October 20, 2010

Ernie Els -5 foursome, it's definitely one you want to play in David Toms -4 every year. +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 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 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, 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. Q. Still competitive, coming off a solid Hit a good driver on 11. Pitched it up from about year. Is it just a number to you? 70 yards to about four feet and made it. DAVID TOMS: I think that's just our sport. The par 3, I hit the wrong club off the tee. The story was this year that the young guys are Hit a 6-iron short of the green, pitched it up to playing well, so many young guys. But guys with about 12 feet, missed that for par. experience, a guy like Ernie, it paid off today. I birdied 14. Hit a 7-iron for my second For me, I feel really good about the way shot to about 15 feet, made that. I've played the last month and a half or so. I feel 15, I hit a good drive and a sand wedge to like I'm getting really close. Today would have about three feet. Made that. helped, being able to get over that hump. I backed 16 was probably the biggest putt of the up the last couple weeks of the season. Had a week. I hit a 6-iron on that par 3 just through the chance in Greensboro as well. Finished second green on the right and made about a 35-footer there. I need to get back to where I finish strong there for birdie. instead of just kind of coming back. I made another good save on 17 for par Today would have helped, but I still feel after driving it into the bunker. Made about a pretty good about the way I'm playing. 10-footer down the hill there. THE MODERATOR: David Toms, ladies THE MODERATOR: Questions. and gentlemen. DAVID TOMS: Thanks. Q. When David was chipping in on 12 THE MODERATOR: Ernie Els minus five, and 14, what was going through your mind? he is your winner of the 2010 PGA Grand Slam of ERNIE ELS: No, I thought when a guy Golf. does it once, thinking, Good shot. When he does it Ernie, what a day out there. Let's hear it. twice in three holes, you're thinking maybe he's ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I mean, yesterday was destined to win this thing. Took a bit of the an unbelievable day. Felt like I shot 68 yesterday, pressure off me in a way where I free-wheeled it, which was a good score, but it was almost a very see how close I could get to him. He made a easy 68. Today shooting 69, felt like I had to work mistake on 15. I made birdie, he made bogey. very hard for it. That was a big change. I was struggling on the greens a bit Yeah, he's got a great short game. Always yesterday. I was struggling on the greens again had a great short game. today until let's say the last five, six holes when I found something in my putting stroke. My speed Q. Can you talk about the 17th hole. came back. I made some really big putts. Those You looked not so happy with that third shot. are the putts that I was missing almost a day and a Then you make a tremendous up and down for half, then started dropping, and that was the par. Also with that one, how many pink jackets difference. do you have in the closet? THE MODERATOR: Let's go through your ERNIE ELS: I think it's good style. I live in card real quick. Talk about the bogeys and the Palm Beach now. I don't have another pink jacket. spectacular birdies. But to come back to your question. Yeah, ERNIE ELS: No. 1 I bogeyed. I was a bit on 17 I wasn't happy. I had a very similar yardage safe off the tee. Gave myself a long second shot into the green over the water, played it really safe

PGA Grand Slam of Golf - 3 10.20.10.DOC visit our archives at asapsports.com on 14, 7-iron there. On 17, you're blocked by the out to the green. Did you do anything on that hill behind the green. I wasn't sure if the wind was green which helped you today? going to get it or not, but I couldn't take a chance ERNIE ELS: Yeah, no. I mean, as I say, being short. I hit 7-iron. Made a bad swing on it, I'm working on a couple things. Just trying to find a too. Wasn't one of my proudest moments. way where I'm comfortable. Only way I'm going to Then I hit a very nice chip shot, but do that is really to spend time hitting a lot of putts, obviously a little bit soft, made a very big putt really practicing that. there. As I say, I was missing those putts, wasn't I'm going to keep doing that until the end doing what I was doing there. Maybe I was owed of the year and hopefully it will all settle into a one, and that was it. routine that I can really fall back to and really contend. You need to putt really well to contend Q. You had your putter in here and to try to win. yesterday, went to the putting green. What If I didn't make those putts, I wouldn't be were you working on specifically this week? sitting here. ERNIE ELS: Yeah, just really basic stuff that I've always worked on, you know. If you saw Q. On 16, that clutch putt to take the at the start of the year I was really bent over the lead, can you take us back through that. ball. I just started feeling uncomfortable being so ERNIE ELS: 16 is a spectacular hole. far bent over the ball. I just wanted to find a more Today and yesterday it played downwind, thank natural way that fits me. goodness. I don't think we would have reached it if In Scotland I started just standing up to it a the wind was blowing the other way. 6-iron little bit with a narrow stance. That started feeling through the green. Gave myself an opportunity to uncomfortable a bit yesterday. I've always said putt. For some reason I felt very comfortable on when I putted my best, I set up the way I'm going the line, over that putt. I was putting into the wind, to hit a 7-iron. That's what I started doing the back so I could really hit it firm. I had a perfect line. nine. Just one of those beautiful things, you know. Just Maybe I'll stick with this technique for now. kept curling and went in the hole. It was a key That helps me release the putter head. When I moment. hang my arms, when I stand up to the ball a little bit. As I said yesterday, I'm working on a putting Q. What was going through your mind routine. It's still not quite there, but will help. 2-putting for the championship? ERNIE ELS: Don't 3-putt (laughter). Q. I saw you exchange a very familiar I wasn't sure to be aggressive or just to lag look with Brian Lara on the 15th tee box. Talk it up. I lagged it up. I didn't want to take any about coming to an unfamiliar place, but chances. Even the second shot, that 18th green is sharing it with someone familiar to you. very tough. I just wanted to try to get it on top. It ERNIE ELS: Brian is a good friend. We just stayed on top. Still had about 25 feet to go. I met way back in the early '90s after he did that was happy just to 2-putt. record beating inning, I think it was back in '94. We've known each other a very long time. We've Q. What are your general impressions become good friends. He's a very avid golfer of Port Royal and what will you remember most himself now. about playing here in Bermuda? I was really happy to see him, yeah, this ERNIE ELS: I really think today it was a week. I didn't know he was coming. We played real challenge. If there's no wind, you can make a golf in the ProAm. Now that I'm living in Florida, I lot of birdies around this place. When it's like this, said to him, he's got to come and help me make it's like this probably quite often, because it is an money over weekends against my members there island, get a lot of wind, it's a really great at the Bears Club. challenge. But we're going to play some more golf Again, I have to thank the greens staff for now in the future and spend some more time getting this golf course in such great condition. together. It's been nice to see him again. The greens were to a quality. Really everybody, all the players, I've spoken to all the players, all the Q. When you came here last night, you had a putter in your hand. You went straight

PGA Grand Slam of Golf - 4 10.20.10.DOC visit our archives at asapsports.com players are very happy the way the golf course was set up. Had quite a nice gallery on the back nine. I can't see any reason not to keep coming back here. I'll come back here. The Fairmont Hotel we're staying at is a fab place. Can't see too many negative things. THE MODERATOR: His pink jacket goes with the Els merlot. ERNIE ELS: I think I'll have the dark rum today (laughter).

Q. What is your schedule the rest of the year? ERNIE ELS: I'm going to Malaysia. Get on an airplane Saturday, go there. I'm going to play Shanghai. I'm not sure about Dubai. I might give it a skip because of Martin. Martin basically won the Money List. I'll go see and see what kind of bonus we're playing for over there. If it's worthwhile, I'll go. If not, I'm going to play the Million Dollar where I haven't been for three years. Quite a schedule. Then I'll take all December off and start it up in Hawaii. THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Ernie.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

PGA Grand Slam of Golf - 5 10.20.10.DOC visit our archives at asapsports.com