	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

OMEGA DUBAI LADIES MASTERS

December 9, 2016

Felicity Johnson

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Q. That was quite a round. What did you have for breakfast?
FELICITY JOHNSON: Yeah, it was a beautiful morning out there. Obviously the bacon tomato sandwich worked this morning. It was a great day for golf this morning.

Q. What was clicking? Clearly everything.
FELICITY JOHNSON: I hit a lot of really close iron shots. I holed out really well with my putts in but I had probably seven birdie putts within four feet, so that always makes the game a little bit easier. All the ones I hit close, I converted, so 24 putts. Hitting a lot of good iron shots, you're going to have a good score.

Q. The birdies were shared over both nine holes, weren't they.
FELICITY JOHNSON: Yeah, I don't like to favour one side or the other but I got off to a great start birdieing I think four out of the first five. Kind of sets you up for a nice day and you don't have to go chasing later on in the day. It was 18 solid holes of golf.

Q. Expectations now must be quite high heading into the final day.
FELICITY JOHNSON: Yeah, obviously today, it's only a three-round event, so you try to put yourself in a good position heading into the final day. I think I did that pretty well today.

Yeah, it's getting breezy out there now, so we'll see what happens this afternoon. Yeah, I'll be in a good position for tomorrow.

Q. Were you aware of the implications going into the 18th green, that you obviously could have equalled the course record?
FELICITY JOHNSON: No idea.

Q. You hit an excellent approach shot in there.
FELICITY JOHNSON: Yeah, that was probably the one shot that I really didn't strike very well. If it got a gust, it might not have been turning quite so much. I kind of got away with it and had a decent look at birdie. But any time you've got a birdie putt on 18, you're pretty happy.

Q. About a 15-footer?
FELICITY JOHNSON: Yeah, I didn't hit the best putt I've hit all day but any time you're going to sign for a 64, it's nice to close it out solidly.

Q. Where did the round come from? Because you haven't been in the best of form.
FELICITY JOHNSON: I've been playing okay without putting it all together. I was in Q-School in America last week and I threw a 66 in there one day, scattered with some pretty rubbish stuff the other side of it.

I know that the things I'm working on are the right things. It's just kind of being patient. Today it clicked really well, so yeah, I think the work I've been putting in kind of paid off today. It's a long-term plan I'm looking at but if it's working this week, fantastic.

Q. This course has not the best to you the last couple years, so is it nice to get back into the swing of things?
FELICITY JOHNSON: It's a course I enjoy playing. My best finish is eighth maybe four or five years ago but it's a course that suits my game really well.

A good ball-striker usually does well here, which I think I am a lot of the time. It sets up well for my draw. It's a course I feel I've maybe under-achieved on.

Q. When is the last time you were in this position?
FELICITY JOHNSON: Not playing in as many last groups as I'd like the last few years. Last win come at end of 2011, a few years ago now. I'll draw on some of that experience and any time you're in contention the last day, it's going to be fun.

Q. What's the mind-set for tomorrow?
FELICITY JOHNSON: Half the field are just teeing off, so we'll see what happens this afternoon. You can only control what you can do, which is obviously easier said than done sometimes. You don't worry about other people, but if I try and make as many good golf swings as I can, make myself chances again, we'll see what happens.

Q. Can you talk us through the birdies?
FELICITY JOHNSON: My 6-iron to 5-foot on the first kind of got me off to a good start.

Simple up-and-down for birdie on the second.

6-iron to eight feet on the third.

8-iron to three feet on the fourth for birdie.

Then again on the fifth, I hit it close and made birdie.

Then birdied 10.

8-iron to three feet on 11.

A little 8-iron to three feet on 16 kind of wrapped up the day.

Q. Ball-striking by what you've just said is pretty incredible. One of you best rounds?
FELICITY JOHNSON: Ball-striking, got to be in the top 5. 62 is my lowest on Tour so missed that by a couple, but 64 and the ball-striking, probably in my top three.

Q. Where was the 62?
FELICITY JOHNSON: Sweden in 2008.

Q. And it's 2011 since you had a win on Tour. It's a long time to draw back on that experience.
FELICITY JOHNSON: I've kind of based myself in America the last few years, so it's been tough kind of combining the two. But it's always great; I feel at home in Europe and where I enjoy playing my golf. So yeah, go out there and enjoy it. It's easier said than done, go out there, one shot at a time, but that's the mind-set I'll be going with.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297