	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

DUBAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY DP WORLD

November 21, 2009

Ross McGowan

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

GORDON SIMPSON: Ross, excellent playing there. Obviously you are going out of your way to try and interfere with The Race to Dubai between Westwood and McIlroy, aren't you.
ROSS McGOWAN: I guess I'm just out here to win I guess, to play my game, and whatever else does on their own, not really worried about.
GORDON SIMPSON: It's got absolutely nothing to you, you just want to win for yourself, don't you, and all of the things that go with it.
ROSS McGOWAN: Exactly, yes. Aiming for another win this year, and hopefully shoot up The Race to Dubai.
GORDON SIMPSON: Were you aware of anything going on between Lee and Rory, or were you in your own zone with your own game, or could you see what's happening?
ROSS McGOWAN: I looked at the scoreboard a couple of times and saw Rory was making quite a few birdies and obviously Lee and I were both making lots of birdies.
Yeah, looking quite exciting but didn't catch the scores at the end but I think Rory might have dropped a couple.
GORDON SIMPSON: He bogeyed the last three as you can see. But you're in the last group again tomorrow, going for the Dubai World Championship.
ROSS McGOWAN: I enjoyed it today. Lee and I got into a good rhythm early on, and kept it going all day.

Q. That brilliant end to the front nine, four birdies in a row, actually propelled you into the lead. Were you aware of the fact at the time?
ROSS McGOWAN: I caught a glance at the scoreboard. Obviously playing with Lee, he's two ahead of everyone starting the day. So got out of the box quickly holing a few long putts in a row there. On 10, I thought I hit a great putt there and I just missed. Didn't really have many other good chances. They are all 20-, 30-footers.

Q. But moving to the front didn't phase you at all. You managed to keep your game going pretty solidly, didn't you?
ROSS McGOWAN: No, not really. I think Madrid taught me a lot. I was seven shots clear there. Tough to keep your concentration. But once you've done it a couple of times, it's not really anything to worry about.
GORDON SIMPSON: Do you feel quite comfortable now being in this position?
ROSS McGOWAN: Yeah, I've improved a lot really in the last three or four months.

Q. I gather now it's 46 holes without a bogey?
ROSS McGOWAN: Possibly. I haven't really kept track. I didn't get off to the best of starts after a two-week break on the front nine, but yeah, could well be. Hopefully keep it going for another 18.

Q. So that must be very pleasing because it's an endorsement of your consistency?
ROSS McGOWAN: Yes, I think I've had several round recently without dropping shots. So nice to get up-and-down when you miss greens, but on the whole, I haven't missed that many.

Q. How often can you play in such a good spirit, and which is first, good spirit, and after good game is coming, or good game means good spirit?
ROSS McGOWAN: I think it's probably good spirit. If I play bad, I still put a smile on my face, not intentionally. But just obviously playing well makes the job a lot easier. It's part of my nature, I've always been fairly relaxed and I guess it's rubbing off in a good way.

Q. You seem to have moved your game to a new level this season. Do you see yourself, whatever happens tomorrow, becoming one of Europe's top players in the not-too-distant future?
ROSS McGOWAN: I think so. It's one of the goals I set myself when I started playing golf I guess, and I always saw myself reaching the top of the game. It's one step at a time and just keep going past the milestones and we'll get there in the end.

Q. Having played alongside Lee today, how do you assess how well he's playing at the moment and how relaxed he's feeling with the weight of expectation on him?
ROSS McGOWAN: He's obviously played fantastic all year to be in the position where he is, first and second on The Race to Dubai and competing the way he has in majors over few years. He's definitely very comfortable in the situation and I'm pretty sure he's won an Order of Merit or two before.
So, yeah, I think he's in a situation where Rory is obviously trying to do it for the first time.
GORDON SIMPSON: Just the one, actually. 2000.

Q. Have you played with Lee a lot before? Because it seemed very easy going between the two of you out there; would you expect that to help you tomorrow, both of you?
ROSS McGOWAN: We haven't played before. We've always got on well off the course. Obviously both in the ISM stable. So I've known him since I turned pro. Yeah, we've always hit it off really.

Q. Why do you think the golf course suits your game, and how do you find the golf course?
ROSS McGOWAN: It's funny, in the first round, I struggled with it a little bit. I'm not sure whether that was just having a couple of weeks off and being a bit slow out of the box or just getting used to the conditions. But it's definitely growing on me, and the more you play it, the more you understand the course. You have to see your target and the more you play the course, the better that becomes.

Q. Can you win this, and how highly do you rate your chances?
ROSS McGOWAN: Just guess I have to go out and shoot as low as I can tomorrow and see what happens. There's only one thing on my mind I guess. We'll see how it goes.
GORDON SIMPSON: We'll find out what Lee has to say about it then. Well played again today.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297