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CANADIAN OPEN


September 7, 2006


Justin Rose


ANCASTER, ONTARIO

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Justin Rose, thanks for joining us after a 7 under 63. Jim Furyk set the record earlier this morning and you went out and tied it this afternoon with a matching 63. Maybe some opening comments on a good day for you.

JUSTIN ROSE: Obviously a great start to the tournament. I didn't have any idea it was the course record. It's always nice to be on a list like that. I guess for me the key was I came into this week playing well, having a nice week last week. And it's great to keep that momentum going, really.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Tell us a little bit more about last week. Tied for 4th, and I think you were in the lead after 36 holes, but played well the entire week. Maybe just a couple of comments about your recent play and maybe what's been the difference lately.

JUSTIN ROSE: This last week I got myself back into contention for the first time in a while. I really enjoyed the experience. It got the juices flowing again. I guess Vijay and Tiger proved tough to beat, 61 and 63 on the weekend, that was a pretty tough standard. I guess for me I should have holed a couple more putts, and I need to be more relaxed out on the course, which could be a reason why I'm playing better.

Q. Will be you able to win this championship without being aggressive the rest of the way based on these conditions?

JUSTIN ROSE: No, but I think this golf course it commands respect, even though it's playing soft right now, you've still got to shoot at some flags, play away from others. So I think there's going to be a balance there. You're going to still have to go out and look for birdies.

Last year I think last time I was here, 8 under won, but I think the course, from what I believe, is playing quite a lot different. So 7 under the first day is always a good start, but you're going to have to keep going forward, that's for sure.

Q. How different is the course that you played today from what you had heard about it with other players describing '03?

JUSTIN ROSE: It's as beautiful and as great a golf course as what I expected it to be. Obviously Mother Nature you can't make a course firm and fast if the conditions don't allow it. It's playing really well considering all the rain and stuff like that, I guess you guys have had recently. Yeah, it's a really nice golf course. I like the look of every hole out there. It's a fun course to play.

Q. Bearing in mind there's only so much they can do when it rains, to keep the scores respectable, does the event sort of get knocked down a bit when everyone goes low and it gets down?

JUSTIN ROSE: No, I don't believe that at all. Birdies are fun for everybody to watch. At the end of the day we're out here for people to have fun watching. And obviously it is a National Open, so there's obviously it's very competitive as well. But I think birdies are good for the game, it's what people want to see to a large extent. And I still think this golf course if you put the ball in play off the tee, you can go out and look for birdies. I noticed walking around the course there's still a lot of guys over par. So it's no pushover.

Q. I was talking to your mum out on the course today who says she still regards you as her baby, having a golf club in his hand at 11 months old. When you are standing over your putt, are you totally focused all the time?

JUSTIN ROSE: On the good days, yeah, you're focused. On the bad days everything creeps into your mind, like what am I going to have for dinner tonight or is my mum or fiance in the crowd. That's the difference right there is your level of focus. When you're playing well you're much more tuned into the moment. We get distract out there but not routinely. We'd be selling hot dogs if we did.

Q. How do you feel about the fact some players have chosen to skip the Canadian tournament?

JUSTIN ROSE: It's everybody's schedule is different, obviously, and for me for me it's an event I've always enjoyed. I think a National Open always holds that little bit of prestige, as well. I've always enjoyed coming here. I can't speak, obviously, for everybody else. Scheduling is obviously an issue for a lot of people and tournaments and where they're going to fit in the schedule and stuff like that. But at the end of the day there's a lot of guys who play 30 tournaments a year, and they're the guys some guys only like to play 21, 22 times, therefore they're not going to play every week.

Q. Next work the schedule gets worse for the Canadian Open, four days after The British Open?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I mean I guess there's no point in saying it's going to be an easy way to get a field. But I think the great thing the Canadian Open has on its side is it's always is tended to be played on really great golf courses, For me that's a big attraction coming to play is when you do play a tournament on a very good golf course. I think that tends to attract a stronger field than often prize money and things like that, those are always nice. You look at all these things when you make your the schedule. But if you know you're going to play on a great golf course, that's a big carrot.

Q. Obviously last week you were dealing with Vijay and Tiger on the lead, and Jim is up there with you right now. Are you comfortable at this point now playing with those type of guys, and putting your game up against theirs?

JUSTIN ROSE: I would say getting more so. The more times you do it the more comfortable you get, there's no doubt about it. If you haven't been there for a while you never lose the ability to win or I think once you have won, at least you always know you can do it. I don't think you ever lose that. But there's no doubt it gets easier the more times you're in that situation. I think that when Tiger is in the situation to win, it's becoming a lot more routine. He still feels the heat, no doubt, but just it's a lot more normal. The more you can get in contention the better is basically the answer.

Q. (Inaudible.)

JUSTIN ROSE: First round, playing partners, looking for anybody, you're almost rooting for the guy so you can have a bit of camaraderie out there, getting something coming. I was 5 under through 9, walking to the 10th tee, John said to me, great, good 9 holes, he was four over, I said it's your turn on the back nine. And he shot 4 under on the back, and really hung in there. But, no, I guess my crossing legged look was, kind of like, wow, it went in, the feel of good fortune. It wasn't like hey, I'm cocky, rub it in. It was a bit of a bonus. John did well hanging in today, it was good.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: If we can go through your score card, birdied the first hole.

JUSTIN ROSE: Nice drive over the corner, nice wedge to six feet and made the putt.

Three putted the hit it in the left rough and hit it on the right side of the green on 2, three putted.

It was nice to bounce back to the birdie on 3, I hit it on the left fringe of the green and holed probably a 35 footer with 12 feet of break.

4 was a par 5, hit a good drive, 5 wood on the green and 2 putts.

The 5th, the short par 4, driver up near the green, right hand rough, pitched it out to about four feet, made the putt.

7 I hit 3 wood in the fairway, 7 iron to 15 feet, made the putt.

9 I hit driver, wedge to five feet.

14, I hit driver, 9 iron to about seven feet.

17, driver, 5 wood just short right of the green and chipped a foot.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Justin Rose, thank you.

End of FastScripts.
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