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NISSAN IRISH OPEN

May 20, 2006

Paul Casey

MAYNOOTH, IRELAND

SCOTT CROCKETT: Paul, thanks for coming in. A nice start to your round and a nice finish to your round and not too bad in the middle either. You must be very pleased with your position going into the final day.

PAUL CASEY: Yeah, very happy. We'll see what the final few groups conjure up. But, yeah, I got off to a flyer. I thought I needed to. A chance, really, at being 4 under through four, lipped out on my third for birdie. It was great. It went a bit cold as you say in the middle. It was a bit of a battle because it was a very different wind from yesterday. I struggled a little bit. To make birdie on last and to be tied with Thomas currently, I'm very, very happy with that.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Just give us the details of that start. Birdie at 1, what did you do there?

PAUL CASEY: Driver, 8 iron and a 15 footer.

2, driver, sand wedge, three feet.

4, driver, 5 iron, bunker shot to about 12 feet.

13, driver, left rough, pitched up actually just rolled off the edge of the green and holed a 15 footer.

16, 3 wood off the tee, left semi, 4 iron short left, pitched up and missed a 15 foot putt.

18, driver, 3 iron, 3 putts from 35 feet.

Q. You were in a similar position last Saturday and let it slip, you're not going to do that again are you?

PAUL CASEY: I'm got a good talking to from Mr. Kostis.

Q. Can you tell us what he said?

PAUL CASEY: No, no. I'm not going to say. We discussed it.

Q. Did he share his thoughts about your decision on the 10th?

PAUL CASEY: He did, but I don't really want to discuss it.

Q. There is no water on the tenth here?

PAUL CASEY: No, that's great, isn't it, fantastic.

Q. General terms, the specifics

PAUL CASEY: Not really, Mr. Casey, no.

It's done, it's last week.

Q. Given what happened last week, how pleased are you to be right back there again?

PAUL CASEY: I'm very happy, yeah, very happy. I mean, I always feel I try and learn something from I mean every round or every tournament. I certainly feel like yeah, I'm pleasantly surprised to be backup there. I feel like I've hit the ball very nicely so far this week, and I think because it's been tough out there, that's the reason I'm near the top. I don't think I've done anything sort of special the last through days, it's just been a lot of hard work.

Q. You are pleasantly surprised why

PAUL CASEY: I think it's just because it's tough out there. There's not a lot of birdies flying around. It's just a grind.

Q. Have you ever had such a consistent run of form as you are on right now?

PAUL CASEY: I don't think so. I think that's why I'm quite happy. Obviously it's slightly frustrating finishing Top 5 all the time and not getting a win. I enjoy winning, doesn't matter where it is. You know, could be club championship; wins are great.

But it's consistent, you're right. So I'm happy with that, because I never felt like I was that consistent a player a few years ago.

Q. Were you surprised at what you did last Saturday?

PAUL CASEY: Surprised?

Q. Did you feel confident enough that something like that couldn't happen?

PAUL CASEY: Yeah, I think, but in both I mean I struggled I really struggled on the greens counting up the putts, it was like 33 putts, 33 or 34 putts for the day. That's way too many.

And Michael struggled, as well. I think when you get a group that battles and struggles, it's very hard to break the the bad breaks. To get the momentum going the other way is quite difficult. I think the two of us struggled because of that.

Q. Did you hear the roar that went up?

PAUL CASEY: I did.

Q. Where were you when you heard it?

PAUL CASEY: 17 green. I just putted out. What was that? (Laughter) Somebody told us walking to the 17th tee and then we heard the roar after the 17th green.

Q. Would you say the one consistency this week has been the quality of the greens or the pureness?

PAUL CASEY: The greens have been stellar, they really have. I mean, well, it's muddy out there walking from green to tee. The spectators, I feel sorry for them, actually, trudging around there.

But the golf course is wonderful. It really has held up really well. The greens are great. And you're right, I think maybe that's given me a little bit more confidence as well on the greens. They were a little bit bumpy last week.

Q. Is the 16th still playing tough today because there were a lot of bogeys?

PAUL CASEY: Different wind, yeah. Yesterday I hit 2 iron off the tee and an 8 iron in. All of a sudden it's driver and a long iron. It's just a different wind condition.

It's a tough fairway to hit because it's angled, it's across you. So not only do you have to get the direction, you have to get the distance.

Q. Are you still hitting the ball as long as you used to?

PAUL CASEY: I hit one past Cabrera on the last which I was really happy. (Laughter).

Q. Just the one?

PAUL CASEY: A couple. I think he got me a few more times than I got him.

Q. So you haven't sacrificed length in order for accuracy?

PAUL CASEY: No, maybe a little bit, but the long one is still in there.

Q. The win will be the main thing tomorrow but also will get you back into the Top 50 around the right time for the U.S. Open?

PAUL CASEY: Yeah, that was the last other thing that was frustrating from last week, not to pick up bigger points. That would be the immediate goal which I think is after Wales and Memorial, or something like that, the Monday after.

Q. After Wentworth?

PAUL CASEY: After Wentworth, I have even less time, then, there you go.

Q. If you learned anything from last week?

PAUL CASEY: Well, I'll keep that between myself and Peter I think yeah, can't say everything.

Q. What is your girlfriend's name?

PAUL CASEY: Jocelyn, she was the one out there in wellies.

Q. Does that turn you on?

PAUL CASEY: Well I have to say the best dressed lady on Ladies Day the other day wore wellies. I read it in the paper. (Laughter)

End of FastScripts.

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