home

jobs

	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BELLSOUTH CLASSIC

April 2, 2004

Shaun Micheel

DULUTH, GEORGIA

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Shaun, thank you for joining us in the media center at the BellSouth Classic. You had an interesting day out there, conditions were very tough and you shot even par, but I think that's going to be a good score for the day for most of the field. Why don't you make a couple of the comments about your round and the conditions. You started out with two birdies in the first four holes.

SHAUN MICHEEL: I did. I knew it was going to be very difficult. I think yesterday was evident of that. I was pretty shocked, actually, that a couple of guys went out and shot 7 under yesterday, particularly in the morning.

So I was happy to kind of have a few shots really to play with because it's very challenging. I felt like yesterday some of the pin placements, I felt like the golf course was set up, not that it was set up easy, but that it was set up, if you're playing well, you could score. Unlike today, I think the wind is probably as strong as it was yesterday afternoon, but the pin placements are much more difficult and I think that dried the greens out considerably which makes club selection and I said this yesterday, I think club selection is probably the most important element of the game, really, today, and even yesterday.

It was a disappointing kind of front nine for me because I had a couple of 3 putts, just misjudged the speed on a couple of the holes. But very happy to have finished even par because I missed the last three greens and was able to capitalize on a couple up and downs.

Q. Are the greens holding at all?

SHAUN MICHEEL: Yeah, there is some moisture on the greens. I don't know if they have added any water to it or if it was just something that was left over from Tuesday. You know, you can hold shots, but, yeah, for me, I was just, I think trying to be a little bit too precise and maybe got a little cute a couple of times because I wasn't I wasn't lag putting very well. You know, I kept leaving myself, you know, seven, eight, nine feet; and when it's windy, you are just not going to make all of those.

But the greens do hold. They have stuck a lot of the pins up front, and any time you do that on a hole that has some downwind to it, it's just very difficult to get to the hole. Of course, you don't usually want to be short and that's kind of where I found myself, but I was fortunate to go ahead and make some good up and downs.

Q. What's been the strongest part of your game in the last few weeks?

SHAUN MICHEEL: Well, I'm doing a little bit better with my driving percentage. Sometimes statistics are a little misleading, you know, because I do hit a lot of first cuts. They don't count in the stats.

Last weekend, I missed three fairways total. I missed one on Saturday, had a nice round, and missed two on Sunday and shot 5 under.

Yeah, I feel like that part of my game is really starting to improve. I've always felt that that's probably the most important part. I know putting is a key element, but with course setup, particularly a lot of rough off the fairways, driving the ball I mean if you're putting for par, you just can't survive out here doing that. You've really got to put the ball in the fairway, and I think that's probably what I've done so well lately.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SHAUN MICHEEL: I don't know. The last few years I've been a really great iron player and I still hit some pretty good quality iron shots. But I think that, my greens in regulation percentage has dropped a little bit. Is that maybe because I'm being too aggressive, because I have a lot of confidence? I don't really know.

The last couple of days and even the last two days of TPC, I really felt like I didn't have any weaknesses. I felt like if I could get the ball on the green with five or six footer, I was going to make them, and that kind of runs in spurts.

Q. Has playing as a Major Champion made your tour different this year?

SHAUN MICHEEL: Maybe a little bit. I think there are a lot of expectations made of me. I had, not an incident, but somebody asked me something yesterday and they asked me why I was struggling, and I got a little perturbed and just thought maybe he confused me with someone else because I really don't consider myself struggling.

Last year, it was kind of a life changing event for me. You know, we all go around out here trying to win golf tournament, trying to play well, and I just happened to win a really big event. So I kind of started myself at the top and maybe a lot of people think there's nowhere else for me to go except down. I'm still trying to build upon that and hopefully can get a few more tournaments.

Yeah, as of last year, I took some time off. I went overseas, did a few things, took advantage of a few things I did. I did not make the Top 30 which was disappointing, but I was very excited about starting 2004. It's nice to be introduced as the 2003 PGA Champion. That's a lot of fun. I worked hard to achieve that.

But I think just expectations, maybe people expect a lot out of me. I won one golf tournament. It's just one. Unfortunately, this game, you spend most of your time losing. So if finishing second or ninth like I did last week is struggling, then I might as well go do something else.

Q. How long did it take, if any time at all, after winning the PGA for your feet to come back to the ground or your life to return to normal, or else define a new set of what normal was?

SHAUN MICHEEL: It took me a couple of weeks to let everything digest and maybe it still has not yet. I was so busy last year, my wife, we just had a child in November. So I had a couple of months to try to prepare for that, as well, and maybe that helped me. I did get a chance to play in some of the events, some of the off season events I've always wanted to play in and that also helped me, too, because I typically will take the month of December off.

But it didn't take really that long. I think you still have to maintain your focus out here to try to compete. I felt some pressure on myself I think we all do that as golfers. We play an individual sport and there's no one out there to blame.

Like I said, I'm just trying to elevate my game to where I can become a little bit more consistent. I certainly gained a lot of confidence from that win and just trying to progress and try to become a player like Tiger or Vijay where you're in contention each and every week because that's what it's all about.

Q. What are some of the highlights of your Augusta practice round the other day?

SHAUN MICHEEL: Well, the whole thing, really. I don't think I have ever even been in Augusta, Georgia. Chad Campbell and I flew up on Sunday night and I was just really excited just get into the property. We drove in, and I don't think my caddie's name was on the list to be today walk with me; so we had to go through a little security there. But they were very warm and welcomed him very well.

Just really seeing each and every hole, because up until the last few years they didn't really show any of front nine. So I didn't know what to expect. The member that I played with was a great player. He kept saying how this was probably the best shape he's ever seen it and I thought, well, I thought it was always in good shape.

I eagled No. 2. Chad and I had a little game going, a little friendly match. We both eagled 2, but I don't think I'm going to be getting any crystal for that one.

It was just a nice day. It was nice to get out there. It's a lot hillier, a lot more undulating, a lot more elevation changes than I thought that there were. It was just a fun day. So I'm really looking forward to that next week.

Q. Did you keep score?

SHAUN MICHEEL: Yeah, I shot 3 under. I think Chad was 3 or 4 under.

Q. Having seen the course now, how did it suit your game, if at all, and what are your expectations for next week?

SHAUN MICHEEL: Everyone has told me that it would suit my game. I'm a pretty long, high ball hitter. It's a lot tighter than I think I thought it would be. I know that there have been some changes over the last few years, added a bunch of trees on 15, added a bunch of trees on, I believe, 11. I feel like I can win, I really do. It's a golf course that rewards good shot making and I feel like I can do that. A lot of patience, and of course, good putting.

It's going to test your all around game, but that's exactly what TPC did. If I don't have any confidence after TPC going to the Masters, I'm not going to have any. I feel like I can play well.

Q. You probably just answered that, but what do you think it takes to win a major ?

SHAUN MICHEEL: I think every major championship has something different to offer. I had not played in your Open Championship yet, and I know after watching what Ben did, a lot of bumps and a lot of rolls and a different style of golf.

U.S. Open rewards very accurate, precise iron play.

The Masters is a little bit different in that typically it's always a little bit more open, and so it tested your putting skill a little bit more.

I felt like the PGA kind of had a blend of all of that. Although, last year at Oak Hill, it played very much like a U.S. Open course.

I don't know, I've only played in three major championships. Obviously, I said this three or four times already, that patience is probably the key. Because if you've qualified for the Masters or any major any Tour event, the guys can play; it's just a matter of how you handle adversity. Throughout 72 holes, there are going to be times that you're going to be tested, very much like this golf course can do to you. You lose your focus for one shot and you make a big number and then you're out of it.

Q. Is it easier what you don't have quite the expectations of a Mickelson, or a few years ago, Montgomerie?

SHAUN MICHEEL: Yeah, I felt like that was probably one of the reasons I won the golf tournament last year. I had really no expectations. Didn't know much about the golf course; very historical of course. But had not played particularly well the week prior. I went up there with a carefree attitude. I can imagine it must be difficult on Phil or some of the other guys that have not won major championships because that's how a lot of people and some of the writers and media rate players' careers.

I'm certainly glad that I don't have that on me, or at least I don't feel like I do. I feel like I'm still kind of I can fly underneath the radar so, to speak. You know, I just have the same pressures that I put on myself each and every day, but those are things that I have to deal with.

Q. You don't fly as much under the radar as you used to, would you say you're struggling with the idea of the expectations people have on you; and a PGA Champion comes with a little bit extra, are you struggling at all with that?

SHAUN MICHEEL: No, I don't think so. Again, I think that I just have always put pressure on myself. Even last year I've really become pretty good friends with guys like Jeff Sluman and Nick Price and Bob Tway. Particularly Bob and Jeff because they have won majors early on in their career and maybe didn't win for a while.

Right after that, I just felt that I needed to do something special and now I've really got to elevate my game, I've got to win every single week and it's not possible. I think I'm finally starting to realize that. It took me a few months to really kind of digest this and get an understanding of what they were trying to tell me.

I started out the year with trying to set some goals and I think you have to. I'm not really struggling with expectations. It's frustrating, I think, at times to read articles when everyone demands and expects so much from you. Like I said, you play a sport where you lose the majority of the time and it's got to be it's a fine line.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Let's go through your birdies and bogeys, starting on 12 you had the birdie.

SHAUN MICHEEL: Yeah, 12, I think I hit a 5 wood off that tee today, nice charge, about 159. Hit it in there about 10 or 12 feet. Nice way to get the day started. That's typically a very difficult hole.

13, just hit I think always hit driver up there to give yourself a better angle. The pin is middle back, nice 10 or 12 foot putt.

And I guess, 14, I guess, it was really strange because I had a yardage that was easily like 170 yards to the pin and I hit it just a choke down 5 iron and it came up short of the hill and made a nice chip. Just didn't make the putt.

Actually missed a 4 footer on next hole for birdie. 3 putted 16. Hit a pretty poor iron shot to the right and just 3 putted. Then, I guess, what did I do, I bogeyed 4. Strange how I remember my bogeys and not my birdies.

The next par 5, I think the key to that hole is the tee shot and I lucky and it didn't go in the water and chipped up and made 6. So that's not a good feeling when you've got to play No. 5 into the wind.

But overall it was an okay day. I survived.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: You said you had a couple 3 putts?

SHAUN MICHEEL: I 3 putted 18 for par. I was at the very back. So it was 70 feet probably, that's my guess, and 3 putted that. I hit it pin high on 16.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, again, for joining us. Play well on the weekend.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297