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DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI

November 16, 2018

Matt Wallace

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Q. You've played some terrific rounds of golf this year. How good was that one?
MATT WALLACE: That's up there with one of the best this year. With it being in round two, as well, it's nice. Haven't done that much this year, improving on the first round. I seem to play really nice the first day and just go backwards. That was nice today and hopefully more on the weekend.

Q. We chatted after nine holes and you were 4-under at that stage and you birdied 11 and 13 to go into the lead on your own. What was your mind-set then?
MATT WALLACE: Keep going. Whenever I had a chance, I was just like normal, foot down, I knew I was playing great. I guess one or two, just miscue shots when the wind picked up, I wasn't close enough to the hole, and then a good chance at the end there. Just pushed it.

Q. You said in Turkey it wasn't showing in the results but the game felt really good. The results are now coming, fifth last week and this. What IS the difference?
MATT WALLACE: Secret -- no, I'll tell you.

Expectations. I've got rid of all the expectations that have come with playing well and winning; I've expected higher from myself and that's just killed me.

So I'm playing with freedom now and trying to place as high as I possibly can come the back nine holes on Sunday and then that's when I normally will try and kick in and want to win a tournament, depending on where I am. Last week was the best week I've had mentally because I've had no expectations and I finished fifth. That's nice.

Q. A 65 today, ties the low score for the week here in Dubai. Looking back on the strengths from the round, what are they?
MATT WALLACE: Everything, really. I started off great. Putting was really nice today. Mentally I was sound. Dave and I were great. We work well, even coming up the last there, it was a tough decision to go for it. I had about 240 yards to the front which I would normally be able to do easily but the wind really pumped up. I was on a slight downslope. Managed to lay up and get it close, just pushed the putt.

Q. You've won three times this year. How much does that enhance your comfort and confidence as you try and win this week?
MATT WALLACE: It won't really help you in the first few days. I think it will help you come the last day when you know exactly what you need to do. You have to hole the putts. I've got a theory that the best putter on Sunday normally wins, and so if I can keep doing what I'm doing and get myself in contention come Sunday, I'll just try and hole the putts on Sunday.

Q. How about that 65 today, ties the lowest round of the week and looks as if all aspects of the game are in pretty good shape at the moment?
MATT WALLACE: Yeah, very good. Very good. Really comfortable out there. Dave and I are working really well together. The putter is helping, holing quite a lot of putts. Just really feeling comfortable out there. Love the golf course and love this tournament.

Q. 4-under through seven holes today. How important was it to get off to a good start?
MATT WALLACE: Massively. I think I told Tim halfway around that that first putt, I really focused in on trying to make it. Not that I don't normally but sometimes when you have a 25-footer on the first, you kind of want to just get the pace right but I really wanted to hole it to get off to a good start and managed to pour it in there and that really got me going.

Q. You spoke in Turkey after Shanghai that you had hit the ball as well as you were hitting it all season but you weren't getting the results. Do you feel it's all coming together and going in the right direction?
MATT WALLACE: Absolutely and it's coming to the end of the season. Wish I had done it from the start. But no, we're in a good place. I've lowered my expectation levels and that's really helping me out. Did that last week. I think it worked in Turkey. I played so well but didn't score at all. Lowered my expectation levels and I'm going to do that for the rest of this weekend and go out there and just let my golf do the talking.

Q. Could be top of the leaderboard, final group going out tomorrow?
MATT WALLACE: By the time I go out, I probably won't be leading. I've been in that situation before in Italy when I was final group on the last day and because the scoring is so low, people over took me pretty fast.

So I've been in this situation before, just not in this sort of tournament. The best players are out there in the world and I just want to compete and see where my game is at against them.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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