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HSBC CHAMPIONS

November 9, 2007

Ross Fisher

SHANGHAI, CHINA

SHENTON GOMEZ: Thanks for coming in, great round for you, 8-under in total. Are you surprised to be where you're at after two rounds?
ROSS FISHER: With the score, yeah, a little bit. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I think I feel like it's not playing overly difficult, but to be fair I've driven the ball extremely well the first two days. So if you drive it well around here, you're going to score well because the rough is pretty penal. But the greens are perfect, and you can roll in 20-footers halfway there, you know it's in if you've got a good stroke on it.
Obviously very pleased to shoot two 68s and very pleased to see myself doing so well.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Nice finish with the birdie on 18. Just run us through what happened there.
ROSS FISHER: 18, hit a bad drive, actually. I was a bit disappointed, just pulled it left into the thick rough and only hit sort of 9-iron to lay up. I think I had about 140, just under 140 to the flag, and just hit a three-quarter 9-iron. Thought it was past the flag actually and got up there and it was pin-high sort of about 10, 12 feet and just took my time, got the line right and hit a really good putt and obviously dropped in, so it was very nice.
SHENTON GOMEZ: You've won your first tournament in Holland, how has that changed your focus on the game?
ROSS FISHER: I think whereas before, I would turn up to each week trying to win, whereas now, obviously, after winning, you know that you can do it. So I turn up now wanting to win and believing that I can win. Obviously the first win is a massive stepping stone, and I just want to get back into the winner's circle as soon as possible.

Q. You've got extra length, which is obviously a great thing. When you go into rough and things, are you holding it back or are you just taking it on, do you know what I mean, in terms off the tee?
ROSS FISHER: Like any hole in particular?

Q. Just how does your mental attitude change, do you throttle back and go for accuracy or do you still bomb it?
ROSS FISHER: No, not really. I just try and, as it were, swing away. There's a couple of holes, like 10, the fairway runs out. But Adam actually said to me, "The rough is not that thick, so just hit driver." When there's no wind, you might be able to get it on to the other fairway but the last two days I've been in the rough and it's not been too bad.
But when I have missed fairways, it's been pretty difficult. I mean, 18 was not great and I think I missed one on maybe 13, the par 5, and that was a little bit tricky.
Like I say, I've driven the ball really, really well but haven't really throttled back. I just feel like I'm swinging it good and just keep trying to hit the right shots.

Q. And you're, therefore, hitting shorter irons in than a lot of players which would be an advantage?
ROSS FISHER: Oh, definitely, yeah.

Q. David Probyn told me that he really tucked the pins up yesterday after yesterday and you've still produced a 68 so that must be satisfy, as well.
ROSS FISHER: Yeah, there were some tricky pins actually. I have to say, I think 15, that was quite a tricky pin, and I was quite pleased and relieved to walk off with four there because I hit it past the flag down the right-hand side. So I had to sort of aim it about 10 or 12 feet right of the flag and let the swing come down the slope.
But yeah, the pins are pretty tricky. I mean, there's some generous ones, but if you're coming in with wedges, it's not too bad, whereas if you're coming in with sort of 6-iron, 7-iron, you do need to sort of take into account they are not going to pitch and stop dead.

Q. So your length is an advantage this week?
ROSS FISHER: Definitely, yeah. I'm going to try and use it to my advantage.

Q. The past two days, you're putting skills are proving to be very good; how many putts did you have in today's round?
ROSS FISHER: I wouldn't be able to tell you off the top of my head. I know I had 30 yesterday. I would imagine around a similar sort of number of about 30.

Q. What is your practise schedule during a tournament week, how do you usually plan your practise in the day?
ROSS FISHER: Generally try and do a bit of everything. Obviously this week was quite tough for me because I didn't travel till Monday and I didn't get here until Tuesday night.
So I only managed to sort of come up to the course and did a little bit of practise on the range, hit maybe two baskets of balls. Did a little bit of short game around the chipping green and a bit of putting, and then went out and walked the front nine with my caddie who had already walked the front nine and the back nine just to get the feel for the course.
And then literally had a bite to eat, hit maybe another bucket of balls and then about 30 minutes putting. By then I was feeling pretty tired and then I went back and just relaxed back at the hotel. That was my practise this week.

Q. You said you want to get back in the winner's circle as quickly as possible, did you ever think it was a possibility this week considering the field and your game at the moment?
ROSS FISHER: I would say so. I don't feel like I'm on top of my game like I was like in Dubai and the first three days of Wentworth and in Holland. But sort of the last few weeks, I would say, has been pretty good. I mean, Portugal, I turned up and was hitting the ball really bad sort of Tuesday, Wednesday, and didn't really have any expectation. And then to go out there and shoot the scores I did, I was really pleased.
So gave me confidence going into last week at Valderrama, and then Valderrama I felt like I played pretty well, and obviously to have finished 10-over and finished 14th, I was, you know, pretty pleased with.
So I came in here with, I would say, pretty good expectations. I felt like my game was getting there. It wasn't quite where I wanted it to be but I just managed to get myself around the golf course the last few weeks but so far this week my swing feels pretty good. I'm putting really nicely on the greens, so, yeah, I feel pretty comfortable on the golf course and pretty confident.

Q. Is that an advantage, then, for you not coming in working on your game?
ROSS FISHER: I think possibly. I think always try to come into an event obviously feeling like you're playing at your best. But if you're not you just have to work at things to try to get it as good as you can before Thursday comes around. That's what I've done the last few weeks and so this week feels a bit better than the last two. So hopefully it can continue.

Q. Did you sort of come here in 2007 calendar mode, or 2008 European Tour mode ready to do the best and give the new season a kick start?
ROSS FISHER: I suppose kind of a little bit of both. It's obviously still in 2007, but it's kind of almost a little bit hard to actually believe that this is the first event of 2008.
But obviously it's a massive event. The field is very, very strong. You know, the prize money is very, very good. There's obviously good World Ranking points. So you have almost got to try to get into mind-set that it is the first tournament.
Last week was last week, the end of the season. But you've just got to try and scrap that off. Obviously there's nobody up on the Order of Merit yet, so you want to try to get off to the best possible start and earn as much as you can towards the Order of Merit.

Q. I understand that you played in the Volvo China Open in Beijing earlier this year, and I would like to know your impressions of China, this market, and also in terms of what's the difference you feel between Beijing and Shanghai.
ROSS FISHER: I'd say overall, I've only been -- what, this is my third trip to China and I have to say I actually really like it, because it brings back fond memories, the Volvo China Open in Shenzhen was my first event as a professional on The European Tour, and I actually was leading going into the last round.
So it's quite a special place, that's for sure and I've performed quite well there. Unfortunately Beijing this year for the two events, I missed both cuts, so that was a shame.
But obviously here, to come back and to know the history behind the course and the event, it's obviously great to come to a place like China, because everyone is so friendly. Everyone tries to help you as best as they can. It's just a nice, refreshing place to come to.

Q. What are your aims for this game? How far do you think you can go?
ROSS FISHER: Oh, crickey, that's quite a difficult question. I don't know, really. I mean, I just enjoy the game and I just want to keep playing tournaments, keep playing to contend for tournaments, because that's what it's all about. You know, coming down the stretch on Sunday, the back nine, with a chance to win the tournament, that's what everyone turns up to play for. That's what I'm dreamt of doing for a long, long time and obviously I'm now kind of, as it were, living a dream and playing a game I love to play and getting paid extremely well for doing this game.
But at the same time, it's very tough, it's very demanding. Obviously there's a lot of tournaments, a lot of travel, but so far, I'm absolutely loving it and just want to keep playing, just stay fresh, keep healthy and who knows what the future may hold.

Q. Obviously in your mind as a good professional, a good, young professional, you must be thinking major championships, Ryder Cups and a long career.
ROSS FISHER: Yeah, definitely. Obviously I'm only 26. I'm still quite young, so I've got quite a long career ahead of myself hopefully, touch wood, don't have any injuries. But yeah, obviously I'd love to play in majors. That's a big part and I want to play in as many as I can obviously before I finish my career. Ryder Cup would be fantastic, as well. But just taking, you know, one day at a time, one round at a time and not try and get ahead of myself and we'll just see what happens.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Thanks, Ross, and good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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