You started playing golf at the age of 13. What would be your advice to young players today?
Get good instruction to start and be very regimented in your practice. It's easy to get into bad habits, so you have to be very regimented and pay close attention to what you're doing. I can't overstate that enough.
Everyone knows you're an avid Nottingham Forest supporter. Who is your favourite player?
Andy Reid. He's a midfielder but he's injured at the moment. I like the way he plays. Good passer of the ball, gets into good positions. He's a good reader of the game.
What differences are there between playing in Asia and playing in Europe or the United States?
There's not that much of a difference really. It depends on where you are in Asia. In Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore there's a lot of humidity and it's generally very hot. But it's not so much like that in China. On the course there's very little difference. There's some great courses. Sheshan in Shanghai for instance, is as good as anything we play in the US. It's in perfect condition. Generally, you need to get used to different cultures. One big difference: jet lag!
Favourite golf course?
Pebble Beach. The front nine especially - holes five through 10 are exceptional. Beautiful, of course, but a great test too. Possibly the greatest stretch in the world.
Golf is returning to the Olympic Games in 2016. What are your thoughts on that and is playing in the event a goal of yours?
Yeah, it's a goal of mine to play, I'd like to. I think the Olympics are going to bring golf to a wider audience - attract a lot of people who may not normally watch golf - so it's going to be very good for the game, especially long term. I know federations around the world are putting more money into golf development as a result of the Olympics so it's a very positive.
How do you assess the strength of Asian players at the moment and are there any players in particular that impress you?
There's a lot of good Asian players. [Hideki] Matsuyama, who I've played with quite a bit recently, hits the ball very well. I'm impressed by him. These days, you see a lot more Asian players competing for tournaments a lot more, which didn't happen so much 15 years ago. It's very nice to see. Asian golf is doing very well.
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