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DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN HOSTED BY THE RORY FOUNDATIONMay 28, 2015Graeme McDowellNEWCASTLE, NORTHERN IRELAND Q. Disappointing finish for you, three bogeys in a row. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah. Disappointing finish, but very, very tough conditions out there today. You know, I hung in there well with the pace putting all day long, and it let me down a bit coming in, but all in all one over par is not a bad return out there. I mean some tough conditions, some really tough holes coming in. I think 7, 8 and 9 are probably three of the trickiest holes on the course, and of course, yeah, disappointed to finish with three bogeys, but all in all I was generally happy with the way I hit the ball and the way I hung tough. And you know, it's going to be a long weekend if these weather conditions keep up. Q. At one stage you were tied for the lead as well, so encouraging things out there today as well. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, definitely. No point in being sad for leading Thursday. I need to be sad for leading coming into the weekend. Like I said, encouraging stuff, hit some really good shots, hit some average ones. I mean it was very difficult out there today, and no. 7 here at Royal County Down, I'm not sure I've played a tougher par‑3 than that at 140 yards or whatever it is. It's very, very difficult. And you know, it's reflected in the scoring. There are some red numbers, but there's a lot of blue numbers, and I'm happy to be in around par and look forward to getting back at it tomorrow. Q. Rory, 9‑over going on to the last hole. Things not going right for him. You have to feel for him, him hosting the tournament here today? GRAEME McDOWELL: Of course I do. Huge responsibility that he's taken on this week, and he's really taken the Irish Open to the next level this year. So I'm sure he'll be very disappointed with his performance today. Again, very tricky out there, and you get on the wrong side of this golf course and it will beat you up. So I'm sure he's disappointed, but being the No. 1 player in the world he can come out tomorrow and I'm sure give the fans something to cheer for and see if he can get himself back above the cut line tomorrow. Q. Rather disappointing finish, but overall you reasonably happy? GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah. Reasonably. I'm never happy to finish with three bogeys. It never makes lunch taste all that good, but the thing that was sharp all day was my pace putting and the thing that let me down at the end today was my pace putting. And you know, I think all‑‑ sort of when you balance it all out, I think anything around level par would have been decent today, and you know, I'll take 1‑over. I hit some good shots, hit some average ones. Very tricky finish, though. I think 7, 8 and 9 are about as tough as it gets on this golf course today, especially with the wind strengthening, some showers rolling through, it was pretty tough at times out there. Q. But nice to see yourself with a joint share of the lead out there at one point, couple of nice birdies on your first day. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, absolutely. It was nice to, you know, to birdie 17, 18 and 1 as I made the turn there. You know, I hit some nice shots, got the ball in the fairway, and it was just tricky coming in there. But no. 7, 145 yards of sheer terror. Interested to see the scoring average on that hole later. As a group we made two 4s and a five and I said there would be a ton of 4s on others there. So very difficult. And 8, that rain shower rolled through as I was on the eighth tee, made that tee shot difficult. The putt was super fast on 8. Just disappointed not to get it up‑and‑down on the last. But you know what, all in all happy enough, get back at it tomorrow. This is going to be a really long weekend if these weather conditions continue because this golf course is a beast. Q. Yeah, solid start for you on a day when others are really struggling, including the tournament host is having a very disappointing day. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah. I'm disappointed for Rory, you know, big responsibility this week taking this event to the next level like he's done. You know, I'm sure he's going to be disappointed as much as anyone. He'll come back out tomorrow like the world's No. 1 does and battle as hard as he can. I think it speaks volumes the way this golf course is today. You know, I think it wasn't there for the winning today. It was only there for blowing yourself out of this tournament. You know, just to hang tough was what it was all about today, and happy I did that. And there are some big numbers out there. Q. Looks like you're playing well again, notwithstanding the three bogeys to finish. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, yeah. I was happy enough with some of the shots I hit there. It was very difficult today. This westerly wind just plays across you all day.  It doesn't really give you much ever. You're having to shape shots. You're having to keep the ball in the fairway. It was nice to birdie 17, 18 and 1 as I made the turn, get myself back in it. I had a few chances. You know, my pace putting, I hung in there really well on my pace putting all day, and that was the thing that kind of let me down coming in, you know, left it short on 7 and rolled it past on 8 and it was a tough up‑and‑down on 9, but all in all, like I say, just trying to hang around. I think you're just going to have to try and hang around the next couple of days and give yourself a shot come Sunday because the weather is going to play a massive part in it. Q. (Indiscernible)... the combination of the weather and the golf course which is exceptionally tough. We know it's an exceptional course. 72 holes. Is that what you're thinking? GRAEME McDOWELL: For sure. There's no point walking off the last green and throwing the toys out of the prom. There's a lot to do this weekend. There's a lot of golf to be played. There's going to be bogeys made. You just gotta make sure you're the one making the least mistakes as possible and making the most birdies as possible. I feel generally pretty comfortable on this golf course. There's a few holes that give me the heebie‑jeebies. No. 7 there today is pretty tough, and that eighth hole, the second shot on the 8th is particularly difficult as well, but I do feel quite comfortable on a lot of the holes here and just gotta keep executing game plans and shape my shots better tomorrow than I did today and just keep hanging in there. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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