Interview by Jack Martin
It’s 20 years since you won the US Open at Shinnecock Hills. Do you still look back and think, ‘Wow, I’m a major winner’?
“I can’t believe it is 20 years. It was unbelievable to beat Tiger Woods,one of the best players to ever play the game, in his prime. I’m remembered more for that than winning the US Open. It was one of those weeks where everything came together. It was like an out of body experience. It didn’t happen overnight. It was the culmination of years of hard work.”
Did you believe you had a chance of winning before the week began?
“Absolutely not. I was targeting the top 10. After three rounds I changed my goal to top three.
Then during the last round I was leading and started aiming to win. I agree with Brooks Koepka when he says most of the field don’t believe they can win a major.
I didn’t but I was fortunate enough that everything came together one week.”
Did Tiger say anything to you after you won?
“I remember I walked to the locker room after winning. I was getting ready for the prize giving. I hear this toilet flushing and the cubicle door opening. Tiger walks
out and is washing his face next to me.
I said to him, ‘Well played, it was tough out there. I’m glad to be a major winner.’ He said back to me, ‘Yeah a bit of luck.’ I turned back to him and said, ‘It was more than luck, mate. It was skill and talent.’
We kind of just laughed it off and parted ways. However, after that, he turned up
at the prize giving and congratulated me. That was an amazing gesture as normally the guy who finished second would never turn up at the winner’s circle.”
Golf Digest once published an article saying you were one of the most underwhelming US Open champions. Did that annoy you?
“It doesn’t bother me what they think. I have the US Open trophy in my home.
I’ll always be a part of the US Open club. That’s more important to me.
There’s only been something like 280 winners of a major championship. I don’t care what some guy writes in Golf Digest.”
What impact did your victory have in New Zealand?
“It was massive. When I won, I wanted to go home and share my success with my people. I wanted to inspire more kids to play golf in New Zealand where rugby is the big thing.
There was a massive parade for me in Wellington. 150,000 people turned up. The biggest since the Beatles came in the seventies.”
Was the attention you got too much?
“I’m a very shy guy. I didn’t like living in the fishbowl. I took advantage of
the attention by raising money for my charities.
I got distracted and my golf game suffered. I wasn’t practicing or going to the gym. I felt like I had climbed Mount Everest.
My goal was to win a major and show people Māori’s play golf. I go home now, and I see my community playing golf. I broke that mould.”
Do you have any regrets?
“Yes and no. Of course I’d love to be a multi major winner. But, look, I’m a US Open champion. I’ve had a great life.
I’ve met wonderful people through golf. Rock stars, movie stars, presidents. It’s been an amazing rocket ride. Now I’m enjoying life in Spain and chilling out.”
When you retired in 2012, did you have enough by that point?
I was going through some personal problems with a divorce. I wanted to see my kids growing up.
When I was playing, I never saw them. They suffered during that time. I wasn’t playing well at that point either.
So it was an easy decision. I really enjoyed my time away from golf for eight years.”
What’s it like playing on the Legends Tour?
“It’s great. I’m playing a few rounds of golf with mates I’ve known for 30 years.
It’s very sociable. I just make sure to enjoy it. That’s what my life is about now.
But I’m fully focused on my golf academy in Spain. I take great pride out of teaching kids about the game. I always wanted to give back to golf.”
What do you preach to the kids at your academy?
“That hard work is everything. I’ve always believed that. If you practice nine hours
a day, you should do 10 hours. Push yourself. Resilience too.
In this sport, you will fail more than you win. Tiger and Jack Nicklaus both had win percentages of around 25 percent in their prime.
Mine was two percent and I was considered to have had a good career. So I’m always telling these kids, ‘You’re not going win every week.’ It’s all about how you learn from your mistakes to get better.”
What’s the best thing about living in Spain?
“When I was playing on tour I used to live in Brighton. The cold weather just got to me after a while.
It’s very relaxed here. There’s great food and wine. I’m two minutes from the beach. I don’t know if I’ll ever return to New Zealand.
It’s crossed my mind. My family is there. But I love Spain.”
Many of the game’s historical courses are being stretched with the distance the modern golf ball travels. Where do you stand on the debate?
“It’s evolution. The kids now are stronger and can hit it so far. But it’s taken away the artistry of golf. I was lucky to be involved with three different generations of players in the 90s.
They were phenomenal players. They used their imaginations as the ball moved so much. You had to think much more.
The manufactures have made the game easier to play nowadays. Golfers are more athletes now rather than artists.”
Who was the best player you faced?
“Tiger was definitely the best player I’ve played with. So ruthless. Seve was up there. But they are different players. Seve was more fun to watch.
His crazy recovery shots and the charisma he carried was always entertaining.”
What was your favourite tournament and golf course on tour?
“For me, it was the Opens. I loved playing St Andrews, Muirfield and Troon. The reason I loved playing links golf so much was because I got to use my imagination more.
If you’ve got 140 yards you can hit a wedge or a four iron. I’ve always been a wind player. I loved the challenge of it.”
Where is the DP World Tour heading in relation to the emergence of LIV?
“LIV has caused a rift but it’s healthy for the game. The PGA Tour have bigger pots and so has the DP World Tour.
All the guys on tour in Europe and America must be happy because they are playing for more money.
I don’t get why there’s this big thing about Saudi investment in golf when it’s happening so much in other sports.
Newcastle United, the boxing events, snooker tournaments all have Saudi involvement. The football World Cup will go there in 2030. Why is all the focus on golf?