|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONSJanuary 8, 2014Peter UihleinDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA STEVE TODD: Peter, many thanks for joining us. Happy new year to you. I'm sure you took a bit of time over the festive period to reflect on a fantastic 2013 season, one of the products of which, getting into this fantastic tournament. Just give us your thoughts on starting the 2014 year here? PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, obviously it's an honour to be here, and to start the year off down here in Durban, get to play a great course, and limited fields are always nice. So it's definitely a nice way to start the year. STEVE TODD: Some of the guys spoke yesterday about it being a limited field, no cut, and obviously an increased prize fund. There's plenty to play for, yourself, included, being in such a strong position in the Official World Golf Ranking. PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, it's a nice way to start the year a little bit more stress‑field with the limited field, no cut. It's nice to try some of the things you've been working on over the break and hopefully be able to execute and hopefully it goes well. It's definitely nice to be here. Q. On the Sunshine Tour, not sure if you're aware, the Rookie of the Year ‑‑ you started last year at the Nelson Mandela, quite a different start to the year‑‑ PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, I do remember that. That was only a two‑round tournament and the rain came in. The course is just right down the road, isn't it? Pretty close by I feel like. But yeah, the weather is far better. That's always nice, and 12 months ago, it's nice to be back, this time obviously a little bit different circumstance. It was a good year. I did start in Durban and then went to Leopard Creek and made the cut there. That was my first cut in a European Tour event down in South Africa, so that was nice. Q. And coming into this year, any new goals? PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, try to get into the Top‑50 in the world, short‑term, try to get into the Match Play, the WGC, and then hopefully qualify for the Masters, I know the cutoff is at the end of Honda. So hopefully be in Top‑50 by then and qualify for the Masters and that will hopefully open some doors for some other events. Schedule‑wise, it seems to be pretty clear what I'm going to be doing this year, and mostly here, and I'll do some over there in the States, as well. It's going to be a nice schedule this year, a little bit more flowing, and I can go home a little bit more, which is going to be good. Q. How have your tolerance levels of lousy weather improved over the last 12 months? PETER UIHLEIN: It's gotten better, you get a little more used to it. I feel like last year we got pretty lucky with the weather in some places, especially when we were like in the U.K., I felt like the weather was great. It never really was that cold or rained too much or anything. I think only Durban last year was the only tournament I can remember that rained a little bit, a little bit too much to where we can't play. But I feel like the whole year the weather was pretty good compared to some of the stories you hear in the past. I feel like we got away with it pretty well last year, so fingers crossed it will be like that again this year. Q. Thomas Björn was talking about what it means for a young player, or the young players of today, to make it into these limited field events. You've had two big ones recently, the World Golf Championships and now this one. Can you talk about what it means at this point in your career? PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, these are things that you shoot for I guess at the start of the year. You try to get in Nedbank and you try to get in here. They are great ways to start the year and end the year. You don't want to say they are like bonus tournaments, but you feel like you've earned your way there and you've played great all year to be able to be there. There's so many great players that play in these events, and to be able to be in the field with them is definitely a treat. But it's what you shoot for all year is to get into these events. Q. Going forward, are you going to have some loyalty to The European Tour, given the chance that you've taken over here, are you going to use that going forward to play on The European Tour in years to come? PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, I can still play a full schedule and be part of both tours. As of now, I'm a European Tour player. I'm going to play some over there but my main focus is still going to be over here. It's just the way the schedules line up on both tours that there's a nice little break on this tour that you can go and play in the States and there's a break over there so you can come and play some over here. It works out well and allows to you play a global schedule and play both tours and have opportunities all over the world so it's great. Q. There's a big event in Scotland in September, The Ryder Cup; are you going to have divided loyalties there in terms of you want the Americans to win, but a European win is good for The European Tour? PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, hopefully I'll be playing in it, so we'll see. Yeah, I think obviously it will be a great event. Those are the things we shoot for is try to make The Ryder Cup Team. I know it will be a good contest on both sides. Q. What made you decide to go and play on The European Tour for most of your early careers? PETER UIHLEIN: Well, I've always looked up to guys like Adam Scott and Ernie Els and those guys. My dad and Chubby Chandler and my coach, Butch Harmon, they told me they had a lot of guys start their careers over in Europe and have success before they headed over to the States; it helps them mature a little bit quicker and improves their overall game. That way when they head to the States, they are a little more prepared and ready to win right away. Seeing what those guys do and the success they have had, I figured why not give it a chance. People think it's different just because I'm an American coming over but a lot of guys do it. I think you're going to start seeing a trend that more and more Americans are going to come over and start their careers over here, as well. Q. Looking at the results in South Africa, is there something about the conditions or courses that suits your game? PETER UIHLEIN: I like being in the heat. It's a lot like Florida to me. The bermudagrass on some of the courses, that's the kind of stuff I grew up on. You know, it's hot, the ball goes far and that's kind of what I'm used to down in Florida. I really like it down here. The food is great. The people are fantastic. I feel very comfortable here. Q. Just remind us, the bet between yourself and Brooke Koepka, have you sorted out who won over the break you had? PETER UIHLEIN: We haven't sorted it out but we made bets that whoever can win the most, if you win, you have to buy a jet ski. His three Challenge Tour wins, apparently got to buy three of them, but I might get him one for his birthday or something. You know, I guess it's 3‑1 right now. So we'll see how this year goes. Q. Have you been out on the course and played it, and what do you think of it? PETER UIHLEIN: Yeah, I played 18 holes. Q. Is it a challenge for you? PETER UIHLEIN: It's claustrophobic; off the tee, it's very narrow. It's firm right now. We'll see, I guess there's supposed to be some weather rolling in. Right now it's playing firm and fast. It's not the longest course in the world but it's all about placement off the tee. There's not much room, so you've got to just kind of plot your way around. It's a fun course to play. I think you've got to think your way around it. You can't just attack and be overly aggressive. You've got to be pretty smart. There's a lot of cool holes, like 18 is a fantastic little finishing hole. It's pretty neat and it's fun to play. Q. What do you think of the par 3, 12th hole? PETER UIHLEIN: Oh, the one with the‑‑ yeah, interesting. I hit two shots. I hit the green and I kind of wanted to see where if you miss the green to see how far down it goes. Can't really tell but it looks like it goes all the way down to the flat and you probably play a little bit of hockey back and forth, so we'll see. STEVE TODD: Thanks for joining us and best of luck this week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|