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DUBAI DESERT CLASSICFebruary 1, 2008Damien McGraneDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES RODDY WILLIAMS: Damien, thanks very much for coming in and joins us, tournament leader at the moment, obviously a few holes for some of the players behind you, but must be great to see your name at the top of the leaderboard. DAMIEN McGRANE: Yeah, it's so difficult out there today, and to be honest, yesterday was great weather, which you really had to score low yesterday, but I'm delighted to be up there. I played well again today, and the course is difficult, so nothing comes easy out there. And European Tour I feel have done a good job in setting up the course, considering the forecast was dodgy, really, wasn't it. So I'm happy to be there, yeah. RODDY WILLIAMS: Obviously the prospect of playing with Tiger over the course of the weekend, how do you feel about that? DAMIEN McGRANE: Yeah, I think everybody here would like to play with Tiger, so, yeah, absolutely. You know, it's part and parcel of what we do. We want to be out there with the best players in the world and obviously trying to achieve the highest things in the game, and obviously to win golf tournaments, that's what you have to do. RODDY WILLIAMS: Highlight of your round, the eagle on the third? DAMIEN McGRANE: Yeah, I hit a very good second shot and I almost surprised myself, pitched it on the green, hit the flag and finished four feet from the hole and made the putt for an eagle so, that was certainly the highlight. Q. Second shot and distance? DAMIEN McGRANE: 283. Q. Club? DAMIEN McGRANE: There's only one club, 3-wood. Q. Have you got anybody to take a picture of the leaderboard for your family with your name above Tiger's? DAMIEN McGRANE: They are sitting there in front of you. (Laughter). Q. It's been a long journey from being the club professional at Wexford Golf Club to leading the Dubai Desert Classic, can you talk a little about your trajectory and how you've come this far in your career? DAMIEN McGRANE: You know, golf is a tough game, and it's been a long road for me. Obviously I still think I'm on the correct road moving forward, and it's nice to see my name at the top of the leaderboard. But that's what it's about, isn't it. That's why we practice so hard and why we work continuously to improve what we do. And obviously when we hole a few putts, we can be there or thereabouts. Like Wexford for me was a long time ago and it stood me well at the time, and I've moved on a long ways since then. Q. Can you talk about the conditions today and how tough it was sort of like having the sand in your face for four hours? DAMIEN McGRANE: My eyes are quite dry now, so it certainly was a bizarre experience for me. Normally it's tears that are coming out of my eyes with wind and rain and frost. Today, finishing on the last few holes, it was very cold, and you don't expect that in the desert. But you know, it was nearly my type of weather today, so I made the most of it. Q. Have you ever spoken to Tiger? DAMIEN McGRANE: Walked past him I suppose. Q. Has it been a big ambition to play with him? DAMIEN McGRANE: No, I wouldn't say it's my lifelong dream. Obviously we all want to play better than Tiger. Obviously that's our ambition, play alongside him, see how the game is played, see what we should be doing, because obviously he sets the mark at the moment. But it would be nice to see, yeah. I would like to experience it up front. Q. Do you think you will be nervous? DAMIEN McGRANE: I hope not. Golf is a difficult game for me and obviously I have to make the most of what I do. I play my own game and no matter who I'm playing with, whether it's yourself or Tiger, I have to try and do the same thing, play my own game and obviously sink a few putts and hopefully the numbers add up correctly at the end of the day. Q. Who would be the biggest player you've played with in the past? DAMIEN McGRANE: I've played with Ernie a few times, Monty, a couple of times, and I've enjoyed all those experiences. It's great to play with those guys, and they almost play a different game. Q. It would be fair to say you probably made more cuts than any other Irish man last year other than Padraig, and you had a good first couple of rounds, three rounds last week in Qatar, as well. Is the next step in your golf getting those good finishes over the weekend? DAMIEN McGRANE: Yeah, obviously I certainly feel that, you know, I tend to play three good rounds and then play one round not so good. But if I keep knocking on the door, my time has to come. Q. What have you been doing well these first two rounds? DAMIEN McGRANE: I've been steady. I haven't been making too many bogeys. And in the conditions, you have to chip-and-putt when you need it, and that's what I've been doing to be honest. I've been trying to keep the bogeys off the card. Q. If you do play with Tiger, will that be the biggest or most exciting day of your golfing life so far? DAMIEN McGRANE: Well, I'm sure it's something that is going to be very different, it will be a different experience, again. It's an experience I haven't had before playing with a player of his stature. I suppose there's nobody bigger in the game, is there. So it has to be a new experience for me. But as I said earlier on, he has his game and I have my game, and I try to do the best with what I have. Q. What do you regard as your best golfing moment so far? DAMIEN McGRANE: I have no idea. I'd need a month to think about it. Q. I believe you won't even lift a bag of coal out of the boot of the car for fear of injuring yourself and Tiger is lifting these heavyweights. Can you think of any comparison at all between yourself and Tiger? DAMIEN McGRANE: I think both of us had dinner in the steak house the other night. That's about it, right. (Laughter). Q. What night was it that you had the meal in the steakhouse? DAMIEN McGRANE: Two nights ago. Q. You were with your family? DAMIEN McGRANE: Yeah. Q. And all of these are family? DAMIEN McGRANE: Yeah, Ronan is a friend; the two girls are sisters. Q. You said it's not a lifelong dream to play with Tiger, what is your lifelong dream? DAMIEN McGRANE: Well, I'd like to start by winning a golf tournament, and then obviously I need to get a new dream after that, but my first ambition is to win a golf tournament on The European Tour. RODDY WILLIAMS: Can we have the details of your birdies and a couple of bogeys? DAMIEN McGRANE: Bogeyed the first. Missed the green right, chipped it onto ten feet and missed it. The par 3, I hit 5-iron to 20 feet, holed it. The 10th hole, chipped to four feet, holed it, birdie. 13th hole, chipped to four feet, birdied. Bogeyed the 15th par 3, missed the green on the right-hand side, chipped on, two putts. Par. RODDY WILLIAMS: Damien, thanks very much and well played today. End of FastScripts |
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