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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 11, 2008

Ian Woosnam

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

Q. An annoying bogey at the last, but a 71 today, I imagine you got to be pleased with that?
IAN WOOSNAM: Oh, yeah, that's a good chance of making the cut with that, I think. So I'm really, really happy. Yeah, I hit a good second shot in there, just knocked it down a little bit. And I couldn't ground my putter, just holding it off the ground and just, it was an absolutely a handbag one, wasn't it. I was lagging it up there. I thought it was downhill, but it was actually uphill.
So I was happy with that. I would have taken that before I went out. So it looks like I made the cut for the first time for a long time, I guess.

Q. And what's the secret to the success this week?
IAN WOOSNAM: I don't know. It's just, someone said to get my weight to my right side a little bit more and that's made a big difference to me. Yeah, just being a little bit more patient. Played a little bit more to the middle of the greens and I have to say, I holed a couple of nice little putts today. I played pretty steady over the last couple of days.

Q. I remember speaking to you last year, before you took on this golf course, which has become an absolute monster, and you saying how difficult it is for the likes of you and Sandy Lyle whose played so well this week. That's some achievement, your two scores.
IAN WOOSNAM: Yeah, you know, I only played two tournaments on the Champions Tour and I think it's been great practice for me because the courses have been really difficult. So when I have come here it's set me up well for today, I think.

Q. And you haven't been playing all that much golf all together, have you?
IAN WOOSNAM: No, I played a week in Barbados and on the European Tour and then I played two weeks on the Champions Tour. And I haven't really played for a year. As I said, that was the first round I walked around yesterday in a year. And that was, this is the second one. So that's a tough enough achievement as it is.

Q. Has it taken a toll?
IAN WOOSNAM: I just keep spasming up all the time. Very much in the morning. As I get going I seem to get better. So that's a good sign. Hopefully it's getting better.

Q. You look as though you really enjoyed being back here because you didn't play last year.
IAN WOOSNAM: I couldn't play, I thought I wasn't going to play again. Through first, through both days, really, as I said, it got better as I went around.

Q. Is this the year of the dragon?
IAN WOOSNAM: The year of the dragon? No, I'm just glad to just play two rounds and make the cut. I'm just going to go and enjoy the next two days. It's nice being a senior, it's just you go ahead and hit the ball, you don't get too nervous. You just don't worry about it any more.

Q. Not another good European showing as well?
IAN WOOSNAM: So far. So far. They got to keep it going, haven't they? It's no good leading the first day, you need to lead at the end of the day.

Q. Your advice to them?
IAN WOOSNAM: Just try and keep control of their own nerves.

Q. Anything in particular they might need to do?
IAN WOOSNAM: They all can play good golf. And it's just keeping their nerves together.

Q. Why do you think it is that the Euros used to dominate this in the '80s and '90s and now it isn't so?
IAN WOOSNAM: It goes along with people. You see people winning and you think, well I can play as good as him, and it drags you along as well. And, you know, maybe around the greens you got to have that little bit more of imagination.
Just hitting the balls into the green you got to have really good control of your ball, distance-wise, and I think that the run of Europeans had really good distance control. That's very important here.

Q. You're saying that you're more accustomed to playing this golf course, the way you guys play, but that was when you guys were winning so much here. Do you know if it's valid any more or not?
IAN WOOSNAM: Well, you got to get it in the right spot on the greens and the Europeans got it in the right spots on the greens for a few years, didn't they? It's a lot of imagination around here. You got play it to the right, you got to cut it against the wind, you got to draw it against the wind, you got to do all sorts with it.

Q. (Question about Gary Player.)
IAN WOOSNAM: It's great, he deserves it, he has two Major green jackets and he's been a great ambassador for the game. But good for him.

Q. What do you think of the young Euros here, is there anyone that impresses you more than the others?
IAN WOOSNAM: Well there's a lot of good players out there. You know, it's, they're all such good players and any one of them could just break through at any time.

Q. Did it help that Paddie won the Open?
IAN WOOSNAM: Of course it does. Everybody knows that now they could just follow him in his foot steps.

Q. Do you think he's playing well enough to win?
IAN WOOSNAM: He's really, really steady. He has a great short game and hits the ball so straight and he hits it straight at every flag. You know, he's won at the TPC, he could win around here, yeah.

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