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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY GARY PLAYER

November 13, 2016

Alex Noren

Sun City, South Africa

Q. What does winning this event in The Final Series mean to you?
ALEX NOREN: It's unbelievable, waking up today, I thought if I can get a decent round in it, because it didn't feel very good yesterday o obviously two good rounds to start with, but yesterday was a bit tough and my game wasn't really there. Worked some in the room, tried to get the right feelings for today and it clicked. I don't think I've ever played as good, especially on the greens.

Q. A decent round? A 63.
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, I'm almost thinking about to get under par for the round. And then coming off, starting off with three birdies like that, it's just amazing, yeah.

Q. It is astonishing to think of your season. We've spoken about your assurance and your composure, the confidence being built, but four wins in a year?
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, like I've said every time, now I've got a lot more confidence, having the lead and being up here, it's obviously more comfortable. It helps with the wind.

Obviously it's been the season of my life, and just try to -- my caddie helps a lot, trying to stay patient with me and trying to keep me patient and hit the right shots at the right times. I owe a lot to him, yeah.

Q. As much as you hitting all those shots, it's a team event, isn't it, in a way. There's so many people to thank.
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, as I've said so many times, my little daughter helps me relax, and my caddie helps me on the course, he's so calm all the time. My sponsors, Callaway, everything they do for me every week. And my putter this week, my Odyssey putter; I've never holed so many putts I think on those first 11 holes.

Q. It would be wrong to compare the events, but knowing this is Final Series and the history of the Nedbank, does it make it all the more special?
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, I mean, I tried to get in this tournament so many years, and when I got in here, ending up winning, it feels unbelievable.

I said before the round, I didn't feel very good yesterday and I just tried to hit the fairways, hit the greens and maybe put a round in together under par, which would have been fine. And you know, came off the most amazing start, 4-under through five maybe or something like that.

Yeah, it was something else.

Q. Did that give you the belief that you needed, once you got off to that flying start, that you could go on and do this?
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, because I was quite nervous coming into this round, playing with Stenson, playing with Grace, in front of a lot of people. Didn't hit it very well yesterday, and I was trying to get my game in shape.

And then starting off like that, all of the sudden, I told myself, "You've got to believe you can win this," and I kept hitting fairways and greens. It helps so much out here. It's tricky around the greens.

Q. Did you do any leaderboard watching? Did you keep an eye on what was happening?
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, I looked a lot. I looked at everything. You know, coming off the unbelievable start, on the 10th green, I saw that I was leaving and he dropped a few shots I think and all of a sudden, I was actually in front and not chasing, and that made it a little different. But I stuck in there, yeah.

Q. How much did you rely on past experience in terms of victories, in particular, what you've done this season, to get you across the line in the end?
ALEX NOREN: I think it helps a lot, and I think keeping on with the same stuff: My caddie is tremendous under these circumstances, and he keeps so calm. You know, playing the equipment, my Callaway stuff is great. The ball is flying great. With the putter, Odyssey putter, everything, I keep the same gear all the time, and the same thing kind of brings you confidence, as well. You know where you are, and on the last tee, I know how far my 3-woods go. So that kind of stuff helps a lot under the pressure, yeah.

Q. It's been an absolutely remarkable season for you. What do you put that down to? You've just been incredible.
ALEX NOREN: I changed coaches two years ago and I got a lot of help from that, in kind of understanding my swing a little bit more, and I'm a little bit more relaxed.

And then obviously with a win comes a lot of confidence, and yeah, I'm just trying to keep improving and maybe not -- I play with so many good players, you know, who can hit all kind of shots when they need to. I played with Louis yesterday, and Grace and Stenson today, and you know, you look at them and I wish I could hit a few shots that they can hit and maybe I'm not as good and I try to keep improving on that.

Q. Does it help playing with Henrik today?
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, it was nice. I haven't played with him in the last five years I think. I haven't been on the same schedule (laughs).

Q. Did it help to play with him?
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, it's nice. You can talk a bit of Swedish, and I know him well. It's great.

Q. Not too many people win here first time out but you managed to do that. Anything about this course that really suited you or you took a fancy?
ALEX NOREN: I think me and my caddie worked on a lot to try to go for the right places on the green, because there's so many tricky pins here. They tuck those pins away up in the corners of the greens, and it's easy to make bogeys.

All I was trying to do, hit the right shots at the right pieces of the green and putt uphill, and then not make too many bogeys. Because around here, I think you've got a few birdie chances. The front pins are easier and I think you've got a lot of opportunities, and if you just manage those little tricky ones, not making too many bogeys, you've got a chance around here.

Q. And finishing off next week in Dubai, you must be looking forward to that?
ALEX NOREN: Yeah, it's going to be great. My family is coming down. It's going to be fantastic, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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