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THE GREENBRIER CLASSICJuly 2, 2014Jonas BlixtWHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome defending champion Jonas Blixt to the interview room. Jonas, if you would, just give us some thoughts about last year's victory here. JONAS BLIXT: No, it was a crazy week last year. I played all right. I never thought I was really in contention until the 16th hole and then ended up with the W, so I really don't know how to analyze that. I was just hanging around all week, and the feel kind of came back to me, and I said tip my cap and say thank you. Q. (Indiscernible) basically a par hole on 18. 16 and 17 are crucial scoring holes when you're coming down the stretch here, aren't they? JONAS BLIXT: I mean, considering last year it was quite soft. I thought the golf course just had a few holes where you needed to make pars, and the rest of the golf course was pretty much birdiable everywhere. Hitting a good shot on 16 to get a good chance to making birdie, 16, 17, the same thing. There are a bunch of birdie holes, and that's why I was so surprised that I found myself in contention where I didn't make any birdies the last day, a bunch of pars and maybe one or two bogeys and I was right there. Q. Just wondering last year, when there was the delay, were you irritated by the whole what was going on because it was getting so dark at that point? Can you tell us how you handled that? JONAS BLIXT: I thought it was quite relaxing, actually. It kind of took some pressure off before tee time. I was kind of lucky that I didn't get to tee off before the storm. After the storm everything was so calm and no breeze at all. It was perfect temperature. It felt like we didn't run around the golf course. We played a really good pace. I got into a really good rhythm. It's just one of those easy days. I never thought anything in particular. It was kind of mindless days. I was out there just having a good time and relaxing, really. Q. How much did this tournament win mean to you? JONAS BLIXT: It meant a lot. The first step was to win a tournament, which I did in the fall, and then I struggled quite a bit. Then winning this tournament got me into a few other events and a little higher level events like the British Open, all the majors and stuff like that. I felt like I took a big step both that way and confidence‑wise. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONAS BLIXT: As a golfer, you can never be happy. I feel like probably 80% of the time I'm not happy how I play. 20% of the time I'm happy with it. There is no perfect shot in golf. The more I play golf, I find more of a struggle at times trying to reach where you've once been, where just everything comes to you instead of you trying to get there. Q. Can you compare where your game was last year compared to now this year? JONAS BLIXT: Little bit of a roller coaster this year as well. I didn't play as well last year. I had a few good weeks this year. Not that big of a difference really. I kind of struggled last month a little bit. I feel like we've done a lot of good stuff me and my coach, but never really got the‑‑ I feel like the putter and short game are really working lately. I feel like I'm kind of close, but you should never make those statements because it kind of comes back and bites you fairly quickly. No, I don't feel like I'm too far off. It wouldn't surprise me if I play well this week. Wouldn't surprise me if I play well next week. But it's a work in progress, I guess. Just trying to get back to where I was last year. Q. You mentioned the roller coaster pattern of this year. How important is it to get back to where you feel comfortable, feel (Indiscernible), and your memory side of it? JONAS BLIXT: I guess it's the way I play. You have guys like Matt Kuchar that play well every week, and guys like me that kind of have good weeks and some bad weeks and a little more of a roller coaster. You never really know what you're going to get. So I sound like Forrest Gump right now. So, you know, it's like I said earlier, it's 80% kind of you hit your head against the wall, I feel like. Just trying to figure something out to play better and find the mojo again, and 20% of the time you feel like everything is just flowing like it did that Sunday a year ago. I hope this can be the ice breaker this year and just keep going. Q. When you won this tournament last year and the Frys.com, what were your nerves like in the last round? Compare those nerves to whatever you felt on Sunday at Augusta. JONAS BLIXT: I don't know. I'm kind of weird. I get more nervous about making the cut than actually being in contention. I know I was quite nervous when I won my first one at Frys the last couple holes. But that Sunday a year ago here, I didn't feel any nerves really. It was just such a soothing kind of place. It just gives you good vibes when you get here. After a storm, the temperature dropped and it kind of felt like I was back home in Sweden growing up and playing with my dad, one of those kind of feelings. Great partner last year. I played with Matt Jones. It was just an easy day. Today wasn't really any nerves, maybe a little more adrenaline on the last two holes. But otherwise, I felt like a chase, making birdies to catch up to the guys that were in the lead. After I made that birdie putt on 16, I looked up on the board and went from 2 behind to 2 in front. That was kind of mind‑boggling to me, but I'll take it. I mean, but as well as Augusta. Augusta I went out with the mindset that second place doesn't do anything for you. You want that green jacket. You want to be invited back for the rest of your life. That's what I was gunning for. Came up a little short, but I felt like I did quite well, and I learned a lot of stuff, and I hope I can be back next year. Q. You played in the Open Championship at the British Open last year in Muirfield and you've already qualified for Royal Liverpool in a few weeksÂ’ time. There are qualifying points for guys in the field. Can you tell us how much you're looking forward to Royal Liverpool this year? JONAS BLIXT: Yeah, to the guys playing in the qualifier first, that's such a hard thing to do. There are so many guys who are trying to get in. I know one of my friends qualified this morning, I think or last night. I'm really happy to get to see him next week. Muirfield was a great place. I mean, it was fantastic. I feel like that is the true golf. It's hard when you've been over here for so long to get used to that mindset of going to links golf, and get used to the wind and the shots that you play there. So that's kind of the reason why I played the Scottish Open and trying to get used to it going into that major. But Muirfield is great. I feel like the golf course is probably playing 4 shots easier in the morning compared to the afternoon. Tough test of golf. I played two good rounds and two terrible rounds. I hope I can have four good rounds this year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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