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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICFebruary 5, 2010Thongchai JaideeDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES MICHAEL GIBBONS: Well played, maybe start us off with your assessment of today's round. THONGCHAI JAIDEE: You know, I played very consistent today. You know, a bit difficult forecast, I think hard to play. I played very solid today. I hit 15 greens and missed about five fairways today. I hit a lot much greens. I'm very confident today because I'm feeling my putting is getting better now. That's why my game is getting better. Q. You won twice in Europe last year. This is a slightly bigger tournament, but you have the experience to go forward from year, don't you, having won four times before. THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yes, you know, I can't complain but now I try to do my best and every year is better and better. You know, two years ago, I have my back injury, and now we come back, doing a lot of training with my coach, working with my coach, that's why the last couple of weeks, I was working on putting. Because last year, my putting is not very good. Now getting better. That's why my game is getting better than last time. Q. And you have the experience to win, as well, don't you. THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I keep trying my best. You never know, because I know the field is very strong and I try to get my good position and also very concentrated on the Top-50 for the World Ranking this year. That's my plan. I think you never know about the future, and if I play well, I get into the Top-50, I'm very happy. Q. Are you in the Top-64 at the moment? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I'm 59. Q. So you're heading for the Accenture Match Play, anyway. THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, we are waiting for something -- yeah, if I play well this year, I have a good chance -- Q. Augusta? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: That's one of my keys, to play Augusta. It's very important. Q. That's your the key, is playing Augusta? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I played in 2007. I hit a lot -- I played very well, except you know, not enough time to practise, and you have to know exactly the greens, very difficult. Last year, I think 2007, I missed a lot of very bad putts. For two rounds, we had seven 3-putts and one 4-putt; I missed (the cut) by three. And then this year, if I get in, I think concentrate about putting. Q. What is your previous best performance here in Dubai Desert Classic? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I've played quite well about three years ago, the year Tiger Woods was coming, I played in the top 5. This year, I think I tried and I got better. My game plan is very important now. My driver is working now, my iron are working and my putting is working. Gives me a good chance for the next two rounds and keep trying my best. Q. When you've had a serious back injury, like you've had, do you feel that at 40, without being rude, this is a second career and it may be the last year, if you see what I mean, so you want to really make the most of it? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, if I get injury, very trouble, that's why you have to see a doctor. Sometimes you have a break for our or five months, not very good for that. I lot lucky the last to years, because it was very hard with my back, a break for eight weeks and we do a lot of stretching and then a lot of strengthening forgetting my back better. And then last year, I think my back, after half the year, my back is getting better. That's why I'm keeping my feeling back, and then I played quite good on the last six months, until end of the year and start again these three weeks. I played last week in Qatar, very happy with that. Q. Forgive me if anybody has asked this, but who are you working with on your putting and what are you doing to improve it? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I'm working with my coach. We buy the unisex putter, the one we bought in Europe, my caddie back home from last year and I'm training with my coach. He comes over to my house for the last, I think, last two months. He started November to December, for two months for putting. I think the feeling, the training is not very good feeling, and now my feeling is very well now. So that's why it gives me a lot better. Q. So when you couldn't play or couldn't do a full swing with your back, you spent the whole time working on your putting? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Say again? Q. When you couldn't do a big swing with your back, you spent the whole time working on your putting then? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Yeah, that's why if you have back injury and you cannot do anything, just putting, you have back pain, it's everything you have to stop, it's not very good for me. Now it's okay for me, try to get more stronger, running every day and gym every day. I'm turning old now, 41, enjoy my life. Q. As a young man, you used to jump out of airplanes; was that anything to do with the back injury, do you think, long term? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Very difficult to come back. When I was training, when I was a 19-year-old, we run all day, then training is so hard. That's why it keep me a lot, how to work very hard, how to control by the schedule and how to follow the schedule, very important, for playing any sport, you have to do like I do, schedule, what time do you wake up, what are the things that you want to do. That's why it's very focussed for me. I try to get stronger, stronger, every year. I know the body, if you're getting old, you have to be like concentrated, do your body and like you are more stronger -- if you have back problem, if you have any problem, then you're not very good to play golf. Q. Just in conclusion, what would you say was the highlight of the round today? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I hit quite good. I think we had the best shot on No. 3. My second shot, the par 5, I hit the second shot on the left side and then we have big rough and then hit the fourth shot, hits very good like this, indicating one foot, and I make birdie on the third hole. Q. What club? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Lob-wedge, about 30 yards to the pin on the left side, the bunker in front, have to play like a flop shot. Q. Three-foot? THONGCHAI JAIDEE: 2 1/2. Q. That's better: THONGCHAI JAIDEE: Thank you. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Thank you. End of FastScripts |
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