|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 27, 1998Joe OzakiPONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA JOE OZAKI: Start No. 1 the second 95 yard and I hit a sand wedge and too much backspin and it spun back to the edge and 3-putt and bogey. WES SEELEY: How far was the first putt, please? JOE OZAKI: First putt maybe 20 yards. WES SEELEY: 60-foot 3-putt. Birdie on No. 3. JOE OZAKI: Hit 7-iron and maybe 10 foot -- ten feet. WES SEELEY: Birdie on 4. JOE OZAKI: No. 4, maybe 7, 10 foot. WES SEELEY: And the club? JOE OZAKI: Second shot, I hit 8-iron. WES SEELEY: 8-iron to ten feet. JOE OZAKI: Yes. WES SEELEY: Birdied the 8. JOE OZAKI: And hit 3-iron and good one and maybe four feet. 9, hit sand wedge and three feet. 11, bogey, hit second shot, 236 the front edge. I had 4-wood in the water and made 6. No. 13, I hit 5-iron and three feet. WES SEELEY: Number 16. JOE OZAKI: 16, second shot I hit 3-iron and right side of the front edge and chipped in two feet. WES SEELEY: Okay, some general thoughts about today and about your round. JOE OZAKI: Today and yesterday, so, so, perfect for me. My putting -- TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: Putting was well today as well. JOE OZAKI: And this week, change iron, new iron this week. Yes. And changing shaft, graphite. TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: Changed from the graphite shaft to the steel shafts this week. JOE OZAKI: Yeah, and this is maybe good. WES SEELEY: You are hitting them farther as a result? JOE OZAKI: Yes. WES SEELEY: Some questions. Q. Do you generally like courses that are playing tough, when the course is firm? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: Lots of courses are like that in America, for example, last week Bay Hill was also playing really fast and it was playing even longer than this week. WES SEELEY: You feel that is good for your game? JOE OZAKI: Yeah, for my driving distance. Q. As far as the irons go, did you change irons as well as the shafts and what from to what? WES SEELEY: Same brand? JOE OZAKI: Yes. TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: Just the shafts. Q. What would the reaction be in Japan if you were to win this tournament? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: That is a big "If." Let's wait and see if we win and then we will see what happens. Q. What does it mean to you to be tied for the lead considering how good the field is? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: It is important, but more than anything of the score at this point, he just wants to play well tomorrow and on Sunday. Q. Is this your best position in an American tournament at the halfway point? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: Maybe four years ago in Tucson, but, of course, finishing at the top is -- JOE OZAKI: Yeah, last tee -- TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: -- Is his best. Q. How nervous were you watching your ball come to rest against that fringe along the water on 17? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: As soon as I hit it, I thought it was going into the water. JOE OZAKI: Yeah. Q. A non-member of the PGA TOUR has never won this tournament. Why do you suppose that is and can you change that? WES SEELEY: He is a member. He is listed in the Media Guide in the foreign players section because there was a period of time when he was uncertain which Tour he would be joining, so, Joe is a member of the Tour. His decision just came too late for publication. Q. How many events will you play here on this Tour as opposed to the Japanese Tour? JOE OZAKI: I hope 15 and 15. 15 in America and 15 -- but maybe more in America. TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: Hopefully 15 in each, but maybe more here depending on this week. Q. After you made a bogey at No. 11, how was your momentum? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: After that on No. 13 he had a really good hole, so it brought back all of his confidence. Q. Can you talk about the indecision about whether you were going to play this Tour again this year or not and how that decision came about? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: First of all, his wife is going to have their second baby next month and so he was thinking he needed to be in Japan more, but his wife told him that you should play and try really hard in America, so he decided to come back. Q. You won two tournaments over there last year. How much money did you win in Japan in our dollars, versus what you have won here? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: $750,000 in Japan. Q. The metal part of your shoe on your right foot, is that obviously for the follow-through or is there -- do you drag your toe? JOE OZAKI: This one? Q. Yeah. JOE OZAKI: In Japan flat, very hard, you know, and it help, no? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: It keeps the shoe from getting scuffed. Q. What is the biggest difference that you have to make when you play in Japan versus when you come here? TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: The courses here are more difficult because they are longer. The hazards are a little bit harder and the greens are harder and the grasses are different as well. Q. I don't know if it is true or not, but they said a few times Jumbo comes here, he likes to bring his own chef with him to help him because he doesn't adjust well to the food here. Do you do anything like that or anything to make yourself feel more at home? JOE OZAKI: No problem. TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: First of all -- JOE OZAKI: No problem. (laughter). TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: First of all, Jumbo doesn't bring a chef. And, second of all, Joe has no problem eating American food or adjusting in America. WES SEELEY: Anything else today for Joe? Q. What is your favorite -- Tiger talks about MacDonalds. Do you have a favorite American food or place to eat? JOE OZAKI: Yes, Italian, seafood and lobster and wine. (laughter) American wine. TRANSLATED BY VAL CARROLL: Fine Italian restaurants. WES SEELEY: Okay, thank you. End of FastScripts.... |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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
|