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DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN HOSTED BY THE RORY FOUNDATIONMay 30, 2015Graeme McDowellNEWCASTLE, NORTHERN IRELAND GRAEME McDOWELL: Good result. Didn't play very well to be honest with you. I felt much better on the greens today. Made a little adjustment in my setup on the greens. Felt more solid but didn't make anything. Nice to shoot a couple under. I kind got off to a slow start. It was kind of‑‑ felt like it was there for the taking early on, but this golf course is still very difficult, very hard to get balls close to flags, and tough to hole putts. But you know, fun to, like I say, shoot a couple under, hang in there and a low one tomorrow and shoot myself up the board hopefully. Q. How much more scorable is it out there today? GRAEME McDOWELL: Early on it was. I think the wind was light and sort of more out of the northwest and it actually switched a little bit, sort of late on and was coming a little bit more out of the south and it got colder, as well. I felt the first seven, eight holes were very playable. Got tough as the day went on. 16, 17 and 18, probably three toughest pins on the course and 16 with that up tee, and 18 is playing very difficult today. It's a mixed bag. There was some opportunities and there were some tough holes. Q. How high can you finish here tomorrow? GRAEME McDOWELL: Sort of in the top 40 there today. I think with the weather forecast tomorrow, I mean, anything can happen, really. Sort of 3‑, 4‑, 5‑under par can really make a huge dent in the leaderboard here. We'll see. Really depends what happens this afternoon. I've did my bit now. Got to go to the range and do some work and get the golf swing back in tune and get out there tomorrow. Look forward to it. Q. In terms of you're saying it's difficult to hole putts, is it difficult to get close, or you finding it hard to read the greens? GRAEME McDOWELL: It's a bit of both really. Because links golf, it's always tough. You can't attack flags. You are always trying to thread and release balls back to the pin positions. The greens are very flat here and very subtle, very tough to read, and I think that's probably why you're seeing a lack of putts going in. The surfaces are not bad at all. They were much better this morning even, and just tough to hole putts. Tough to get it close and tough to hole putts, and therefore, tough to score. I don't really think you'll be seeing any 65s or 66s this afternoon. Tough course. Q. Just in general, you're playing a lot better this week than you have, perhaps over the past few months, was that evident today? GRAEME McDOWELL: Today was probably the worst I've played all week to be honest with you. I think coming into the week, the game was in really nice shape technically. I think when you get on a golf course like this, you're manufacturing shots all the time, and I feel like I've reverted back to my bad habits. When I do play these type of conditions, you're trying to flight the ball low all the time. You're never really hitting tock shots really. I feel like the technique has sort of disintegrated as the week goes on. I'll get back to the range this afternoon and get my drills back which I know were really working for me and try to get back out and hit some good shots tomorrow. Like I say, tough in these conditions to keep hitting good shots because you really are using a lot of creativity and a lot of manufacture. Q. But you're scoring, 69 is a good score if you're not hitting it well so that opens up the possibility of scoring well when you do start striking it well? GRAEME McDOWELL: I felt like I left several shots out there today. But, at the same time, hung in there well, pace putted well, at times, and like I say, felt much more solid on the greens, made a slight adjustment to my setup this morning and felt like I was standing a little too close to it which was making me a little unstable. I felt more solid today. Holed out better today which was the key to my score really. From that six feet range, I was more solid today. Q. It's been an extremely interesting week for The Irish Open. How have you enjoyed this, conditions being what they have been? GRAEME McDOWELL: I've really enjoyed it. I have to say, Royal County Down has done a great job here, and the work Rory has done just elevating this tournament; the Guinness has tasted good, family here. Everything's been really a lot of fun this week and obviously I'd loved to have played a little better and shoot a low one tomorrow and go out in a little style hopefully. Q. Your best round of the week so far but I gather you're not overly happy? GRAEME McDOWELL: It wasn't the best I played this week but it's certainly the best I've scored. Big key today was just holing out better from close range. I made a slight adjustment to my putting setup before I played this morning and I felt more solid on the greens. I didn't quite hole the number of putts that I expect to hole but room for improvement. I feel like I've hit the ball worse and worse as the week's gone on just because of the manufacturing‑type style of this golf course. You really don't get to hit a lot of full shots. You're always trying to chase balls back to flags and flight it around. So I'll get back to the range this afternoon and get back to the drills that have been working really well lately and come out and shoot a low one tomorrow it. The weather looks a little dodge tomorrow. Q. How different is Royal County Downwhen the wind doesn't blow the way it has been blowing the last two days? GRAEME McDOWELL: I think classic links golf courses are all about the wind direction and wind strength. The golf course felt fairly playable the first nine holes and the wind switched and got a little colder on the back nine. It was tough again, pin positions were a little trickier coming in, as well. Links golf courses is all about the wind. I've really been impressed by Royal County Down this week. I have to say, it's a real tough test of golf. I think guys, the course really grows on you, once you get the hang of the blind shots here, the condition has been really good and just a tough test. Q. Do you feel there's a possibility for somebody to go really low today? GRAEME McDOWELL: I did early on this morning. My playing partner was 3‑under after two holes and 4‑under after four this morning. You can really get off to a fast start but the back nine's tough. So no, I saw low ones early but I don't see low ones anymore. Q. Sum up that round for us today. GRAEME McDOWELL: A bit up‑and‑down, not really my best tee‑to‑green performance of the week. I was a bit more solid on the greens today. Made a little bit of an adjustment to my setup on the greens and felt more solid, holed out well. Still didn't hole much but those five, 6‑, 7‑footers that keep you in the round, I holed those today and I haven't been holing them this week. Conditions were fairly benign early on and they got a little trickier as the day went on. Obviously I would love to be out there playing with the leaders this afternoon and in the trickier conditions, but you know, 2‑under par, I'll take it. I've got to take it. Not going to give me anything else, unfortunately, and try to go out and shoot a low one tomorrow. Q. Realistically, where do you think you can finish tomorrow? GRAEME McDOWELL: Depends on the weather this afternoon and what the weather is going to be like tomorrow. Obviously we talk a lot about the weather in this part of the world but on a golf course like this, it plays a massive role in how the golf course plays and the type of scoring, and we'll see. Just looking forward to getting on to the range this afternoon and continuing to work on my drills and get out there tomorrow morning and see what we can do. Q. You said early in the week about some distractions, just obviously family, things that have been going on, and you feel like you are really turning that corner; do you feel that, after three days here this week? GRAEME McDOWELL: Very much. So I've really enjoyed my week here. The support we've had from the fans, just the quality of the golf course here at Royal County Down, just a tournament at the next level from what Rory's done. Just everything, hospitality's been fun and I've really enjoyed it. I feel like I'm in a good place mentally and getting there technically. Stacks of golf to play this summer and we'll get a few good results on the board soon here hopefully. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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