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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 24, 2008

Robert Karlsson

VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND

RODDY WILLIAMS: Robert, very well played out there. Big swing that, four behind at the start of the day, four ahead now; how difficult was it out there, and how much are you looking forward to tomorrow now.
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, I mean, it was a very, very tricky day out there today. The wind was so strong at times and it was really, really gusty, so it was definitely quite tricky. So we'll see what happens tomorrow. But it's another day tomorrow, and if it can be an eight-shot swing today, it can be an eight-shot swing tomorrow.
RODDY WILLIAMS: You're a pretty good front runner, one of your victories has come from being in the front.
ROBERT KARLSSON: All but one, yeah. Around here, it's important to not get caught up in the previous results or anything. Tomorrow it's just another 18 holes to go and I'm looking forward to that.

Q. How much better do you think you are now to cope with these conditions and this sort of lead than, say, a couple of years ago? Are you a better player now?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, I'm definitely a better player now than I was a couple years back.

Q. In what way?
ROBERT KARLSSON: A bit more comfortable hitting different shots. So it doesn't feel -- before I was probably pretty limited to playing well on pretty wide courses and pretty long courses that are sort of set up to me but winning at Gut Kaden and BMW, those courses really favour a long hitter. Now I'm able to adapt to different courses and I think that's what is the big difference.

Q. Am I right in thinking that the early part of last year was a very difficult time? I understand there was a school in Sweden that you wanted to be involved in and didn't work out and a TV programme that unfairly --
ROBERT KARLSSON: You've done your homework, haven't you? That is correct.

Q. And you had wanted to chill out for a while; is that all behind you? What happened at the time and is that behind you?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, I mean, that's all behind. I didn't play great in the spring of last year, either. It was definitely like I was struggling a little bit with the swing, and I got caught up in playing well. After 2006, I had very high expectations on myself early 2007, so there was a lot of things that wasn't well.
But then around the PGA I also started working with a swing coach, Mark Blackburn, and since then it's been going steadily the right way. We started doing small things here and there and I probably see him just every six weeks or something, but very small things and things are going the right direction.

Q. Very unusual for this course to have the wind right into your face on that last stretch. 15 was just a brutal hole.
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, 15 was a short par 5 today.

Q. Was it just a question of riding it out?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I didn't have a clue what the other guys were doing, but I felt that it was quite windy and I don't think it was probably quite as windy for the other guys, so just take a hole and a shot at a time. Hopefully can sneak a birdie or two in at the end and I did.

Q. You still hit driver and had a long way to go.
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, 17 I got just over the road, so it was definitely long. It was tough holes.
I hit a 3-wood on 15, tried to get a low one and I came out of it a little bit so it was into the trap. There's not much hope from there.

Q. A first place here would almost put you on to the Ryder Cup; is it ideal to get that out of the way?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Those are questions I will not even answer. Tomorrow is another 18 holes. Ryder Cup has got nothing to do with tomorrow. Tomorrow is another 18 holes I've got to play, and then we'll take care of the rest in September.

Q. Is it a bonus if it comes along?
ROBERT KARLSSON: If it happens, it happens.

Q. Were you almost pleased to see the conditions when you came to the course?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Not really. I don't think it really makes a difference. I think the better you play, the harder you want to have the conditions. But you can't really guarantee you're going to go out and play really well on the first tee. So it's a bit of a lottery. Definitely it didn't really bother me too much. I knew it was going to be a difficult day and a long day out there, but that was pretty much it.

Q. After seeing what happened to Paul McGinley today, what do you think it will be like tomorrow?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Those things happen every now and again. It's important for me not to get caught up in what other players are doing and tomorrow, we have another 18 holes to play, so we'll see.

Q. I was going to say, at the start when Paul was having autumn of those troubles, did that encourage you to realise that the lead was there for you?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Well, four-shot lead is big; but, it can also go very quickly.
So four-shot lead after 36 is no guarantees on that. I mean, when he started badly, it's tough going for him, and obviously it sort of invited me to be more -- if he would have been 3-under after four, it probably would have been a little bit different but it wasn't really a day for being that 3- or 4-under after three or hour holes.
I tried not to get too much involved in what he's doing because it's easy to get into a match-play situation and that's the worst thing that can happen. It would be bad for both of us so you don't want to do that.

Q. Great birdie at the third. Your second shot?
ROBERT KARLSSON: It was a little bit of a draw, and I had a bit of room to play with. Obviously it was a great bounce and just got it up and knocked in the putt. But obviously it was a great bonus after the 3-putt on 1.

Q. What were your expectations this morning --
ROBERT KARLSSON: No, I didn't really think about it, no. Last evening, when I looked at the channels and I realised I was four behind to see that for the first time, like how can it be 13-under after two? That is good going. That is unbelievable. I thought I was doing pretty well.
But to be four behind after 9-under around here in two days is pretty amazing. You know, the four shots is not very much over two days. But to pick them up in four holes was more than I expected; put it that way.

Q. Was it a physical battle out there, as well, because you've worked an awful lot on your fitness in the last while. Did that give you an edge?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I don't know if it gave me an edge but I mean, I feel pretty comfortable even after playing 18 holes. That's the main thing, yeah.

Q. And he said he's shattered now; how do you feel?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I feel fine. I've done a lot of cardio and a lot to get more -- getting up in the age, it's important to take care of the body and not get injuries. It feels good and now this is the third week in a row and I'm pretty high up in the tournament so, that takes a little bit more out of you compared to if you're lying 50th or something like that.
But I'm feeling good and looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. The BMW PGA Championship is the flagship event of The European Tour; what would it mean to you to win?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I will answer that tomorrow, if it happens.

Q. Are you trying to treat this as just another event?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I try to focus every round as important -- when I get to -- even if I shot 80 the first round at small-ish events, if I can play round No. 2 as focused as I will do tomorrow, then I've come a very long way, and that's the main thing. That's the goal to get every round, every shot, as important or unimportant. So that's the whole thing. That will be the key to tomorrow, if I can do that.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Before you go, could you rattle through your details, how you made your birdies and bogeys and eagle?
ROBERT KARLSSON: 5-wood and 8-iron down the first and 3-putt from 40 feet.
3-wood, 6-iron two putts from just the front edge of the green, so like 20-odd yards.
5-iron, 9-iron in the trap on No. 8.
Driver, 7-iron to No. 12, eagle.
15, 3-wood, 6-iron, wedge, 25 feet, just missed.
16, 4-iron, chip. I hit it left so I had to chip it out, wedge to 30 feet, two putts.
Driver, in 4-iron, 9-iron, to 30 feet in.
And 18, a 3-wood and a 4-iron and two putts from about 30 feet.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Robert, thanks very much and good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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