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KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIPApril 4, 2014Mo MartinRANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA Q. (On grandfather's skin cancer) MO MARTIN: It was successfully treated, and he went into remission, but it came back. So for the last I would say probably six years, he's been on various drugs treating it, and he's been doing really well. But recently it kind of spiked back up, and then we found a melanoma on his face, so he kind of started fighting two cancers, and he just kind of started getting a little bit more and more weak. I called Sunday at Phoenix. He was supposed to be in Phoenix, but he was there before and he told me he just didn't have the energy. He was really low in strength, wasn't eating too much, and I called on Sunday and my aunt said that when he tried to get out of bed he couldn't support his weight anymore, and I knew at that point that it was going to be very quick because he's a very independent person. So I just drove straight from Phoenix to the ranch. It was nine hours. I got there at 3:00 in the morning. He was waiting for me. He asked to be shaved. He said is Mo there. I said, I'm here. Q. He asked to be shaved because you were coming? MO MARTIN: He was always so well dressed. He had one outfit, but it was on at 6:30 in the morning every single day. Q. Did it mean a lot to you to be there? MO MARTIN: Oh, I mean, to think if I were in Asia or somewhere, it would have been extremely difficult for me. I mean, like I said, for something I never, ever wanted to happen, it was perfect. I mean, he was in no pain. He went in his sleep. I mean, my mom was there, my aunt was there, my uncle was there. Q. How long after you arrived did he pass? MO MARTIN: About a day and a half. Q. You stayed there the whole time? MO MARTIN: Oh, yeah. I would have still been there. Q. What kind of things did you guys talk about? MO MARTIN: In the last day and a half? Not much. He wasn't conversing much. He was in bed. I mean, it was definitely the end stages. I just told him about Phoenix, told him I played well the last day, and he said, oh, good. I told him next week was Kia and then Kraft and just told him I loved him, and I said I loved him, too. Q. He was 102? MO MARTIN: 102. Q. Amazing. What's your favorite grandpa memory? I know that's tough. MO MARTIN: Well, this was pretty cool. Last year we were here, and you get the standing ovation coming up Saturday, Sunday. Well, we got it today, too. But whoever I was playing with, we came onto the green, it got quiet, and then I heard it again, and I thought, who's coming, and I turn around and grandpa had his cart and he was coming back the grandstand and they gave him a standing ovation. For me that was really special. Q. You made the trip from Phoenix to where? MO MARTIN: Porterville, California. Q. Where is that? MO MARTIN: It's in the Valley. It was a nine‑hour trip. Q. And that's where he called home? MO MARTIN: Yeah, I mean, I call that home. Q. And you drove to him from Phoenix? MO MARTIN: Yeah, nine hours. Q. So today you're in a good place on the leaderboard. MO MARTIN: Yeah, what about that? Q. Was it hard to focus at all or did you just feel at peace? MO MARTIN: You know, I mean, I feel at peace because in the last 10 years I have given 100 percent to him. He's been a priority. It's pretty much been my golf and my grandpa. Off weeks I flew to him. He came to me at tournaments. I called him every day. Every day. So I'm at peace with that. I could have done nothing more, and I know that. He knows that. And it's been‑‑ it's changed my life significantly, just being around him and knowing him. When he passed away, I had no doubt what I was going to do. He did not want a funeral. He was just as thoughtful as ever because then somebody else would have to arrange it and go out of their way, and it would just be another ordeal, and he didn't want that. And so we are going to hike his ashes up to the Sierra mountains to be there. After he passed I stayed there for a good chunk of the day, but then I left. There was nothing more for me to do. He'd always tell me‑‑ he actually made up this little song. He'd say, this is like five years ago, he would sing to me. He'd say, "oh, Melissa, oh, Melissa," my name, "when my time has come, when you hear my call, just keep hitting that little white ball." So I knew he wanted me to keep playing. There's no doubt. He would just want me to go get back on the course, enjoy it, live my life. Q. How often did he say that to you, that song? MO MARTIN: You know, it's funny, it was probably about five‑‑ maybe seven years ago, I remember I think for his 95th birthday he sang it to me. Q. So your play this week, you've been playing some good golf. Can you talk about just your game and feeling good about it? MO MARTIN: Yeah, it's in a good place now. Same stuff. I mean, I can't tell you anything is significantly different. I'm working with Ian Triggs. I started that at the beginning of last year, so that's absolutely helped me. Kyle Morrison, my caddie, he's as steady as it gets with me, which again, I can't appreciate more. Even with grandpa passing, he's got the art between being sympathetic and consistent down perfectly. I mean, he's really good to have around. And he helps me on the course. He's always really well prepared. I don't know, it's just one shot at a time, one day at a time. Q. How did you get hooked up with Ian? MO MARTIN: On the range‑‑ I missed the cut at the Australian Open, and I was just kind of frustrated on the range, and I just saw him, and I was like‑‑ I kind of wanted to approach him but I was kind of nervous about it, and Kyle said, well, you're not going to regret it. I mean, what's the worse he can say, get lost? So I was like, hi, I'm Mo Martin, and he took off his hat and he was extremely polite, and I said do you have five minutes, and he said, if you're here at the end of the day I'll come back. So I stayed on the range, he came back, and that was it. He's a great guy, really great instructor. Q. You said that it was significant knowing your grandpa. Can you tell me what you meant by that? How did you rub off on you or what was the significance? MO MARTIN: He was the most peaceful person I've ever met, and in the last 10 years and also in talking to his children, none of us have ever heard him say a bad word about anybody. So to be that grateful and that simple and that smart and that kind, I mean, I can't think of a better influence in my life. When I say significant, that's an understatement from me. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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