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SENIOR BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 29, 2006

Loren Roberts

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Loren Roberts, the only player in the field to shoot under par today, 1 under 69.

Loren, given the conditions, where the average score was over 76 today and you now take a four shot lead into tomorrow's final round, just a couple thoughts about today.

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, obviously the day kind of got worse as it progressed especially through the middle of the round for us. But I really probably hit the ball better today than I did the first two days and I didn't think I could do that really to be honest with you but I did. I hit the ball really solidly.

You know, with the weather coming up, you know that you have to take advantage of the downwind holes, or at least not, you know, mess up on the downwind holes, and you know, I was n 2 under through 11. Once you get to the 12th tee, you know you're going to battle your way all the way back to the clubhouse. And I was very fortunate that I hit the ball really solid today. I hit most of the shots where I was looking. You know, I made a couple of bogeys today. You know, you're going to make bogey.

So I think the overall feel for me today about this round was I really had a lot of patience today and you know, obviously that helped. I don't know that I've been as patient on a golf course more than, you know, just a few times as I was today. And obviously I think that's why I was able to play well.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: How would you compare today to the first round at Royal Aberdeen last year?

LOREN ROBERTS: I played just as well. I think Royal Aberdeen might have been a little tougher just because of the wind direction on that golf course to we had to play into. But this is pretty close.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Before we go to questions, just take us through your round if you could.

LOREN ROBERTS: I really started out, made a bogey at the third hole, and really that was just a result of hitting a poor pitch. I hit a pretty good tee shot and hit a good 3-wood second, really couldn't get there. I was just a little short of the green probably about six, seven yards short of the green and couldn't get it up and down. But came back with a nice putt.

I made a good putt from probably about 25 feet just short of the hole on 4.

And then hit some good shots I hit a good tee shot at 5. I made a good par there from the right side. I had a lot of looks at birdies today, although nothing really close to the hole with an exception of a couple on the back nine.

Real key as I got on the par 5 is 7th hole and I hit a 3 wood off that tee and got into position where I hit a 5 iron on the green and maybe holed about a 35 footer there for eagle which really was right in the middle of some of the toughest weather and that was key.

Hit kind of a poor tee shot at 8 and got in the fairway bunker and made bogey there. I probably gave myself about a 15 , 18 footer for par and didn't make it. But then from then on I really hit a good shots. I had a lot of looks at birdies.

Just ran it over the edge at 9. Just right over the edge at 10 and really hit probably the best iron shot of the day was there at No. 11. Actually I was trying to play more right of the flag and I hit it solid and got up there and rolled probably about a foot from the hole. I hit a 6 iron there.

Then like I said, the only other bad thing other than the tee ball at 8 was the tee shot I hit on 13. I was in the left hand bunker and had it play out and really, gosh, I had a 4 iron from about 160 yards for my third shot, and hit a good shot in there probably about 12, 15 feet but didn't make the putt; par.

And from then on, I really had birdie chances all the way to the house with the exception of 18. Didn't make any of them but I made some putts early in the round. I can look back and say, gosh, I had an easy putt at 14 and I had an easy putt at 15 and 16. But you know, when the wind gets going, it gets hard to make those putts. I don't care if you're eight or ten feet. You have to work a little harder on them because of the wind. You have to play wind out there, and, you know, I was obviously very happy to have birdie putts coming to the house because everybody else was probably struggling with it.

Q. You've had some low rounds lately. How would this quantify this round today? Was it like your 64 in Dearborn two weeks ago?

LOREN ROBERTS: Well. I think this would be right there with it. This would be as good as those. Probably hit the ball better today than I did for those other two real low rounds I had just because of the conditions. I mean, I just kept the ball where I needed to have it just about every hole.

Q. What would it mean for you to win this tomorrow?

LOREN ROBERTS: You know, it's hard for me to put into words now. We have 18 holes to go. I don't even want to think about it really. But it would be huge for me.

Obviously I'll be the first to admit, I've had a nice career on the Tour, but especially to win this championship, you know, it just I love links golf. I love Turnberry. I've played pretty well here in '94. I just think it would really be a feather in my cap for me. I could go on and say, well, that's great and I could feel like I've been fulfilled to be honest with you.

Q. Have you always been a good wind player?

LOREN ROBERTS: You know, I grew up in a town in California that we had a lot of wind. We were on the coast, and I did play kind of growing up in a lot of wind. I learned to keep the ball down and it really helped me today. I mean, I really kept the ball down most of the day today. I think that I was able to hit the ball the yardages I needed to get it.

Q. Do you hope the weather stays the same for tomorrow?

LOREN ROBERTS: You know, it would be nice to have a day off from what we had today. (Laughing.) You know, it would be nice to have some nice, warm weather out there. I'm not going to lie to you about that.

I'm going to take whatever we get. I like the way I'm swinging at it right now, I'm hitting it solid and I'm just going to keep going out, trying to play solid.

Q. Is the patience factor what pleased you the most today?

LOREN ROBERTS: That was what pleased me the most. I got off to such a great start on the Champions Tour this year. I've been pushing myself a lot. I think I've had a couple of chances to win and I haven't been able to get it done the last two or three months. I have haven't been very patient. And today that's what I was most pleased with was the patience I was able to have with my round in the conditions.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Loren, good luck tomorrow.

LOREN ROBERTS: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.

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