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TURKISH AIRLINES OPEN

November 2, 2018

Justin Rose

Antalya, Turkey

JUSTIN ROSE: Got off to a good start again. Felt really comfortable out of the blocks today. Hit two nice iron shots to start the day into 1 and 2. Felt comfortable from that moment on and set me up for another good day.

Q. Who better than the defending champion and the guy leading the tournament, outside of what is obvious, what do you need to do well it contend here?
JUSTIN ROSE: I think it's iron play to be honest with you. A lot of pin placements are up on shelves, off the side of these greens are a lot of run-offs but you have wedge, 9-iron in your happened. If you get overly defensive, you're not going to make birdies, but you need to challenge some of those tough pin placements to try and shoot low around here. I think your iron play has to be on point. That's the key.

Q. Talk about this incredible run of consistency you're having at the moment. Is the game almost feeling easy?
JUSTIN ROSE: No. Even if it was, I would never admit to that. Clearly I've been burned by this game many a time and you have to keep working hard. I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself, wake up tomorrow and go from there. Every day just try to build a new body of work and keep grinding.

Q. I heard you announced on the first tee today as the Olympic Champion, and your dad came to mind. Of all the things you've achieved, what do you think he would take most pleasure in, winning the Olympics, a major, world No. 1?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, spoilt for choice there to be honest with you. I know he went to the Olympics in L.A. in 1980, whenever that one was, so maybe that would be a surprise to him. I think he had a lot of belief in me, and maybe he knew I would win majors and maybe he even knew I would get to No. 1. He was my biggest fan and had more belief in me than me, but the Olympics would be the surprise for him.

Q. Back-to-back 65s, looking at your record in Turkey, the last 15 rounds, you're 71-under par. What is it that brings out the best of you in this country?
JUSTIN ROSE: Sort of fair weather golfer. Playing in the sunshine I guess. I have a good time here. I think the vibe with the resorts that we stay in, I said it earlier this week, I feel like it's a lovely balance of obviously being a big event at the end of the year where there's a lot riding on it, a Rolex Series Event and Race to Dubai and World Ranking points.

There's enough to capture your attention and to keep you fresh and hungry, but off the golf course there's enough to do here where you can almost recharge. I said to Fooch just in terms of overall kind of load on the system, it's like playing half a tournament week this week. I felt like you get to recover a bit easier off the course than most events.

Q. Bogey at 10 today but you quickly bounced back with birdies at 12 and 13. How important to keep the momentum going?
JUSTIN ROSE: It was a good bogey at 10. Just drove it in the water there and just cleared the water with my second shot, and good 2-putt, long 2-putt for bogey. So I walked off the 10th hole, my first bogey of the week, feeling good about things.

The way I played the hole yesterday as well, I was staring bogey in the face. So to play that hole in 9 as I've played it these two days, I was bouncing towards the 11th tee.

Q. When you look at where you are through two rounds, defending champion, on a better pace this year, does that actually give you a little bit more freedom going into the weekend not playing catch up?
JUSTIN ROSE: Obviously clearly the odds are more in your favor when you're not having to play catch up and go ahead of the field. Doesn't make it any easier for sure but like I said, I'm on pace and playing well. This is the kind of golf course you have to keep moving forward. Even par is not going to cut it out here. That's the intention every day is to come out and play well.

Q. Did you have to work a little bit harder out there today?
JUSTIN ROSE: I felt like it was another good start. Birdied No. 1. Hit a good iron shot into 2. Felt comfortable immediately with the game. 4-under again I think through nine holes, and that sort of sets you up on this golf course.

I feel like there are chances around 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, so yeah, I think it felt pretty similar to yesterday. I had to sort of -- obviously the bogey at No. 10 had to keep me reset again like I did yesterday. There was a moment where the round went a bit cold yesterday and similar feel to today.

I was aware of the leaderboard. I knew a lot of the guys were playing well and 10-under was right in the golf tournament and I got it to 11 at some point and I saw ThorbjÃ¸rn had bogeyed the last. Suddenly didn't look like being two ahead but I knew I was right on pace with the leaders all day.

Q. How nice to walk off with just the one dropped shot on 10?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I played that hole terribly. Hitting in the water off the tee. It's a hole that doesn't suit my eye too well, but hitting 3-wood off that tee leaves you a lot to do into that green. It's such a well-designed hole. It probably is a par 5 for the members I'm guessing, but it's such a great hole that it forces to you commit off the tee.

The way I played yesterday it yesterday, I saved a good par there and today, to play it in 9, I feel like I've done a good job.

Q. What will you take from last year that you can use over the weekend?
JUSTIN ROSE: Just the mentality you need to play well here. Obviously I played catch-up here last year and other guys are capable of doing that this year. I think as I've shot two 65s, you can always have somebody from the chasing pack do the same thing. For me it's about keep moving forward this week. Even par is not really going to get it done, so you have to have the mentality of keep moving forward.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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