“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 walksout 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 upat 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 ofthe 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.”
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