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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

May 24, 2006

Ross Fisher

VIRGINIA WATERS, ENGLAND

RODDY WILLIAMS: Ross, thanks very much for coming and joining us. Congratulations on getting into the BMW Championship. This is a course you probably know better than anybody. Tell us your background here and how it feels to be playing in the players' flagship event.

ROSS FISHER: Well, I've been a member here since '94. Fortunately got the scholarship back then when I was 13, which basically enabled guys that weren't financially in a position to afford membership at such a place like this. So to get the scholarship was fantastic and just gave me the opportunity to practice and play at a course as good as Wentworth pretty much seven days a week.

Obviously went on from there, got my handicap low enough, and when I turned 19, which is when the scholarship runs out, but because I was low enough, they kept me on. So, you know, Wentworth has been a massive help to me over my amateur career and my professional career obviously to turn pro and then to keep my on as an attached pro with Ernie and Sam. It's a privilege and an honor to be representing Wentworth.

RODDY WILLIAMS: This morning, we already had Ernie, Goosen, Woosnam, Luke Donald, in those early days, did you dream of following these guys footsteps in this event?

ROSS FISHER: Yeah, definitely. I've been watching obviously when it was the World Match Play, and obviously the last few years, it's been the BMW. But I've been fortunate to work the range for I think about four or five years when the Match Play was on. So I got to see a lot of the big names, chat with the caddies, just to see guys playing your course. You always dream of playing your home course. Ever since I joined here in '94, and obviously that you that dream has come true and I'm certainly look forward to tomorrow and the rest of the week.

Q. Were you actually a member here or you were a member somewhere else and were recognized?

ROSS FISHER: My stepdad actually found out about the scholarship and he wrote off a letter. I heard back saying, we'd like you to come for an interview. Basically I think I was in a group of about 15 people and there was three lots of 15. I think there was about 30 to 40 people possibly and they chose four people and fortunately I was one of the lucky four.

Q. Which club were you at before?

ROSS FISHER: This has been my first home club. So it's not a bad place to be your first really.

Q. What did it entail working the range, some of the things that you had to do?

ROSS FISHER: Just basically getting up at the crack of dawn when the guys were here, making sure there was enough balls so they could practice before they played, spiffing the balls up, making sure the range was clean and tidy. And then when the guys were off playing, we had basically three and a half, four hours to sort of kill time. Unfortunately weren't allowed to hit any balls, but watched a bit of golf and fortunately there's been some of the sort of local guys that live locally like Andy Coltart and Bernhard Gallacher and some of those guys who came up because they weren't in the tournament to practice. So sort of kept us busy, that was basically it, just picking the balls up for the guys.

Q. When you went out to follow, were there specific players that you always followed?

ROSS FISHER: Not really, no. I remember following Michael Campbell when he had that really good finish. I think he finished something like 2 3 4 4, and he went on to win the Open. I walked with my stepdad and our bank manager because he used to sort out a lot of the caddies, so he knew Michael Campbell's caddie. We followed him around because there weren't an awful lot of people to walk with him. To walk with someone like that, to see what he's gone on to do was fantastic.

I remember watching I think Jarmo Sandelin a few times. Basically I think the last few years, I don't think I've really walked the course as much. I've just tended to stay around the range and watching it on the TV really.

Q. Did anybody say anything to you while you were working in the range that stood with you?

ROSS FISHER: Not really player wise. I got quite chatty with Vijay Singh's caddie, Paul, about three or four years ago. He just basically was telling me how hard Vijay works and that sort of I took wind of that. He just basically said, obviously you're doing well, just keep going on the right track and hopefully one day we'll see you out here. I just tried to work hard at it and fortunately I'm now here.

Q. Did you get to play golf with Coltart and Gallacher?

ROSS FISHER: I have actually. I played about three or four times with Andy. I've seen him out at some of the tournaments obviously, so it's quite nice when I first went out to know a few of the guys. Obviously I got to know some of the guys off the Challenge Tour. I've played with Andy a few times around the West fortunately before The Belfry which was quite nice.

Q. Anything that he said that helped out?

ROSS FISHER: I think he was just really positive and friendly toward me. He said obviously you're playing well, just keep doing what you're doing. Obviously you're doing fantastic this year. Don't let it go to your head, keep focused on what you're trying to do. Go out and try to enjoy it. That's what I've tried to do every single year every tournament.

Q. What's been the big difference inaudible years ago you and he's gone sort of that way a wee bit and you've gone up, what's been the difference?

ROSS FISHER: I mean, obviously I've worked really hard during my time with my coach on the Challenge Tour, Kristian. We put a lot of hours in. I wouldn't say I'm a Vijay Singh. I don't like to practice too much. But I prefer to do a shorter time but try and make it quality practice really. So we've done, you know, a lot of work on a few swing changes, mainly just changing my posture.

When we went over to the States, I was fortunate to go to the IMG Academy for two weeks and Kristian came out with me and that was fantastic and I had the warm weather and facilities out there to practice for two weeks. Generally, my game has improved, obviously working with Kristian, so I would just say going out there and enjoying it and having fun really. Fortunately for me it seems paying off. I don't think I'm going to be changing my attitude.

Q. The three of you finished one, two, three in the Men's Championship, do you remember what you scored?

ROSS FISHER: Was that the year I won, 2000? I think I shot 71 71, which for guys that don't know, is 2 under, 2 under because we play as a par 73.

Q. What's your best score off the back tees?

ROSS FISHER: I think I actually beat somebody in match play and I think I had eight birdies and an eagle and a bogey, so about 9 under. But fortunately I played it, I think it was the week before The Belfry and one of my good friends, he phoned me up and said, you know, I think it was on Thursday when we had the weather was actually gorgeous, about 25 degrees, so I drove out and parked on the 5th and played 5 to 18, was 7 under for those holes. So obviously I've got quite good memories being up here, so I'm just really looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. Is your name on lots of boards in the clubhouse?

ROSS FISHER: Fortunately I've got my name up a few times, yeah. I've won the Club Championship, the Scratch Match Play, and then a couple of other tournaments.

Q. Now that you're actually playing, is there any sense of awe, or do you feel that you've earned it and you're here by right?

ROSS FISHER: I would say a bit of both really. I was saying to my girlfriend last night, it kind of felt a bit strange yesterday walking on to the range and I was like, wow, I'm actually hitting balls on the range at my own club in the BMW; whereas before in past years, I was standing outside the ropes.

So it was, you know, kind of had to take a step back and actually realise what I've actually achieved and what I've worked really hard for throughout the season so far to get myself in a position fortunate enough to be playing at my home course.

Obviously I'm thrilled and it's been a fantastic year so far and long may it continue.

Q. When you played with Retief, did you learn a lot from that?

ROSS FISHER: Yeah, to get off to such a good start in my first four tournaments and to play with someone like Retief Goosen was an absolute, an awesome experience for me. You know, to play with somebody who has won major tournaments; he's won the U.S. Open two times. Just to see how he performed around the golf course really, you know, it made me realise where I have got to be that little bit better. I've just got to sharpen a few things here and there and hopefully take that on throughout the season.

Q. Which tournament was that?

ROSS FISHER: It was the SA Open at Fancourt.

Q. Presumably what happened last week in Ireland really makes you feel like you belong here?

ROSS FISHER: Yeah, I mean, as you probably saw by the TV, it was a very long and grueling week. I felt like almost the first round that I played was probably the best round I probably played so far because it was so tough and so grueling, and to go back out there, to have I think it was about 5 foot on the second green, to then play seven holes in even worse weather than what we walked off because we came off due to strong winds. It was pretty tough then, but it was even tougher when we got back out there. But to play the seven holes I think I was 2 under par, to shoot 1 over was, you know, I was actually really thrilled with that.

I think it helped make with a close friends, Dave Dixon and Iain Pyman, we just tried to pull each other along because it wasn't very pleasant out there.

Obviously as the week went on, I felt like I was getting better and better and put myself in a position on Sunday. Obviously to be playing with somebody like Darren Clarke it was like when I played with Goosen and now all of a sudden I'm playing with Darren Clarke in his backyard. It was a wonderful experience for me, and he was, you know, just so nice to me. He was very chatty, very talkative.

You know, it was a great experience. Unfortunately for me it didn't quite work out how I would have liked it to have worked out but, to be disappointed and finish fifth, I think I can take a lot of encouragement from that.

But for me the main goal was to make the cut and as soon as I make the cut I was looking around at other guys thinking well, he's missed, he's missed, you know, I'm pretty sure that that guarantees me into Wentworth. So myself and Adam were absolutely thrilled to bits and we just went out and said, you know, whatever happens on the weekend, we're playing at Wentworth. So it was like a dream come true, and fortunately I was so relaxed on the weekend and hopefully that showed in my golf.

Q. Can you be that relaxed this week?

ROSS FISHER: Yeah, I mean, I think I still feel pretty tired after Ireland, so I'm not going to set myself any goals and I'm not expecting anything from the week. I'm just going to go out there and enjoy it and give it my best and see what happens. Hopefully it will be good enough. I know I'm going to get a tremendous amount of support from my family, my friends, people at the golf club, members, staff. So, you know, it's just going to an awesome experience for me and I'm going to treasure it forever.

Q. Talking about last week, the members are really, really excited because they feel that they have almost been a part of what you've done by the fact that they contribute to you?

ROSS FISHER: Coming through the scholarship, like you say, for those of who you don't know, it's most of the members contribute some money to help all the scholars basically to help fund them with teaching and playing. Without the help and support of members, personally I wouldn't be here today. So I owe everyone at Wentworth, the members, the scholarship, a great deal of thanks and gratitude. Obviously for me to be where I am now playing in front of all of them, it's a dream come true, and I think I've got the whole support and backing of all the club and I'm really looking forward to it.

Q. You're in I think on the basis of a rule by the Top 3 not otherwise exempt get in, so when did you find out you were in?

ROSS FISHER: I actually found out when I was in Kuala Lumpur. I was chatting with David Garland and he said, do you know about the two to three spots for guys not exempt, and I actually was not aware at the time. I think I was first or I was second behind (Darren) Fichardt, I believe.

And then I thought, right, I really want to try, and my first goal was to rearrange first, and unfortunately I missed out, but I think it was like 2,000 Euros, so I re ranked second. I was disappointed with that, but I thought if I can really press on and push really hard because I really wanted this, so, so bad. And I feel like I've worked my socks off and had some really good finishes, and fortunately I just managed to scrape in with some decent results over the last few weeks.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Ross, thanks very much for coming in.

End of FastScripts.

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