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VOLVO MASTERSNovember 3, 2007Justin RoseSAN ROQUE, SPAIN GORDON SIMPSON: Well, Justin, the season comes down to 18 holes, which is probably how most people want it, certainly how you want it, and you're in position to do everything you wanted to do. JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, definitely. I mean, like I said yesterday, four-shot lead at the halfway stage is really nothing to get excited about. I still think a four-shot lead is nothing to get excited about, as I proved in two holes. You know, it can evaporate very, very quickly. But it's another day nearer, no doubt about it. I survived today, which was good. I thought today was just a great day to get around after level par, especially after the start, I'm delighted with that and delighted to maintain a four-shot lead after that start. GORDON SIMPSON: Your hole-out on 9 was fantastic as well. JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, definitely. Putted a lot better today, and that's the key. This golf course, you're going to have 4-footers for par. It's just the way it is. So wanted to clean those off, to clean those up nicely is important. Q. Can you just tell us what you were thinking after that second hole? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, obviously a little bit shellshocked. Not the start I was looking for, especially the fact that I felt pretty good -- well, I nailed my first tee shot, felt great, everything was good. Just slightly misjudged the second shot. And then every day, that green became a little firmer, and I went with a sand wedge instead of trying to chip a pitching wedge and it spun, such a severe front third of the green there, and just spun right off the front. It's always going to be a tough 2-putt from 60 feet on that green. That wasn't the end of the world. But making 6 on the next hole, that was certainly not worth a dropped shot. Another great tee shot, and I knew I was swinging the club well and everything, and I didn't feel like I was, you know, in bad shape or anything. But you know, it certainly rocked me a little bit, and I just needed to take stock on my round. And I actually said to myself on the third tee: "I said, well, you're still leading and you're still joint leader in the golf tournament. Let's just go from here now." And that's the way I looked at it. Q. Justin, talking about what the doctor ordered, is there any reaction from your sickness, or do you feel as though you're back to 100 per cent? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I'm fine now, yeah. Q. Second question. I asked Padraig the same one, where does the pressure lie tomorrow? JUSTIN ROSE: I think for me just trying to win the tournament, really, to be honest with you. It's as clear as that. The goal is a very simple equation; you win one, you win both. So that's the mind-set I need going into tomorrow. GORDON SIMPSON: I suppose the only thing that has changed is the order of play; you're out with Simon Dyson and he's out with Martin Kaymer. Is that any effect at all that you're not watching each other on this occasion? JUSTIN ROSE: It would be nice, I suppose, to have played together and had it -- well, hopefully I'd have been four ahead still, or more. But, you know, anyway, at the end of the day, I think it would be nice to come -- we'll both be in the last group, but also I'm really happy to be playing with Simon Dyson. He's a good friend of mine, and that will be a slightly more relaxing two-ball possibly. Q. I spoke to your coach and he was saying about Walter Hagen going up there thinking you're going to have five mistakes; can you talk about that? This season you've been able to put many disasters behind you very quickly; you've done that in so many tournaments. JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I made five in the first two holes, so that was the quote. That's the key, on this golf course, you're going to make mistakes. But yeah, I didn't panic and my caddie said to me, "Listen, sometimes you're good when you're backed up against the wall." It's just a matter of fighting and grinding. Yeah, you can't play every shot perfectly, but yeah, it was just a little bit harder to get over, obviously, when you compound -- when I compounded the error so quickly and so early on in my round really. Q. Would you agree that that's something that's really improved in the last 12 to 18 months, your mental strength to come over -- to get over things like that? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, definitely. I had no choice today. It was either get over it or ruin the whole round. But I probably wouldn't have seen it that clearly a couple of years ago for sure. I would have been frustrated -- I'd probably have panicked, and I guess the key is I didn't panic. I re-evaluated the round and reset my goals and just started again. Q. How has winning the Order of Merit become a much closer deal the closer you got to doing it? JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, definitely, I think a few weeks ago, I was of the mind-set that if it happened, great. But when the realization -- well, obviously my week off last week. But my realization came, actually, well, it's not an opportunity that presents itself every year and certainly has never done for me in the past. So my week off last week, I tried to get myself obviously really up for this week and I've prepared hard and worked hard to putt myself in this position. So yeah, the real decision is that -- or came to me, obviously, last week, that it was something I really wanted. Q. Any little quirks or superstitions that you have going into a final day? Do you always wear the same colour shirt or is it just another day at the office? JUSTIN ROSE: No, no quirks, no superstitions. No, it won't be -- no, no, nothing like that. (Smiling) I'm afraid. Q. I can't remember, did you have a World Ranking goal at the start of this year? JUSTIN ROSE: Top 20. GORDON SIMPSON: You could go at 6 if you win. JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, well -- GORDON SIMPSON: That's not bad, is it. JUSTIN ROSE: That's plenty to play for. In fact, that would have been -- that's above and beyond my expectations at the start of the year. You know, there's plenty to play for, we know that. GORDON SIMPSON: Well, it looks like it's winner-take-all. Good luck tomorrow and we'll hopefully see you here at the same time. End of FastScripts |
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