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ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPJanuary 19, 2014Pablo LarrazabalABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES STEVE TODD:ﾃつ Pablo, thanks for joining us, many congratulations.ﾃつ A tiring day out there on the course for you, you say you're visibly shattered but a very enjoyable one for you.ﾃつ Take us through the emotion of the day and how much it means to win this trophy. PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ It means a lot.ﾃつ You know, my third win on Tour, and playing against who I played today.ﾃつ Obviously I play against myself, but I knew who I had nearby me on my group, and I knew who I had behind me.ﾃつ You know, it's been a long journey, it's been a lot of work.ﾃつ Only my team, my family and I, know how much I work for it.ﾃつ No holidays; not too many days off this winter, just working to arrive properly to arrive in form Abu Dhabi.ﾃつ That's what we did, and yeah, happy days. STEVE TODD:ﾃつ You referenced the players in the field this week, a very strong field, and all of them in contention there at the end.ﾃつ Talk us through that shot on 18, the approach shot, what a shot to see. PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ Yeah, I hit the ball great today.ﾃつ I mean, maybe the best day I hit the ball.ﾃつ And you know, after the birdie on 13, I thought, okay, try to putt yourself with chances, but we need at least one or two more.ﾃつ Then a great save on 14.ﾃつ Lovely shot on 15, lovely shot on 16 and again great shot on 17.ﾃつ Couldn't make any of those putts.ﾃつ And I knew going to the last, I knew I had it in my hands. I was the only enemy I had in that time, so I rip the 3‑wood straight in the middle, 253 metres to hole downwind from the left.ﾃつ I knew that I could hit that 5‑wood, as hard as I could, and I was not going over. So you know, I said to myself, just one more good swing, and you know, I just ripped that thing and I put it in the middle of the green, and you had it and what's what I tried to do and that's what I did.ﾃつ The first putt was shaking a little bit, but, you know, a nice seven‑foot for birdie, and feels great. STEVE TODD:ﾃつ And your third European Tour victory, nearly three years since the last one.ﾃつ You've come close a number of times since then.ﾃつﾃつ Just tell us what this means, and obviously putting you on the fringe of the Top‑50 again in the world. PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ Again?ﾃつ I never been close. This means‑‑ the first win in France was the win of the talent, as my brother says.ﾃつ You know, I could win any golf tournament that week in France, a hundred putts in 72 holes, I mean, not even the best, Tiger, could get me that week. The second one was the win of belief in Munich.ﾃつ I believe in myself in the playoff.ﾃつ I was hitting that 3‑wood straight to the middle of the green, and you know, after Sergio was hitting, I was hitting again, you know, making birdies everywhere, making great shots. I would say this is the win of the hard work and this is the win of a team, of a team work.ﾃつ I have a big team, and first of all, the Callaway guys, the Callaway bring on the best driver, the Big Bertha Alpha, the best driver we can hit out there.ﾃつ You guys saw the drivers I've been hitting this week.ﾃつ I never hit that long and that straight.ﾃつ So thanks to them, and thanks to my team.ﾃつ It's a large team but they all know what to do.ﾃつ I cannot have a better team, and this is our win. Q.ﾃつ You said it was seven feet.ﾃつ Can you describe your emotions over that last putt?ﾃつ Were you thinking that Phil was behind you in the fairway?ﾃつ Did that enter your head? PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ I know that to make eagle on the last with that flag, it's very hard.ﾃつ And then, you know, when I leave it that short, that first putt, you know, I only thought about‑‑ it's similar as Martin Kaymer said.ﾃつ Obviously different story, but I can tell you the same feelings, no blood on the hands. I made so many times a straight putt.ﾃつ It was dead straight.ﾃつ I mean, I tried to see any break, and there was no break.ﾃつ Seven‑feet putt, I made it how many times since I was five years old I start to play golf, 10,000 times?ﾃつ I don't know.ﾃつ Just aim as you know how to aim, straight to the middle, and just make a good swing, a good stroke.ﾃつ That's what I did. Thanks God it went in, because I would have been not here if I had to go to playoff with Phil and Rory (shaking head)(laughter).ﾃつ I will be next door. Q.ﾃつ The two guys you beat, one is a five‑time major winner and one is a two‑time major winner, I know perhaps has not sunk in, but your impressions of what that might do for your confidence and self‑belief in terms of majors and Ryder Cups and the like? PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ I'm not into Majors yet.ﾃつ I'm maybe into the PGA Championship but the other one, I don't know what we got.ﾃつ I don't know what I'm going to play now.ﾃつ I mean, I was going Qatar, Dubai, Joburg Open and African Open before today.ﾃつﾃつ Don't know what I got.ﾃつ You know, we'll see tomorrow. I beat two of the three most talented guys in my era and in the last era, as well.ﾃつ Phil Mickelson, man, and Rory, what are we going to say?ﾃつ I was sitting in that prize ceremony, and I said, "Pablo, what the, hmmmm, you doing here?" (Speaking in tone of disbelief)(Laughter).ﾃつ It's Rory McIlroy on my left, and I shake hands to Phil Mickelson.ﾃつ You know, it's very special to me. Q.ﾃつ Once you do get to the Majors, the fact that you're able to beat them here on the national course, is there any reason to suggest that you couldn't do it at Augusta or Hoylake? PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ I don't know about Augusta.ﾃつ It's been 11 years since I was there and I was carrying a golf bag.ﾃつ I was caddying for my brother.ﾃつ So I don't know.ﾃつ You know, on TV, it looks great.ﾃつ If I can perform in these conditions, I can perform in the U.S. Open and I can obviously PGA, next to this golf course this week, obviously faster greens and harder greens.ﾃつ If I can perform in these conditions, I can perform everywhere. And obviously the greens were not as fast as we normally play in here, but you know, the setup was tremendous.ﾃつ I mean, never played a golf course so good, so fair.ﾃつ If you went to the rough, it's not like‑‑ it wasn't like, oh, let's see if I have luck.ﾃつ Uh‑uh.ﾃつ You're going to have deep and you're going to get in trouble.ﾃつ It's been a tremendous tournament. Q.ﾃつ Can you just give us an idea of what all did you do during the winter break to make sure that a trophy like this is in your cabinet? PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ No, I did a lot of things.ﾃつ You know, in the team of work, first of all, you have a coach.ﾃつ I have my coach that came this winter home.ﾃつ My caddie came for a few days home.ﾃつ I have my brother who takes care of me back home.ﾃつ The job, it's like my second coach, the job my coach does and they connect, and my brother does it at home. Then I have a physical trainer back in home and back in here, so I have two physical trainers.ﾃつ Then I have a person who takes care of the rest, and that person is the reason that's why we are here today. And obviously I'm not going to say his name because he doesn't want to, but that guy, is the reason why I am next to this trophy today and I really want to thank this guy, because he's for me, for my golf game, is the best thing could happen to me to met this guy, to thanks him. Q.ﾃつ What did he help you with? PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ I am not going to tell you.ﾃつ Thanksﾃつ (shrugging shoulders)(laughter). If you tell your secrets, someone else are going to do it, and I'm going to make sure that‑‑ no one knows him.ﾃつ No one knows that guy, and I am the only one.ﾃつ If you guys go to El Prat back in Barcelona, maybe some day you can find out who is this guy.ﾃつ But I am not going to tell you and I am not going to tell you what he does.ﾃつ Thanks.ﾃつ (Laughter). Q.ﾃつ You can't know quite yet what this means in terms of Ryder Cup points‑‑ PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ I don't know what I'm playing‑‑ Q.ﾃつ What would it mean to get into The Ryder Cup? PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ I don't know if I'm into the‑‑ am I going to play Doral?ﾃつ Am I going to play Match Play?ﾃつ I will be what World Ranking? STEVE TODD:ﾃつ Around 55. PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ 55.ﾃつ So maybe if I play not too good next week and not too good‑‑ because I'm exhausted next week, I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I face one of the two guys they were sitting next to me in Arizona, I have to play good next week and I have to play good in Dubai. I don't know what I'm going to play.ﾃつ I don't know if I'm into the majors.ﾃつ The thing I know is that I feel very sorry for South Africa.ﾃつ I loved South Africa.ﾃつ I love to play in South Africa.ﾃつ I love the South African people.ﾃつ But after Dubai Desert Classic, I'm going home. Q.ﾃつ Would it be fair to say you would love to play in The Ryder Cup, especially what it's meant‑‑ PABLO LARRAZﾃδ。AL:ﾃつ Ryder Cup?ﾃつ (Sighing).ﾃつ Let's go to the hotel tonight and let's get ready for next week and forget about The Ryder Cup.ﾃつ I mean, there's so many great players out there that I knowit's three picks, not four.ﾃつ And five by World Ranking; uh‑uh, no chance.ﾃつ Four from The Race to Dubai, now that I have to check‑‑ I'm not that bad there, I will be top ten, top eight over there.ﾃつ And there's three picks.ﾃつ Actually, there are two picks, because Poulter will be pick for sure (laughter). Paul is not going to pick me, so I have to get into The Race to Dubai.ﾃつ I have to win another three European Tour events, or with two if I play good in the majors.ﾃつ If I'm playing the majors, I don't know, and I can do it. But if I add pressure here‑‑ no, I don't want to play The Ryder Cup, too much.ﾃつ Too much.ﾃつ (Laughter) I'm shaking now in front of you.ﾃつ Uh‑uh.ﾃつ Ryder Cup, we will see in September in Gleneagles.ﾃつ I played good in Gleneagles, I lost in playoff against Thomas Bjﾃδｶrn, so not bad. STEVE TODD:ﾃつ Do we have anymore questions?ﾃつ Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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