	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

BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 21, 2008

Jose Maria Olazabal

VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND

RODDY WILLIAMS: JosÃ© Maria, thanks very much for coming in and joining us. Welcome to this year's BMW PGA Championship. First of all, if you could give us an update on your health, fitness, form, and how much you're looking forward to this week.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Everything is downhill. How about that; make it short and quick.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Nonsense.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, I'm not completely recovered and I still feel a little low on energy when I get on the golf course, that's the main issue.
About my game, obviously because of that, sometimes I miss a few shots and I find it these days hard to score well on the golf course. I feel like I throw a lot of shots on the golf course that I didn't used to. That's pretty much it.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Does coming back to a venue where you've had previous success and many happy memories over the years give you a bit of a lift, a bit of a boost?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Yes and no. As you said, it's nice to be back here in a place that I've done well in the past. I think it's a beautiful golf course. It's a tougher golf course than it used to be with all of the changes that Ernie made. I think it the golf course is playing tough. This week for whatever reason, the greens and the fairways seem to be really hard and fast.
I think that is going to make scoring a little bit more difficult. But on the other hand, you have to be realistic. You know where you are, and with the way I'm feeling, I've tried really hard to get some stamina on the golf course, during play, at least. It's been hard. I have to wait and see what happens this week.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Well, let's take some questions.

Q. At the end of a round, how do you feel? Do you feel exhausted?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: I feel quite tired, yeah, I have to be honest, yes.

Q. A couple of years ago, you told us that it was much easier for you to play the tournaments out in America where you could just drive from one to the other. And today we've had Justin in here saying that he's missing the sense of adventure from Europe, travelling out East, etc. ?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: That's because he's 20-something. You see, that's the difference. Once you get over 40, I mean, the mentality changes a bit. Adventure is just a big word.

Q. Were you 20 again, how would you do it with The Race to Dubai and everything else?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: I still believe that, you know, the start of the season on The European Tour is quite tough travelling-wise, going from one place to another. If I was 20 now, I would try to play as much as I could early in the season in the States and try to split my schedule between the States and Europe just to be able or at least give myself a chance better chance to get some chances to get to the Race to Dubai and do well in the States.

Q. Is it the medication that causes you to be tired?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, they are trying to figure that out. Still having some blood tests done. You know, try to figure that issue. It's going to take a while. And, well, it's going to be just a matter of time to be honest. It's not going to be a quick answer to that one.

Q. How long has it been going on for?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: The fatigue, the medications, what?

Q. Both, I guess.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, the medication since September last year. On the fatigue, pretty much since I started playing regular golf.

Q. Compared with how you were to in the winter when you were saying that you could barely hit shots in practise; the fact that you're now playing, that would suggest that progress has been made.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Yeah, sure, otherwise I wouldn't be here. Wintertime, I couldn't swing a club.
There has been an improvement. I'm really happy with that, but on the other hand, to be able to compete at this level, which is one of the highest levels you can compete against, I believe that you need to be pretty much 100%.
It's not just a matter of hitting the ball well, but just being physically strong and fit, because that will give you the stamina and the strength to concentrate at the right time. Either you have the whole package, or you're going to struggle.

Q. Do you remain confident that you can get back the whole package?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, if I look back to the past, the last time I went through something like that, it took me two years to pretty much be completely recovered.
Well, in a couple of months, it will be a year, so I still believe that there's a chance and hope. I truly believe that through the improvement I've seen, it's just a matter of just getting rid of that fatigue and I'll be back to where I want to.

Q. You came back from your previous health problems to win your second Masters; if you get over this, do you still think you've got enough time and enough game to win at that level again?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: We're guessing here. Believe, believe, obviously you believe you can achieve things; otherwise, I wouldn't spend time on the driving range or practising if I didn't have any hope of achieving more things in my career. I think it's quite obvious. If that would happen or not, I really don't know.

Q. Good pairing to start the tournament, Cabrera and Justin Rose.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Actually I'm going to wear some binoculars and have a cell phone with me, just to let them know it is my shot to hit. I'm going to be so far back that I'm going to need binoculars to see where they are and a phone just to tell them, it's my shot.
But apart from that, it's a good match.

Q. What sponsor gave you that hat (blank, no logo), because they haven't done a very good job.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: You did. You are so cheap, you didn't even put anything in it.

Q. I gather the bag is the same. Are you out of contract sponsors?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Yeah, can you find me one? Come on.

Q. It's unusual situation for a player of your stature to be in.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: I have no problems with that.

Q. So many of the other players talk about all of the work they do off the course in the gym and whatnot; are you able to do any of that?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Not at all.

Q. Don't do any physical work off the course?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: No, can't do it. I used to. I try to take care of the physical part of the game. I spend quite a bit of time in the gym and exercise, trying to keep myself fit.
You know since a year now, I haven't been able to do nothing at all?

Q. The Ryder Cup Captaincy, have you given anymore thought to it? It was reported that you had been asked.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: More thought?

Q. To be captain on the 2010 side.
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Hopefully I'll be playing. I think that answers the question.

Q. When the tiredness comes toward the end of the round, what part of the game does it affect the most, is it the driving or the concentration for the short game?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, it's pretty much everything, because sometimes it's one thing and sometimes it's the other. I can be five feet from the green and end up making a bogey. I can miss all of a sudden a wedge from the middle of the fairway. You know, it's one of those things that, I mean, virtually you're scratching your head thinking, you know, what the hell is going on.
But I cannot pinpoint in one particular shot. I think it depends on the moment. You know, I've been 3-putting quite a few times in the round, which is not very usual. I think it affects, depending on the time and moment of the round, it can affect any part of the game.

Q. Are you on any special diet?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: No, not really, no. Just medication.

Q. And have you explored that? Have you asked anybody if it could be diet?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Yes, but the way I eat is pretty healthy. I don't mix foods and I drink properly, so there's not much changes I've been suggested.

Q. Some of us are writing obituaries for Dai Davies. Could you give us your impression of him and is there one story that you could share with us about him?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, not so much the stories. You know the person much better than I have. I spend quite a bit of time with him. You know, he was a usual guy on tournaments. But I think you've spend more time than anybody else with him. I think he was a great person. He was a quiet man. He was very objective. He didn't write anything that could compromise or exaggerate whatever happened. He had my respect, and I think he was a great writer for the game of golf.
In a way, I think there's going to be just an emptiness for a while. But you know, I mean, there's not much else to say, really. They are sad moments when people like him passes away, and all we can do is remember those guys, because I think that they have done a lot of good for the game of golf.

Q. Do you remember the first time you met him or the first time you became aware of him?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Well, not precisely the first time, but it was very early in my career as a professional. He asked me for an interview. Obviously I didn't know him at all pretty much.
And since then, we had a few interviews, a few conversations, and as I said, you know, he treated you with respect. And I think that was very important, at least it was for me.

Q. You were a favourite of his; you knew that, didn't you?
JOSÃ‰ MARIA OLAZÃBAL: Yes.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297