GRAEME Mcdowell MARTIN KAYMER DAVID TOMS ERNIE ELS
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
October 20, 2010 Ernie Els -5 foursome, it's definitely one you want to play in David Toms -4 every year. Martin Kaymer +3 I really enjoyed the week, to be out there Graeme McDowell +3 with three great guys. Obviously disappointing not to have the two other major champions here, but Ernie and David are great major champions in their own right. I really enjoyed it. It was a great golf An interview with: course. Really enjoyed the challenge. I'm a busy man from here in. From next week, I'm playing seven straight. That's the end GRAEME McDOWELL find my season, so I'm a pretty busy man. MARTIN KAYMER Q. Can you talk about your grinding DAVID TOMS with Martin at the end. Were you really grinding to get that third place? Talk about the ERNIE ELS interplay between the two of you there. GRAEME McDOWELL: You know, I think we both kind of switched off a little bit, then I THE MODERATOR: Graeme McDowell in 3-putted the par 3, followed up with a 3-putt on 15. the media center. A real interesting day out there All of a sudden Martin was like, Hold on, this ain't with the conditions. over yet. Those last four holes are pretty tricky. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, conditions When Martin birdied 15, that made one shot. He were tough out there today. That breeze birdied 17, as well. strengthened as the day went on. The conditions Yeah, of course, there's an element of were tricky, very tricky. Obviously Ernie played pride kicks in. No one wants to finish last for sure. well the last five, six holes. David hung in tough all It was tough. When you're completely out of the day. Pretty good tussle. Martin and I had a pretty mix, it's very difficult to keep the pedal down. We good tussle for the booby prize. had a nice little tussle the last four or five holes. It I was actually very happy the way I played was a lot of fun. today. Two 7s these last two days were just a killer for me. I felt like I could have competed apart Q. Couple years ago there was talk from those. here that the course might be good enough for THE MODERATOR: Questions. a European Tour event. Any thoughts on that? GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, I mean, I'd Q. Can you talk about this kind of like to see a full-field play that 16th hole. There being a nice way to cap off the year. Do you would be eight groups waiting in the tee box. It have anything else coming up after this? would be a nightmare. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, the No, I think the golf course is really, really experience here was amazing. This is the four ball good. It was great conditions this week, you want to be a part of. The PGA of America put well-presented. This golf course is a great test for on a great show for us, Port Royal Golf Club and any European Tour event. Stiff breeze across us the Fairmont Hotel. Bermuda is a beautiful place like we had today. Level par is a good score out to come and play golf. To be part of a special PGA Grand Slam of Golf - 1 10.20.10.DOC visit our archives at asapsports.com there, it really is. I certainly concur with the fact David Toms, ladies and gentlemen, your that it's good enough for a tour event. second-place finisher in the PGA Grand Slam of THE MODERATOR: We will see you next Golf at minus four. year here. David, not quite sure if you were enjoying GRAEME McDOWELL: I'd love to come. what you were doing out there, but certainly looked Is that an invitation (laughter)? like a rollercoaster from in here. THE MODERATOR: It was a question. DAVID TOMS: It was. It was just a tough GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, of course. day. First of all, I guess I had the lead for the last, I If I earn my way to come back here, I will be back don't know, 29, 30 holes. Sometimes that's really here next year. hard. Everybody else is just kind of winging it. A THE MODERATOR: Martin Kaymer day like today, you could hit one shot, make a joining us, ladies and gentlemen. Plus three today. double real fast. So you kind of protect, you're Very interesting day out there. Looked like you playing safe, trying to hit the smart shot, hanging in had a little bit more fun than yesterday even with there as much as you can. the elements of the weather. I think early on if I would have made some MARTIN KAYMER: Going into the second of those birdie putts, I had some early on, but the round today, my goal was to catch Graeme. I was back nine, you're hanging on. I felt like I didn't struggling on the front nine. necessarily lose this thing. Ernie birdie-ing 14, 15 To be honest, it was kind of like a split and 16, the putt he made on 16, I'd say he won the field. Ernie and David, they were playing for the tournament. For me to go through those holes, win, for the tournament. Graeme and me were play them under-par would have been a pretty trying to hang in there and finish third. I was quite good feat in itself. He played them 3-under. pleased with the tie at the end. THE MODERATOR: Questions. THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Chipped in on 12 and 14. When the Q. Martin, I know you struggled a bit on one went in on 14, you might have thought that the front nine. Is this one of the best even-par it was going to be your day. rounds you shot? DAVID TOMS: Yeah, but we still had 16 to MARTIN KAYMER: I had a very good play. You could make double-digits on that hole finish. I didn't play great golf yesterday and today. quick. Certainly one of those holes. And 15, very It was a good round. Ernie, I don't know what he demanding tee shot, as you could see the way shot today, a couple under, 3-under, it was guys played it yesterday. You either hit a good fantastic. Level par is a very good round today. It shot or it's not a good spot. was nice for me the way I finished today. Gave me I felt good about it. I kind of felt bad for a little bit of motivation and a small satisfaction. Ernie in a way. He is up there putting for birdie. I am all over the place, end up making par. Right Q. Can you talk about your experience after that he tops me. That's why I said, he won as a whole this week in Bermuda. the thing. Doing that after I chipped in to make MARTIN KAYMER: What I said yesterday that birdie, then two more back-to-back, then 17 already, I was walking onto the first tee, walking when I was in good position again, then he made over the golf course, thinking I'm one of those that long putt. major winners now, very elite circle of major You know, it was fun, though. I really had winners. Felt quite special to me. a good time. Enjoyed the company of the guys. That experience that I had the last couple We talked a lot out there. To even have a chance days, it's very difficult to explain, but it makes me to be in the hunt, see how I held up, I felt like I very proud to be here and to play with the greatest really stayed positive, just kept grinding till the end. players in golf. Obviously you saw David and Ernie today, Q. To that point, can you talk a little bit their short game has been very, very good. I know about the psychological swings out there. what I have to work on. DAVID TOMS: I think it's probably a lot THE MODERATOR: Martin Kaymer, like a match play kind of format, like a Presidents thank you very much for joining us. Cup, Ryder Cup thing, where you go back and PGA Grand Slam of Golf - 2 10.20.10.DOC visit our archives at asapsports.com forth. That's probably what he thought, too: What to the right side of the flag. About 60 feet away. I do I have to do, this guy is chipping in on me? A 3-putted. Left my first putt way short and missed couple holes later, it's reversed. that. Like I say, it was fun. I enjoyed that. 2nd hole, the par 5, moved a two-footer Enjoyed my time here. To be able to compete there for birdie. Wasn't a great start. here in the end, that's all I could ask for. Birdied No. 7. Hit a driver, 5-iron short of the green. Pitched it up about 10, 12 feet, made Q. Everyone made a big deal about the putt. Ernie turning 41 and competing. And you're No. 9, I missed the fairway left, missed the 44? green short left in the bunker, missed about a DAVID TOMS: I'll be 44 in January. 7-footer, 8-footer for par. Obviously the back nine I played nicely.