Focusing on Fanling

This year has seen some really low scores in the Majors. Just how good is the current crop of players you’re up against and how strong is the state of the men’s game at the moment?

It is incredibly strong right now. I believe my scores in the four Majors this year were the lowest combined without actually winning one, so that tells you that the guys I’m playing against are at the top of their games and they’re setting new records. I played against Jordan Spieth in the Masters who shot 18-under-par, which was the record shot by Tiger Woods in 1997. We often thought would never be replicated but here was Jordan at 21 doing the same thing. Then there was Jason Day shooting 20-under-par at a Major, which again was a record total. So, basically a couple of my good weeks in Majors have come up against record scores. That really tells me that with Majors going forward I’m going to have to be at the top of my game. There is some great talent coming through now and I think that we are in the start of a new era of golf.

When did Jordan Spieth first come to your notice and are you surprised how quickly he has won two Majors and gotten to number one?

Jordan obviously won as a teenager on the PGA Tour and he had great pedigree from the very first time he turned pro and has had a successful career. He made turning pro very easy which is contrast to my own start as a pro. I am also impressed at how he handled himself as he is very mature. But the thing I admire most about Jordan is that every time he plays a bad round the very next day he is back with a strong round and that tells me a lot about him as a person and his character. That is the most impressive thing I‘ve seen.