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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

February 6, 2010

Alvaro Quiros

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

GORDON SIMPSON: Well, Alvaro, your results the last two weeks have got better and better, your rounds this week have gotten better and better. Is it time to be numero uno tomorrow?
ALVARO QUIROS: I mean, this is a very difficult thing. It's not going to be only in my hands. If I know that I'm going to shoot 10-under, I will tell you, yes. Even like that, somebody can shoot 11. You never know.
So, yes, the good idea is to fight until the last putt on 18 and be in contention. It could be a good sign.
GORDON SIMPSON: And you said today you felt you got the breaks, you got lucky at various times.
ALVARO QUIROS: Yeah, I think to play golf well, you have to be lucky, and today I was lucky. On 17, I holed a one putt. I was trying to hit the green. I miss-hit and I was in the heavy rough, heavy stuff, and chip out from the heavy rough and had about a 10 metres putt. I holed it. This is luck for me.
Out of nowhere I have another shot of luck, it is like this.

Q. Nice to finish with a flourish, isn't it, you get the momentum going into the final day from a birdie, birdie finish?
ALVARO QUIROS: Well, the last two holes are for birdie. I mean, even if you are not hitting to the green, it's a 3-wood, wedge. I think it's very good chance for a birdie. In fact, Rory, who was playing with me, had a two-metres putt for birdie, so it's nothing -- it's nothing difficult.
At the same time, I have to say that I make 5 at the last hole, with a lay-up, because for me, it's impossible to hit the 18 fairway. I don't know how to do it. I miss twice on the left edge, one on the right edge. So, I don't know.
GORDON SIMPSON: As long as you make birdie.
ALVARO QUIROS: That's it. It doesn't matter. Rory hit a perfect driver, I suppose just bounced four, five metres right and he was in the middle of the fairway, even on the right edge, and I was in the left rough. It's no place to land in this fairway, and the moment that you pitch on the fairway, the ball release to the right edge.
GORDON SIMPSON: How did you enjoy the first two rounds playing with someone who is just a little bit older than yourself, Tom Watson?
ALVARO QUIROS: And some more trophies than me, too. He's a very clever player. He's a typical example of a smart player. Right now even with 60 years old, he is still being competitive, which is amazing with the heavy rough and the length of the golf courses.
And the only way or the only explanation is and the reason is because he is very smart. Yesterday he make two or three lay-ups, but surprised me but at the end, the score, it will come. He make lay-up on the 10 with an iron. And I was thinking why not be closest to the flag. He made birdie.
GORDON SIMPSON: What did you make?
ALVARO QUIROS: I make 5. (Laughter) This is why I have to learn a lot from him.
And he make another lay-up on 3, for example, for me, he can't finish closest to the green; and I finish way, way, short, another birdie, two metres putt.
And another lay-up I think if I not remember wrong, yeah, another birdie. So this is the way I think he used to play -- a great player. He used to be a great player and is still now. This is something that I have to learn.
Sometimes it's not a question to be closest to the green. Not like the setup of the golf courses now. Probably 20 years ago when the people played with half of the rough, it could be worth it, but now it's not worth it. So it's something that I have to work on my wedge shots.

Q. Is it difficult for you to not go for everything, to sort of discipline yourself to not go for everything?
ALVARO QUIROS: It's very difficult for me. It's always difficult. In fact, when I have the chance, even when I'm in the rough, normally my caddie has to say, hey -- he has to make me see the things fair, not like I want to see it. If I have club to hit to the green, I will hit it every single time. It's stupid, and this is what I'm learning.
I think this is why I'm becoming a more mature player than last year, and it's only two months ago that I was playing the last tournament in Dubai, but in the winter break, I was thinking about it. You know, I kind of found a reason why the people play way, way better than me if I'm the longest hitter on Tour, and I don't hit it too far, I hit it -- I normally hit it very straight.
So I have to find reason in this. You have to play more clever or smart how you're going to do it.

Q. The fact that you're so close to winning this tournament now, how determined are you to finish it off?
ALVARO QUIROS: I mean, one round is not a close spot. I mean, two putts, two metres, it will be close. Everything can happen basically on this golf course.
The 18th hole is a typical hole that somebody can make eagle and another one can make bogey, easy. So I'm not close. I mean, tomorrow will be a new day. I hope to hit the ball better than today, and I hope to hole more putts than today. This is the only way to be in contention.

Q. Tom Watson said to us yesterday, it's funny, on the subject that you were talking about, he said he would not take driver in a lot of the situations that you took driver, even with your length, he would be afraid to do it. Did you get the opportunity to sit down with him and just talk to him?
ALVARO QUIROS: No, I didn't really have a chance to speak with him thoroughly. And at the same time, like all of the competitive players, I think inside the golf course, he will try to play his best. He couldn't waste time to teach me how to play golf.
In fact, I would like to -- (laughter).

Q. But you didn't get a chance to speak with him afterwards?
ALVARO QUIROS: No, I speak with his wife, in fact, well, we were speaking about to play practise rounds in the Masters together. For me, last year the Masters was a disappointing situation. I hope this year will change the situation for me, because last year was like a test for me, and I didn't pass it. So this year will be different.
GORDON SIMPSON: You could learn so much playing with him.
ALVARO QUIROS: Yeah, the Masters, Augusta is a typical golf course that hitting more or less good shots, you still are having good shots, and hitting perfect shots, you can smell the chance, and it's something that you have to learn, playing a lot of rounds.

Q. What did you learn from last year at Augusta?
ALVARO QUIROS: I have to be more patient, and always be more smart. I mean, it's a little bit heavy to say smart or clever, but it's like this. I think the people who play golf well is not just because they play -- they hit the ball better. It's something that I have to learn.
Today, for example, I played smarter than yesterday. I played 3-wood on 10. I played 3-wood on 13. I played 3-wood in most of the par 5s, and on par 4s, yesterday, even 5-wood on the 5th hole when yesterday I was trying to go for it. It's something that I have to learn. Don't go for it every single moment, because I don't need it.

Q. Why did you do that today, not yesterday, because of Tom Watson?
ALVARO QUIROS: No, with the conditions, or probably today I was more confident in the shots that I had in my mind than yesterday.
Yesterday, for example, I hit the 3-wood on 5, but I was more focused to putt it in the left rough than don't miss in the right one. And this is the wrong way to think.
Today I was focused on my 5-wood, okay, where is the ball going to finish, this is the only thing I have in my mind. Sometimes the length is a problem, and it's not that far from a crazy thing, but it is a problem many times.
Today I hit a 3-wood, too, on 3, the par 5. The setup of the golf course is great. I don't have to complain. I would prefer no rough, but if you see the fairway, it's becoming so tight, even you are closest to the green. So I have to play with a 3-wood and then I hit with a 3-iron. Probably if I hit a driver, I would hit in the semi. It's so difficult to hit this fairway but it's something I'm learning.

Q. Do you still have your lucky ball marker?
ALVARO QUIROS: Well, it's not lucky. I like the casino coins just because they are bigger, when I am farther to the hole, it's easier to see the casino coin.

Q. Is it in your pocket now?
ALVARO QUIROS: No, now I have a new one with the Spanish flag.

Q. You said a couple of minutes ago that you would like to hit the ball a bit better tomorrow than you did today. Does that suggest that you were not happy with the game today?
ALVARO QUIROS: No, I'm not, but even the guy who shoots 60 is not going to be happy, I would say. There's always something to improve. And in my case, I have a lot of things to improve. I hit a pull-hook with the driver on the first, pull-look on the 13th. If I start to remember the bad shots, I will not want to do it. (Laughter).

Q. But you played well enough to get into the joint lead?
ALVARO QUIROS: The thing is, I'm hitting a lot of good shots, but I'm hitting a lot of bad shots, but I'm being very lucky because I'm recovering. If this situation wouldn't happen, I wouldn't be sitting here and this is the thing that I have to improve. Don't be always waiting in a good week recovery shots to be here. I have to be more consistent.
And at the same time, I think it's what I need, to be more in the top spot of the leader sport. I don't know how to explain to you, but The Ryder Cup Team is not going to be compounded of players that won tournaments. I think it's going to be of people who play better all the qualifying time. It's a little different but it's a great one when you play golf.
GORDON SIMPSON: Let's see if you're going to be the smartest man on the golf course tomorrow.

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