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PORTUGAL MASTERS

October 14, 2010

Robert Karlsson

VILAMOURA, PORTUGAL

GORDON SIMPSON: Thanks very much for joining us, a nice round of 64 today, I think that's maybe your lowest here. You had a couple of 65s I think. This is a place you know well and you seem to enjoy playing here.
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, it suits my game very well. You can be very aggressive and the par 5s when I hit my driver good, I can get up on all of them, except maybe 5, and today was quite easy. It was downwind but normally if it's into or across, that's a long hole. But apart from that, the course sets up for me and I like it.
GORDON SIMPSON: Looks like a Swedish takeover: Edfors finished the same as you at 64 and Alex NorÃ©n at 65.
ROBERT KARLSSON: I think with this kind of setup with not so much rough, that's very often what we play in Sweden. It's a bit similar to Swedish golf, and the speed of the greens as well are not supper fast. So I think we are very used to playing this type of golf on our home courses where we grew up.
GORDON SIMPSON: And you've had a third here and a second.
ROBERT KARLSSON: Well, three days to go, I'm very happy to putt in a great score and then we go from here. Just very pleased with today. And that's one of my goals, is to play well every day as a separate tournament, but if I can put up another three at least, maybe I have a chance.

Q. You played really well here two years ago and were fighting for the title, and the last day, not so good as you want, so those kind of sensations and feelings after coming back for two years?
ROBERT KARLSSON: When you've done well on the golf course, usually remember when you play bad, as well, you try to avoid those. But no, definitely, I mean, when you remember roughly how you played, it's actually more of -- for me, anyway, feeling when I come out to the tee that I need to sort of see the shot quite easily; and also, the par 5s, is obviously key to on this golf course, because if you're playing the par 5s well, you have a chance to make a good score, and the par 5s suit my eye very well.

Q. Do you care at all about the architect of the course, like here being Arnold Palmer, is that something special?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Well, not for us really. We play a number of golf courses that are very good that it's unknown architects and we also play a number of golf courses that are more well-known architects. So who it is really doesn't make a difference.
But obviously playing so many courses as we've done, I can pretty much straightaway just say that this is an Arnold Palmer Course. You can see the way he's doing it, the way the bunkers are positioned and usually the water holes at the end and things like that. So you recognise a few of the features on it.
GORDON SIMPSON: You had that fantastic year when you were European No. 1, and then you were injured or ill, whichever way you call it, did you miss the adrenaline buzz of the competition and winning or being close to winning?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yeah, when I was out for four months, I did enjoy it to be off actually. It was the longest time off I've had from golf since I was four years old. It was a long holiday. But obviously you missed competition and you miss being out playing great golf courses and having a chance to compete and play well.
But obviously coming back and struggling is not so fun anymore, because I couldn't do much training when I was off. I sort of had to start from scratch again and that was difficult.

Q. From playing in The Ryder Cup two years ago to now --
ROBERT KARLSSON: To be a part of a Ryder Cup is fantastic and you want to come back because it's such a fantastic event. This time, it was not to be, and I didn't play well enough. At the end I was probably pretty close to get a pick, and I was very, very happy with that; from the 2009 I had.
But obviously, you're a bit jealous of the guys there, but jealous in a good way, jealous to spur me on and try to go back there again. This year that was the strongest team that was there and they won it and that was the most important thing for Europe.
GORDON SIMPSON: At least we had a Swede on the team.
ROBERT KARLSSON: Yes, Peter was there.

Q. Do you have any problems now?
ROBERT KARLSSON: It's fine. I keep monitoring and testing it every six months, and I just had one. It was very, very good so no problem.
GORDON SIMPSON: Johan was saying 25-under is his target. Do you think that's something just about right.
ROBERT KARLSSON: It's a good target I think to go for I think to win. It's good in a way on a golf course like this, because this is a very, very good golf course for him, as well. And if the weather stays nice, to have a sort of positive number that keeps you going, it's good. As long as you're not shooting 73 tomorrow, because then it can become a pressure. But to have something positive to go for and keep you going is very important on golf courses where it's going to be low scoring like this one.

Q. Were you ever afraid that you would be able to see correctly again?
ROBERT KARLSSON: Obviously that's a thought that enters your mind. I almost had to go through that type of fear and when I did, it was almost like I relaxed a bit. I really had to sit down and say, okay, I might have played my last tournament, professional tournament. I mean, I could have kept playing, but playing like I was at the end before I stopped was not really an option, because I mean, I couldn't putt. Because the hole was in the wrong place when I looked up.
GORDON SIMPSON: That's how I am normally. (Laughter).
ROBERT KARLSSON: So going through those kind of feelings and going through, really, looking back on my career, and looking I was probably quite important and quite good. I can see, I won on at Ryder Cup and I won The Race to Dubai and I won ten tournaments on The European Tour with the World Cup. And, like, well, if I'm going to play another tournament, at the end of the day I'm pretty happy with my career. So it's quite important to go through those kind of thoughts, because it's very, very easy to forget and think, you just started playing bad last week, or I missed a couple of putts or I'm 43rd on The Race to Dubai and I've been so much better before.
It's very good sometimes to go back and look at what you achieved.

Q. You came here two years ago as No. 1 on the Order of Merit, and now we have The Race to Dubai and everybody was chasing you. So it's a different position mentally, can you explain a little bit how you face the tournaments in a different way?
ROBERT KARLSSON: No, it's not really, because I try to play every tournament as a separate event. This is the tournament I'm playing. It doesn't matter if I'm first on The Race to Dubai or 150. This event is this event only. I can't do more. If I start to think now about what's going to happen in December, I'm going to be crazy.
This event and this day is what I'm forcing on and when I'm on the golf course, only on this shot. So start to break it down as much as possible so if I start to think how I swing in six weeks' time or if the wind is off the left on 18 in Dubai, I mean, you can get crazy from this. So it's very important to stay in the here and now and play the golf tournament now and enjoy this week.

Q. Sweden was consideration to host the The Ryder Cup in 2018; from the other five picks, do you have a favourite?
ROBERT KARLSSON: It's difficult. It depends on what the selection committee is looking at. Obviously I haven't had a look on what the different bids are presenting, but I mean, I would think with very, very strong sponsors such as BMW, it would be very strange if the tour wouldn't have a bit of a soft spot for Germany. But you never know. And I don't know where they are going to play it in Germany. But sooner or later, Germany will have it and sooner or later France and Sweden will it and Portugal, as well.
The problem Portugal have is the lack of players. But you can present -- obviously your bid has to be presented in a different way; it's going to be grow the sport in Portugal and to help the country.
So that has to be the angle compared to Sweden where we deserve it because we have so many players or Germany, we deserve because we put so much money into the Tour or whatever. So it's different angles on different bids, but if it would be me, I'm sorry, I would probably pick Germany, this time. Good luck next time.
GORDON SIMPSON: We have the weather. Thank you very much for joining us, Robert. Well played.

End of FastScripts

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