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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 25, 2011

Simon Khan

SURREY, ENGLAND

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Simon on, very special welcome back to the BMW PGA Championship. Let's reflect on the amazing victory.
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, I think all through the year, in sort of little moments you think to yourself that you've won it, and then think, obviously coming back this week now, seeing that big thing behind the 18th green of me (laughing) might take that home Sunday night actually.
I mean, obviously you get reminded by all of the players, in the tournaments I've made in the rest of the year, and it's just been an amazing year. I think tournaments you win, probably when you look back when you are finished as well, that you realise, you know what, I won that.
When you see the field assembled here, and maybe because it is the only English tournament, as well, and so much goes into this event; and it's all been huge, don't get me wrong, but you know, it's just a big week, and I'm enjoying it.

Q. How did you feel last night with being involved with the guys going up on the stage, the four Major winners, and yourself being mentioned among them, how was your feelings on that?
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, well, if ever there's a time to showcase The European Tour, it's now, isn't it. With the achievements of the four winners, the four Major winners, no, it was a good night. I enjoyed it.
Obviously got a mention, being defending champion, but seeing what happened after my win last year and what everyone achieved, starting with Graeme at the U.S. Open, unbelievable. And I played with Graeme here the final round, and you know, he really went -- well, he won I think the following week didn't he, or a couple of weeks later, in Wales, as well. He started it all off, and you know, they all continued. So I think I put it down to me really. (Laughter).
No, it was a good night and I enjoyed seeing that and shaking Charl's hand in his green jacket. And they all looked very young up there, as well, those boys. I think they are going to be around for a long time to come, as well. So it's great for the Tour.

Q. And how much did winning last year make you almost put pressure on yourself; that you expect yourself to do well, because you were the PGA Champion?
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, there's always a downside. A few people said to me after I won, oh, you can relax now. But I desperately wanted to win this event, and I suppose I put pressure on myself to do it in the right way. The desire to do it was always there.
So I think you've got to keep that up, and maintain that. Although I think I played reasonably well until probably the PGA in America, and then after that, in hindsight, probably should have had a good break until the end of the year when the bigger stuff come around again, so I learnt from that.
But I think, you know, I've always been quite good at getting myself up for some of the bigger tournaments. The key, in my mind, is to be able to do that week-in and week-out. Obviously to win The Race to Dubai, that's the ultimate, isn't it. That's like winning the Premier League, isn't it, or winning the FA Cup, a good analogy in my mind. Obviously the consistency, I want that to come.
But to win and have the five-year exemption, I think that hit home the end of last year, as well, seeing some friends going back to qualifying, that's when I realised that. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change anything that's happened, it's been a great year, but I think that dealing with it, I'm glad it's come around again and obviously really -- I think in my mind all year, I've been looking forward to this week. I always do, anyway.

Q. Can you tell us about the problems you've had this year, particularly with your eyesight trouble with contact lenses?
SIMON KHAN: I feel I haven't really putted well for a couple of years, the last couple of years, and start to sort of look along the lines of when I'm putting, couldn't see the line. So saw an eye specialist the end of the year, thought I was going to have the laser surgery, but it was an astigmatism and got corrective lens and different prescriptions. It's been a bit of getting used to it I suppose, putting contacts in, quite hard. There's a few changes there I suppose, yeah.
We played some big tournaments at the start of the year, and no disrespect to any of the tournaments we play, especially in the Middle East, but I do look forward to this time of year, definitely, from now through to The Open. The Tour is so strong now in this period.

Q. You didn't go to China, did you?
SIMON KHAN: No, I didn't.

Q. Is there a reason for that?
SIMON KHAN: I just find that trip, if you're going to go, I think you've got to do two, at least two weeks over there, and then it's quite close to coming up to these tournaments, as well. I wanted the U.S. Open Qualifying, I wanted desperately to play in that again. I'd rather be fresh from now on and hopefully get it going again.

Q. Your eyesight trouble, was it a problem for your short game, as well as your putting?
SIMON KHAN: Maybe a little bit, yeah. Sometimes a few headaches. Make no excuse, but just getting older. I'm nearly 40; 39 this year -- don't add a year, Christ. Yeah, I'm 39. (Laughter).
So I realise I'm on the greens and I can't see the lines. And I'm working with a new putting guy, as well. So that area can improve. If I can hit the ball like I did last year and hole a few more putts; but I think the way the course is the set up now, it's a lot more about consistency and picking off the birdies. It's not going to be a low-scoring week again I don't think.

Q. Was there a tendency to sit in a comfort zone after getting a five-year exemption?
SIMON KHAN: I think, yeah, at times, I think you go through different stages. You sort of think, well, do I need to go and play in certain events, or you might -- you sort of think, you maybe do relax a little bit, yeah. In your mind, back of your mind, you know you've got that, but overall I seem to have done better over the years when I've had to do it.
When you look at the real successful people, it's whatever drives you, and Byron Nelson, once he did that, he retired, didn't he. It's whatever -- Tiger and his foundation, I think you've got to have something bigger than you, so I suppose thinking a lot about that. Got to keep the desire going. In golf, there's always another tournament next week.

Q. What is the bigger thing for you then?
SIMON KHAN: Something I'm passionate about, I started out as a PGA pro, so I coach people, and I love doing that. I love helping people with their games and I still enjoy doing that.
I wouldn't say I'm going to start coaching, but a friend of mine runs a cancer charity, and through them, they do a kids golfing in East London, and I've been to one already, and going to go to a few this year. It's like snake golf, it's called, and they hit balls, and it's basically they are hitting tennis balls against felt. You can set it up in anywhere in any park in London. We did one the other day. I want to do that, haven't sort of announced it yet, but that's definitely in my mind to do a foundation.
I still think the great thing, great golf roots here this week, golf foundations here this week, it's a brilliant thing, but it's generally for people who already play golf or kids who are already at golf clubs and have got that access. If you're a kid in Tower Hamlets, what chance have you, really, of ever getting on a golf course. So Tower Hamlets, East End boroughs and all around London. That's a dream of mine, as well. So one day maybe it will happen, or if it's the next couple of years, that would be great.

Q. I know you take your son for lessons; why don't you teach him yourself.
SIMON KHAN: No, that's my little nephew goes over there. Yeah, my daughter would listen to someone else more than me anyway, I think. She plays a little bit, but no, something I would love to do in the future.

Q. Last year you came in, shall we say, under the radar, very much under the radar, and managed to work your way quietly through. Tomorrow, no chance of that, because you're in a stellar three ball. Will that help you, because you've just said, I like a challenge?
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, I don't really -- never really bothered me. One of the reasons I enjoy this week is suddenly we have got, you know, just look at the setup here. Great crowds, good atmosphere. The atmosphere around this first tee is something else.
No, I look forward to it. It doesn't really -- Luke and Graeme, I've played with them a few times before. I didn't mind who I got drawn against. I just enjoy playing this course. Hopefully I can go out and play like I did last year.

Q. I don't expect you to go into the specifics, but did this set you up financially for life, winning this last year?
SIMON KHAN: You've seen the house prices in Essex. (Laughter).

Q. Just wonder, the incentive is still with the money and all of that.
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, I've never really been -- one of my friends gave a great quote last year, totally out of blue, totally out of character for me and said something quite profound. He said, "If it was about the money, you would have given up years ago."
I said, "What do you mean?"
He said, "Well, you were playing and playing mini-tours and Challenge Tours and stuff, and you were skint. So it was obvious you wanted it badly." And it took me quite a few years obviously to get out here.
So I'm not flippant about the money at all, it's fantastic. But I wanted to win the PGA. That's always since first coming here, and that's my thing. But I don't know, talk to my accountant. He'll tell you. (Laughter).

Q. The final round last year was spectacular. At what point during that round did you think you had a chance and you could win?
SIMON KHAN: On 13, I holed about an 8- or 10-footer for birdie and my friends are walking around and one of them gave like a bit of a bigger roar than he normally would, and I was like, wonder what's going on here. I could just sense something; it was good. I thought, you know, a lot of people between me and the leader start of the day. I thought, am I doing well enough, really, and on 15, Luke I think I saw one ahead, and suddenly I'm one ahead on 15. It was a shock, it really was.

Q. I was going to say, at that point did it feel like you were on the top of the mountain looking down?
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, it's a different story. I remember that when I was playing in Wales when I beat Paul Casey there, four behind with seven to go, and you just feel like you've got that someone ahead of you to target and you're going for it. And you know, everyone will tell you that, it's much harder when you're in the lead.
I did bogey 16 funny enough, but didn't really feel I hit that bad of a shot in. But just one of those deep bunkers back left. I was pleased with how I played the last two holes. Stuck to my plan. My caddie was brilliant on the last hole. He basically stood in front of me on the tee with 3-wood and said don't hit that. It was in range, tempting me if I hit that for the second shot, so he made me just hit 2-iron rescue and made a three-shotter.
I just felt if I could get another birdie, 6-under. I thought Luke, I thought I'll be playing off really the best, Luke will probably have two wedge shots into 17 and 18. He's a good wedge player. He's going to maybe hit one close. And that happened on 17 for Luke.
So yeah, it was a bit different standing on the range now that you've won, but yeah, it was a shot to see, standing on 15, for me.

Q. What's the most memorable shot of the year, sort of 18-footer for birdie or the clay pigeon?
SIMON KHAN: More people come up to me and say well done for hitting that play pigeon. I did win the PGA, as well (laughter). The power of YouTube and Twitter. Yeah, that was good fun. It's all good for the Tour. You know, the Tour, maybe it's the British mentality or the way we are, but should be shouting it from the rooftops, really, when is it ever going to happen again, Lee, Luke, top two; the amount of Top-10s, the amount of players in the Top-10, four Major winners. The list goes on, doesn't it. It's just unbelievable.
So yeah, I think we should be -- what is it, what Milwall did to West Ham when they went down with the banner. I don't know, tell everyone about it, it's great. Brilliant for the Tour.

Q. Do you think if we had 1 and 2 in any other sport like tennis, there would be a lot more publicity?
SIMON KHAN: Can you manage if we were going to Wimbledon this year, two Englishmen at the top of the world, 1 and 2, on either side of the draw at Wimbledon, unbelievable.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: And a Scotsman. (Laughter).

Q. Peter Alliss says you should be among them. He can't understand why you're not.
SIMON KHAN: I've played well in BBC tournaments before. Maybe he's seen the best side of me.
I've definitely still got big targets. I've always tried to think big, and whenever you reach one, at least you get close to them, sometimes things can happen. I think, yeah, sort of the way I came through is different. So it wasn't -- Walker Cup, it was going to happen. You look at some guys, it's a given they are going to do it. Yeah, you've got to keep building yourself up and keep the belief going, yeah.

Q. Are you going to try to qualify for the U.S. Open on Tuesday?
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, I don't see why anyone shouldn't really. There's an opportunity to play in a major.
It comes just before a big run of tournaments for us, BMW Munich. And the year I lost my card, I went to Bethpage and came back and missed the cut by a shot for two or three in a row in the big ones, so I can see.
But I think you lose that sort of will to sort of go; it could happen, couldn't it. Look at Cambo what, can happen in a major, it's unbelievable. Graeme last year; Graeme's a great player.
But I think I love the tough golf course, par being a good score. I like that. I like that thought, as well. I'd enjoy that.

Q. If it wasn't to be you this week, who are the guys you would most fear?
SIMON KHAN: I don't think about it too much, but I would say Luke's got to be one of the favourites I suppose. I'm not sure, Lee, he won here I think before; he won the Match Play.
So with the greens, it's very different, very different golf course. You know, really attacked quite a lot -- definitely the par 5s, and 12 obviously being a tough par 4 now. Like I said, last year's round, final round, it was really just -- got to be really patient.
You've got to just get it on the green, 2-putt sometimes, and even when you think -- there are certain holes, I don't think the front nine has changed that much, but definitely some of the holes on the back nine, 17 and 18, if the wind stays the same direction, it's going to take two really good shots to get on. It's a tough golf course.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: Simon, thanks for joining us.

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