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DUBAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY DP WORLD

November 20, 2009

Padraig Harrington

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Q. You just walked off the 18th hole having made 7 and walking into the scorer's hut, you said, "That hole will be fun on Sunday." Were you screaming inside?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: No, it really is a good hole. It's a tough hole. Any even know there was a water hazard left of the green. Yeah, you've got to hit three good shots up there. It's a finishing hole we normally feel we need a strong par 4, but we've got a strong par 5 this week.

Q. 1-over after 6 and eagle at 7, was that the spark that ignited the round?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I think so. Obviously I felt like 1-over par, you feel like you're going backwards and everybody else is going forwards. The eagle, then holed the putt on the next and everything seemed good again.
So, yeah, it was a nice run and had a few more chances and yeah, things were going quite well. Obviously 18, as I said, is a tough hole. It probably has no consequence of whether I'm going to win this tournament or not. I'm glad it wasn't Sunday afternoon I did it. Much better on a Friday.

Q. You made a fabulous up-and-down on 16, difficult pitch. You enjoy the challenge of those.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I didn't get a great lie there, and I really was frustrated with myself. You know, I suppose that's the sort of thing I would have done as an amateur. Wouldn't even phase me there. But as a pro, I'm not quite as good at those sort of shots, so every time I hit one and it comes off, I'm quite pleased with myself.

Q. 3-under after nine holes, how do you feel after a disappointing double-bogey on the 18th?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm quite happy. Kept myself well in the tournament. I would have taken the score going out. I definitely would have taken being one shot out of the lead. Yeah, it's a good position going into the weekend.

Q. Were you feeling today any influence on the wind?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, it was a tougher day. Definitely it was a tougher day and the shots had to be hit. You know, sometimes I hit some good shots in the wind and sometimes I lost a bit of focus. But that's what's got to be improved on the weekend.

Q. Finishing up like that, a great piece of work for another previous two hours. What was your initial thoughts coming off 18 with a big smile on your face having taken a 7?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It was a good 7. I only hit it three times, two putts. That's never too bad. It's a big hole at 18. For me, I'm playing it three woods, or close to it. So you know, any time you make 5, you're happy.
I was a little disappointed I hit a bad tee shot. Third shot or fourth shot after, I didn't know there was a hazard there. I was trying to hit it drawing into the wind in a left-to-right wind. I was trying to sort of draw it in there and get the distance and had no idea there was a hazard left of the green. I definitely would have been more likely to bail out right if I had known that.
But things like that are going to happen this week. It's a new golf course and we don't fully know all the intricacies of it. So I've just got to accept; I'm happy that I made a very nice 2-putt, very smart drop in the first place, and then to capitalise on that break by getting down in two was very nice and not making 8.

Q. In Carnoustie, you missed a short putt with double-bogey and you were coming off the green saying "doesn't matter." Is that the same way here?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, very little. It would have been nice. I didn't even know I was leading the tournament. If I was leading, you would probably be thinking, well, 9-under par, go out and shoot a good one tomorrow and you might win the tournament. So it might make a difference in terms of if I was going to shoot 64 tomorrow.
But assuming that I'm going to play kind of like I played the first few days, it probably makes no difference. It's probably going to come down to the guy who plays the last couple of holes well on Sunday afternoon.

Q. This is incredibly well set up, there's a lot of big names, the large pack at the front jostling for position halfway, for the end-of-the-season championship, it looks pretty good, doesn't it?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I think they have got it right here this week. The golf course, it gives us some opportunities. You have some very testing holes. It's a testing finish. So you are going to see guys being able to shoot low ones, and then guys who are leading the tournament, you know, not find that as easy.
So I think you'll see that -- well, you've seen it, the bunching at the moment. But probably it will spread out a little bit tomorrow. As I said, one of the leaders is going to shoot a good one tomorrow. Let's hope it's me and maybe they can put a little bit of distance between themselves and the pack.

Q. Not chasing this one too hard, you've had a lot of experience of being up there?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: My attitude is good this week and it's going to stay good for the next 36 holes. It's produced a lot of good golf so far, so I'm going to stick with it and not worry about the odd mistake here and there.
It's one thing to go and win tournaments and lead tournaments and play well in tournaments, but it's another when you're going in there as the favourite or with the spotlight on you.

Q. Do you prefer under the radar or centre of attention?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Easier under the radar. I prefer centre of attention. Obviously you want to be the favourite in every tournament. That means you've done well awe the other weeks but it's definitely easier under the radar, no doubt about it. Less stress.

Q. What did you hit in on 7?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Hit 4-iron.

Q. What was the yardage there?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: That's a hybrid. My 4-iron is a hybrid. I had 221.

Q. Off the bank and down to how far?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Three feet.

Q. Can you recall an occasion where you were caught up by a hazard that you were not aware was there?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I laid up in the European Amateur Championship in 1988. I laid up out-of-bounds on the 18th hole. (Laughter) How do you think I felt about that?

End of FastScripts

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