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JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP AT GLENEAGLES

August 27, 2008

Justin Rose

GLENEAGLES, SCOTLAND

SCOTT CROCKETT: Justin, thanks for coming in and joining us. I know you're up against a tight time schedule, but just give us your thoughts on the week. Obviously you're in a good position in terms of The Ryder Cup, is it one of a case of looking forward rather than over your shoulder this week?
JUSTIN ROSE: That's the ideal mind-set, definitely. For my own personal goals, I'd like to play well this week. It could be my last event for The Ryder Cup, should that all go well. It would be nice to play well this week just to feel like there's some form really going into the tournament.
So yeah, that's my feelings.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Obviously the reason you're nipping off, you're doing quite a bit of practise, how do you feel the game is going into the week?
JUSTIN ROSE: I was disappointed really with how last week panned out. I felt like everything was there or thereabouts, just a couple of the odd loose drive and odd missed putt didn't add up to a great score.
But the golf is good, and I feel like this is one of those -- I really feel like any week now there's going to be a low score coming. And I actually felt last week on the weekend that that score was coming, but it didn't pan out.
Obviously I'm positive coming into this week and looking forward to the challenge that this golf course is going to present. I played sort of eight holes yesterday, and I think if the wind blows, it's certainly not easy out there. I think you have to be very patient on the greens. I think they are very, very soft, which will mean they are very, very bumpy in the afternoon, and same for everybody. And I think it will be a very good test mentally more than anything.

Q. Is your back all right? I saw you doing some stretching.
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, my back's fine. Especially when I putt for a long time, obviously any time you're bent over, it's not great for your lower back. So that's more habit now more than anything, more habit, posture and stretching up.

Q. Have you spoke to Ian Poulter this week?
JUSTIN ROSE: I haven't actually, no. I'll be quite interested obviously to hear what his thoughts are. I know he's obviously got the family out there in America and I think -- yeah, I put a call into him, and didn't even pick up. I think he's busy. He's got the whole family out with him, as well, at the moment. So I'm sure they have been having a bit of family time as well the last couple of times. I believe Boston starts Friday.

Q. Are you surprised at his decision?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I didn't know which way he was going to lien. Obviously I knew that -- yeah, I probably was a little bit surprised. He could make the still team and that gave him a clear-cut goal of what he needed to do.
But I think obviously, just reading between the lines, he's certainly very well placed in terms of World Rankings, and The Open Championship still is not that -- if you're talking about form, that's still relatively recent in my opinion. So.
I don't know what his thoughts are in terms of whether that's good enough or whether second in the Open outweighs anything else that the other guys have done, I don't know. That's are just my speculations.

Q. You know Ian well, and some of the speculation was that either he's got the nod or that he's held up the white flag.
JUSTIN ROSE: No, I don't think that's in his nature, and personally I don't believe he's got the nod either. I don't think -- well, there's rumours that Casey has been given the nod, but I don't know any of that for sure. But I'm pretty sure that -- well, I think it's going to be a tricky decision that Nick faces. There's obviously three or four guys who you could go either way, and you could definitely put a positive case forward for all of them and justify picking any of them.

Q. Why would you think he would stay in America?
JUSTIN ROSE: I would think that -- obviously I know that he's got issues in terms of playing his minimum of 15. I think if he came back this week, then I believe he doesn't get into the third FedEx event, which, therefore, he doesn't fulfill his obligation of playing the minimum. And I know he's got a hectic schedule at the end of the year; I think from his perspective, a reason to consider. And maybe to come here -- I don't know. I spoke to him obviously two or three weeks ago when we were both in Orlando, but not sure he's ever felt like he's played great at Gleneagles either. So to make the trip and not perform -- I'm not really sure.
It's tough to talk about other players and their decisions. There's lots that go into it. Maybe he feels like he's done enough. That's all I can imagine.

Q. That conversation included a chat about schedules, did it, two or three weeks ago?
JUSTIN ROSE: I just know he's got a lot going on at the end of the season, a lot of trips, a lot of travelling going on. So I just wonder if that influenced.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Justin, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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