>> UM, UNFORTUNATE SAD. THIS SHOULD BE A CELEBRATION, RIGHT? HE WON A MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP AT 50 YEARS OLD IT WAS POSSIBLY HIS LAST BIG, BIG MOMENT IN THE GAME OF GOLF YOU KNOW, HE SHOULD BE — I THINK HE SHOULD BE HERE THIS WEEK YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING WHAT A MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT HE ACHIEVED LAST YEAR IT'S UNFORTUNATE IT'S SAD YEAH I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN SAY. >> RORY, YOU SAID AT AUGUSTA THAT — >> HI, KYLE. >> WHAT'S UP, RORY YOU SAID YESTERDAY THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT STAYING IN IT EARLY ON IN A MAJOR TO KIND OF MAKE YOUR WAY IN TO POTENTIALLY WINNING IT, YET ALL FOUR OF YOUR WINS HAVE BEEN KIND OF FROM OUT IN FRONT EARLY ON. HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THOSE TWO THINGS WITH GETTING OUT TO A BIG LEADERS HAVES AS A MORE EXPERIENCED GOLFER TRYING TO STAY IN IT >> YEAH. I THINK THE FOUR WINS — I DON'T THINK YOU CAN PLAN ON GETTING OUT AHEAD.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IF YOU PLAY WELL AND GET MOMENTUM AND FEEL IT. IT'S NOT AS IF I WENT OUT WITH THE MINDSET THOSE FOUR TOURNAMENTS OF I'LL GO OUT AND SHOOT 65 THE FIRST TWO DAYS AND LET THEM COME AND CATCH ME IT JUST SORT OF HAPPENED I THINK, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE THINGS THAT HAVE STOPPED ME FROM GETTING IN CONTENTION OR BEING ABLE TO WIN THESE MAJORS IS BIG NUMBERS AND SHOOTING MYSELF OUT OF IT SORT OF EARLY I EVEN THINK BACK TO AUGUSTA, I FINISHED 3 BEHIND IN THE END AND I WENT BOGEY, DOUBLE BOGEY ON 10 AND 11 ON FRIDAY YOU GO PAR, PAR THERE, ALL OF A SUTTON THERE SUDDEN THERE'S THOSE THREE SHOTS.
IT'S TINY MARGINS AND — LOOK, I'D LOVE TO GO OUT THOSE WEEKS AND GET A LEAD AND BUILD ON IT THAT UNFORTUNATELY ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN ALL THE TIME I THINK THE MOST CONSISTENT WAY TO GET YOURSELF TO HAVE CHANCES TO WIN THESE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IS TO SORT OF ADOPT THAT CONSERVATIVE STRATEGY AND TIGER DID IT MOST OF HIS CAREER.
OKAY, HE HAD A COUPLE OF HUGE WINS IN THERE, BUT A LOT OF TIMES BEING CONSERVATIVE WITH HIS STRATEGY, LETTING OTHER GUYS MAKE MISTAKES. PARS ARE GOOD SCORES IN MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS. THAT'S THE PHILOSOPHY THAT I BELIEVE IN GOING FORWARD >> QUESTION ON 9 >> RORY, JUST WONDER WHETHER YOU SAW GREG NORMAN'S COMMENTS LAST WEEK, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, ALL OF THAT, WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT >> WE DO ALL MAKE MISTAKES BUT, IT WAS — I THINK GREG IS IN A VERY TOUGH POSITION BECAUSE HE'S TAKEN THE ROLE OF BEING THE LEADER OF SOMETHING THAT IS VERY DIVISIVE GREG CAN SIT WITH THE MEDIA FOR FIVE HOURS AND GIVE FOUR HOURS AND 50 MINUTES OF GOOD ANSWERS, THE TEN MINUTES THAT HE DROPS HIS GUARD IS WHAT WILL BE PICKED UP ON.
I THINK HE'S IN A NO-WIN SITUATION. HE MADE THAT DECISION HIMSELF. HE HAS TO DEAL WITH THE QUESTIONS BEING THROWN AT HIM. IT'S CERTAINLY NOT A POSITION I WOULD LIKE TO BE IN. >> YOU SPENT SOME TIME AROUND TIGER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF AND WHAT HE HAS GONE THROUGH ANY PART OF YOU SURPRISED THAT HE'S HERE THIS WEEK? >> NOT REALLY. I THINK — I DON'T KNOW. IT'S BEEN SIX WEEKS OR SO SINCE AUGUSTA. SIX WEEKS IS NOT LONG ENOUGH TIME TO RECOVER FROM THAT WEEK AND THEN BUILD YOURSELF BACK UP AGAIN AND CERTAINLY HASN'T CHOSEN TWO OF THE EASIEST WALKS IN GOLF TO COME BACK TO AUGUSTA. HE'S STUBBORN, DETERMINED, THIS IS WHAT HE LIVES FOR IF HE BELIEVES HE CAN GET AROUND 18 HOLES, HE BELIEVES HE CAN WIN. >> RORY, JUST WONDERED IF YOU TALK ABOUT THE LEVEL OF THE CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW AFTER THE MASTERS AND WELLS FARGO.
>> I FEEL GOOD ABOUT MY GAME I'VE DONE SOME GOOD WORK ONE THING THAT I TRIED TO WORK ON AND I'VE DONE WELL IN, I LED GREENS IN REGULATION THE LAST TWO TOURNAMENTS I PLAYED THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT QUITE BEEN THERE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO DO AROUND HERE. YOU HIT GREENS HERE, YOU'LL GIVE YOURSELF BIRDIE CHANCES. THE TARGETS ARE PRETTY SMALL, PRETTY LIMITED WITH WHERE THE HOLE LOCATIONS WILL BE YOU HIT IT INTO THE GREENS HERE, YOU'LL HAVE DECENT CHANCES I'M FEELING GOOD ABOUT THAT PART OF THE GAME.
SHORT GAME THERE AS WELL I FOCUS A LOT ON IRON PLAY AND CHIPPING AND PUTTING LAST WEEK, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE KEY TO HAVING A GOOD WEEK THIS WEEK. I FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT ALL I'M CERTAINLY IN A BETTER PLACE WITH MY GAME THAN WHERE I WAS LAST YEAR. HAPPY ABOUT THAT >> WE SAW THE EMOTION AT THE RYDER CUP. I'M CURIOUS HOW BIG OF A MOTIVATION THAT WAS FOR YOU OVER THE OFF-SEASON AND AT THE START OF THIS SEASON AS WELL >> IT WAS A BIG TURNING POINT. I HAD AN AWFUL COUPLE OF DAYS AT THE RYDER, THEN I FREED MY MIND UP AND PLAYED BETTER IN THE SINGLES, GOT THAT WIN AGAINST XANDER THAT GIVES ME A BIT OF CONFIDENCE, THEN I BUILT ON THAT, GOT THE WIN IN VEGAS IN THE FALL THEN I PLAYED CONSISTENTLY GOOD GOLF SINCE THEN. IT WAS A TURNING POINT ON ME I WENT DOWN A PATH THAT I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO HELP MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS. DIDN'T WORK OUT THAT WAY WENT BACK TO BASICS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I DID WELL AND JUST KEEP DOING THAT IT'S BEEN GOOD I'VE PLAYED PRETTY CONSISTENT GOLF SINCE THEN.
I DROPPED OUT OF THE TOP TEN AT SOME POINT IN THAT PERIOD. I GOT MYSELF BACK UP THERE IT'S BEEN A GOOD FEW MONTHS. >> REAL QUICK, I WANTED TO PIGGYBACK OFF HIS QUESTION ABOUT THE IRON GAME AND STROKES GAINED TO APPROACH. WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON TECHNICALLY WITH YOUR IRONS >> FLIGHTING IT DOWN A BIT GETTING COMFORTABLE TAKING A CLUB MORE AND HITTING IT EASY. LEFT PINS HAS NOT BEEN A STRONG SUIT OF MINE THIS YEAR THAT SHOWED UP IN THE STATS, TRYING TO PRACTICE MORE TO LEFT BIN POSITIONS, TRYING TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE SHOTS I'M TRYING TO HIT IN THAT'S REALLY IT YOU HIT A TON OF BALLS AND YOU SORT OF FIGURE IT OUT.
>> MICROPHONE 12 >> RORY, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU MADE YOUR AWARDS COMMENT ABOUT THE SAUDI SERIES, DO YOU THINK THAT'S STILL THE CASE OR IS IT GATHERING MOMENTUM >> MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE PRESUMPTUOUS AT THIS POINT WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT. GUYS WILL MAKE DECISIONS HONESTLY, IT'S GOING TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF PROFESSIONAL GOLF ONE WAY OR ANOTHER I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW IT SHAKES OUT >> RORY, DURING A WEEK WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS REALLY HOT, PROBABLY LOSING A BIT MORE WEIGHT THAN USUAL, DO YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT TO GET YOUR BODY READY FOR A WEEK LIKE THIS? >> YEAH.
I'VE TRIED TO — I GOT A LITTLE — I MEAN, I GOT A LITTLE LIGHT AFTER AUGUSTA. I ALWAYS LOSE A BIT OF WEIGHT THERE. I TRY TO PUT ON SOME WEIGHT SINCE THEN PROBABLY PUT ON TEN POUNDS SINCE THE MASTERS. NOT ALL MUSCLE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT OF EXCESS FAT IN THERE DIET HASN'T BEEN QUITE AS DISCIPLINED AS I WANTED IT TO BE IT'S DECENT THAT WHEN YOU HAVE — I HAVE A LONG STRETCH. I'M PLAYING FIVE OF THE NEXT SIX WEEKS. TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT IN RESERVE AND SORT OF THAT EXTRA ENERGY STORAGE AND STUFF IS NEVER A BAD THING.
I ALWAYS NOTICE WHEN I PUT A BIT OF WEIGHT ON, MY SPEED GOES UP THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I GUESS IS AN ADDED BENEFIT >> HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO YOU USUALLY USE DURING A WEEK LIKE THIS DO YOU KEEP TRACK? >> NOT REALLY. I USUALLY HAVE TO GO UP ONE NOTCH IN THE BELT AT THE END OF THE WEEK MAYBE FIVE POINTS. >> WATCHING THE FRIDAY VIDEO, A GEEKY PROCESS VIDEO. WHAT HAPPENS THEN? DO YOU CALL HARRY AND TALK IT THROUGH OR CALL MICHAEL AND SAY THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON >> I SENT THE LINKS TO HARRY AND SAID HAVE A LOOK AT THESE. I DIDN'T EXPECT TO HIT AS MANY DRIVERS AS I DID YESTERDAY >> IN THE BACK, 13 >> RORY, IS NOT HAVING COME HERE BEFORE YESTERDAY, NOT HAVING SEEN THE COURSE, IS IT AN EXAMPLE OF TRYING NOT TO OVERTHINK THIS STUFF >> I THINK SO.
YOU KNOW, I'VE PLAYED — I WON A COUPLE OF MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WHERE I PLAYED NINE HOLES ON TUESDAY, NINE HOLES ON WEDNESDAY, AND SORT OF TEED IT UP AND PLAYED REALLY WELL. SOMETIMES NOT KNOWING WHERE THE TROUBLE IS — IGNORANCE IS BLISS IN SOME WAYS FOR ME, I'LL TAKE EXECUTION OVER PREPARATION ANY DAY. IF YOU'RE EXECUTING THE SHOTS, HITTING THE BALL WELL, THE BALL IS LOOKING WHERE YOU'RE GOING, THAT'S MORE THAN HALF THE BATTLE I FEEL LIKE I'M EXECUTING WELL IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT PREPARING OR HITTING THINGS WELL THESE GREENS REQUIRE MORE TIME SPENT ON THEM THAN SOME OTHERS I THINK STRATEGY OFF THE TEE AND INTO THE GREENS IS PRETTY SIMPLE, THEN IT GETS MORE NUANCED WHENEVER YOU GET ON AND AROUND THE GREENS. >> ON 12 >> RORY, ON THAT NOTE, YOU SAY IGNORANCE CAN BE BLISS WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT REALLY BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY UNTIL YOU'RE OUT THERE THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY >> YEAH.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PRACTICE FROM EVERY BUNKER AROUND THE GREENS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO — GOING TO CHIP BALLS FROM EVERY SINGLE SIDE OF A GREEN. YOU HAVE A DECENT IDEA OF — I MEAN, FOR THE MOST PART, YOU CAN'T MISS THE BALL ABOVE THE HOLE HERE BECAUSE THE GREENS ARE SLOPY. THERE'S QUITE A PITCH FROM BACK TO FRONT ON A LOT OF THEM. STUFF LIKE THAT. NOT GETTING PAST PIN HIGH ON SOME HOLES YOU HAVE A GENERAL IDEA OF WHERE THE GOOD MISS IS OR WHERE TO LEAVE IT BUT YOU'LL ENCOUNTER SOME STUFF DURING THE FOUR DAYS OF PLAY THAT YOU HAVE NOT PREPARED FOR MISSING ONE SIDE OF THE GREEN INSTEAD OF ANOTHER THINGS HAPPEN. WE'RE HUMAN. WE WON'T HIT EVERY SHOT PERFECTLY. BUT THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT OUR GAME YOU HAVE TO ADAPT TO THESE THINGS AND ADAPT TO CONDITIONS EVEN THE WIND FORECAST THIS WEEK, WE'LL HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT WINDS FOR FOUR DAYS.
SO JUST STUFF LIKE THAT. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PLAY THE GOLF COURSE IN EVERY SINGLE WIND DIRECTION. YOU JUST SOMETIMES HAVE TO ADAPT ON THE FLY >> WELCOME TO OKLAHOMA >> THANK YOU >> MICROPHONE EIGHT. >> RORY, YOU MENTIONED WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THIS ALL PLAYS OUT AND RESHAPES PROFESSIONAL GOLF IS THERE A GOOD, CLEAN RESOLUTION AT THIS POINT IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'RE ROOTING FOR? >> I'M ROOTING FOR IT ALL TO BE OVER I'M SO SICK OF TALKING ABOUT IT. I MADE MY DECISION I KNOW WHERE I WANT TO PLAY. I'M NOT STANDING IN ANYONE'S WAY. I'M NOT SAYING THEY SHOULDN'T GO OVER THERE AND PLAY IF THAT'S WHAT THEY FEEL IS RIGHT FOR THEM 100% THEY SHOULD GO AND DO IT. I'M NOT — I'M NOT WANTING TO STAND IN ANYONE'S WAY. I THINK THAT THE SOONER IT ALL HAPPENS AND THE SOONER EVERYTHING SHAKES OUT, I THINK WE CAN ALL JUST GO BACK TO NOT TALKING ABOUT IT AND DOING WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
TWO MORE QUESTIONS MIKE SIX >> WE SAW YOU WITH BRAD FAXON YESTERDAY. WHAT WERE YOU WORKING ON WITH BRAD >> NOT MUCH. HE'S UP HERE DOING STUFF FOR GOLF CHANNEL AND SKY HE JUST WALKED A FEW HOLES WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT MUCH. HE WATCHED ME HIT A COUPLE OF PUTTS, GAVE ME THE OKAY ON THE STROKE THAT WAS REALLY IT IT WASN'T TOO MUCH >> MICROPHONE FIVE >> WITH THE COURSE HAVING SO MUCH CHANGE SINCE THE TOUR LAST CAME HERE, IS THERE ASKING ANY VETERAN PLAYERS WHO PLAYED HERE BEFORE OR IS IT PRETTY MUCH A CLEAN SLATE BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES? >> I THINK IT'S A CLEAN SLATE.
I WAS HITTING BALLS ALONGSIDE TOM GILLIS, HE PLAYED THE SENIOR PGA HERE LAST YEAR, HE GAVE ME A COUPLE LITTLE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR OR MAYBE A COUPLE OF GREENS TO SPEND EXTRA TIME ON STUFF LIKE THAT. I THINK IT'S — '07 WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GOLF COURSE YOU REALLY JUST WANT TO TALK TO THE GUYS THAT PLAYED LAST YEAR HERE IN THE SENIOR PGA TO GET A BETTER FEEL OF HOW THE GOLF COURSE PLAYS >> FINAL QUESTION ON NINE. >> REGRET MIGHT BE TOO STRONG OF A WORD, DO YOU EVER WISH YOU WEREN'T INVOLVED IN THE PLAYER ADVISORY COUNCIL DO YOU WISH YOU KNEW LESS AND YOU COULD GET ON WITH YOUR OWN CAREER AND MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS? >> IN FAIRNESS, IT'S FINE BECAUSE IT'S A HIGH OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
THERE'S FOUR, FIVE MEETINGS A YEAR BEING ON THE BOARD IS DIFFERENT. THERE'S MAYBE A FEW MORE CALLS I'VE BEEN ON THAN I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO BE ON WHEN I TOOK THE ROLE UP. AGAIN, THAT IGNORANCE IS BLIZ BLISS IT'S NICE TO BE IN THE KNOW, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD NOT TO KNOW. LOOK, I'M TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE PGA TOUR AND THE PGA TOUR MEMBERS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS ELECTED TO DO I'M TRYING TO DO THAT TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY THERE'S PEOPLE ON THAT BOARD THAT ARE A LOT SMARTER THAN I AM THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE THE.