	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

OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

February 11, 2011

Thomas Aiken

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Q. Two particularly good rounds of 67, is there any particular aspect of your game that's been responsible for that good scoring?
THOMAS AIKEN: Been hitting the ball really solid this week. Yesterday was pretty much flawless tee-to-green. Missed one green the whole day and I was on the fringe and I got to putt. Just been putting the ball in the right positions, and these greens are so pure that you're going to sink some putts and you're going to miss a few and you're going to sink a lot.

Q. Six top 20s in your last seven starts; what's behind your success, just the ball-striking?
THOMAS AIKEN: Been pretty consistent the last two years. Feel like I've been putting myself in position to win a golf tournament, and just haven't been getting it done on the weekend.
Just been really consistent and it shows in the results, and been really happy with the way that I've been playing. And if I keep putting myself in these positions, it's inevitable that something will happen.

Q. Can you confirm that you're not going to cut your hair until you win, and have you been taking schtick for it?
THOMAS AIKEN: I've been taking a lot of schtick on my hair in general. And then it came out, I'm not cutting it until I win. I won't cut it until I win but I won't cut it short when I win. It will be a nice, neat trim.

Q. In great position going into the weekend, whatever happens this afternoon, a chance you might play with Tiger; your thoughts on that?
THOMAS AIKEN: Fantastic to play with a player of his calibre. I played with lots of good players in the past, so it's not going to be anything new. And when you play with good players, it tends to spur your golf on, and you end up playing better.
So whoever I play with, they are going to be playing well, and so hopefully we can spread ourselves apart from the rest of the guys.

Q. Two excellent opening rounds, 10-under par right now, tell us about how it was?
THOMAS AIKEN: Yeah, I played really consistently the last two days. I hit the ball in the right positions, hit a lot of greens and gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities.
So from tee-to-green, I did everything right, and ended up sinking a few putts as well, today. So I guess it's the way golf is supposed to be played.

Q. Course conditions seem to be very tough, but not for you.
THOMAS AIKEN: Well, I don't know. The rough is thick. The greens are firm. So if you don't put the ball in the fairway, it's going to be a challenge out there.
And so yeah, if you hit the ball in the right spots, the greens are so good, you're going to give yourselves a lot of chances. So ended up doing that the last two days and it shows in the scores.

Q. A little bit early to say right now but looks very much that you could play with Tiger tomorrow in the third round. Are you looking forward to that?
THOMAS AIKEN: It will be good. It will be fantastic to play with someone of his calibre and he's a phenomenal player, and hopefully he can spur each other on and play some really good golf tomorrow.

Q. How do you reflect on today?
THOMAS AIKEN: It was another consistent day. I hit the ball well again, not quite as well as yesterday and I hit it solid. Only one bogey. Just really consistent and I think it's been the name of my game for the last couple of months. It's nice to see some consistency being rewarded.

Q. Not a sexy word, is it, "consistency," but it's what you strive for all the time?
THOMAS AIKEN: Golf is an interesting game. It's by no means flashy, because it's five hours long. So there's no sprinting. It's a marathon. If you end up sprinting in a marathon, you'll never finish.
So just stay patient, hit the shots that you know you can, put yourself in position and if you don't have a shot at the flag, then just play away from it to put yourself in position and give yourself chances on the greens, because the greens are really good this week.
So I mean, I thought my way around the golf course quite well the last two days, and it seems to be working.

Q. That word, consistency, essentially goes for the last couple of years, let alone the last couple of months. But was there a time that you were not this consistent, or were not getting your rewards, and therefore, you've worked and this is the reward?
THOMAS AIKEN: I had a really good amateur career when I was basically a junior and was No. 1 South African in 2001. When I turned pro, I got pneumonia over the holidays and it put me out for a while and from there I kind of struggled a bit.
When you're young, you don't think as well as you do when you get a bit older. So you go at flags that you shouldn't go at and you play shots that you shouldn't play, and that's why you see golfers peaking when they are in their 30s, because it all comes down to experience.
This is my 10th year as a pro. So I'd like to think that I've got a bit of experience behind me. So, yeah, I'll just try and play percentage golf, but not too percentage; the flags that you go at, you go at. If you hit the ball well, putt well, you're going to get a good score.

Q. Is it easy, though, to fight off that temptation now?
THOMAS AIKEN: Temptation comes in every aspect of life. It's always difficult to fight off. But you do your best and that's all you can do. You can try your hardest on each shot, and Tony Johnstone told me one day, did you try your hardest. And I said, "Yeah, I tried my hardest."
And he said, "Well, there's nothing else you can do." That kind of puts things in perspective a bit. It's a five-hour round and from the moment you get on the first tee, you're like, when is this going to end.
But instead of thinking like that, you just have to think, one shot, it's this shot right now and then you walk and talk rubbish with your caddie and you joke around a bit and you have some fun and you get to the ball and then you concentrate and you hit another good shot hopefully.

Q. Sounds like you're going to relish the weekend come what may, regardless of who you play with.
THOMAS AIKEN: It's a great atmosphere in Dubai. Spectators have been great, there's been a lot of people walking around and no matter what happens on the weekend, I'm just going to go and have some fun and keep playing the golf that I'm playing and see what happens on Sunday.

Q. How damaging was your pneumonia at the time?
THOMAS AIKEN: Quite damaging. I was pretty much out for like 3 1/2 months.

Q. How serious did it get? Hospitalisation?
THOMAS AIKEN: Yeah, I was hospitalised for about four weeks. It was really bad. And the funny thing is, when you come off a high as an amateur, like Rory did when he turned pro and all of these people, making the transition is a lot easier because you're just going from a golf tournament to another golf tournament.
Yeah, there's a lot more people, but if you are confident in the way you're playing, it's a lot easier. When you've got time to think about it, like I have, lying in a hospital bed, it's a bit different.
And it took me a while to find my feet. But you know, I'm actually glad it happened in a way, because it made me realise what it's like to struggle. What it's like to be at the bottom of the sport. And it makes you hungry to perform when you do get your opportunities.
And I now know what that's like, so when things are not going my way on the golf course, it's not half as bad as what it was back then. So you have just got to put bad things out of your mind and move on.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297