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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 27, 2007

Justin Rose

SURREY, ENGLAND

RODDY WILLIAMS: Justin thanks very much for joining us. Unfortunately there has it be a loser in every tournament, but perhaps you could sum up your reaction to the week here in the BMW PGA Championship.
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I guess it is disappointing, you are that close, when you're obviously in a playoff, you come that close to winning a tournament and it was almost really weird. It was over so quickly. Anders rolled in the putt and I missed mine and that's it. That's what sudden death's all about.
But all in all, it's hard not to be pleased about playing so well at home and playing so well at a tournament that I really do love and a tournament that I've come to watch many times as a kid. So to be right up there in the mix would have been a dream of mine back in the day.

Q. One behind with one to play and birdie the hole, that's got to be confidence-boosting going forward, isn't it?
JUSTIN ROSE: Exactly. I certainly knew what I had to do. I took a long walk up to the green to see if Anders had made what I thought was the birdie because when I was back in the fairway he definitely got a nice round of applause and I thought, sounds like a birdie round of applause.
So I walked all the way up to the green and they had not posted it yet but I certainly knew I needed to make a four either way to, win or get in the playoff. I was pretty sure that Anders had made his four, though. It was certainly nice to have a tap-in I must say.

Q. How tough was it out there today compared to the other days of the week weather-wise, rain-wise, dampness-wise?
JUSTIN ROSE: There were periods in the round where it wasn't too bad and where the rain stopped and it wasn't too windy and conditions were soft. There was a point in the round where I felt confident about being able to make birdies. There was enough rain with holes coming in, especially 13 and 15 were playing incredibly long. Unless you hit perfect tee shots, you really were up against it.
Obviously if you look at the leaderboard today, a lot of people went backwards, and it just shows you how tough the golf course was playing.

Q. That third shot into the 18th bring back any memories of another third shot?
JUSTIN ROSE: In some ways in terms of the reception I got there on 18 in terms of, you know, it's amazingly well-staged event, this. I think certainly BMW have done a great job -- that feel around 18 certainly makes it feel like a really big championship. So to see the stands full and full of people generally cheering for me and to hit a good shot was an amazing feeling. And I guess somewhat similar to here to '98, yeah.

Q. Given your lack of golf over the last five weeks and the way you've come in and played this tournament, is that a vindication for you to going to America, as well?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I think it's an indication to me that I have improved. I think what it really tells me is that I've got a pretty simple process going that I know if I just keep doing one or two things really well and do those things consistently, hopefully I won't get too far off the beaten track with my game. I mean, you're never going to play well every single week. So I feel very -- well, I'm fortunate to have had two good weeks on the back of long layoffs. Firstly I think that's down to the fact that I'm very comfortable with my game. It doesn't take me long to sort of fire up the engines again, but I think secondly, I think it's certainly been a benefit of being fresh.

Q. Just in the playoff, you used pitching wedge on the last; how difficult was that shot on the 72nd hole in regulation?
JUSTIN ROSE: It was a similar shot, it was seven yards further out. In the playoff it was a half-wedge and in regulation, it was more like a three-quarter wedge.
That's actually a tricky shot because if you hit it just left of the hole it spins down left just short of the green so I always try to keep it up right of the hole. I pretty a pretty good shot really. As you see, it all came down to rolling in the put.

Q. You were ready for him to hole his, were you?
JUSTIN ROSE: I was kind of not expecting. I was certainly -- well, actually to be honest I was just focused on my putt. When he holed it, I didn't suddenly go, oh no. I kind of -- I still knew I needed to make my putt one way or the other. It was like the shot on 18 really. I knew I needed to make four and when I was facing my putt even before I hit, I just knew he had to hole it.

Q. It didn't take you aback?
JUSTIN ROSE: No, it didn't. It gets down to a match-play situation, and often in match play, you've always got to expect your opponent to do good things. But at the same time you've got to stay focused on what you've got to do.

Q. Did you mis-hit it or misread it?
JUSTIN ROSE: I think I was trying to hit it straight to be honest and I got a feeling it went left. I had my head down most of the way. It didn't feel a bad putt but it certainly missed by a good six inches left. I certainly think it was a bit of a misread.

Q. How much have you enjoyed the attention you've received this week, and how does it contrast with the way you're received generally in the United States?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, there's no doubt playing at home is different feeling. I certainly get much greater support and I really do enjoy that. I think, you know, in America, I'm sort of gaining support and gaining interest if you like. But still here at home, there's nothing better than playing in front of your home crowd.

Q. You must be aware you're already a star here; you could be a superstar here if you chose to play on this side of the Atlantic. How much of an attraction is that to you, if at all?
JUSTIN ROSE: The ego of being a superstar doesn't attract me at all. It's choosing to be the best player I can be and choosing the best schedule I believe is going to help me win the right tournaments, and certainly I feel that that is a mixture of both tours.

Q. Playing Muirfield Village next week?
JUSTIN ROSE: I'm actually not. I'm going to withdraw. I'm basically under, from the advice given to me from my fitness trainer, Cam, who is experienced with footballers at Arsenal Football League, with the layoff I've had, I have to give it some time fitness-wise in the gym to get strong again, to cope with a full playing schedule. So I'm going to dedicate the next couple of weeks to really get myself strong and 100% fit before then getting back into a full playing schedule.

Q. U.S. Open next?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah.

Q. What was the other event you said you played well in after a layoff?
JUSTIN ROSE: The Masters. Just a little one, yeah.

Q. How long of a layoff?
JUSTIN ROSE: Four weeks before that.

Q. Why are you protecting -- is it a problem?
JUSTIN ROSE: No, it's not. Basically at Augusta I felt similar to this. Like I got through the week and I went to try to play the next week and I didn't quite cope with that heavy sort of -- that schedule. So this time around, I'm just trying to be a little bit more cautious, although I don't believe there's a problem. It's just a matter of getting myself a little bit stronger.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Thanks very much indeed for your time and well done this week.

End of FastScripts

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