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February 21, 2007
Transcript by ASASP Sports
Q. Alex, have you had a chance to see the course and practice it?
ALEJANDRO QUIROZ: The course is definitely a challenge. The conditions of the golf course are as best as can be expected. The course, not only is it beautiful, but it will not allow you to make any mistakes. It demands high precision on your shots, and great accuracy.
EFREN SERNA ESPINOZA: The golf course challenges you on each and every shot. You have to be extremely well concentrated because the wind blows from all four directions. It changes from hole to hole. And a golf course that has so many challenges on each hole demands great concentration.
Q. You're both Mexican players, have you had a chance to play other courses in this area of the world, and how do you feel about playing for the first time ever on a PGA TOUR event?
EFREN SERNA ESPINOZA: I have had the chance to play here. We've had the Mexican Open at the Moon Palace not far from here.
It is an advantage that we do know a little bit about this area and the tradewinds that blow from all directions. We're talking about being in one of the world's greatest events. Our chances as Mexicans -- truthfully Alex and I are having a good moment play-wise. We have had chances to play in other PGA TOUR events, but our best intentions here is to do the very best job we can as Mexican golf players.
This is the first time we have a PGA TOUR event in México, so we have to show players around the world that not only do we have great golf courses and great beaches, but we also have great golf players. As Mexicans, you have to do your very best effort to try to win.
ALEJANDRO QUIROZ: We are doing our very best effort and we will do our very best effort to try to compete and win against the top of the world's best golfers. However, we all know the golf course is a great challenge. The other players are going to do their best also. So, it's a wide open field.
I had to play five playoff holes to earn a spot in this event and Efren had a round of 68 to qualify. We do have very few opportunities to play among and against the top players in the world, so we are going to take advantage and we are going to put our very best golf forth.
Q. What do you expect against the best players in the world?
EFREN SERNA ESPINOZA: The main objective is to win first place, but of course we know that everybody else is shooting for the same target. They all want to be the winners. So we are going to try to win.
So we're going to try to do our very best, just as everybody else, but we're going to do the extra effort to see if we can end up being tournament champions. Alex has also played on the Mexican Tour for several years, quite well known by most of you, so we hope that one of us will come out victorious.
Q. Do you feel that you're going through one of your best moments?
ALEJANDRO QUIROZ: I've been in a process of mechanics changing my swing, so I'm trusting my new swing, but nevertheless, it's a change. So I hope to consolidate my new swing and make it possible to be very successful.
I hope my new swing will be doing a good job for me and allow me to come through and win.
EFREN SERNA ESPINOZA: I hope so. I feel that I'm going through a very good moment in my game. I've beat some of the very best Mexican pro players and I'm going through a very good moment playing. Other Mexican professionals have had a chance to come up against the world's best players in PGA events. I'm hitting the golf ball quite consistently, quite solid. I'm being accurate with my shots.
But age is creeping up, so I have to hurry up and make sure that I take advantage of one of my very best moments in golf.
Q. Is golf consistency or is it ability?
ALEJANDRO QUIROZ: It's a combination of both things. If you are born with that ability, take advantage of it. If not, you have to create it, and for that, you have to be very consistent. Lots of practice, lots of long hours every day. Other players who are not fortunate to not have been born with this ability have to spend even many more hours.
Q. How do you see the level of golf in México by Mexican players?
EFREN SERNA ESPINOZA: Well, we have a Mexican tour that is four years old. And it is growing day by day. We've gone to the Canadian Tour -- have participated on the Canadian Tour two years in a row, three years in a row, and that has helped me to improve my game. And year after year, the golf course records are consistently being broken, so that means that all of us are improving.
Q. Is this your first PGA TOUR event?
ALEJANDRO QUIROZ: No, this is my second. I've played the Canadian Open in Vancouver.
Q. How did you make out in that tournament?
ALEJANDRO QUIROZ: I missed the cut by two or three shots. I'm very sorry I missed the cut, but I learned a lot. It's been four and a half years since then, and I've learned a lot since then. I've practiced a lot. So now I'm in this Tour and I have to make the best of it.
Q. How many Mexican players are going to be in the field? Only two of you qualified. Are there any others?
EFREN SERNA ESPINOZA: The PGA TOUR has invited only one player, but our Mexican Tour Championship gave us a chance to qualify a second player. So we got our Mexican Golf Federation to make it possible to have the No. 1 and No. 2 players in México to be able to be awarded invitations to play in this PGA TOUR event.
ALEJANDRO QUIROZ: Even though this is a PGA TOUR event, it's being played in México. And we know that many tours taking place in other foreign countries have quite a number of spots awarded to the local hosting country, and we hope the fact that Efren and I have qualified, we will show that we will be able to make it possible in future years to have more Mexican players, not only qualify, but be invited. They feel that more invitations, or at least some invitations, should have been awarded to Mexican golfers. I think we deserve it.
EFREN SERNA ESPINOZA: All four of us playing here, we are going to do our very best. We know it's not easy but God willing with our golfing abilities and being here among our co-nationals, we'll do our very best.
Q. How do you compare this golf course with others?
ALEJANDRO QUIROZ: Well, it's an extremely difficult golf course because there are hazards on both sides of each hole. You've got water or you've got jungle; you've got the ocean; you've got the wind blowing every which way. The sea breeze is quite heavy; the humidity, the wind make the fairways seem much, much narrower than they really are because you have to hit it right in the center. Otherwise, you run the danger of being close to the hazard or in the hazard.
We have to be very concentrated. There has to be absolutely no doubt in your mind on each shot. You have to know exactly what you want to do. The strong winds here can carry your ball 25 to 50 yards off-track.
Q. Have you had to make adjustments to your swing and your game?
EFREN SERNA ESPINOZA: Yes, we have. We have to learn how to play with all of these adverse wind conditions, heat, humidity and the many hazards all over the golf course. The wind changes direction. It's not consistent, so you do have to be able to adapt and change your concentration and make sure you know what you're doing and where the wind is blowing from.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Thank you very much.
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