THE G4D OPEN

May 9, 2023

Tomasso Perrino

Mixed Zone

Q. Just before we start, could you just tell us your name, where you're from, what country?

TOMMASO PERRINO: Yeah, Tommaso Perrino. I'm from Italy, Tuscany, near Florence. The weather is best now. I played in 2019 and I enjoy to be here to play the first major for us. The course was lovely, and one of the things that's really, really different from the other tournaments because it's more usually for The European Tour, the DP World, the organiser, but for us, it's a special event.

Q. Tell us about your journey in golf to where you are now, when you first start in golf.

TOMMASO PERRINO: I start in golf when I was 12. I play for six years and then I broken my leg in the accident and I start to teaching. I became pro with the stamp and stopped play because the level was very high, and I think my golf is finished and I start to teach like that. But in 2019, I know the EDGA, there is a great people, great tournament, great organisation, and I start to play again. Not easy, because when you stop for 15 years, start again, is very difficult because the mind was focused to the lesson but the body want to come back immediately in the same when you stop to play when you was younger.

But I enjoy enough, my life is changing because I don't stay all the day in the driving range to do the lesson, but I go all over the world to play tournament, and then it was a special thing in my life.

Q. When you were playing younger, I believe you still are friends with Francesco Molinari?

TOMMASO PERRINO: Yeah, he play for the Italian team, both brothers and my cousin. We are I think 12 or 14 on the Italian team. I was the Italian champion at 16 and second at 14.

I have a great match with Francesco the year before that he became pro. We arrive at 18. I was the youngest that passed the first 16, and then my first match play was with Francesco and I lose, but after the nine, I was 1-up, and for me it was brilliant because nobody can stayer in Francesco in this period, and I look like I can be in my life the pro, but the injury stop, and, okay, another life is coming and I was happy for that.

Q. And he won The Open at Carnoustie. Did he continue to inspire you as a golfer?

TOMMASO PERRINO: I see Francesco win the British Open, I was in America at Bay Hill when he arrive second, and this for me this is a special remember because when I arrive on the course, he don't know that I'm there.

When he stop at 11, and he play with Mickelson and I say champion of the world, because he win with the brother, and he look me, no, and stop the people, open the people and go to touch me and I laugh enough. But I feel, who is this guy? This is my friend. When he finish the tournament, he arrive to my person and he do the photo with my friend and myself. Unbelievable guy.

Q. What are your hopes this week? Do you hope to win this week?

TOMMASO PERRINO: I try to win because my game was the best in the last three years. I have some problem with the putting sometimes, and these three days if the putting is good, I can do a great tournament.

Q. What do you make of the challenge of the course?

TOMMASO PERRINO: The course I see is very tight, and the important for me is to place the first shot in each hole because the driver I think is the most important shot in this course. I do very well, and the green is very small, and then also, the chipping I think is the second reason to be a good tournament in this match.

Q. And how excited are you, just to be here the first-ever championship, so many great players here, all different nationalities?

TOMMASO PERRINO: All the best. All these guys, my friend, and I know that is very difficult to have a match, but you know golf, the best three day, win.

Q. Can you speak briefly about golf in Italy? You don't just play but you also encourage other people?

TOMMASO PERRINO: In Italy, I work a lot for the disabled people because I am the teacher of the Italian team, and you have a ranking to be inside the Italian team. We start to do many match. If you see in the EDGA programme, we have many, many match before, until now there is only one or two.

The development of the disabled is the most important thing for me. When I see a person and he has a problem, I go to speak with him and I want he to understand what we do, which is that he can play with us. I think many, many people then before know the EDGA, know the golf disabled, start to play with us because this year, I see in the match in the tournament in Italy more than 20 new people that start. Then this is the important because like for me, the golf, I do the reason for my life and can do the reason for his life and do more happiness for his life.