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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONSNovember 8, 2014Graeme McDowellSHANGHAI, CHINA SARAH GWYNN: Graeme, thank you for joining us this afternoon and well played today. Just talk us through that round today. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, you know, I played reasonably solid today. I thought conditions were a little bit more difficult, colder, obviously a little bit of overnight rain made the golf course play a little bit longer. But, you know, I was generally happy with the way I hit the golf ball. Didn't quite score as well as I did the last couple days but you know, really gave myself some confidence from a ball‑striking point of view that I can get the job done tomorrow. And let's be honest. Yes, I had a three‑shot lead overnight or whatever and it's only one now but I'll take this position any week that you offer it to me, a one‑shot lead going into the last round, on a golf course that I enjoy. Looking forward to the opportunity tomorrow. Q. That nice putt on 10, and Bubba, looked like it was a really huge swing in your favour; did the hole just shrink on you towards the end, or are you disappointed scoring the last eight holes? GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, made that putt on 10, and thought I'd made it on 11. You know, I felt maybe a tiny bit negative coming in. But when I went back and sort of thought through my round, you know, it was difficult. The only shot I'd maybe take back would be my second shot to 14, I just didn't fancy, I had 245 front left edge there. It was a narrow target and I didn't fancy the right miss. It was either bunker or coming back in the water. Front bunker was a tough leave and decided to try and blow it through the fairway and give myself a pitch across the green and I kind of tugged it and got a bad lie there and you know didn't get it up‑and‑down. So, you know, 14 may be the only one I would take back. 17, 17 is just a hard golf hole. It's one of those ones. It was a 3‑hybrid. I wouldn't say I felt loose coming in, but I also knew that it wasn't something I had to start protecting. I tried to just execute a conservative game plan when I could and try and rely on the putter. I hit a lot of good putts today that didn't go in and that's probably the main difference between shooting 1‑under and 3‑ or 4‑under today. I played better today than I did yesterday. I just didn't get the ball in the hole. But like I say, all good. Tougher today, a little tougher. Bubba was awfully impressive today. All day. The mistake he made on 10 was very uncharacteristic and then he missed a short one on 12. But the rest was of his golf was incredible. He was awesome today. Q. You've won some big tournaments in your career, none better than a U.S. Open, but I know you want to stay in the present tomorrow, but what would it mean sitting here tomorrow night with your first WGC title? GRAEME McDOWELL: You know, the WGC events are a special set of events, there's no doubt about that. I think the fact that I used to play this event maybe back before it had WGC status means this event has always felt special to me. Maybe not what the same as Doral and Firestone mean to me because they have always had that sort of status for me. Not taking anything away from this event, I'd love to win a WGC event and I'd love to win here. But I don't feel that kind of pressure and I don't feel that kind of major championship sort of expectation. I'd love to win tomorrow, yes, but it's not going to change my life either way. I view tomorrow as an opportunity, one of many opportunities that I hope I'll have left in my career and all I can do is give it my best shot. If I win, I'll be very happy, and if I don't win, you know, things are going in the right direction for me and I'm very happy with the way I'm playing and giving myself opportunities like this weekend. I guess you could say, I'm fairly relaxed about the opportunity and yes, it's a WGC and of course I'd love to add a few of those to my C.V. Like I say, I don't know what I'm trying to say about this event, the status and what used to be and not. I guess I've always felt comfortable at this event, let's put it that way. That maybe explains it a little bit better. I've always felt very comfortable on this golf course and this golf tournament, and I feel comfortable winning it. Q. What do you know about Hiroshi Iwata at your heels? GRAEME McDOWELL: Nothing. Q. And what have you heard of him before this week? GRAEME McDOWELL: Nothing. I saw him make one golf swing. I never heard of him. It seems that Japan is kind of in a purple patch producing great young players. I saw him make one swing today. Looked like a beautiful golf swing. Looking forward to seeing what it's all about tomorrow, and he seems like a nice kid. But genuinely I've never heard of him. No disrespect meant obviously. Just looking forward to seeing him tomorrow. SARAH GWYNN: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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