May 26, 2011
AN INTERVIEW WITH:
KIYOSHI MUROTA
KELLY ELBIN: Kiyoshi Murota of
Japan in with a 6-under par 66 for the first
round lead in the 72nd Senior PGA
Championship presented by KitchenAid.
He will be helped today in the translation
by his caddie. Open it up with just general
comments. Congratulations on the round
today and what went so well to be able to
fire six birdies and shoot 66? Some
general comments on the round and what
worked well, particularly on such a difficult
day for scoring with all the stops and
starts.
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
All the
fairways are so wet, not good. So I kept it
in the fairway with his driver.
The
conditions were not good today. I tried to
keep it in the fairway today. That was my
thinking.
KELLY ELBIN: Open it up for
questions.
Q. What were your thoughts going into
the tournament, whether you thought you
could contend to win the championship?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: No thinking.
Just planning to come to the tournament.
KELLY ELBIN: Did you think you
had much of a chance at winning coming
in?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: Nothing. No
chance.
(Laughter.)
Q. How have you been playing recently
in weeks or how have you been playing coming
into this tournament? Was your game in good
form?
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
tournament?
Q. No, before this tournament.
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
In Japan
before here I played two or three weeks
tournament, each round was played in the
same conditions as coming to this
tournament.
Q. During one stretch I think there were
eight 1-putt greens out of nine holes. Are you
traditionally a great putter? Is this something
that's not uncommon for you or what's usually
considered to be the strength of your game?
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
Only today
good.
Q. You're not known as a good putter?
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
I'm usually
so-so.
(Laughter.)
Q. After the practice rounds did you
think that a 66 was possible out there for
anyone in the field?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: Somebody in
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the U.S. Champions Tour, I think someone
can shoot 66.
Q.
How do you like competing in
America? You've done it a few times. Do you
enjoy coming to America and playing?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: United States
golf courses are very different. Nice golf
courses. And I want to try to come over
here because I enjoy playing golf every
time coming here. All the courses here
are great.
Q. Wondering whether your life at all
had been impacted by the earthquake.
KIYOSHI
MUROTA:
Very
shocking. But I can play here with many
good friends, many good friends in Japan
watching. And so I want to keep playing
and play good.
It's very shocking in Japan, the
earthquake. But I'm playing here good,
maybe I can tell in Japan people that will
give more power to the people. So I never
saw before like the tsunami, you know,
that high. So I give it to the power in
Japan, you know, to help the people from
the tournament.
Q. What would winning or playing well
here mean to you? Winning or playing well
here, what would it mean to you, to your
career?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: To win would
be great.
Q. What is the name on your cap?
What type company is that? Golf equipment?
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
Like they
have like housing kind of things.
Q. Have you played at Valhalla ever
before this week?
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
week right before?
No.
This
Q. Yeah.
KIYOSHI MUROTA: First time this
week.
Q. Tell us something about your family.
Do you have a large family, are you married, do
you have kids?
KIYOSHI
daughters.
MUROTA:
Three
Q. Do they play golf?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: No golf.
Q. Can you shoot another 66?
Q. I noticed you have a big band-aid on
your right elbow, is that a cut or is that a swing
aid or what is that?
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
It's tennis
elbow. So the pain is coming every time.
It's not good.
Q. Wondering how nice it is to get your
round in when some people will only play a few
holes tonight. You can rest a little tonight
before you have to play.
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
going to be a long day?
Tomorrow is
Q. Some others are going to have a
long day tomorrow.
KIYOSHI MUROTA: Tomorrow's a
long day for people, right, but more people
will play and keep going and it's fine. I'll
keep going too.
KIYOSHI MUROTA: No. No more.
No more.
(Laughter.)
Q. No?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: No. It's too
wet, the tee advantage up front, so maybe
today's easy, maybe they change it.
Maybe it's more difficult. Force you to hit
longer shots.
Q. What's the closest you've ever come
to winning in the United States?
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
On the
Champions Tour, okay, I finished second
at Turtle Bay. Four years or three years
ago.
Q. 2007?
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KIYOSHI MUROTA: 2007. I think.
Q. Is that right?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: Yeah. I think
2007.
Q. In Japan what are you known for in
terms of golf? Are you a big hitter, you said
you weren't necessarily a good putter, is there
something that you've done well or something
that if people heard your name they would say,
oh, yeah, I know that about you?
KIYOSHI MUROTA:
Not much
long ball. But just even. Even player.
Q.
Are you surprised you're in the
lead?
KIYOSHI
MUROTA:
No.
Somebody has to be leading.
KELLY ELBIN: You had 10, 1-putts
and only 26 putts for the day. Was there
one hole, was there one shot in particular
that stands out in the round?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: Number 8,
par-3 I made a par putt, I think a long putt.
Q. Number 8?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: Number 8.
KELLY ELBIN:
What was the
distance on that? To stay at 6-under.
What was the length of that?
KIYOSHI MUROTA: 10 feet.
Q. It was longer.
KIYOSHI MUROTA: Longer. Yes.
KELLY ELBIN: Kiyoshi Murota, in
with 66 to lead the Senior PGA
Championship. Congratulations. Thank
you.
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