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AT&T NATIONAL

July 5, 2007

Greg Owen

BETHESDA, MARYLAND

NELSON SILVERIO: Greg, thanks for coming in today and spending a couple of minutes with us. Why don't you just give us some generally comments on your round, great opening rounds today.
GREG OWEN: I played pretty solid. I hit a lot of good iron shots, and my distances were pretty good. Greens are soft. Got to hit the fairways. The rough is pretty brutal. Halfway through the round, back nine, I started missing a couple of fairways.
I struggled a little bit. I went a bit off pace but found it towards the end and made a couple of nice putts.

Q. Has it been kind of a rough year, but seemed like the last couple of events you've found something?
GREG OWEN: I found something today. I've been working so hard and getting nothing out of the game at the moment. It's been very frustrating.
You know, it's like golf comes and goes. It's one of those things, you can do all of the right things and get nothing from it. That's the way it's been seeming to go at the moment. It's been a really tough year for me. I don't know why. I'm working with the same things, the same coach and I'm practicing harder than ever. It's just not been my year.
So you know, it's been nice to play well today and hopefully we can keep it going through the week and sort a few things out.

Q. What have you done since Memorial, a lot of practice time?
GREG OWEN: Yeah, I've been playing nearly every day. I'm practicing every day. My family is all over in the U.K. at the moment, and I decided I need to stay out here and practice. I need to get my job done out here.
I've been working so hard, every day, and it's starting to pay off. I still need to work on my driving this week. It wasn't good enough today. I scrambled it a little bit on the back nine. But, you know, it's a hard test. Everyone thinks that it's easy, they are completely wrong.

Q. Anything physically you've changed?
GREG OWEN: I think my back issues are always pretty well noticed and I still have problems. It's not stopped me. I'm practicing hard. It's not easy to do it. I have to see a physio every day.
That's something I have to live with if I want to keep playing golf. I'm willing to do that. I'm willing to work hard just to stay out here, because it's the best tour in the world and this is where I want to be.

Q. For somebody who has had many successes, but also had some back problems, does that issue of hard work, is that kind of a double-edged sword?
GREG OWEN: It never goes away. The harder you work, the worse your back gets. You work on your back and it takes time away from your practice. It's just hard to get a balance right. Every single day, I wake up and it's there; I'm always going to have it.
But I'm learning to deal with it. I'm learning to accept it, and as I say, if I want to play at this kind of level, I've got to putt up with it. And it's either that or just pack up and I don't want to do that.

Q. How is the weather conditions out there today?
GREG OWEN: There's a little swirly wind, a little breeze. It started to pick up on the last couple of holes. It's getting a little hot out there, and I hear there's a front coming in. Hopefully that misses all the guys this afternoon and they just get the wind. (Smiling)

Q. Every once in a while over the years we talk to a player who at some point decides to practice hitting balls less; will that ever come, or just not enough --
GREG OWEN: I always think if I'm playing well, I'll practice less. When I'm playing well on the course, I'll practice less. If I'm not playing well, then obviously there's something wrong, so I have to work on it.
So I've been working hard. I know what you're saying. Sometimes it's just relax and go and enjoy it.
But when you see all of these young lads coming out here and playing and shooting these kind of scores, and I'm struggling at 1-under and level par going backwards all the time, you've got to find something else. Today I found it and I just kept my momentum. A couple of bogeys early in the back nine, but came back well.
It's a tough course, and I hung in pretty well.

Q. Did you play Carnoustie last time?
GREG OWEN: Oohh, my first British Open. It was a brutal test. You know, I can't remember my exact score, I think it was like 81-85 and I thought I played pretty well, for the conditions. (Laughter).
I remember standing on that tee and they had the big grandstand on the right and they had the grandstand on the left of the first tee, and I was just thinking, "Please don't kill anybody on this tee." (Laughter)
It was a great experience. I've had a few more since then, and it's a wonderful golf course. I think personally it's the best golf course there for the Open. And I just hope they just let the guys play, and set it up for an Open, but don't make it ridiculous. Just let them play, and if they play well, so let them make some birdies. Isn't that the name of the game? So many of these golf courses are tricked up every week, just let good golf get rewarded.

Q. Does it look like that this week or like it was for the Open?
GREG OWEN: I don't know what that was like, but this course is in wonderful shape. The greens are a little softer than what they wanted, but you can't do anything about the weather. Everything is manicured perfectly. The rough is up. I just think they want the greens a little firmer, but they can't do a lot about that at the moment. I think it's one of the best golf courses we play of the year. After 3-under, I think I'd have to say that, anyway.

Q. How did you play the two long par 4s, 11 and 6, and what did you hit to those greens?
GREG OWEN: 11 I played it badly. I hit it in a ditch, took a drop being managed to make a 5. But that's a real test. You know you have to play in and hit a good shot on that hole.
6, that wasn't too bad today. I hit driver, 7-iron. Again, personally, I don't know why they have made that a par 4, but I thought it was a really good par 5 off that back tee. But obviously I'm in the minority there, so my opinion won't count.
I think if you're going to make a par 4 a par 4, then resign the green, as well sometimes. I think that was a real good risk/reward par 5, where the spectators get a bit of fun, guys with 3-woods and 2-irons, some hit great shots on the greens, some hit it in the water. Now it's just everybody making par and get out of there.

Q. I've heard you're a big fan of movies and I noticed your middle name is Clive and there's a British actor named Clive Owen, have you met him?
GREG OWEN: No, I hate that name. So thanks for bringing it up. (Laughter).

Q. So you're not a big fan of his movies?
GREG OWEN: He's a great actor. I like his movies. I just don't like the name. I wish it wasn't my name. But I didn't pick it, so it's not my fault.
NELSON SILVERIO: Thanks, Greg.

End of FastScripts

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