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BMW INTERNATIONAL OPENJune 19, 2013Danny WillettEICHENRIED, GERMANY PAUL SYMES: Sometimes welcome back to the BMW International Open, first time defending a tournament, a week you must be looking forward to for quite a while. DANNY WILLETT: Yeah, I have been looking forward to it. I've had the back problem, so I've been trying to make sure the back is good and strong, especially for this one, so happy to come back. PAUL SYMES: Has it affected your preparation that you are defending champ or do you just treat it as any other week? DANNY WILLETT: No, to be honest it works out quite well to be the week after the U.S. Open. A lot of the big guys coming back, takes pressure off me; the fact that I'm in the limelight a little more, and just allows me to go about my thing and just do what I can. PAUL SYMES: And how is the back? DANNY WILLETT: It's good. Had a MRI a couple weeks and last week to check out how the progress is and it showed in a couple of different things. So just a bit of hard work and a bit of rest and physio. It's a long process but it's getting on. PAUL SYMES: A different course from what you won on last year, how do the two courses compare? DANNY WILLETT: They are very, very different. All depends on the weather. I think I played it three times, at least twice, and the weather has always been‑‑ the course has been really wet and there's always been a bit of stuff around. But I think if it's flat calm here, the scoring is going to be a bit lower around this place. There's a few more chances. Obviously the weather is going to play a big factor. If it stays hot all week, it's going to be a grueling test out there for four days. But can't really compare ‑‑ it's a great golf course, and obviously Munich itself is a fantastic city for the 25th anniversary. It's a great place. Q. Your conversation with Paul, you said it happened in Dubai? DANNY WILLETT: Me and my physio were trying to go back over the shots and stuff from where it would have possibly given a little niggle at things. I hit a bunker shot on the last, my feet were almost out of the bunker, and maybe stretching just kind of did something you're not quite used to. And then obviously, you know, you try and play that week, and then went to Joburg the week after and tried to play again there, and eventually kind of go out on the Friday and give it some proper rest. Then I had the four weeks off, just resting and rehab and stuff and trying to get it better. But still on painkillers ‑‑ inaudible ‑‑ and Sweden didn't feel great, so another couple of weeks off and we found a couple of things on the MRI that we are trying to sort out. Q. (Inaudible.) DANNY WILLETT: It's strange, every time I kind of started playing well and got myself in good position to break into the Top‑50, I've had a bit of a niggle. Finished second at the Dunhill a few years ago when Martin won, and then I got a bone infracture in my rib, which put me out rest of the year after that. And then this time, after win asking having a good season last year, trying to push hard beginning of this season, and try to get ‑‑ just pushed me back a little bit. So hopefully, touch wood, we can just keep moving it on and hopefully it doesn't come back. Q. Percentage‑wise, where would you say you are? DANNY WILLETT: Probably 60, 70 percent. I'm playing quite a bit every week and back hitting a lot of balls and trying to do stuff. Still stiff in the morning and still have to stretch real good and get it moving. Just the kind of thing you maintain and monitor and work with it. Q. What kind of treatment are you getting in the physio truck? DANNY WILLETT: Well, I have got my own physio at home and stuff that I have treatment with, and the guys in the physio van have got MRI, just general manipulation. Make sure it stays loose and the joint stays loose, as well, and nothing is tightening in and around it. Q. So many players who mentioned the special atmosphere on the course; can you describe what's different to other tournaments, what makes it so special right here? DANNY WILLETT: Germany is always a good place to play golf. Like the fact when there's a golf tournament on, you get a lot of people to come out to the event and again here, it's a Wednesday, you've got a few people out here watching, a few guys yesterday. And I've already seen‑‑ I've not played the Pro‑Am, I'm out this afternoon, but already quite a few guys wandering around watching Marcel. There is a bit of a different buzz. I've always said BMW puts on a great event wherever it is across the world but it always feels a little extra special; 25 years for this event is fantastic. I think come tomorrow morning, it's going to be really good. Q. Obviously defence of the BMW, but what's the goal for the rest of the season now? DANNY WILLETT: I'm not really sure. Taking it a week at a time. When I came back to play at Wentworth, I would have said three or four rounds would have been nice and then tried to qualified for the U.S. but had to pull out of the U.S. So hopefully just play some more golf, and like I said, keep on top of it and just get back into it, traveling around again and monitoring myself. If I can get the ball around this week and play nicely, hit some proper golf shots, not really have to take any painkillers or discomfort. Q. Talking about Merion, you must have been impressed with Justin's performance, and can you draw inspiration from what he did? DANNY WILLETT: It's fantastic. I watch every major‑‑ he just played the best golf on Sunday. You know, it was good to see. He held his nerves and he hit some great shots under pressure down the last four or five holes. Yeah, you do draw a little bit of inspiration. Justin obviously came through English ranks and ‑‑ inaudible ‑‑ then he's turned back around and built up to third after last week. I mean, if you can keep trying to chase down the top English guys, you're not going to be far off. Q. Except the injuries, how did the win affect your game throughout last year? DANNY WILLETT: The win was nice. I played good. I've been in contention a few times before really winning. The pressure‑‑ wasn't easy conditions, so hit a few iffy golf shots down the stretch last year but you know, eventually came through. It just gives you a bit of confidence that you don't have to do everything perfect and you can still win. All you have to do is keep yourself in there close enough to have chance on the back nine on Sunday and hopefully you'll do a little better than everybody else. PAUL SYMES: Thanks, enjoy your title defence. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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