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DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 29, 2009

Robert Karlsson

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

PAUL SYMES: Thanks for coming in, Robert. Bogey-free rounds are always nice, especially when you pick up seven birdies on the way.
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yes, it's a very good combination.
PAUL SYMES: What went right for you today; every facet of your game?
ROBERT KARLSSON: It was a solid game. There wasn't anything spectacular, but I got my chances, I took most of them, and I still missed a couple of chances and no, but all in all, very solid.
And it was obviously a great day for scoring, as well, with greens fairly soft and not much wind. There will be a few good scores out there.
PAUL SYMES: Would you go through your birdies quickly?
ROBERT KARLSSON: No. 11, I hit a 7-iron to six feet.
13, a driver and 5-iron to 30 feet, two putts.
18, driver, 3-wood, 40 feet, two putts.
3, driver, 3-wood, bunker, bunker shot to a foot.
5 was a driver, 9-iron to eight feet.
6 was a driver and a 7-iron to four feet.
7 was a 7-iron to six feet, seven feet.
And a good save on the ninth, a good chip-and-putt. I hit my 3-wood in the left rough, so I had to leave myself sort of a 30, 40 yard third shot. So all in all, good.

Q. Were there any problem areas?
ROBERT KARLSSON: No, I mean, all in all, everything was pretty good. I think I hit -- I had a quick look at 27 putts I think and hit ten fairways and all in all, I missed a couple of greens but when I missed them I got them up-and-down.
I mean, it's easier this year so far because the greens are soft, so the chipping and pitching is quite a bit easier than normally around here.

Q. Do you reckon it's going to take an exceptional score then over the four days to win here?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Well, you never know what's going to happen with the weather over the next few days. If they don't water the greens so much, they will be firmer during the week. But I would probably think around 20, something like that, very close to it, anyway.
All of these courses now, as soon as you have soft greens, the scoring is going to be low, because the greens, even though they might not look great, they putt good.
So it's going to be low scoring. I mean, last week was low scoring, Abu Dhabi was low scoring, and this -- I don't play Abu Dhabi, but this is probably an easier setup than last week. Definitely with the par 5s, quite a bit easier than in Qatar.

Q. Would you say it's a bad thing to soften the greens quite so much?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Well, this year, I think they didn't really have a choice. I think everyone hopes, including the green keeper, that the course, it would have been a better timing with the weather and the overseeding.
It's not a bad thing, but this year we have to live with it and we have to take what it is. But I don't think this course played particularly good this way. It plays better if it's firmer and a bit more challenging.

Q. Are you at the stage of your career now where you are looking to win a major, if you keep progressing?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, and everybody also sort of thinks; but to win one of four events is not so easy. But I know now that I was up in a couple of them last year, and during the U.S. Open, I was really close even during the last round.
So I've proven to myself that it is possible. I've got to depend on my best ability to be in as good of shape as I can for them and not put any extra pressure on me because it's usually not working very well.
So just go out and do my thing and enjoy the majors, because that's the most important thing, because there's so much extra there, anyway. It's more people and it's more things happening around the golf course, so it's a challenge in itself. But if I just can stay focused and I play well, who knows.

Q. You've reached the stage where you're comfortable in that setting now?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I would say so. I proved that to myself last year that it's okay. Even in The Ryder Cup last year, it was a lot more comfortable than the one in 2006. It's not many things that sort of scare me that way, or if you lead, but obviously if you're leading by a few shots you're probably not feeling as comfortable as other tournaments, but those are things that you have to go through and learn from.

Q. What do you make of The Ryder Cup captaincy decision?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Good. Good, good. I was one of the ones on the committee, as well, so I can't say anything else. (Laughter).
No, it was great.

Q. And what kind of captain do you think he'll be?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I mean, I have never played with him as a captain, the guys on the British teams in the Seve Trophy have had him as a captain and they think he's really, really good.
I think it's really good, as well, to have a captain that's very comfortable with journalists and press, which there is going to be a lot of this time and especially after we lost last year; I think it's extra important.
So I think it was an excellent choice.

Q. Rory McIlroy said he was happy with the delayed start because it gave him extra practice time?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I was happy with the late start, but I wish I would have known before. But no, it was okay. When you come out here a little bit later the ball goes a little bit further. In the morning, it's quite damp, so for that reason, it was good. And to be off later in the day, but the first on the course, is quite ideal, actually.
I mean, it's not going to be great for the rest of the week and it's not going to be great for the rest of the guys. I mean, it's never good, but it was probably a little bit easier playing this way, because the wind stayed down.

Q. Have you played much golf with Rory since he's been on the Tour?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Never.

Q. He's a guy that should clinch a spot for next year?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I would be very surprised if he wouldn't.

Q. What do you like about him?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Well, if you see his result -- he looks very solid over the ball when he hits it. I'm not usually watching much TV either, but I've seen him up there and I've watched him a little bit on the driving range and stuff like that, and it looks like a very sort of well-built, solid guy.
He looks very solid overall the shots. I mean, he's been up there close to winning a couple of times. He's showed that he can do it. It's just a time before he wins one.

Q. Can you compare what you were doing at 19 with what he was doing now?
ROBERT KARLSSON: I don't think I would do that, not for -- I wouldn't look that good, though. (Laughter).
No, I just turned pro when I was 19 I think. So I mean, he's exceptional. He's exceptional, way ahead of most 19-year-olds. There are a few young guys, that if you look on the team, or the possible team for next time, one other young guy that you would expect to be in there is Kaymer. He was really close this year. But I think he's still probably three or four years older than Rory. So he's exceptional.
PAUL SYMES: Thanks very much.

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