|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPFebruary 19, 2014Jimmy WalkerMARANA, ARIZONA KELLY BARNES: Please welcome Jimmy Walker to the interview room. Jimmy, you're making your first start here at the Accenture Match Play Championship and you've obviously gotten off to a good start, continuing your hot streak. Did you change anything to prepare for this, since it's such a different event or is it business as usual. JIMMY WALKER: For Match Play, you need to hit quality golf shots and play well. Today all we really tried to do‑‑ in match play sometimes your play is dictated by what the other guy is doing. There was a little bit of that going on today, not a ton, but just a couple of instances where you kind of‑‑ somebody gets in trouble and you throttle back a little bit or you try to take advantage of a situation. So just try to continue to hit good shots. And made some really key putts today. Q. Do you remember the last time you played match play? JIMMY WALKER: I want to say the last time I played match play was‑‑ I think it was the Publinks, a long time ago. I think it was up in Oregon. So it's been a while. I think I made it to the quarters. So did pretty well. And was at U.S. Am, but missed match play by a shot or something. But it's been a while. So it's fun. Q. When you're playing as well as you are here these last few weeks and your confidence is up, does that help you in a match play format where you're a little more aggressive and confident in your shots? JIMMY WALKER: You know, it wasn't so much I was aggressive today. I actually‑‑ the wind was blowing a little bit more, so you're able to take a little less club off some of the tees. And the ball seems to really travel here downwind. Into the wind you can‑‑ a little bit of elevation so the ball kind of travels a little better into the wind. Just kind of dialed it back a little bit off some of the tees. The ball was really moving. I think that first par‑5, we hit 3‑wood, 8‑iron into it. So it was really moving. But I feel like I'm hitting well. I feel like I'm playing well. So, yeah, I'm feeling confident and excited about the rest of the week. Q. How were the greens out there, soft enough to attack the pins? JIMMY WALKER: The greens are firm. They really are. The first hole today I had a really hard sand wedge to the front right pin, it landed right where we wanted it to on the front part of the green and kicked 30 feet by. And wow, that's how the day is going to be. And then a 6‑iron into the first par‑3 and it actually checked up pretty good. Then you can see the ball bouncing, the ball bounced in the fairways. A couple of times we were purposefully landing it short of the green to bounce it up. It's playing fast, even the greens are playing fast. The speeds of the greens aren't really fast or anything, but they sure do have a pretty good bounce to them. Q. Difficult adjusting this week after a couple of weeks at satisfy level, and then the ball kind of flying today? JIMMY WALKER: No, not really. We've got it pretty dialed in at 2,500 feet. It's about 5 percent. If it heats up, it will motor a little bit more. But I don't think it's that big of a difference. I think everybody is probably pretty dialed in. You've got to be careful. You really can't fly it to some of these back pins, you have to land it short and have it bounce up because they are bouncing. Q. Do you have your RV right on the site this week? JIMMY WALKER: No, I wish. I'm staying a little ways away. They didn't have anything here for us this week. Q. What have these last couple of months been like for you, with how well you're playing, how much fun are you having out there? JIMMY WALKER: I'm having a lot of fun. It's just validation for me, a lot of years being out here and working hard. And to see it all kind of pay off, that's what I've been waiting for. It's been great. Everybody has been so nice. I've had so many people come up to me and say it's been a long time coming, we're really proud of you, couldn't happen to a nicer guy, that type of stuff, stuff that you can tell people really mean and that means a lot to me. It's been great. Going home and hanging out with friends and family. And I think people felt it's been a long time coming. I've been enjoying it. And keep working hard. Want to keep doing it. Q. Can you talk a little bit about the start you had today? You got up on him pretty quick and put the pressure on? JIMMY WALKER: Yeah, you know, we both made pars on the first hole, had to make a 4‑footer to settle in. We both birdied the par‑5. And then the par‑3, he hit‑‑ he hit it to the left side of the green, I knew he was going to have a tough putt. I had a 15‑footer straight up the hill. And he had a tough putt. He ended up three‑putting, and so I won that one. Next hole he had another three‑putt, but I hit one in there about ten feet and just picked it up. And so I mean we got up kind of quick. And made a good birdie on 5, I think. So that was nice. But it's tough. You always expect‑‑ you've always got to expect your opponent to do something, a chip in or a big save. You can't be thinking, oh, I've got this one. It's all about expect the worst case scenario for yourself. Q. What was your mindset going into today's match? JIMMY WALKER: My mindset going into today's match was‑‑ I was kind of curious how I was going to feel. I was a little nervous showing up today. Because this is a completely different format. You're playing one guy. But off the first tee, hit a really good shot. Really settled in. Had to make a good putt on the first hole. Then it kind of settled everything in, then it started feeling like golf, just normal golf. I feel like we play a lot of match play at home with buddies. We do team match play stuff. It's all about matches there. So it's not like I don't play the format or anything. But it was just a little different. It was fun today, just kept the ball right out in front of me and tried not to get in too much trouble, stayed aggressive. Giving yourself a lot of looks at birdies is key. Q. Talking about match play, what do you think is the most difficult opponent in match play, someone who putts really well or someone who is a really good ball‑striker? JIMMY WALKER: When somebody is making a lot of putts in match play, it's tough because they're making the par putts, they're making the birdie putts. It's tough when guys are making putts on you. It's tough. I think it all comes down to, in match play, it seems like it's a really good putting contest, unless you or the other guy is just hitting off the planet or stiffing it all day. But doing damage with the putter is huge in match play. Q. When we walked in, Rickie had‑‑ was 2‑up with four to play. Can you talk about Rickie a little bit, if you end up playing him tomorrow? JIMMY WALKER: I know Rickie. Rickie and I have a lot in common. We both enjoy some of the same things. He's a good dude. I hate to say‑‑ it's kind of‑‑ match play is kind of personal. It's kind of a little bit of war, a little bit. So Branden and I today, we talked a lot early and kind of set the tone of the day, and got to know each other, because we didn't know each other. We talked a little bit. After that it was just me and my caddie and him and his caddie, and we didn't do a whole lot of talking. I don't talk much on the golf course, anyway. Q. Did you watch some of that match? JIMMY WALKER: It was hard to tell, it looked like they were wearing about the exact same outfit, so I couldn't tell what was going on out there. They looked like they were both wearing white. We couldn't really tell. Poulter had on a green sweater early, they both took their sweaters off and I couldn't tell who was who. I didn't know what was going on. KELLY BARNES: Thank you, Jimmy. 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
|