VOLVO MASTERS ANDALUCIA

November 8, 2002

Justin Rose

Q. A bit disappointed with a bogey at the last, but with 69 a pretty satisfactory day?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, definitely. Surprised to see my name on the leaderboard really. I guess it's just a tricky golf course that everybody has to stay patient on.

18 is a tricky hole. Basically you have to hit a good tee shot, and I didn't quite; tipped the tree and it dropped down. I think bogeys are going to come this week, so you just have to be patient and take it on the chin.

Q. It's a course you have not played as a pro, but as an amateur?

JUSTIN ROSE: Correct. I used to come down here for England training every year, which was lovely. So we used to have a four-round tournament each year and I've done that two or three times. I reckon all in all, I've played this course 20 times.

Q. Is it playing much different than yesterday?

JUSTIN ROSE: I don't think so. Because yesterday, I think the wind switched yesterday but it switched to the direction that it is now. So when I got around to 1 and 12, it was the same direction as it is today. I guess for the early starters yesterday, it was playing a bit different today.

Q. Did you learn anything from playing with Bernhard Langer, a guy that has that the experience?

JUSTIN ROSE: Joking in the locker room earlier, I said to Nick, "Whatever Bernhard hits off the tee we are going to follow him." That was quite interesting. I think our strategies were relatively similar. He makes very few mistakes. He never short-sides it when he's coming in with an iron shot to the green. He minimises the mistakes and that's why he is pretty good around a golf course like this.

Q. If you were to mark your game 1 out of 10 at the moment what would it be?

JUSTIN ROSE: 6.

Q. That's all?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yes, to be honest. I've been struggling a little bit the last few weeks, but I'm just beginning -- I'm working my way into a field that I'm beginning to enjoy. So I hope I can keep making improvements during the week. Certainly going better since Monday. Hopefully I can just keep it going forward.

Q. Four birdies today, right in a bunch.

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, they all came in a space of five holes. 8, I was blocked out. I hit a 2-iron down the left and I was blocked out by a tree. I hit sort of a hooking sand wedge around the tree, which came around to three feet so that was -- maybe less, foot and a half. So that was a pretty impressive shot.

Then I holed a long putt on the ninth, probably a 40-foot putt there on the ninth.

Q. How long was the sand wedge?

JUSTIN ROSE: The sand wedge, I had 126 yards.

10 is playing tricky because if you come up short, you can hit the slope. I hit a lovely shot right over the pin but it wasn't to be.

And I hit two lovely shots on to the edge of the 11th and chipped and putted from 20 feet for a birdie there.

Probably the shot of the day was the 12th hole, which is a short par -- long par 3 with a small green, sort of with the crosswind. It wasn't so much a wind, but a cross-breeze and I hit 6-iron to three feet and made the putt.

So, yeah, at that stage, I actually played quite nicely coming in. I played 17 quite well and had a good chance for birdie there and hit a nice putt. Just didn't break as much as I thought.

Then slightly disappointing to finish like that at the last.

Q. Talk about the distraction over your shot.

JUSTIN ROSE: I felt quite settled and I was into my routine in the sand there, and it's never nice when you have to back off it, but you do your best to regroup. I just -- yeah. And then when I glanced up, something distracted me again but I decided to pull the trigger. Just lost my focus really a little bit for the last three shots.

Q. What did you hit on 11?

JUSTIN ROSE: A driver and 2-iron. It's a bit downwind today, so it's playing much easier.

Q. Will it take a bit of effort to catch up with Cabrera?

JUSTIN ROSE: Seven-shot lead, that's pretty impressive, isn't it? This is a course that you think would suit him the least of all the ones because of his length. This course really doesn't require length at all. It requires strategy and placing the ball in the right position off the tee.

So it's very impressive. I played with him last week when he shot 61, as well. He's certainly playing very well.

Q. What about your position now?

JUSTIN ROSE: I'm No. 8 on the Money List.

Q. Big check this week.

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I think I've pretty much achieved my goals, but I want to make sure I finish in the Top-10. Cabrera this week would go past me and Adam Scott is just behind me. So there's a lot to play for. I don't think I can fall out of the Top-10 but you never know.

Yeah, my name is on the board there. Who knows what Mr. Cabrera will do on the weekend. There's a lot to play for.

Q. What did you hit on 17?

JUSTIN ROSE: I hit driver, 5-iron and lob-wedge to about seven feet. I had 86 yards to the hole.

Q. What was wrong with the game, just out of sync, was it?

JUSTIN ROSE: Last few weeks, yeah. Basically just putter has been stuck behind my hands, same old, same old.

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