“I’ve heard the Ryder Cup is such fun and I want to be a part of it”
Harris English ended a seven-year PGA Tour drought by winning the Tournament of Champions in a play-off against Joaquin Niemann
Can you talk us through your emotions after the win?
It felt amazing – all the hard work that has gone into this, all the highs and lows that golf brings over a career. I feel like I’ve got out of my valley and I’m getting back to the quality of golf that I know I can play.
Did you feel much pressure knowing you had to birdie 18 to force the play-off?
I love being in those situations. Even when I was a kid, I loved having the ball when the clock’s running out in basketball. I hadn’t had that feeling in a long time. I had it a little bit at the QBE Shootout, playing with Kuchar, even though it was a much smaller scale. You’re still feeling nervous and you still have to hit some quality golf shots down the stretch.
What was your lowest point over the last seven years?
I’d say the most disappointed I got was playing the Korn Ferry finals up at Victoria National, and I had it in my hands to get my card back. I don’t know what happened on the last three or four holes. I just didn’t do it, and that was very shocking to me. So that was tough.
How tough did it get and how did you get out of that slump?
One bad shot would unravel me, because you get to a point where you’re trying to get over the hump, you’re trying to get on the other side of your lull and one bad shot is like, ‘here we go again, I’m back in the same spot, I’m not getting any better’. It’s really tough to get out of it. It takes a while. It’s a slow process of building up your confidence at home, playing with your buddies, playing money games and then putting it in play on the PGA Tour. And once you start stacking up rounds, stacking up pressurepacked shots, I think the confidence comes quickly.
What were your goals going into this year and how does this win change them?
My goal this year is to play on the Ryder Cup team. Steve Stricker is one of my favourite people out here on tour and I feel like that’s something I haven’t done yet. I loved playing college golf; I love playing with a team like that. I’ve been out here for ten years and that’s the pinnacle of our sport, playing for your country in either the Presidents Cup or the Ryder Cup. I would love to play for Strick, just to have a different experience. You play against these guys on tour every year, but I’ve heard the Ryder Cup is such a fun experience and I want to be a part of it.
Of the four Majors this year, which do you think your game’s most suited to? I really love the US Open. I love that style of golf. I thought I had a chance to win last year, until Bryson ran away with it [he finished 4th at Winged Foot]. I feel like those types of set-ups really help me out. Shooting 25-under is not normal for me. I love playing hard where a couple under is a good round.