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CHEVRON WORLD CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICADecember 19, 2008Camilo VillegasTHOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA DOUG MILNE: We'd like to thank Camilo Villegas for stopping by for a few minutes here at the Chevron World Challenge. Great round today, so far the low round of the day, 5-under par 67. Really gets you back in the mix. 3-under for the tournament, started out with three birdies that really got the round going. Just a few comments on the round. CAMILO VILLEGAS: Yeah, I swung the club a lot better today than yesterday. Three birdies to get started, but then I made -- I didn't make great bogeys there, made three bogeys. I was a little disappointed, but an eagle on the 11th hole got me back on track, then I birdied three more holes coming in for 5-under. Q. What did you hit into 11? CAMILO VILLEGAS: 3-wood. I hit a 3-wood that barely missed the tree there by the green and rolled to about six, seven feet, and I rolled in a nice putt there. Q. Jim Furyk was in here yesterday saying it was actually worse yesterday than it was the day before in the rain. How was it today in terms of softness, mud, that type of stuff? CAMILO VILLEGAS: There's mud and a little bit more mud, and then when you get to the ball there's more mud on the ball. I don't really understand why we're playing the ball down. I don't really get what we're trying to prove here. I mean, it's 16 guys, the end of the year; it's a fun tournament. You've got a field out there; you're trying to show them some good shots, some birdies, and sometimes they don't understand when we hit it 50, 60 yards off target, and it's just because of the mud. I had plenty of those yesterday and I had some today that I was able to judge a little bit better. But again, I don't really understand what we're trying to prove. Q. You said you swung the club a lot better today than yesterday. At what point today did you feel that this would be a different day for you? CAMILO VILLEGAS: Well, obviously when you start birdie-birdie-birdie it's a good feeling. But again, I made some mistakes there and got it back to even, and then when I eagled that 11th hole, I looked at Gary, my caddie, and I said, you know what, I'm feeling a lot better today. Let's keep it going and try to get the low round of the day and get back into this thing. So far 5-under is low, and hopefully that's the case, and we get back into this tournament. Q. (Inaudible.) CAMILO VILLEGAS: A little bit. It's been a little rusty. Rhythm has been a little bit off. But again, I was a lot more comfortable on the back nine. I felt like I could swing a lot more aggressive at the shots and hit on-line, and that's always a good feeling. Q. Do you look at this as the start of the new year already? I mean, there's not much time after this before Kapalua. Are you sort of in that mindset already that you're starting up again? CAMILO VILLEGAS: I've got two weeks. You've got to find the right balance in the next two weeks. I mean, it's Christmas, it's New Year's, I've got some friends coming, and it can't all be golf. But at the same time, Maui is just around the corner, and I'd love to be prepared for that tournament. I know there's a lot of guys that live up north and don't really hit balls heading into that week, and why not put a little bit of work and be prepared and maybe get off to a great start in 2009? Q. (Inaudible.) CAMILO VILLEGAS: Still working on it. I don't believe I'm going to play the other tournament in Hawai'i, and then I don't play the Hope, and then we'll see what happens from there. Q. Could you give us a little review of just what -- you had a great year. You're starting on an upswing for next year. Could you just review what it was like to play as well as you did at the end of the year and what you're looking forward to with the year starting? CAMILO VILLEGAS: Obviously it was awesome, very gratifying. A lot of work. You can see it two different ways; my third year on TOUR, I mean, yes, it took me a little bit longer to win than some guys thought it should have, but at the same time I look at it right now and I think it's perfect timing. I got better and better every year, and that will be the same goal for next year, just try to get a little bit better and keep putting myself in position, keep trying to win golf tournaments, and just be among the top players in the world. I've got a great challenge in front of me. I'll be very excited to just work hard for it. Q. You and Anthony Kim have been kind of labeled as the next young guys to challenge Tiger Woods. Do you see that as a burden or do you see that as a challenge? CAMILO VILLEGAS: I see that as I can only focus on my game. Tiger is Tiger. Tiger has been No. 1 player in the world for a long time. Yes, he's not 100 percent healthy right now, but he'll come back. He'll come back strong. He will probably continue to be No. 1 in the world. But again, I can't control what he does. I can only control what I do. I'll be willing to wake up every morning, give it 100 percent, have a great attitude and just try to improve my game. Q. Because of what Tiger did throughout his 20s in terms of how much he won, do you think that that maybe has skewed what the expectations are for the rest of you guys as young players that are kind of dubbed "the next great player," in terms of do you think that maybe more expectation is put on you guys because the bar has been raised from what Tiger did? CAMILO VILLEGAS: Well, I agree Tiger makes us look bad sometimes (laughter). I mean, the guy played six tournaments this year and he won how many, four? So again, I'm just excited to be part of golf at this time. I mean, play against Tiger Woods. He's done so many good things for the game. Our game has evolved and has become -- it's just kind of stepped to the next level in terms of sports, and that's awesome. Thanks to Tiger, and again, we will continue to work hard and just improve on my side. Q. Was it sort of a no-brainer for you to play in this tournament because it's Tiger's tournament? CAMILO VILLEGAS: Yep. Always wanted to be here. Q. What was it about this tournament? CAMILO VILLEGAS: It's a special field. It's for a great cause, and I mean, every time you mention the name Tiger, you'd like to be around. It's his tournament. Unfortunately he's not playing this year, but again, it's the end of the year and it's just -- how do I say it? It's just special to be here. It's a special group of 16 guys that have worked hard all year, that have put themselves in a great spot and are able to play a great event. Q. Did you ever get asked to play in the pro-am here? You know they have a pro-am for a couple days with other players. CAMILO VILLEGAS: Not that I know of. Q. Did anyone ask you where you start next year, playing? CAMILO VILLEGAS: Maui. Q. I mean after Maui. CAMILO VILLEGAS: Off, off, and then I don't know. Q. When do you go back to the European Tour schedule, wherever that might be? CAMILO VILLEGAS: Johnnie Walker. Q. In Australia? CAMILO VILLEGAS: Yes. Q. And then the Match Play? CAMILO VILLEGAS: Yes. End of FastScripts |
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