon an operation with a nice doctor, a specialist in knees and bones, and they make ‑‑ﾃつ they see it's going forward, and then motivation is still there.ﾃつ Now I have to work hard to recover it back and I did. Q.ﾃつ Have you ever known anything as hard or difficult or as painful as that rehabilitation, the road back to recovery? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Well, it's tough.ﾃつ You know it's tough but after the operation, I never have pain.ﾃつ You feel like you need to stretch and to get it back, but there is not pain that you cannot work.ﾃつ Keep doing and keep doing, it's a little behind, but it's going to disappear and go forward. Q.ﾃつ When did you take your first step unassisted?ﾃつ How long did it take? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ The next day.ﾃつ The next day after the operation, I go out, I get the two sticks and I do with two sticks.ﾃつ Very focused, because I'm not used to, you go there‑‑ you don't want to fall, because if you fall, you can be worse, no.ﾃつ But two days after with the stick, all day you have to rest, but you need to move, you need to do small movement you're doing by yourself, of course. Q.ﾃつ You'll never ski again? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ I will.ﾃつ Of course.ﾃつ I love it. Q.ﾃつ Have you turned 50 feeling your game is as good as it was when you turned 40, if not better? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Well, when turning 40 ten years ago, I have five victories.ﾃつ And it was probably the most successful year I have.ﾃつ And the golf I played at that moment is unbelievable.ﾃつ I still play very well.ﾃつ I still hit the same distance. I still am comfortable and I still am the same person.ﾃつ It's a lot of confidence there and I like the rest of the players, you know that you cannot win every time.ﾃつ But I feel like I can be in contention and win tournaments because I'm still here. Q.ﾃつ And when you've talked about wanting to be a Ryder Cup Captain one day, but do you believe getting on the team this year‑‑ MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ If I play well, I believe be on the team.ﾃつ But if I am not‑‑ if my game is not at the level, it's very difficult to maintain a high level.ﾃつ But the fact that my level is there and my game is there, I will be there. If you are not playing well, then you don't want to be on the team.ﾃつ It's a lot of responsibility.ﾃつ You know, you play for‑‑ it's a lot it means to me and to many players and you need to know that you are in good shape.ﾃつ If you win a match or don't win a match‑‑ win or no win, you have to respect the other players that they want to win.ﾃつ But you need to be in good shape. Q.ﾃつ If you could play in a Ryder Cup at 50, what would that mean to you? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ It would mean a lot, a lot to me.ﾃつ It's still breaking records.ﾃつ It would be nice.ﾃつ I break my own record to the age winner‑‑ how do you say that? STEVE TODD:ﾃつ Oldest winner. MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ No, you are old, not me.ﾃつ (Laughter) You have the age and you win it there.ﾃつ Why not? (laughter). Q.ﾃつ When you were saying that you were walking on two sticks, how quickly did you call your physiotherapist to come and work with you? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ No, at the same moment.ﾃつ When I broke my leg, the first thing to go with the first assistance, put it in the phone and send a picture to the doctor and he explain everything and he's talking to my physio and talking to what happened, because they are planning in a week to traveling to here, and to make all the thing happens.ﾃつ And the operation, my doctor, the physio, he's there also to start talking what the things to do, and a few days he came. Q.ﾃつ Was that your own physio that came? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Yeah, it's the same guy who is coming with me for several years, from the beginning of last year, coming all the year. Q.ﾃつ You said that you're going to play the British Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ I don't know.ﾃつ I don't know really.ﾃつ I just want to start to play and see how the things going in this first part of the year, and after that, we'll see what's going on, because obviously if my game is still on the same level and my motivation is still to play, well, I want to play with the young kids; I want to play with this one, this is what I feel like it. But if my game is falling down, then you have to make a step and try to find some invitations.ﾃつ But I think my game, it will still be on this path. Q.ﾃつ I was going to ask you about motivation.ﾃつ What keeps motivating you? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Win.ﾃつ Win.ﾃつ Win.ﾃつ No, it's one thing it's for sure.ﾃつ If I play well and the best I can do playing well is 50, I back from golf‑‑ then there's nothing to do there.ﾃつ For me just coming to play on the Tour just to get a salary, it's better to go home.ﾃつ To me, the motivation and why I work, why I go through the year, why I keep doing what I do, it's because I love to compete and I love to compete with the best and I want to win. As I said before, if you will respect all of the players, I think they have the same motivation.ﾃつ You can't win every week, but if I play well, you areconfident that you can win a tournament, I will be here.ﾃつ That's what the motivation.ﾃつ Win.ﾃつ (Laughter). Q.ﾃつ Have you spoken about The Ryder Cup with Paul McGinley?ﾃつ He said he's talking to all of the players who might make the team, so have you spoken to him? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Well, we had a few words and he want me to captain the EurAsia Cup and I'm going to do that thing, and probably if I'm not on the team, probably I will be helping him.ﾃつ Don't know yet, that's until he confirms the things.ﾃつ But I am going to do this job there and I am going to keep working hard on my game, because where I would like to be there is with the clubs in the hands. Q.ﾃつ And he said if you don't qualify for the team, he would like you to be‑‑ MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Probably he ask me to captain the EurAsia Cup and probably it's because‑‑ I don't know yet‑‑ but doing nothing. Q.ﾃつ Do you see yourself being the first over 50s player to win a title with a ponytail? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ Why not?ﾃつ It's only one month's difference.ﾃつ (Laughter) why not? This ponytail and the big mustache on the mouth, that's my image.ﾃつ You will see for a long time, don't worry, and I hope I keep having some victories on 50, that would be nice. Q.ﾃつ Your expectation of this course, you played a practice round? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ I played yesterday. Q.ﾃつ What's your motivation on the course? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ It's a great golf course.ﾃつ It's a beautiful golf course.ﾃつ You have to use all the clubs in the bag.ﾃつ The holes rebound not very long, you know, but they are also holes that you have to play very well from the tee.ﾃつ You have to put the ball in play all the time.ﾃつ You can have high rough, but you don't have many flyers.ﾃつ This kind of golf course is nice, nice course. Q.ﾃつ Your expectation in terms of a winning score? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ No idea.ﾃつ Wait tomorrow and see what's going on tomorrow and then we can talk about a score, but I don't know.ﾃつ What's the score winning last year? STEVE TODD:ﾃつ 16. Q.ﾃつ Are you as competitive when you play golf with your kids or play any other games with them; do you want to win? MIGUEL ﾃδ¨GEL JIMﾃ窶ｰNEZ:ﾃつ My son, he's coming to America now, been there a couple of weeks ago‑‑ we played a couple of rounds.ﾃつ Just going to play‑‑ my handicap, I just want to play with you.ﾃつ But no, I have a lot of fun, and any time I'm going to play on the golf course, you want to give yourself on the golf course and the main thing is I don't want to beat the guy on my side, I want to beat the golf course. If I beat the golf course, I have a lot of chances, always.ﾃつ That's been my thing when you are competing or playing with your friend.ﾃつ Don't play to play against anybody, just play yourself and the golf course. STEVE TODD:ﾃつ Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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