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IRISH OPEN

May 16, 2007

Paul McGinley

ADARE, IRELAND

Q. You said this course is one of the best courses in Ireland?
PAUL McGINLEY: It's my favourite. I think it's a wonderful golf course, wonderful design. I think it's going to play extremely long this week with the new tee boxes they put in and the weather we're going to have.

Q. What do you think of the McGinley Tee on the 8th?
PAUL McGINLEY: Well, I didn't.

Q. It's called the McGinley Tee?
PAUL McGINLEY: I didn't mean to put it back. I didn't mean to go back 64 yards. So hopefully we won't play it from the very back because it's not meant to be played from that length. The green is not designed for that length of hole.

Q. It's going to be pretty tough if the elements are against us.
PAUL McGINLEY: Yeah, it's going to be a tough golf course. The rough is U.S. Open-style rough. The ball is not flying very far in these conditions and yeah, it's going to be a long, tough golf course.

Q. Irish Open, special for any Irishman, special week for all of you here?
PAUL McGINLEY: Of course it is. It's all about playing well and getting in contention.

Q. All of the changes, are you responsible for any of them at all?
PAUL McGINLEY: No.

Q. So why is your name on the 8?
PAUL McGINLEY: Three years ago at the PGA-- five years ago --

Q. The PGA, five years later?
PAUL McGINLEY: I was playing with Tom Kane afterwards and he was asking about some of the greens on the course and the golf course you know my opinion, it's one of my favourite inland courses in Ireland and he said he could do with a couple of new tee boxes to make it a really challenging course.
You saw last year Padraig was shooting 63 light-out last year in good conditions. It did need a little bit of lengthening but unfortunately he put in the length and you have the conditions this week -- No. 8, I didn't walk out and tell him where to putt the tee or what to do. 64 yards is just too far. The design -- it's not designed for a hole of that length. It's a driver or 3-iron now and it's not designed for a 3-iron and so I'm sure they won't move the tee back.

Q. The course is designed for good weather --
PAUL McGINLEY: Yeah, that's the point I just made exactly. Hopefully the tee box is long enough that -- it's asthetically beautiful. It's going to portray Ireland in a great light throughout the world. Particularly America, Americans are going to love the backdrop there, the 9th, you have the back drop -- how better can you express Ireland than that picture.
There are some great inland courses, obviously a great week at K Club at the Ryder Cup last year and Mt. Juliet.

Q. More and more Irish courses are designed by Americans --
PAUL McGINLEY: It's an Irish course because it not so much the course looks Irish but the feels Irish with the trees and the river running through it. That's all very Irish showing Ireland in that kind of light.
As I say we've got links course and we sell very well throughout the world but we have to also the inland courses and we have three really top-notch ones.

Q. What makes it your favourite?
PAUL McGINLEY: There's so many good holes. I think when it comes to this whole thing is the ninth hole. The backdrop of the Manor, you're looking right up to the Manor and you're picking the spot on the Manor where you hit your second shot and you pitch it on to the green.

Q. (About design).
PAUL McGINLEY: Well, I spoke with Tom Kane and he said when Trent Jones designed it his idea was the third shot would be played -- and hence putting in the new tee box.
When I played here in the PGA I was hitting that green in two so it's obviously changed for that reason. He said it was -- idea to play the hole two-shot or not a two-shot. If it's into the wind and it's heavy -- yeah, they will shorten it.
There's so many gorgeous ones, a lot of beautiful holes.

Q. How are you playing?
PAUL McGINLEY: I'm playing all right.

Q. Have you been to Las Brisas?
PAUL McGINLEY: I don't know Las Brisas.

Q. (About course design).
PAUL McGINLEY: Yeah, you're probably right. This to me it doesn't have the identity of a Trent Jones. Normally his greens are much more severe than what you have here and it doesn't have that huge identity of what he's done throughout rest of the world.

Q. The par 5s are a good test?
PAUL McGINLEY: Yeah, it is and hopefully the guys can get on in two and play some good golf.
It's a wonderful design. I've been on record in saying it, I think it's a wonderful design. It's my favourite inland course in Ireland and I think it's going to show Ireland in a great light this week and even better, we have an Irishman up there.
I've played solid this year and Top-10 in stroke average this year on the Tour, yet I'm languishing down on the Order of Merit. I haven't put it all together. That's what I'm missing is consistency of what you need now.

Q. Do you picture how it is to be in contention; do you remember the feel?
PAUL McGINLEY: Of course you do. Getting in contention. Once I get in contention, I'll hold there but getting there, getting off to a fast start, which is something I haven't done all season would be nice.

Q. Is this tournament good to have in a May date or should it be changed?
PAUL McGINLEY: The golfing gods are starting to suggest that. The weather gods are starting to suggest that. They have not blessed us with any good weather in May and looks like they are going to do it again this week. -- it wasn't May, though, it was July.
But you know we'll see. We don't know yet what the weather is going to be like.

End of FastScripts

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