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IRISH OPEN PRESENTED BY DISCOVER IRELANDJuly 29, 2011Paul CutlerKILLARNEY, IRELAND Q. Paul, two terrific rounds of golf, describe how it feels to see your name right up there at the top of the Irish Open leaderboard? PAUL CUTLER: Unbelievable to be honest. It's wild beyond expectations to be fair, and just came here to try and make the cut and the weekend but it's a great position to be in. Q. How well have you played these two days? PAUL CUTLER: Very well, yeah, I struggled yesterday after the tee but today I got it sorted it out and gave myself a lot of chances. Hit a lot of greens and the putts have been dropping, too. It's been great. Q. What's the atmosphere like? PAUL CUTLER: I think The Open Champion is out behind me. It's great. The crowds are very good. Q. What would be your biggest achievement in the game so far? PAUL CUTLER: Probably Lytham Trophy probably, Irish Close Championship, also, this year, as well. Q. Walker Cup this year, is it an ambition of yours to make that team and maybe turn pro afterwards? PAUL CUTLER: That's the idea, yeah, hopefully. That's probably my best amateur ambition. Q. What chance do you think you have of getting on that Walker Cup team? PAUL CUTLER: Fair chance. Expect the picks quite shortly, so hopefully. Q. Your thoughts going into the weekend? PAUL CUTLER: Just stick to what I've been doing, try not to get caught up in the atmosphere too much, but just take each shot as it comes. Q. We have seen amateurs win on The European Tour; do you think you can do that? PAUL CUTLER: Shane Lowry won this event. We'll see. A long way to go yet. A lot of good players in this field, as well. We'll see. Q. Did the lads say much to you during the round? PAUL CUTLER: One of them just turned pro recently, and I knew him from amateur golf. Q. Obviously a fantastic score to have on the second day but would it be fair to say you had a couple more birdies? PAUL CUTLER: I left a few out there. That's golf. I holed my second shot, too, yesterday, but I was happy enough with the score. Q. Obviously comparisons, I know it's two years since Shane won, as well, but what do you do to stay focussed? PAUL CUTLER: There's a long way to go, a lot of great players, just try to play my own game. Q. How pleased? PAUL CUTLER: Very pleased. Pretty unbelievable to be honest. But I just have to keep firing away over the next two days to see where I can get to. Q. What was the key to today's round? PAUL CUTLER: Hit a lot of greens, gave myself a lot of chances, hit good iron shots quite close to the flag and holed some nice putts, too. That was key. Q. What do you feel you learnt from playing in the Irish Open last year? PAUL CUTLER: Just not to get too hyped up and look around and just play your own game. It's easy to get caught up in the crowds and stuff like that and looking around but try to focus on my own game this week and working so far. Q. So the first ambition is achieved. You've made the cut. What are the expectations? PAUL CUTLER: No expectations really. It would be silly to think I could win it from now, and just play away and see what happens. Q. Do you think you can win it? PAUL CUTLER: Yeah, why not. Q. You came here with the ambitions to impress Walker Cup selectors; what's changed from the moment you holed that eagle on the first? PAUL CUTLER: Four shots better, that's all that's changed really. I'll just try and try to do the same thing again over the next two days. Just try and keep -- the caddie has been great. Just try to keep doing what I'm doing and it will be fine. Q. You came here obviously trying to secure your Walker Cup place, as well as playing the tournament, what's in your mind for the season with the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship under your belt? PAUL CUTLER: Just got to keep playing away. You have to try to win every tournament you play or else you wouldn't play. I've played well in Ireland this year. I've struggled a little bit in Britain this year, hopefully make an impression this week as well. Q. But you have won one of the big amateur stroke-play championships, the Lytham Trophy. PAUL CUTLER: I won that last year. It was great to win that, it's a big event, one of the best events in the amateur circuit, so I was pleased. Q. When you put all of the experience of those wins behind you, does it give you a little bit of confidence that you can sustain it. This is not a big, intimidating golf course. PAUL CUTLER: There's three tough holes, the stretch in the middle there, 10, 11, 12, 13 are very long, tough holes. But I think I can handle it all right. I've played a lot tougher courses but this is standing up to the test. It's good. Q. When Shane Lowry won two years ago, did that open the eyes to say: It's possible, why not? PAUL CUTLER: Yeah, there's a few amateurs that have won. It is possible to do. So just have to keep going. Q. What's the strength of your game this week? You're obviously carrying confidence from your two championship wins? PAUL CUTLER: My iron play has been good this week. I've only missed a few greens I think and that's given me a lot of chances, but played well so far. Q. Any psychologists on the bag? Anybody to refer to just to keep you nice and centered for the weekend? PAUL CUTLER: I've got my friend on my bag and did a lot of work with my coach, Johnny Foster, he's here this week helping me out, so that's good. Q. A few more spectators making the trip down this weekend? PAUL CUTLER: There may be. My family are down, so that's good. Q. Do you thrive in the big atmosphere, the big events? PAUL CUTLER: Last year I tried too hard in this event but just try to do what I can do. Q. Can I ask you about 10, 11, 12, 13 again? PAUL CUTLER: I think they are calling them par 5s, the members -- it's important to hit fairways and there's a lot of trees on them holes. I managed to do that today but if you hit the fairways you've got a good chance of making par or even birdie. Q. Are they playing anymore difficult today than yesterday? PAUL CUTLER: There's not much wind today. They are playing their yardage, maybe slightly into the wind, but that's fine. Q. Are you finished with the Darren Clarke School? PAUL CUTLER: Yeah. Q. What was a typical day like there? PAUL CUTLER: Just some schoolwork when I was there. Some days we all golfed. Some days it would be a mix with school and golf. Q. What handicap did you start -- PAUL CUTLER: Plus four. Q. Do you get a diploma or something like that? PAUL CUTLER: It's a national diploma sort of equivalent. Q. Instead of doing your a-levels? PAUL CUTLER: No exams, just course work. Q. And Darren would pop in every now and then? PAUL CUTLER: I wasn't there when he was associated with it. Q. Who are you staying with this week? PAUL CUTLER: I'm staying with my caddie this week down in the town there. My family are in a different place actually. Q. I know you're looking forward to this weekend obviously but looking forward to the rest of the season, Walker Cup? PAUL CUTLER: Yeah, the European Amateur next week and nationals after that and then the team is selected for the Walker Cup, so fingers crossed. Q. Would you like to be on with -- PAUL CUTLER: Definitely, Alan has a good chance. It would be great to have two of us on, maybe even three. Who knows. Q. How inspirational has Rory been? PAUL CUTLER: Very good. It's unbelievable. He was playing with us four, five years ago in the amateur events and now he's won the U.S. Open, so he's a great inspiration. He's a special talent, very good. Q. Was he a partner of yours at any stage? PAUL CUTLER: Never. Q. Have you been doing physical work? PAUL CUTLER: No. Q. You seem to have toned up a bit more. PAUL CUTLER: Just eating a lot. Q. A couple of the shots out there today, it was easy to peck your shot of the day yesterday. What was it today? PAUL CUTLER: Probably the second to the last. Hit rescue off the tee, and that left us a long way back and hit rescue again. It was about 220. Q. Can we go through the birdies? PAUL CUTLER: 3, 5-iron and holed a nice putt about 20 feet. Birdied the other par 3, another 5-iron, 15 feet. 9, holed a nice putt there, as well. About a 20-footer. Hit a wedge in, driver and a wedge. The par 5, hit a bad drive at the right, laid up, but hit a lob-wedge and it was close enough, like four feet. The bogey, 4, 3-putt from a long way, about 40, 45 feet. Q. Were you watching when Shane won two years ago? PAUL CUTLER: No. Q. Actually there? PAUL CUTLER: On TV. Q. Did it open your eyes to what's possible? PAUL CUTLER: It did, yeah. Obviously fantastic to see one of your good friends win. I think he's going to win again shortly. I played with him on Tuesday; he's playing very well. But opened my eyes to what's possible. Q. Are your plans after possible Walker Cup selection to turn pro and go to the Qualifying School? PAUL CUTLER: Yeah, Qualifying School is my goal. Q. A few invites maybe? PAUL CUTLER: Maybe. Q. Will you go as an amateur or as a pro? PAUL CUTLER: I'm not sure yet. I'm not sure. Q. When you played with him on Tuesday, what did you notice different about him? PAUL CUTLER: He's a lot more professional. He hits a lot of high-quality shots now. Less loose shots and stuff like that. Short game is very good. Q. You have a late tee time tomorrow, what will you do to occupy the rest of today and tomorrow? PAUL CUTLER: I was up early this morning so go and see about getting a kip this afternoon; hit some balls. Q. No fishing or anything? PAUL CUTLER: No. Not interested in fishing. Q. Do you know Darren Clarke? PAUL CUTLER: Not really, no. Know him to say hello to really. I know Graeme a lot more. Q. Did you play a couple of holes with him on Tuesday or Wednesday? PAUL CUTLER: With Graeme? Q. No; with Darren. PAUL CUTLER: No, I played with just Shane on Tuesday. Q. There's a long way to leave yourself back on 18, is that your game to take risk out of situations, like 220 off the tee, was it? PAUL CUTLER: I planned hitting rescue off the tee a bit further, but obviously just spun it. Q. You weren't being overly conservative? PAUL CUTLER: Not really. Q. Are you on Twitter? PAUL CUTLER: Yeah. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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