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SENIOR BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 28, 2006

Loren Roberts

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND

STEVEN FRANKLIN: Welcome back.

LOREN ROBERTS: Nice to be back.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: 24 hours later, 65 again. You must be happy.

LOREN ROBERTS: I'm really happy. I really played solid for two days. Really the closest I came to a bogey was on the first hole today, and I made probably a 12 footer for par there right out of the gate. And I don't know if that propelled me or what, but it gave me a lift the first few holes and got off to a great start today.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: It's difficult to pick holes in two 65s, but if there's one thing, on the back nine you left some putts short.

LOREN ROBERTS: Yeah, I left some putts short. I had a couple good chances. Obviously 15 and 16 were really good chances, and I obviously hit a poor iron shot on 17. And gosh, I felt horrible because I hit my lady scorer today that scored for me yesterday. So I felt a little bad there about that.

But, yeah, I left it short, but I'm extremely happy with the way I'm playing. We'll just work on getting it in the hole a little bit more tomorrow.

Q. Was she okay?

LOREN ROBERTS: Yes, she was okay. It came clear across the fairway into the rough on the other side and I thought, "Oh, my gosh, I've really hurt her badly." They took her to take a look at her and they said she's fine, she'll be fine.

Q. Did you hit her on the head?

LOREN ROBERTS: Yes I did. Right on the very top.

Q. What's her name?

LOREN ROBERTS: Catherine. That's all I remember. I didn't get her last name.

Q. Was she just there watching you today?

LOREN ROBERTS: I guess. That's the first I saw her today.

Q. Did it unsettle you?

LOREN ROBERTS: You know, I had a tough pitch from over there. I don't think it unsettled me, I just was concerned for her. She looked okay. Before we teed off on 18 they said she was fine and they hauled her off to look at her. You just never like to see that happen anywhere on the golf course, or anywhere.

Q. Have you ever hit a spectator before?

LOREN ROBERTS: No, I really haven't before.

Q. And Mark (James) nearly did exactly the same down the 18th?

LOREN ROBERTS: Yeah, that's what he said. In fact, he made a comment, he said, "We're mowing them down one after another now." He said in his great humour, "They are going to send a meat wagon out with us tomorrow." (Laughter).

Q. What club did you hit into 17?

LOREN ROBERTS: I was trying to hit a 3 iron. The ball was below my feet on the left side of the fairway and I just hit a cut and double crossed it. That's really the only poor shot I hit all day really.

Q. 36 holes without a bogey is pretty good over any links course?

LOREN ROBERTS: I'm excited. Obviously we've had the kind of weather that if you're hitting the ball well you're going to play well because weather really has not been a factor yet. But we'll see what happens on the weekend.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: Craig was just in and was talking about the possibility of the senior Ryder Cup. I know you're an assistant this year. Any views on that?

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, didn't they used to have something similar to that, the Chrysler Cup; the UBS Warburg Cup after that. I thought it was fun. I played in the UBS Warburg Cup once the first year they had it and I thought it was a great deal. I thought it was super. But it would be nice to see it done.

Q. Have you been involved much in the build-up to The Ryder Cup?

LOREN ROBERTS: I think it's mostly been on Tom's shoulders there. Corey and I, we've had, you know, two or three meetings, but Tom and I talk a lot. We're pretty close friends so I would probably talk to him as much if not more than most of the guys on the regular tour. It's pretty much been his responsibility for everything up to this point.

Q. Was it good for the American team that Chris DiMarco did so well at last week's Open?

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, I think Tom would really like to see Chris, along with a lot of other guys get up there with a chance to get in the Top 10. I think it was great for kids. Obviously to come back from the ski injury that he had, he not only wanted very badly to play well, which it was good just to see Chris play well for him. I know that he's felt like, you know, not really been doing much, so it's great to see him finally get back into form and do well.

Q. And Corey (Pavin) shot 61 yesterday, 26 on the front nine.

LOREN ROBERTS: That's what I heard, in Milwaukee yesterday.

Q. It's been a good weekend for the assistants?

LOREN ROBERTS: Go old guys, all right. Let's go, old guys. (Laughter).

Q. Do you feel it could have been even better today?

LOREN ROBERTS: You know, I could have been, but realistically I holed a long putt on 6 from like 30 feet behind the hole. The third hole is probably the hardest hole on the front nine, so I made birdie there. Really I got as much around my round as I would expect after teeing off after shooting 65 the first day.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: Let's do the details of your round, starting with a birdie on 2.

LOREN ROBERTS: Yeah, I hit a little cut 7 iron there probably, I don't know, about 12, 15 feet right behind the hole, a little below it and made that one there.

Then hit a good, like I said, the third hole is probably the hardest hole on the front nine rebound probably the wind in and out of the left starting out and I hit a good tee shot. And then hit a 4 iron in there probably about, I don't know, 12 feet to the right of the hole pin high and made that for birdie.

6, I hit a 4 iron there that was just a laser for me right at it, just on the front edge of the green there and probably went 30, 35 feet behind the hole and made it coming down the slope there.

7, I got extremely lucky there. I hit my tee shot to the right yesterday and so today I over corrected and hit it over there in the left. Probably good enough lie, I don't know what it was, just long grass and stuff over there, and I was able to play a 7 iron down the fairway. I think I had a little 52 yard pitch shot to the hole and got up there about a foot and a half for birdie, for a tap in.

10, I hit a good 9 iron there. Probably about another 10 or 12 footer behind the hole and just a little to the right of it. I got that one to go in. So, you know, I was 5 under through the first ten, so very, very good start for me.

Q. Dou you get players coming up to you asking for the secret to your putting?

LOREN ROBERTS: You know, I don't think there's any real secret. I try a lot of different things all the time. I'm always working on it all the time. I'm always trying things myself.

You know, the speed control is the whole deal for me in putting. I know other players have said that, you know, they think line everything. I think speed is a lot. Obviously that's the way I putt. But I'm always trying everything.

You know, this is a pretty proud bunch of guys out here and it's petty tough to go to another player and ask for tips, really. (Laughing.)

Q. Do you change putters much?

LOREN ROBERTS: No, I don't. I really don't change much. I think this is probably only about the sixth or seventh putter I've had my whole life really.

Q. Inaudible?

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, I try different things, maybe just little things, maybe my eye alignment or how my left shoulder is or how my left wrist works on the back. I'm always trying little subtle things and I'm always trying to get it right where I feel most confident.

Q. Who do you consider to have been some of the best putters

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, obviously I have to go back, Ben Crenshaw would be just a little bit before my time but two totally different styles what I did and what he does. I think Dave Stockton was another great putter that putts somewhat similar to the way I putt. I kind of look at Phil Mickelson's stroke, also, because he has a very kind of little bit longer, slower stroke like me. I like to watch his stroke because of the pace of it.

But I would probably say out of all those guys, Ben was the one I liked to watch and different style, a little more swing, a little more inside the line close and topspin on it, great feel putter. But of all the guys, I've never seen anybody more disappointed when he lips out a 25 footer.

Q. Has Tom talked to you about what your role will be at the Ryder Cup?

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, I think I don't exactly know what our roles will be other than I think we'll probably be there just to help Tom and be eyes and ears for things, a sounding board and just to make sure that, you know, we do things for him that makes his job easiest. I think that's basically our role.

Q. Do you think the Americans will use being labelled as underdogs as a motivational tool?

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, I'm not going to go anywhere near that one. (Laughing) You know, I'm just going to say that I'm looking forward to being at The K Club. I think if you're talking about them cancelling their Super Bowl of daily football just for the Ryder Cup, you know they are going to be into it.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.

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