OPEN DE FRANCE

October 10, 2024

Justin Rose

Le Golf National

Quick Quotes

Q. 67 to start the week, describe your day out there for us of the?

JUSTIN ROSE: Well, yeah, sort of surprised to be up on time if I'm honest with you. What a golf course in terms of construction and condition after the deluge of yesterday. I was actually running a bit late this morning because I was banking on a delay which kind of meant that I was a short sharp warmer, which obviously turned out to be a good thing. Got.

Off to a good start today. A couple under early. Kind of made me -- actually, I really drove the ball well. Had the ball in hand. Obviously any time on a day like today that you can have the ball-in-hand, clean it, prefer your lie, hit a lot of fairways, that can a k really really help. Greens early doors were smooth. I think that's going to be a challenge as the day goes on because they are so soft. Guys are going to kind of face slightly lumpier greens in the afternoon. So happy to make the most of the play and keep it bogey-free.

The only thing I would say, the golf course, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 starts playing much more difficult; the wind picked up. So happy to keep a keep a clean card in the end.

Q. What are some of the obstacles on this golf course? A few players say if you stay slightly off the fairways, the lies can be, obviously because of the weather, can be difficult.

JUSTIN ROSE: For sure. You can lose your ball. You go you can plug it in banks and rough, and if you don't have someone with a good eye on it, you can easily lose a ball out there, I think the crowds are not necessarily going to be big with all the groups given the weather and things like that. That's probably challenge, No. 1.

And then just a bit sloppy: Is it going to fly, is it going to come out soft, can you get a good strike on the ball. Any missed contact is going to be exaggerated. So all those little things come into play.

Q. You haven't been back here since 2018, that memorable week here. How much has the course changed if at all in six years?

JUSTIN ROSE: It feels the same to me. I'm not sure if there has been any technical change or a bunker moved or anything. It feels the same as we left it. It's a great golf course. That's why we enjoy coming back here. Probably haven't come back as much as I could have or should have. Because it really is a good golf course.