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BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 11, 2008

Paul Lawrie

LUSS, SCOTLAND

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Paul, the dropped shot on the last might be a bit disappointing but good two days for you?
PAUL LAWRIE: Yeah, two ways to look at it, never expect to make bogey at 9 with a 3-wood and lob-wedge, and after going well, hitting a shot like that was disappointing, but overall happy obviously. 7-under around here, wind was picking up quite a bit on our back nine there, so played nicely.

Q. When is the last time you were in this position?
PAUL LAWRIE: Dunhill Links last year, I had I thought an even better chance to win; finished fourth at the end. Burned the hole eight or nine times the last day. Had a real chance to win there. Apart from that, a few years probably.

Q. Do you feel you have a chance this weekend?
PAUL LAWRIE: I feel I've got a chance every week. No one is more an edge than me when I don't play well. I know what I'm capable of, and just like everyone else is capable of sort of good golf, but I don't come to tournaments unless I think I can win them. Everyone I am assuming thinks the same way.
Looking forward to it. It should be good over the weekend.

Q. Can you clear up the coaching situation - are you back with Adam Hunter?
PAUL LAWRIE: About three or four months now, Adam has been back doing some short game with me which has been really good. My short game's improved tremendously again the last few months.

Q. Winning here, where would that rank for you?
PAUL LAWRIE: This would rank just below The Open. I've always said this is the next tournament I would obviously like on my CV. It's not as big as The Open, we all know that, but I would think it's the second-most-important event I would like to win.

Q. Anything in particular about being in Scotland?
PAUL LAWRIE: No, not really. Again, Marian and the boys are here and I like when they walk around and I like when they are with me. Kills a few hours and when you're on the go it can be very boring if you're in a foreign country. I always love playing in front of the Scottish people, and we've always said they are the best fans in the world, and you can relish it a bit.

Q. Do you speak to them during the round?
PAUL LAWRIE: No, I don't actually speak to them but waiting on a shot or on a tee, you see them all the time, throw a few funny faces at them. It's just nice when they are here. I've always said family is most important and when they are here, it's really nice. I enjoy them coming.

Q. Does having them there increase your motivation?
PAUL LAWRIE: Well, because I'm not on TV -- yeah, both the boys are keen golfers. They are obviously very fine footballers. But they are now big enough to know the game and know what a good shot is and what a bad shot is. I enjoy walking around and having a bit of a chat.

Q. Do they give you a hard time that you haven't won?
PAUL LAWRIE: Oh, you'd better believe it, by God, Daddy's been useless for a while so it would be nice to get a win on the board to shut them up a wee bit. But because they are big enough, they know what's good and what's not good. No, they don't give me too much of a hard time, just a wee bit.

Q. You haven't played the pro-am here for the past four years - does that annoy you?
PAUL LAWRIE: No, playing in the Pro-Am, I said that from the very word go, from the first year I wasn't in the Pro-Am; the Barclays tournament, they put in a lot of money up, and it's totally up to them who plays and who doesn't play. I would expect to play being the Pro-Am in National Open, but Wednesday, I played nine holes, went swimming with the kids. So, no, no issue at all, it's up to Barclays.

Q. If you they'll have to ask you?
PAUL LAWRIE: Well, they might not, I don't know.

Q. I believe you were meant to be playing at Pittodrie tomorrow?
PAUL LAWRIE: I was going to be a Demon right-winger tomorrow but unfortunately we are not going to be there. We are going to be here playing golf which is more important. But we have a team raising money for my foundation, we sold eight spots at 1,500 pounds, ex-Aberdeen players will be there, Duncan is going to play against the Gothenburg team that won the cup in 1983. Marian and the boys are way up the road tonight to watch that tomorrow, so leaving Dad on his own.
It should be great fun and if I was them, I would be at home watching Man-U, too, but we're raising money for my foundation so that's what it's all about.

Q. ?They wouldn't rather watch you?
PAUL LAWRIE: No, some things are more important, you know that.

Q. What do you make of all the Scottish golfers underachieving at the moment?
PAUL LAWRIE: You mean me personally? Well, I'm underachieving, there's no question, and there's quite a few of us that are. There are quite a few of us that don't want to underachieve. We are out there working hard and working on our short games and working on things to get better and it isn't happening at the minute. There is a severe lack of Scottish talent at the minute in the World Ranking for sure.
It isn't because we are lazy or not; once I win this week, I want to win next week, I want to be top player in the world but it just not happening. We are going through a bit of a strange spell, justs same as there's no European winner of a major for a while, and Padraig comes along. With all of the talent on this tour -- just felt like that.
The SGU and everybody are working hard and I'm sure it will come around.

Q. How optimistic are you that we can produce more Major champions?
PAUL LAWRIE: I can only speak personally that my foundation is helping a children in Aberdeen, I want to go worldwide with it. And certainly Glasgow, Inverness is something we are looking at, and if I can do my little bit, then it's up to everyone else to do their little bit.
There's a huge amount of talent out there. We have boys and girls in our flag event, and they get 36 shots to get around nine holes and they put a little flag in the ground. And there's a little girl, she's 11, every hole -- it's 175 yards, it's brilliant. So there is talent out there.
We're certainly working hard, everyone connected with my programme, we are doing our bit and hopefully everyone else is doing their bit, too.

Q. Are the family coming back for the weekend?
PAUL LAWRIE: I would assume it's come back down, but maybe not, I don't know. I would presume they come straight back down after the game but I don't know. We have not spoke about it but maybe not. I would imagine that Daddy in contention on Sunday there would be no question.

Q. Do you think you need to become more selfish?
PAUL LAWRIE: No, not really. I've always been very good, when it's time to play, I go play. I've worked for years with psychologists to switch on and switch off and I'm not thinking of that kids' programme when I'm over a 7-iron on the course or when I'm practising putting or hitting balls.
That's just the way it's got to be. I love doing what I do with the kids. It's a huge part of what we do now. We have two boys of our own and it's important, but you have to put these things in place, and we put a lot of money into it as awe all know and I wouldn't have it any other way.
No, it doesn't interfere with my career at all. You've just got to switch off and switch on.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: Paul, thank you and good luck for the weekend.

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