THE RYDER CUP MATCHES

September 22, 2006

Ian Woosnam

GORDON SIMPSON: Ian, you played all your players today, all your players contributed, you have a 5 3 lead, all in all, not a bad day's work.

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: As I say, I think I played all my players. I think they played exceptionally well, every single one of them, and to be leading is a marvelous day, for me and my team, it's a fantastic experience in the team room. I would have been happy with just one point, again, but being two ahead is great.

GORDON SIMPSON: You've submitted your pairings?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: I've put mine in.

Q. Would you say something about Sergio Garcia and how well he played and his contribution?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: Sergio just, you know, he just lifted his game unbelievably, which he always seems to do when he plays in the Ryder Cup. He has that spirit, that Spanish spirit, and out there with Olazábal, what a great pairing. And, you know, what else can I say? He's on top form.

GORDON SIMPSON: But you split him up and he still came through, didn't he, with Luke.

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: He played with Luke in the afternoon, and they are very comfortable together. They spend a lot of time playing together in America, and that was a great pairing, as well.

Q. How much thought did you give to starting your rookie Stenson in the foursomes? Was it a gamble?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: Henrik is playing great golf. It's amazing when you've got a guy with that much power to leave him out in the four ball in the morning, it's incredible. He just showed how much he wanted to play this afternoon, and he played some fantastic golf.

I think he's No. 11 in the world or something like that. I left three players out in the morning who are in the top 14 in the world, I think. I felt that, you know, we're so strong from top to bottom that it's unbelievable. But he played fantastic.

Q. Monty's putt, can you just say how difficult that putt was?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: Obviously Lee hit a fantastic putt, the first one from 100 foot or whatever it was. The pace of that green is a little bit faster going away down to the water.

Monty, how many times have we seen him hole that left to right putt coming back? He's done it so many times, and he's got such courage. You know, what a man to have on your team.

Q. What sort of psychological advantage is two points over one point?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: One point more. (Laughter).

Well, it's one more point closer again to the 14½, isn't it?

Q. What does it mean for your team that you held their two big teams with Tiger and Furyk to Mickelson and DiMarco to a total of one and a half points out of four? What does that mean for your team?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: It puts them in a great spirit. It means they are not frightened of anybody. They can go out there, it's match play, and, you know, they have proved what they have done today and, you know, if they have come up with them pairings again tomorrow, none of the guys are going to be scared of it.

Q. Lee and Monty, was that a late decision to put them together? They didn't practise together, did they?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: As I say, they go so well. As I say, I could play everybody together near enough.

Q. When did you decide?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: I decided this morning on that pairing.

Q. Late on?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: Very late on, yeah.

Q. Playing everybody in the opening day, was that a long term plan you had?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: No, because I think it's difficult to come with a plan, because you don't know how everybody's playing. When I got here and I seen everybody practising, they were playing so well. I decided I think it was Wednesday that I was going to play everybody.

Q. Having played everyone today and having it work out as well as it has, will you be tempted to do the same tomorrow, to keep everyone involved again?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: Well, that would be nice. I think that all depends on what happens in the morning and see how everybody is playing. You could be looking that way again. I'll have to wait and see how it goes in the morning.

Q. As you're roving about all day today, was there any particular time that you might have been part of a piece of advice or anything that might have made a difference in a particular match?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: I think I'll give a little bit of advice on one hole, and it ended up on the TV tower. (Laughter). I thought it would be better to keep my mouth shut. (Laughter).

I felt on the seventh hole, I watched the first few guys play the hole and they were coming up short. And I just felt that, you know, I said to my guys, just make sure you play half a club more or a club more. Obviously Stenson went with a club more and pulled it a bit and ended up in the TV tower but made an unbelievable 4 and won the hole. You can't get up and down out of a water hazard.

Q. Listening to you talk, you seem to have total self belief that your team is going to win this match.

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: I don't want to get too in front of myself. I want to just carry on, take every day by itself, and carry on as we are. Everybody is in a good mood, but we know what the game of golf is like; it can change in one minute.

Any of them matches could have changed today. So I'm just happy and proud for my guys just to be two points ahead.

Q. Seven of the eight matches came to the last hole. How much does that say about how close these two teams are?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: Exactly. I think, you know, a lot of people wrote a lot about the American team being strong, but they are great players, they all can play great golf. Anything in match play, anybody can beat anybody, as we seen in the World Match Play last week.

I think you're going to see a lot of matches come down to the last. I think it's fantastic for the players, and it's fantastic for the spectators.

Q. How is it different being a captain? Like right now, what would you be doing if you were a player?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: I'd be having a beer most probably. I'll get that when I get back.

I think it's just trying to be making sure everybody is happy, and they are all part of a team and I seem to be doing the right thing.

Q. And it's just as fun or not as fun?

CAPTAIN IAN WOOSNAM: Not as fun. (Laughter).

GORDON SIMPSON: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.