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HONG KONG OPENOctober 16, 2014Ernie ElsFANLING, HONG KONG ERNIE ELS: I needed a good one to start off, especially in the afternoon on the first day, it can get a little sideways. I kept it together for the most part. Actually I had quite a few opportunities on the back, so I'm quite pleased with that obviously. Q. Clearly you saw the course in the Pro‑Am but is it difficult playing it in competition? Is it everything you expected? ERNIE ELS: The course played a bit shorter. I played yesterday morning so there was a bit more run in the fairways, which is quite nice. The greens ran beautiful. They have really got the greens on some good supervision, so I'm sure it's going to get quicker through the week. But it was a real pleasure to play it today. Q. So many cases and times where you say, it could have been better, that's the nature of golf but one of the days where you give yourself plenty of chances? ERNIE ELS: Especially on the back nine, I missed three very makeable putts. But I think on the front nine, I made up for it. So I think all in all, you know, if people‑‑ if they had the cameras with us on the front, you'd have thought I was a 7‑handicap. But pulled it together and played much better on the back nine. Q. You have a nice gauge on the history of the event, had a good tour of the clubhouse and facilities? ERNIE ELS: Absolutely. The captain gave me the full treatment this morning. Showed me everything, gave me the history lesson of the whole thing. It's quite something. It's a very unique club with wonderful membership and wonderful champions. I saw the list and it's a Who's Who of golf. But I don't even want to think about that. Let's talk about trying to get a good round tomorrow and take it from there. You know, it really doesn't matter where you are now. You want to have a good round the first day. It's easy to shoot yourself out of it. At first there's quite a lot of pressure and then you take it from there. Each day, it's like a session in cricket. You take the session and do as best as you can, and then it all happens on Sunday afternoon. Q. Are you going to work on your putting this afternoon? ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I think I did miss three very makeable ones on the back nine on 14 and 15 and probably 18, also. So those hurt a little bit but I felt like I hit good putts. It's just I didn't quite read them the correct way but I feel like I'm putting it solidly. On the front nine, I made quite a few as I said. Q. The defending champion, he's a bit sick with food poisoning. Will that boost your confidence to get into‑‑ ERNIE ELS: No, no, no. It's not me against the Spaniard (laughter). You know, I feel for Miguel. I've had that over here. It's not a lot of fun. Food poisoning, playing a tournament where you won four times must be tough. So you've got to feel for him. But, you know, there's a hundred‑‑ not sure how many are in the field, 155 that you've got to try and beat. So there's a lot of great players out here, a lot of good talent. So you've just got to keep going. Q. Are you happy with what you achieved today? ERNIE ELS: Yeah, as I say, could have been probably in the lead, but my uncle and my auntie and my auntie could have been my uncle. So those are things that happen. If you can pull out everything in a round of golf, you'd be probably the first one. You're going to miss some shots. I've got to be pleased with that and I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning where I can hopefully get something going. Q. How about tomorrow? Tomorrow is your birthday. ERNIE ELS: Yeah. That's why I've got an early time so I can celebrate big in the afternoon (laughter). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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