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DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

February 1, 2007

Jyoti Randhawa

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

RODDY WILLIAMS: It was a terrific opening round. Obviously that burst of five birdies in six holes is probably the key to the round today.
JYOTI RANDHAWA: Yeah, you guys keep telling me five birdies, yeah, I tried to keep it going. I haven't had a great last two weeks. I just figured out what I needed to do on the golf course today and I stuck with that and that paid off.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Jeev obviously had a great year last year, does that inspire you, too.
JYOTI RANDHAWA: Oh, definitely. You know, Jeev is I think is the first guy that went out and started playing outside India. We followed him and you know, he did a great job last year. He definitely is a close friend and I definitely try and keep up with him and every time he plays well he definitely inspires me to play well.
RODDY WILLIAMS: A lot of friendly rivalry.
JYOTI RANDHAWA: Friendly rivalry. We are best friends off the golf course but we are competitors on the course. I love playing with him and I love playing against him.

Q. What was the key to the round today?
JYOTI RANDHAWA: I think I practised the last two weeks. It was my timing which was not great because I had not played golf for two months, took some time off and I decided to start practising and playing, starting Abu Dhabi. So next time I'll come prepared for that, I've learned my lesson.
I think putting I would say, I don't know how many putts I made, but I putted very well. I made a few crucial birdie putts which I didn't make last week. It's good that I got my putting stroke back, and that helps a lot in scoring.

Q. Impending fatherhood, just like so many top golfers, your thoughts on that, and how do you think that is going to spur you on for the rest of the season?
JYOTI RANDHAWA: It has not really sunk in yet. Once it happens, maybe it will. I think it will bring more stability. You have a family and then you work hard for it. And if the coming baby starts eating too much, I'll have to start performing better so I will have to earn some more money. So definitely need to feed the child, then I need to play better. Definitely looking forward to it. (Laughter).

Q. What is it about this course, you always seem to perform so well on the Emirates, and last year you had the injury, and still you went out and played extremely well last year, as well?
JYOTI RANDHAWA: I think it's a great golf course. I've played this golf course quite a few times. The fairways and the greens are just immaculate and good condition, good shape. Probably suits my game a little bit.
But also, it's quite like home here. A lot of Indians, a lot of people cheering you on, and it feels that you are actually playing in your own country because every third or fourth person you see is an Indian here. So that helps. I think I like the golf course also.

Q. Last year was good in the sense that you kept your European Tour card pretty comfortably, but it was not spectacular, just one win on the Asian Tour and not such great finishes; how do you see 2006?
JYOTI RANDHAWA: Yeah, definitely, it was my first year full-time on The European Tour. I played in the Euro continent and that was the first time that I played there, which was a great help to me. Playing in the wind, rain, something that we are not used to playing and I had not played much in that. Hopefully with that past experience, I will perform better this year.

Q. Did you change something in your game in the quite a long break you had after the Volvo Masters?
JYOTI RANDHAWA: Yeah, I've been working, I have a tendency when my body gets to far, my hands don't catch up, so I try to work them together. It's my timing, because I move too far forward with my hands. I've been working on that for the last, six, seven months now so it comes and goes.

Q. Have you been working with someone?
JYOTI RANDHAWA: No. Actually yesterday I asked Pete Cowen here, who is the local coach here, and he told me the same thing what I was thinking for last four months and he confirmed it. So getting it from a coach, a guy telling you that you have to keep your hands, are not quick enough, that helped. And then I hit a few balls and I liked it and that worked today. So yeah, that helped a lot.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Could we have the details of your birdies?
JYOTI RANDHAWA: Driver, 5-wood, I hit it left on the green and chipped in and putted from four feet.
Bogeyed 15. I was 20 feet left of the flag. I hit my first putt eight feet left and missed that.
Birdied 16, I hit a driver and a wedge to about five feet and made that.
17, I hit my 3-wood and lob-wedge to about three feet and made that.
18, I hit my driver, laid up with a 9-iron and hit my sand wedge to about six feet and made that.
2, I hit my driver and lob-wedge to about seven feet and made that.
3, I hit driver, 5-wood, edge and chipped and putt for birdie.
5, I hit 3-wood, pitching wedge to about ten feet right and made that putt.
7, I hit it right of the green and I chipped to about eight feet and missed that.
Then driver and 6-iron to ten feet and made that.

Q. There was something on the 10th hole that happened, a little bit of drama on the 10th, did you hit your tee shot somewhere?
JYOTI RANDHAWA: No, I hit a perfect tee shot. I was trying to stay right on the green, or if I want to miss the green, I would go in the right. I pulled my 5-wood and I was left pin-high, but the pin is four feet from the left and you can't stop the ball. High drama, that's not how you play golf. That's not how you want to be, maybe that's what you're talking about.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Thank you very much indeed. Very well played.

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