Sergio García previews the USPGA at Baltusrol

Sergio García previews the USPGA at Baltusrol

Ahead of the US PGA Championship Sergio Garcia has been giving his verdict on the course at Baltusrol, what is going well for him and the quick turn around between the PGA and the Open.

Q: Sergio, welcome to your 18th PGA Championship. Curious about your thoughts on what you’re seeing out of Baltusrol this week, your second time here, but what are you seeing out here this week?

A: Yeah, I’ve taken a couple looks. Obviously one last week on Friday and one yesterday. Course looks great. Very, very good shape. Obviously a couple new tees here and there from 2005.

The lake on 18, obviously it’s a little bit closer to the fairway than it used to be, but the course looks really, really good. Obviously I like what I see. Hoping to play nicely this week again and have a chance coming on the weekend.

Q: So you’re playing pretty well the last two majors, which are obviously recent vintage here, you’re tied fifth at the U.S. Open and tied fifth also at The Open Championship. What’s clicking for you right now?

A: I don’t know, I played fairly well at the U.S. Open. At The Open Championship, I felt like my swing wasn’t quite there but I scrambled well. I scored well.

So I guess for me, that is positive, because it shows me that I don’t need to be perfectly in form to still have a chance, you know, going into tournaments or into majors.

I had a couple nice practice rounds here. At the end of the day, the most important thing, the way the course is playing and the way the rough is, driving the ball well is going to be important, because it’s going to give you a little extra going into some of these difficult greens.

So if I can manage to drive the ball well, then I can give myself some options, some looks at birdies, and you know, hopefully play the tough holes well.

Q. What’s the most fun hole to play at Baltusrol and why?

A: There’s a lot of good holes. I think obviously 4, it’s a very, very nice hole. You know, depending where they put the pin, it can be very, very tricky. But you can hit some nice shots there.

I like 13. I think it’s a great hole. But you know, fortunately, I think there’s a lot of good holes. The finishing holes are nice that give you some chances.

But probably 4 and 13 I like quite a lot.

Q. What are your thoughts on the quick turnaround between the Open and this event, and if you had a say, where would you like to see this event on the calendar in the Olympic year?

A: It’s tough to say. When you have to put an extra week in the middle of the schedule, where that week has to be there, it is difficult.

Obviously for me, it’s not ideal to go one week on, one week off, one week on, one week off, because it’s difficult to get in a rhythm. It’s difficult to kind of really rest or really, you know, like I said, really get in a rhythm of playing.

So it’s not ideal, I would say, at least for me. But you know, this is going to happen once every four years at most. It’s something that we can deal with it and just kind of realize that it’s that way.

* Read what Danny Willett had to say in his press conference here