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WGC BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

August 1, 2008

Paul McGinley

AKRON, OHIO

Q. Paul, good round out there today.
PAUL McGINLEY: Yeah, I played really well, a lot of quality out there today, and yeah, I'm pleased.

Q. Just run through those birdies for us.
PAUL McGINLEY: First was three feet and driver, pitching wedge.
Second, driver and a 3-wood just short of the green, pitched it up to six feet.
Then I made a bogey, bogeyed 6, drove it in the heavy rough, hacked it out short of the green, chipped up, missed.
Birdied 8, good putt there, about a 40-footer there, which was great.
And then birdied 12, which was a nice 20-footer, 18-footer, par-3.

Q. What did you hit in there?
PAUL McGINLEY: 7-iron.
And then 15, hit a lovely 5-iron, big 5-iron, left-to-right wind, 218, pin high right, 18 feet, holed it again.
And then 17, I hit my second shot in the trees, had to chip it out back ways, hit it to 40 feet and did well to make a six-foot two-putt.
17, had a chance and missed it.
18, another good par, hit it left and hit a really good second shot, popped it around the trees to get it left of the green and then chipped it up to three feet.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PAUL McGINLEY: It was a 9-iron, trying to get a jumper from 160 yards away. It was a really good shot. I was just trying to hit anywhere left of the pin and give myself an up-and-down.

Q. The par was good?
PAUL McGINLEY: It was good. It was a bad tee shot. As you said, I left a lot of birdies out there, too.

Q. In many ways this is your major this week.
PAUL McGINLEY: Well, it's the first major I've played in this year. As I said on the TV, it's the first one I've played in, all world events, since the Ryder Cup points started. You're very much behind the 8-ball if you're not in those. I'm in next week, as well, too, so just got to play better. That's the bottom line. 120 in the world is no-man's land. Fortunately in this week and I'm back in my current Ryder Cup status. That's the reason I'm here.

Q. Ryder Cup, your thoughts about that, what you need to do, are you thinking, in that regard?
PAUL McGINLEY: I'm so far behind money-wise. As I say, I've missed out so much. But as I say, next four weeks, any kind of form the next four weeks will put me in contention. But it's a long shot. It's a long shot, to be honest. But we'll see.

Q. Obviously the desire is there, you want to get in the team?
PAUL McGINLEY: Very much so, but I haven't played well enough, so I can't complain. I haven't played well enough to be in it, certainly not well enough to be in the team at the moment. But you never know, a month of form and you never know what could happen.

Q. How do you think you're playing this week?
PAUL McGINLEY: I've been playing like this all year, to be honest. I have six Top 10s this year, so I have played a lot of really good golf. Unless you win first or second, you're not really climbing in the World Rankings. Finish seventh or eighth in a European event and I'm going up four or five spots in the rankings. At 120th there's a lot of climbs. You've got to win, win or second. That's where all the points are, too. You put in a big check at 300,000 points.
Look at Poulter at the British Open, he was tied with me basically in the same position in Ryder Cup points, and all of a sudden 700,000 Euros or 600,000 Euros. I haven't had that so far, and I've always said that's what you've got to do.

Q. Do you change an attitude in a week, saying I have a chance to make money or points this week?
PAUL McGINLEY: Not really. You've just got to play well. As I say, I'm third in stroke average on the European Tour this year. There's only two guys with a better stroke average than me, and I'm 36th on the Money List. I've played actually a lot of really good golf this year. I haven't put it together for four days and had really good results and had a lot of points to move up the Order of Merit. Other than that, there's been a lot of really good golf. My stats are really good, I'm Top 10 in fairways hit, greens hit, felt I've putted quite well, but I haven't done it for four days and haven't produced a result, and that's why I'm languishing down in the 36th spot.

Q. Do you feel like you have to get in on points, that you couldn't get picked the way the system is right now?
PAUL McGINLEY: No, of course I could get picked. I've played the last three, and anybody showing form in the next four weeks will have a serious look at getting picked, yeah.

Q. Part of these next two rounds is you're hoping to begin putting some pressure on him to look at you?
PAUL McGINLEY: I just want to move up those rankings, and if the Ryder Cup comes as a side part of that, great. But as I say, I've produced a lot of really good golf this year, but haven't had a result to push me up in the rankings. I'm more concerned with the World Rankings, pushing up those World Rankings. The rest will happen and maybe a pick in the Ryder Cup might happen, but it's not something I'm going out to get. It's something I'm going to have to try and play well and get up those rankings. Because as I say, 120 in the world, no-man's land, gets you into nothing. I'm not in the PGA next week, and it's tough.

Q. Were you expecting to play there next week?
PAUL McGINLEY: No, I can't complain. I think of all the majors, they're the fairest with getting people in, basically go off top 100 in the world, so I can't really complain. Okay, you can look at getting in off Ryder Cup as I have in previous years, but I can't complain. I think they're very fair the way they pick the field for the major championships. It's the fairest field in the major championships. I certainly can't complain about that.

Q. You're playing good golf, in good position.
PAUL McGINLEY: Yeah, I'm in good position, but there's a lot of good players. Obviously the top 60 or 70 players in the world are playing this week. It's a very strong field. You've just got to play well. As I said, I'm trying to get as high a finish and position as possible, trying to get all the points I can.

Q. You realize if you do win this week it will get you into the PGA.
PAUL McGINLEY: Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Q. I didn't know if you knew that or not.
PAUL McGINLEY: Yeah. If I play well and contend, get myself a whole load of points, I'll be very happy.

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