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OMEGA DUBAI LADIES MASTERS

December 10, 2015

Laura Davies

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Q. Thoughts on the round?
LAURA DAVIES: It was good. Probably a better round today than it was yesterday because of the wind. It was really tricky. Hit a lot of long irons into the par 4 because a lot of the longer holes were into the wind today; whereas, we were sort of downwind yesterday. No, very pleased, 31 putts, pretty good, happy.

Q. Bogey on 17, was there a bit of frustration on that tee box? You cut out the dogleg and went straight at it. Was there some frustration there?
LAURA DAVIES: Well, I always play it that way. It's the easiest way. If you don't quite carry into the rough you have an easy lay up out left of the grandstand and takes the water out of play. But I nailed it, so I had 5-iron left in. Just pulled it a bit, but with that wind and the water, it's better safe than sorry I think, on the second round, anyway.

Q. Two shots behind Shanshan heading into the weekend. Do you feel confident in your game?
LAURA DAVIES: Well, yeah, I've been saying all along, I've been hitting it well tee-to-green and the difference this week is 27 putts and 31 putts. I've been 34, 35, 36, 37 even in some rounds, and you can't compete competing like that.

But if I keep putting like I have done for the next two days, I'll have a chance. All depends on Shanshan. She loves this course. She could easily go and have another ten and shoot 20. That would be hard work.

Q. Why are you putting so well?
LAURA DAVIES: Changed it a bit. I've gone cross-handed, left-hand-low, started that probably five tournaments ago and it's just starting to click in.

The bad putt on 17 was a shame. I just sometimes overdo it and I knocked it 12, 15 feet past but it was a long putt, but even so, that was a bit wild. Other than that, putted pretty well.

Q. How is your ankle?
LAURA DAVIES: I went to see the doctor, the physio-type doctor in town yesterday, and she said it's a torn tendon. So I've got to look after it over the next five weeks; I have five weeks off. She said she could inject it, and I said thank you, but no thank you. It's a lot of stretching and find a good physio back in London to try to get it ready for Australia next year.

Q. How does that affect you on the swing?
LAURA DAVIES: I don't think I'm at full power, especially with the driver. Doesn't really matter. We can take half a club more. But I'm not quite hitting it as long as I normally do, and I think it's that I can't load up and really get through it because I can feel it a little bit, but maybe that's helping me hit more fairways. Swings in roundabouts, really.

Q. What's your mind-set going into the weekend? Shanshan, as you said, is an expert around here. How do you approach that?
LAURA DAVIES: I just have to keep doing what I'm doing. In my mind at the start of the week, I thought four 68s would be really good. It might not be good enough but I would love to shoot two more 68s and see what happens.

Q. Do you love having a target, someone to go at over the next couple of days?
LAURA DAVIES: Depends who the target is. Unfortunately it's Shanshan, and like you said she's a course specialist, and she shoots millions under par every day.

I've had courses like that over my career where you just love it and once you tee it up, you know you're going to shoot under par. She's still got to do that but you'd have to say, you probably think she is going to do it.

But it's nice for me and a few of the others that are close enough, if we can go low on the weekend, we can catch her, and if not catch her, put pressure on her and upset her a little bit. It's hard to upset Shanshan. She just cruises.

Q. Have you played with her?
LAURA DAVIES: A fair bit over the years. She's been on Tour a good while now, so yeah, we've been paired a few times. She's so easygoing and lovely. You can't try and be mean to her because she's too nice. You just have to take what she shoots at you and see if you can beat it by one.

Q. You said in the press conference before this week that you admitted it has been awhile. I know you're vastly experienced, but is there any nerves because it's been awhile?
LAURA DAVIES: Absolutely. I think it's like starting all over again. I was nervous on the first tee because I thought, now you've had a good start and don't blow it. And I nailed one down the middle which is a good thing. I started really strong. Tomorrow will probably be the same.

But it's different now because I've backed up a good round, which has been something I haven't been doing. And if I keep playing like I'm playing, then the nerves will gradually go away. And it comes down to the last four holes Saturday evening, obviously you'll be nervous, but you have to be in position to put yourself in that place.

Q. You're within touching distance, two off the lead.
LAURA DAVIES: Absolutely. I think today was tough, really windy, a lot of crosswinds and unfortunately for us a lot of the longer holes were into the wind so they were playing super long. Yeah, I'm very happy. One bogey, five birdies, same as yesterday.

Q. 18 was a crucial hole in many ways.
LAURA DAVIES: It's my favourite hole in golf probably because I can smash it over the trees, hope I carry the trees, I did today. Had a 5-iron left in. I hit a good shot actually. It's just so windy, I was pin-high left good, chip and nice to hole that putt to get that 3-putt back from 17.

Q. Putter working nicely?
LAURA DAVIES: Very good, 31 today, so that's huge. If I can do that all the time, I would be laughing. 27 yesterday was exceptional but 31 today is what I'm looking for.

Q. How is the ankle?
LAURA DAVIES: Apparently it's a torn tendon, just under an inch tendon under my foot up to the ankle. It hurts, but what are you going to do? I've had it for three months now but didn't realise it's quite as bad as it is.

Q. Does it focus the mind? Can you get rid of it when you hit the shot? How is it mentally when you hit the shot?
LAURA DAVIES: It's only with the driver. The irons, it doesn't matter. Sometimes with a 2-iron, if I'm trying to hit a 2-iron I still have to load up on that left side but it's just the driver. I'm not 100 percent hitting it with the driver, but like I say, maybe that's a good thing because I'm driving it quite straight and perhaps not lashing it as I hopefully will do again when this is fixed.

Q. What is your New Year's resolution for this year?
LAURA DAVIES: I don't know, win golf tournaments. I haven't won one for awhile.

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