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SALTIRE ENERGY PAUL LAWRIE MATCH PLAY

August 1, 2015

Marc Warren

Aberdeen, Scotland

Q. I take it you have a sense of drama. Talk us through that extra hole?
MARC WARREN: Yeah, to be fair it was one of most bizarre matches I've ever been involved in. Started the day, two poor tee shots from both of us, me first in the bunker and then he hit in the bunker right. Both chipped out and he holed it from about 100 yards for three. So that was the start to the day.

Hit two other chips in after that, one into 18 to go to extra holes and I guess it was just my turn at the 19th to hole out. Good tee shot and holed it from 59 yards. Yeah, I don't really know what to say. It was just really bizarre from start to finish.

Q. What did you say to him at the end?
MARC WARREN: We were both laughing. He just said -- I guess it's your turn. But like I say, it's just one of those matches that had a little bit of everything. It had some good golf and it had some terrible golf, pulled shots, lost balls. It had a little bit of everything. I think it was only fitting that it finished with a shot like that.

Q. Presumably resilience, as well, thrown into awkward weather conditions and getting the job done gritting your teeth?
MARC WARREN: The back nine was brutal. The wind was up all afternoon and the rain, as well, made it doubly difficult. I felt as if -- probably say I played pretty solid more than anything else. Didn't give myself great chances but making a lot of pars and also that's quite important in conditions like this. It was a grind this afternoon. It was a long day. Glad I don't have to walk another 59 yards.

Q. How are you physically? Did you have any treatment out there?
MARC WARREN: Yes, just a niggling down the side of my shoulder blade, muscle spasm all week. Nothing too serious that would prevent me from playing. Just feel it now and again during my swing. Felt it this morning. I was in two minds whether to go get physio at lunchtime. Decided not to. But I think 45, 50 minutes of doing not a lot, I think it just kind of tightened up. I could feel it the first half a dozen holes it was getting a little bit tighter.

Called in the physio and thankfully came out. There was a lot of cracking going on. He said it was a blockage. Kind of got me back on the mend and took a painkiller on the 7th and from the back nine really, it was pretty pain-free. Nice to play without thinking about that.

Q. Assure us you'll be okay for two matches tomorrow.
MARC WARREN: Hopefully. I will sleep dead straight tomorrow and not get into any strange positions. Go back to the room and try to stretch, massage in the morning to make sure it's loose. It's tough enough in these conditions and also playing against quality players, as well. You don't want to be worrying about anything physically, as well.

Q. Do you feel the onus on you as the last remaining Scot?
MARC WARREN: No, not really. I didn't know that until you just told me. No, not really. I think that it's just great to be in the position I'm in. I think I'm playing Aphibarnrat tomorrow who is a quality player. Should be hopefully another fun, exciting game.

Q. Were you sharing painkillers at one point?
MARC WARREN: I said to him on 4 -- I was messing about and I noticed on the second tee, trying to hit driver, I felt it and then it was just kind of getting tighter after that. I don't know if I tweaked something just a little bit. From then I was getting a little bit tighter. Then the fifth, iron shot there was poor. It was a poor shot anyway. I don't think it was a great swing but maybe that had something to do with it hurting a little bit more.

Decided to call in the physio and kind of worked his magic up at the green. Barely laid his hands on me and my back started cracking already.

Q. It was a very short treatment.
MARC WARREN: I was hoping for a bit of massage. I thought it was going to be a bit of deep tissue and kind of work on it. Just instantly he said there was a blockage, thoracic spine it's called. Quite tight, because I'm quite flexible at that point, the muscles tend to tighten up to save your back a little bit. I've had that probably since I was late teens.

It always cracks -- my back cracks, one point when I stretch, anything there always cracks but not quite as much as that. That was a lot. Must be four or five cracks, and instantly felt as if I was a little bit freer. Pain still there obviously but felt freer to move.

Totally fine now. It hurt a little bit once I seen his chip go into 18.

Q. Are your thoughts expressible in a national newspaper? What were you thinking?
MARC WARREN: I think I was still thinking about my tee shot to be honest. I thought -- I was trying to hit it on -- kind of looked at the bunker, saw it was only 245 to carry it. Just shows you how well I struck the tee shot and ended up in it.

But that was kind of the line to hit it there and fade it off. I moved left-to-right and then I knew the flag was front right. I would have taken left rough all day, especially after he had hit it right. I thought he wouldn't have much of a line in. But that was a great three in to be honest. Like I said, it was a bizarre round of golf, so I wasn't surprised.

Q. You've come out the right way this time.
MARC WARREN: Exactly, obviously kind of being on the other side of that where you've been up and you maybe lose a couple holes or someone holes a putt or hits a good shot, you come out the kind of wrong end of that. But you've got to expect that.

I think the old adage, you've got to expect your opponent to hole it. I think it was none truer than at this level. Everyone is so good and such a standard that any time they miss a green or around the greens, they are looking to hole. That's the way it is. I think to get past any opponent this week, you're going to have to, more often than not you have to play really well.

Try not to think about it too much but there was absolutely no pressure on me. The first round match was a perfect example where Richard Bland would have beaten anybody else in the field. Unfortunately for him, he's going home Thursday night. But that's the way it could have been. It could have been the opposite. It could have been me on the receiving end of that. We all know that's the way match play is, so it wasn't as if we go in and say, Top-10 or whatever this week. As far as expectations, I would say there was very little -- wasn't putting any pressure on myself. But obviously it was a nice goal to have and if you achieve it, then great.

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