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VOLVO PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 29, 2004

Justin Rose

SURREY, ENGLAND

RODDY WILLIAMS: Justin, 72 today, just one shot off the lead. Could you sum that day up for us?

JUSTIN ROSE: I guess encouraging to be only one shot off the lead, is the way I feel. Frustrating day in a lot of ways for me out there. I actually hit the ball today better than I hit it the first two days, and just weird the way this game works. Obviously I shot quite a few worse than I had done the first couple of days and it just purely comes down to the putter. Didn't take my chances today, simple as that. Certainly didn't waste any today and hopefully they will drop tomorrow.

Q. What were your chances, the best ones that you didn't take?

JUSTIN ROSE: The third hole I had a nice chance there, about eight feet.

Then I 3 putted 4 up the hill too, so that was a bad mistake.

Then had a bunch of sort of 20 footers.

13, I missed a 6 footer. Par and then 3 putted 14. Had chances at 15, 16 and 18.

You know, probably best not to dwell on that right now, and tell myself, obviously I am putting well. I've been knocking putts in the first couple of days. Just look forward to tomorrow, the fact that I'm only one back.

Q. When you won your four events, and I can't remember where you were placed after the third round, was it from this type of position, just tucked in behind, and do you consider it are you almost happier to be one shot off the lead as opposed to a few shots out?

JUSTIN ROSE: No, you always want the lead. It means yeah, basically the further you are back, the lower score you've got to shoot tomorrow. I know what you're saying in terms of psychology wise. No, you'd always prefer to take the lead and take your chances from there.

Certainly, events I had won, I had won in Japan, I had a four shot lead going into the last round. I think British Masters and the Dunhill Championship I was a couple back, two or three back going into the last round and managed to shoot 65s. Something like that would be nice.

Q. Did you learn the lesson of Augusta in terms of how you cope with the frustration?

JUSTIN ROSE: No, because I still got frustrated today. (Laughter.)

It was probably better that Saturday back in April than I was today. Yeah, I felt like I played actually well today. I swung better, struck the ball better. The greens, I don't know, just got me a little today. They were quite quick and I wasn't really committing to the putts properly. I just felt like if you gave it quite a positive roll today, it could easily get away from you five or six feet by; a lot of the pins were right on the edges of slopes.

I hit a lot of good putts which didn't go in. I think that's the thing I've got to look at, not the fact that I was hitting bad putts. But, yeah the one on 18 swung miles, it just trickled past the hole and left me a couple of feet back up. Those are the kind of putts that you just can't be that aggressive with.

Q. Have you got some things to work on tonight or will you leave it to the morning now?

JUSTIN ROSE: I'll probably just hit some putts for half an hour, just see the ball going into the hole a few more times and basically just get some confidence back with the putter for tomorrow.

Q. After the dropped shots at the first, is there any feeling of "here we go again," or were you able to stay positive throughout?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, it's never when you bogey the first, you're yeah, it can just set you off on the wrong foot. I was trying. Very obviously the next couple of holes I knew were very important for me. I hit a great shot into the second over the flag. I hit great 6 iron on the third and gave myself a birdie chance, and a great tee shot at 4, and from then on I felt really comfortable.

On the first hole I hit one of my best putts of the day, don't really know how that par putt didn't go in. Yeah, it's just three or four tomorrow will be nice.

Q. Do you sleep well in your own bed?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, definitely. There's no excuses there.

Q. It's an interesting leaderboard, where do you see the main threat coming from, from your point of view?

JUSTIN ROSE: From me, hopefully.

Q. Apart from you?

JUSTIN ROSE: Well, you've got Ernie at 9; is that right? I mean, Cabrera, obviously, he's a good player, there's no doubt. He can take care of the par 5s comfortably. That's a big advantage around here.

Mind you, the way the course is playing, though, the 5s are all easily reachable, so maybe it's a lesser advantage for him.

Yeah, Ernie, Darren, there's some big names lurking right there.

I think whoever wins this tournament is going to have to go out tomorrow and shoot a pretty low score.

Q. 7 iron second into the 11th he hit, was that impressive?

JUSTIN ROSE: Who?

Q. Cabrera.

JUSTIN ROSE: 5 iron, I hit a measly 5. Quite impressive.

Q. Do you appreciate a second input when you're analyzing putts? Wobbly was helping you on a few?

JUSTIN ROSE: First time I've done that this week. First time I've done that with Wobbly this week. Worked well the first couple of days and didn't work so well today. I blamed him, obviously, when they didn't go in.

Yeah, I think it's all just about reaffirming what you see, and it's more of a confidence thing, really.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Justin, thanks very much. Good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts.

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