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UBS HONG KONG OPEN

December 9, 2016

Justin Rose

Fanling, Hong Kong

JUSTIN ROSE: I played well today. Just solid enough. Hit loads of greens. Putting on the front nine I struggled with. Just kind of, I guess, yeah, I just missed too many short ones really. Questioning my lines on the greens is tough. I'm not quite finding the visuals of them yet. They were definitely smoother today, so there's no excuse from that point of view. They are quite grainy, so sometimes I'm playing for grain and it's not working out. Other times, I feel like the grain is pulling it. It's just tricky.

But I think when I have hit good putts, they have gone in. So it's just a matter of just being probably -- getting the doubt out of the read, as well. Just commit to something and hit a good putt.

Q. Is that the kind of thing that a couple in a row tomorrow can solve quickly?
JUSTIN ROSE: Very much so, and this golf course offers you the opportunity to change your game plan up and hit more aggressive shots off the tee to give yourself more wedges in your hand. Given my situation, that might be an idea tomorrow; may or may not be. We'll just kind of maybe start off the round as normal and see how we go.

I've got to wait for my run. I feel like I'm capable of some mid to low 60s back-to-back around here. That's what it's going to take. I heard the forecast is going to get windy this afternoon, but doesn't seem to be appearing that way. It's very nice and a day I'd like to have taken a bit more advantage of.

Q. The scoring isn't too hot, is it.
JUSTIN ROSE: The pins were incredible on the back nine. I think there were definitely two different guys who set up the course, someone on the front, someone on the back. The back nine pins were a lot of fun to play. Loads of them were three from the edge, and new pins that weren't there last year.

Because often you come to tournaments and you're always playing the same pins. I thought the course was set up really well, especially on the back nine. So I think that's what's probably keeping scoring at bay.

Q. Some people might say, oh, he's struggling with an injury and maybe you wouldn't mind the weekend off, but you never want to miss a cut, do you.
JUSTIN ROSE: No, not when you've travelled 8,000 miles especially, and the physio here is doing a great job on me, as well. So I'm feeling better every day. From that point of view, this is good, active rehab, playing. Obviously this is my job, so the more I can get comfortable doing it, the better. Each day for me, I think I'm getting closer to being 100 percent.

Q. Were you moving a bit more freely around the course?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, swinging-wise yesterday, I didn't seem to have too much trouble. But just picking the ball out of the hole, stuff like that, some of the flexion stuff I was still struggling with but that felt even better today.

Q. You almost got a hole-in-one on 8.
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I was rolling right at it and it ended up a foot away and just broke off at the end. Yeah, Fooch pulled a good club for once, so that was good (chuckles). Yeah, that was a good shot.

I hit a lot of shots close to the hole this week, some good iron shots tight. I put a new set of irons in play as of Hero but really this week is the first week I've had a chance to gauge on them and they feel really, really good. I feel like they are a little bit tight and I'm hitting some shots close to the pins and yeah, I'm encouraged really.

Q. Getting a couple of birdies, did that give you confidence?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I was on plus one, wasn't I, halfway through the back nine. From that point, you're aware of the cut line and it was nice just to get it I think -- where did I birdie, the par 5, No. 3 and I birdied 7 and 8 to get comfortable making the cut.

Once I was 2-under, strong finish. I was hoping to get myself to 3-under. I set myself a mini-goal of finishing the day 3-under which I felt would keep me in touch. I'm going to be there or thereabouts, but it's going to require a couple of low ones now.

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