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THE RYDER CUP

October 2, 2010

NEWPORT, WALES

Q. What do you think today is going to look like?
LEE WESTWOOD: I have no idea. Nobody knows what to expect. The format has completely changed, so if anyone gets momentum today it could be very important.

Q. Did you know last night, because this has never been done before, how difficult it was to figure out, because there are so many different variables.
LEE WESTWOOD: I think on this European Team we have a lot of natural combinations. We have a lot of foursome players and a lot of good drivers of the golf ball that can hit well tee-to-green, a very strong team.

Q. Do you think this might be the craziest Ryder Cup Saturday ever?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, it's unpredictable, isn't it. Yeah, there's going to be a few tired legs tonight, that's for sure.

Q. How was it to play with Martin Kaymer?
LEE WESTWOOD: It was great. I think he was a little nervous at the start, but I sort of held it together really and he came into his own and he really started to get into it and made some great putts when it mattered and great birdies when the Americans were throwing birdies at us.

Q. Were you coaching him through these things while out there?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, he's a major winner, so you know, he can play under pressure. He's a great player. He's won the US PGA a couple of months ago and the Dutch Open a couple of weeks ago. He's on form and he just needs sort of edging into it. This is a big move for anybody, playing in their first Ryder Cup.

Q. How long of a break for you guys?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think we have a little while, probably an hour and a half, not too bad. A chance to put our feet up, have a cigar, a glass of wine. (Laughter).
GRAEME McDOWELL: It was nice to get a good night's sleep and come out this morning, this guy was a different guy today, no doubt about it. We had a good chat last night and it was great to get a halve match. It was big for our momentum, the team's momentum going into a big day this afternoon, and a lot of golf to play.

Q. Describe the feeling on 17 when you holed the putt.
RORY McILROY: It was incredible. I said to Graeme going down 17 that if we can just somehow win this hole, give ourselves a chance to win this match, and you know, I think it might have been -- Graeme's was going in any way. Yeah, it was fantastic, and definitely gave us a big boost going down the 18.

Q. Is that when your Ryder Cup really came alive?
RORY McILROY: I birdied the 13th, second hole of the day to win a hole back and I made a good putt after that and really got going from there. You know, I played really well those last seven holes and hopefully there's more to come.
GRAEME McDOWELL: This morning was key for us to get some positivity going, and this guy was awesome. You know, I'm feeling good, as well. We have a great afternoon prospect in foursomes, probably the Europeans strongest format, we have a lot of strength and depth, and we are excited about it. The team are pretty happy with the decision to play six foursomes this afternoon.

Q. Probably your longest round of golf ever?
GRAEME McDOWELL: Probably has to be one of the longest Ryder Cup seconds of all time. Yesterday was very difficult, very stop/start. Myself and Rory felt very out of our rhythm and didn't play well; and Stewart Cink made three bombs on us to not let us get any momentum in the game.

Q. How was it playing with Rory?
GRAEME McDOWELL: He's one of the best players I've ever seen in the world and to play alongside him, very good friend of mine, was great. To watch him hole that putt on 17 and really arrive at The Ryder Cup for the first time was amazing. He played really great this morning and like I say, it's a real honour to play alongside him.

Q. What do you think of the system?
GRAEME McDOWELL: We have kind of been forced into the scenario. It's important that we try and get this thing done Sunday evening. I really like the system. I think it's great for us playing six foursomes. I think we have a lot of strength and depth in our team and it really favours our team and I look forward to the sunshine this afternoon and the golf course is really starting to dry out. Can't wait to get out there again.
We realised that yesterday evening was a really good session for the U.S.. Friday was a tough day. It was really a long day. There was no -- it was really difficult to get any kind of rhythm. We were happy to get home and sleep and regroup and come out and play this morning. Rory played phenomenally well this morning and the half-point was valuable for us and it's been a good morning for the Europeans, as well

Q. What did Monty say last night?
GRAEME McDOWELL: Monty has been here long enough to understand that the Ryder Cup ebbs and flows. We had a very good five or six holes this morning and very bad five or six holes last night. That's just the way The Ryder Cup is, and one putt could turn everything on the golf course. That's the way it is. He just said, lads, there's a lot of golf to be played here and dig in, get a night's rest and go do the job in the morning.

Q. Your thoughts on the match?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It was tough, we got off to a bad start and Jeff birdieing those five holes when we came back out didn't help us. So, yeah, it was always going to be tough in that situation.
It was a big bonus, for Jeff to hole the putt on 10, and then to follow it on 11, follow it on 12, hole 13. He played great. He had a great day. And 13, 14, he certainly did a lot of damage.

Q. And your partnership with Luke?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Luke played lovely golf. Nice golf. As I said, we didn't make enough birdies. I certainly didn't make enough birdies out there. Didn't hole the putts, and you know, we came up against it. We just needed to make some more birdies.

Q. You were playing quite well in practise.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, that's just the way it goes. Some days you hole the putts and some days you don't. It was Jeff's day today, and hopefully it will be both myself and Luke's day going forward.

Q. Bit different format this afternoon.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's nice to get back out on the golf course. It's always when you lose a match, you want to get back out there and play again.

Q. Not too far behind at the moment, opportunity to build that up in the next two sessions?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, opportunity to catch up. Lovely day, it's warm out there. That's for the organisers; we are just going to concentrate on playing golf.

Q. Your thoughts on the game there?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, disappointed to lose obviously. We didn't make enough birdies. Jeff played very nicely. He kept putting the pressure on, and we just couldn't get back on even terms.

Q. Last night, you went out and made the putt.
LUKE DONALD: It was nice to make that, got a great roar and hit a great shot into 11, but Jeff followed me in and I just missed mine and he made his. Would have been nice to done the reverse there.

Q. Jeff just picked up the momentum really which just pushed them on, didn't it?
LUKE DONALD: You know, coming out, birdieing his first three holes, that was tough. We just couldn't quite fight our way back.
I feel like I played nicely in good foursomes golf today. I hit a lot of fairways, hit a few greens, made a few birdies, I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Something to build on this afternoon?
LUKE DONALD: Certainly. My game felt solid. We just didn't quite make enough birdies.
We'll have to see what happens in the last match but if they can win that last match, we are all tied.
IAN POULTER: Disappointing. It's a shame, they are two tough guys to play and didn't hole the putts in the closing holes, which is a shame, really. So get out there this afternoon, a late morning game in foursomes.
I mean, it was a battle. I know they made a few key birdies on us just at the right time.

Q. A lot to play for today.
IAN POULTER: A full day of golf to play, the weather is good and the crowds are out there in a plenty and hopefully give them something to cheer for.
Good, solid pairing and hopefully we can go out there and I like the way the team is set up for this afternoon.

Q. Good start.
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I'm very happy for me, to play my first Ryder Cup match, and win it 3 & 2 against the No. 2 player in the world and Dustin Johnson, so, yeah, I'm very pleased. Gives you motivation now.

Q. Undefeated.
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, undefeated after one. Yeah.

Q. Did you enjoy it out there?
MARTIN KAYMER: Oh, it's so much fun. I was expecting that we will have a lot of fun, but I was not expecting that. And every hole, when you make a great shot, you get goosebumps. It's so nice. When the spectators freak out, they stand next to you screaming at you, it's one of the best days I have on the golf course.

Q. And you come back in good form?
MARTIN KAYMER: I struggled yesterday morning. I didn't play very well. Obviously Lee, he was carrying us, and then in the afternoon, when we went back out, and this morning, I played good golf. I think the holes yesterday afternoon and today I played 3-under par, which is good.

Q. And you had a very nice embrace with Mr. Westwood when you won the point.
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, obviously there's so much emotions. I'm usually a very quiet person on the golf course, but this is different because of the spectators, too; and you are so happy to win a point for the team, to inspire them to keep fighting and keep going, and you just let the emotions go.

Q. Long day ahead.
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, the fans, they will carry us the last few holes when we are close to getting tired. I think The Ryder Cup can go for five or six days and you're not getting tired.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297

THE RYDER CUP

October 2, 2010

Luke Donald

Padraig Harrington

Martin Kaymer

Graeme McDowell

Rory McIlroy

Ian Poulter

Lee Westwood