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ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT SCOTTISH OPENJuly 13, 2014Justin RoseABERDEEN, SCOTLAND SARAH GWYNN: Congratulations on backing the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Champion. Just sum up how you're feeling right now. JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, it's unbelievable, really, to sort of be back in the winner's circle so quickly. I'm delighted to have won over here on The European Tour and delighted to have won a tournament of this sort of magnitude over here. It's unbelievable, my first win in Scotland as a pro, and a lot of firsts for me really today. First time I think I've won two tournaments in a row. Yeah, a lot to be really pleased with to be honest. SARAH GWYNN: You looked absolutely calm out there. Was that the case or were you on the inside a bit nervous? JUSTIN ROSE: I was pretty calm because I got off to a good start and build a little bit of a lead and played solidly, so I was never really in a lot of trouble. But the back nine, towards the end, I felt like because I had a lead, I wanted to close it out relatively easily, and I guess I holed‑‑ the bunker shot on 14 was really good to keep the momentum up there. Then 15, I hit it through the back of the green and had a slippery little 5‑foot putt which I made, keeping me three ahead which was obviously a nice comfortable spot to be. Walking down 16, I missed the green way to the right and in links golf, you never want to miss it downwind and I had to go over a bunker. I was in a really bad spot there. I looked up at the leaderboard expecting to see myself three ahead and I was only two ahead. So really 16 was a moment where I was tested. That up‑and‑down there was the best up‑and‑down I've had all week, and just to keep myself two ahead was very, very important. You want to play the last hole two ahead; that way you can always have that bit of wiggle room. Q. Something you mentioned in the presentation ceremony, unchartered territory to win two in a row. What about three in a row? What are your thoughts for next week? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I think right now, I'm feeling great. I think that I don't feel like these wins have taken a lot of me the last couple of weeks. I feel that I've taken it in my stride and I feel like I haven't really taken my eye off the ball so to speak. Because The Open is going to come around so quickly, tonight will be relatively calm and relaxed. I'll obviously enjoy the moment, because as a pro‑‑ well, as a golf pro, two‑win season is a great season so obviously any time you do win you want to soak it in and enjoy it. My mind will definitely be, as of tomorrow, back in the game. Q. Can you just elaborate on winning in Scotland and maybe sum up is that something that you have checked off on your C.V.? JUSTIN ROSE: I've always enjoyed playing golf up here. Obviously you guys invented the game up here, and knowledge of the game is second to none. It's been a really good crowd to play in front of. I've had some good weeks in Scotland. I feel like as an amateur, I won the St. Andrews Links Trophy, which was probably one much my biggest wins as an amateur. I finished second at Dunhill Links. So it's nice to now have that little monkey off my back; not that it was really one that was playing on my mind too much, but I think winning up here is pretty special. Q. Do you relish going the state of your career going into a major as one of the favourites? JUSTIN ROSE: I think so ‑‑ well, 2010, I think you could argue I came into The Open Championship with as much form. I had won, had a big summer and won a couple PGA TOUR events and what‑have‑you, so that would be the comparable season. But at the same time, I feel more, I was just beginning to play well in to 10. Obviously I've been playing well now for probably four or five years so a lot more comfortable with the expectations maybe this time around. I think that I feel like if I just turn up and compete well, mentally stay sharp and turn up with most of my game, it should be a good week. So I think in the past, I've always been looking for something extra the week of the majors to try and get myself in contention, always looking for the next level. I think right now I'm not chasing the next level; I beginning to trust my game. Q. Do you think that affected your chance of winning‑‑ JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I'll probably did at some point‑‑ on Wednesday, there was no way I was going to win the tournament‑‑ playing in the Pro‑Am, I think I lost about seven balls in the Pro‑Am. Luckily I saved it for that day. Didn't get off to a particularly good start on Thursday. I was a couple over through nine. Just really every day, I got a bit better this week and I guess that's why I played this tournament. Sometimes it takes a few rounds to get into your rhythm, and I really think having a scorecard in my hand this week really helped my preparation and really helped my game get better. I could have been on the range for four days and probably not got to the level with my game that I'm at now because of playing a tournament, playing under a little bit of pressure, and I think making adjustments that you need to in terms of hitting numbers. Every shot, you're making three or four calculations for wind, for how much the ball is going to roll, where you want to bounce it. So every time you make a calculation, you begin to develop your feel and how much the wind is affecting the ball and how much the bounce is and how much to allow for the bounce. I think when you play a practise round, you're not paying that much attention to all those factors. So I think basically what I'm saying is, yeah, the four rounds of having a card in my hand has really, really helped progress my game this week. Q. I heard somewhere that you had some Scottish family connections; and if that is indeed the case, does that make this victory even more special? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, my grandpa was born in Scotland; Donald White was his name. No doubt he'd be proud of me, as my late grandpa passed away a few years ago. Absolutely, I know that there was definitely a one‑for‑the‑home‑crowd; so that might soften the blow a little bit that there's a little bit of Scottish ancestry there. Q. Any words encouragement for Marc, coming up short the last couple years here? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, he's playing really, really well. He's swinging it well. Obviously he's got himself to The Open Championship off the back of today. There can only be one winner. There are always a lot of guys who are disappointed but he hung in there well. He had a very flat front nine but he stayed patient. You know, he looked like his game is really in good shape. Obviously he's not going to have a chance to win The Scottish Open for a whole ‘nother year, but if he keeps playing well, I see him putting himself in contention a few times for the rest of the summer. Q. How satisfying is it to win at Congressional on that kind of golf course, and then to come over here and win on this kind of golf course? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, we played this course at about 6,700, 6,800 I think. It was pretty short, and Congressional is the complete opposite to that. I had not really thought about it but it's nice that my game can travel that well and adjust that quickly on two completely different golf courses. You know, I have been known to win some nice tournaments on some nice courses and I think winning at Royal Aberdeen fits into that profile. I always said that I feel like I have an all‑around game. It's just a matter of me putting it together on the one week. I mean, I can putt well; I can pitch well; I can hit my irons well; I can chip well, and I can drive it well. Obviously in this game, it's very hard to get all those things lining up at one time. And I think for me the last couple of weeks, my putting has really been the part of my game that's supported the rest. So that's what's made the difference and that's what's made it more of an all‑around game that's helped me win on these types of courses. Q. It's been announced that this event is going to Gullane next year. Will you defend there and what are your thoughts on that move? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, absolutely. I played the British Amateur at Gullane and Muirfield. I think one qualifying round on each. Again, my memory is a bit like here, a little bit vague, I played the Jacques Leglise Trophy here I think in'97. Similar to Gullane next year: I've been there; I know it; it's a great area for golf obviously, and I look forward to coming back. This has been a very successful week for me. Q. Would you like to see The Scottish Open come back to this venue, because it's been a great success, hasn't it? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, absolutely. I think with the sponsors, too, Aberdeen Asset Management, it feels like a great home for the tournament, too. You guys have so many great courses up here, it's nice to float it around a little bit, going to Gullane for a little bit and then back to Castle Stuart, and then we don't know from there. Yeah, it would be great to come back here for sure. SARAH GWYNN: Congratulations again. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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