An interview with US Open Champion Angel Cabrera

The U.S Open Champion speaks on why he doesn't have a coach, how he's not phased by Torrey Pines for his defense come June and why we won't be seeing him puffing cigarettes on course again.

Do you still get goosebumps when you're introduced as the U.S. Open champion?

Well, it's great satisfaction to be called that, a U.S. Open champion. This is something that is always going to be like this; I'm going to remember it all my life. They often announce me as that at tournaments on the first tee. They just call me the U.S. Open champion and I feel a lot of pride being called that.

Can you talk about the huge reception you received when you returned home to Argentina last year?

Well, it was great. Everybody from my hometown was there waiting for me. It was really very emotional for me, seeing all those people gathered just for my reception. It was very nice.

Are you treated differently in Cordoba now than you would have been before you were U.S. Open champion?

Well, I'm the same guy. You know, everybody treats me pretty much the same, friends and everybody. I'm just the same guy with a big title on it. But as I said before, I take a lot of pride from that, and I know people recognize it.

You're a self taught golfer. Can you talk about what swing you modelled when you were a child?

The person that I watched the most when I went to Europe for the first time was Seve Ballesteros. I watched him a lot, and he was like an idol to me. I was always trying to play with him and get to watch him, and I admired him a lot. Did you have someone when you were a kid? How did you learn? Did you look at books? Did you watch the people you were caddying for when they played?

I learned watching while I was caddying, and whenever I had a chance I took a club out of the bag and started making swings. All the time I had a club in my hand.

Do you have someone you go to now? Because you are self taught, how do you get yourself back on track when you have a problem?

My swing, I work it on my own, and I don't have anybody to teach me. I like working on my own on my swing and just hitting balls and trying to feel comfortable. On my putting I'm working with Charlie Epps, so he's been helping me with the putter lately.

Does it make it doubly nice, the fact that you won the U.S. Open, but the fact that you were able to hold off Tiger?

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This interview was published in Chip and Spin courtesy of www.usopen.com.