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OLYMPIC GAMES RIO 2016: GOLF

August 13, 2016

Marcus Fraser

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Q. 1‑over for today, you held it together well and scrapped well on different holes. How do you feel it all went?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, exactly right. I felt a little bit scrappy out there. In these conditions, probably going to be that way. But I felt like the wind direction didn't really suit me to be honest. It made some of those holes pretty long and couldn't even reach some of the par 4s.
But I didn't play well and I was a little bit off. When you're a little bit off in these conditions on this golf course, it feels like you're a long way off. But I'm pretty happy that I sort of stuck in there and managed to make plenty of par saves and gave myself a chance tomorrow.

Q. Not a long way off on the leaderboard, last grouping with Stenson and Rose, how does that feel?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, for sure, those two guys there, they are great guys. I've known them for a long time. But at the same time, they have got world‑class games that I only dream of having. I did a good job today of playing my own game and sort of not thinking about what Thomas and Henrik were doing; they hit it miles past me. Really needed to get caught up in what I was doing today, and I felt like I did a good job of that.

Q. In terms of tomorrow and the strategy, how aggressive do you have to get or can you get, and obviously when you're trying to win a medal?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, I feel like it's the game plan all week to go and play the golf course, and that's probably exactly what I'll do tomorrow. It probably won't change a hell of a lot. I feel like I'm a fairly aggressive player anyway. I'll continue to do that. If it comes off, it comes off. If it doesn't, it doesn't. You've just got to walk away knowing that you've given it everything you can and hopefully that's good enough at the end of the day.

Q. Do you think you'll sleep well tonight?
MARCUS FRASER: It's hard to avoid. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would come to the Olympics and compete, and now all of a sudden I have a chance of winning a medal. It feels like I'm going to wake up from this dream at some point. This is why we practice and we want to be in these situations and see what we've got.
Hopefully tomorrow I can go out there and play a bit better than I did today and continue to scramble when I need to and shoot a good score.

Q. Slightly different crowd out there, as well. The first hole, that was pretty tense, that hole.
MARCUS FRASER: Absolutely. The crowds have been great. I've been really blown away with how many people have come out to watch. You know, it's great for the game of golf being back in the Olympics, but I think it's great for golf in Brazil and for Brazil to have another sport to follow.
It's pretty exciting. Those crowds, I think they surprised everybody this week, that's for sure.

Q. Finchie (Ian Baker-Finch) reckons that if you play your best game tomorrow, you'll win. Do you feel that?
MARCUS FRASER: I feel that. At the same time, I probably need those guys to be a little bit off to be able to do that. Their best is a lot better than my best, and I'm not hiding away from that. If I go out there and do a good job with my game and the way I play, I think I definitely have a chance, that's for sure.

Q. Do you think conditions will play into your hands?
MARCUS FRASER: I'm still quite happy for it to be pretty windy, if it turns around and blows the way it did the first two days.
The wind direction just didn't really suit me at all today. I felt like it made too many par 4s really long. And there was one par 4, I hit driver, driver, and another I hit driver, 3‑wood. I can't compete with those boys when I'm hitting those kind of clubs into holes. Hopefully, fingers crossed, they are a little bit off and I have a good sleep and get everything in tune.

Q. 16 hasn't been your friend, has it.
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, probably just haven't played the hole well enough to be honest. Today I guess I was too far left of the line and played for it, and today I was too far right and paid for it again. It was nobody's fault apart from mine. Just haven't played the hole well enough. I think it's probably the best hole on the golf course. But bugalugs here just hasn't played it very well. Yeah, there's no one else to blame for that.

Q. What's Archie (son) been saying to you?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, been trying to ring him. It's just hard trying to time it all. We tried to call a couple of times, and he'd be watching a movie, doing other bits and pieces, been too busy to talk to us. I can't wait to see him next when I get home. It's been a pretty long trip, this one. Taking him to school Wednesday morning and Thursday morning when I get back will be a pretty good chat, that's for sure.

Q. What type of reaction are you getting from back home and how many people have contacted you and wished you well?
MARCUS FRASER: A heap of people to be honest. It's been overwhelming. Social media has been going into meltdown on the phone. I haven't got very many followers as it is, but I think I've picked up about an extra 400 this week. I might hang around next week in Rio and keep going, it's great.
A lot of people back home in Corowa and also friends and family in Melbourne. Yeah, it's been pretty overwhelming. Got one more day to go, and got to knuckle down tomorrow and do a good job.

Q. How hard is it not to think about the opportunity to win a Gold Medal?
MARCUS FRASER: Yeah, you can't hide from it. It's right there in front of you, so you can't hide away from it or shy away from it. Like I go out there every time, I try and feel like I do my best and play as hard as I can and try and make as many birdies as I can, and tomorrow will be no different. If it's good enough at the end of the day to get a medal, so be it. I couldn't think of any better than putting something around my neck. Hopefully that comes off, but I won't leave anything on the table. I'll give it everything.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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