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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

September 16, 2011

Justin Rose

LEMONT, ILLINOIS

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Justin Rose, thanks for joining us here after a second round 68. Certainly not easy to follow up a round like you had yesterday, a 63, but you managed to shoot something in the 60s and you're right in the thick of it tied with Mark Wilson through 36 holes at the BMW Championship. Opening comments, please.
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I think you summed it up there, really. You never quite know what to expect after playing so well in the first round. Actually my caddie said it's the best round he's seen in 20 years out there from a ball-striking perspective. So that's kind of -- there's only one way to go from there.
But today was good. I was very happy, once again. Felt comfortable with my game, felt comfortable with the way I was seeing it out on the golf course, and more importantly felt comfortable with how patient I was out there. A couple spells in my round it went a little bit flat, but managed to create some momentum, a couple birdies around the turn and then a pretty good finish with eagle at 15 and birdied 16. So happy with the day.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Coming into the week you were 34th in the FedExCup points so you had some work to do. I'm sure you're obviously pleased that not only are you playing well but you're tied for the lead, so talk about how you've reacted to that pressure coming into the week.
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I came into the week with a mindset of nothing to lose. As of the start of the week, I wasn't in Atlanta, so go for it basically. I think I need to keep that attitude for the rest of the weekend. There's nothing to lose. Just go out there, play as hard as I can, keep going, keep moving forward, and I have now the opportunity to -- I've seen the projected obviously. If you do pull this tournament off, you've got a great chance to win the FedExCup.
That's the exciting thing about the Playoffs and offers that opportunity for everybody, which is why the way guys get eliminated as we go stage by stage, it's critical just to keep yourself in it because if you have your hot week, you're in with a great shot.

Q. The nothing-to-lose attitude, how does that affect your play? Do you fire at more flags or what does that mean for you out there?
JUSTIN ROSE: No, I think my strategy this week has been almost conservative. I haven't really taken on many pins. I haven't taken on pins that I haven't felt comfortable taking on anyway. I've taken the chances when the golf course has presented them to me. But I think it's more of a mental shift. It's not putting pressure on yourself, it's not getting frustrated out there, it's having the ability just to stay a little more patient, and I think that's what I'm feeling this week.

Q. I know this was a while ago, but you had a sniff at this tournament I want to say in '07 when you played with Tiger and he shot nothing on that Sunday.
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah.

Q. You got a pretty good lesson on how to play this place. Is any of that still with you, what you saw and how he played?
JUSTIN ROSE: No, for sure. I remember that day clearly. We were both sort of 4-under through seven or eight holes, going along really nicely, and I think I shot 68 in the end, and he sort of -- as the round went on, he was very jovial and laughing and joking around to start with, and then the way he closed it out was a huge learning curve right there. He got more and more focused, more and more into his shot, more tunnel vision as the round went on, and I kind of thought about that funnily enough today on the 13th tee, about the way he closed that round out.
Yeah, it definitely is a big lesson when you see someone who's playing that way and the way they have the ability to close out. There's nobody better than him at that, so it was a good lesson to learn that day.

Q. Can you talk about the eagle on 15, and did you realize at that point, had you seen a scoreboard where Mark had gotten past you by a couple shots, and did you want to do anything to catch back up to him at that point?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, the eagle was very timely, and I felt like leading up to that I had had chances on 10 -- well, I hit a great drive at 11, gave myself a chance I felt with 3-wood but hit a bad shot, a little bit lucky with the tee shot at 12, had a good birdie chance, bogeyed 13, and had a good chance at 14. So at that point in the round I was hoping something was going to happen. I had gone a little flat.
Just for my own momentum really it was a big putt. I wasn't too concerned about what Mark was doing or even the leaderboard, I just felt for my own progression in the tournament that was a key point. It was lovely to make a putt, and I thought that one putt made up for a couple things that had gone on the previous few holes.

Q. What did you hit in there?
JUSTIN ROSE: I hit driver, 3-iron.

Q. Will you have to remind yourself that you have to get to the golf course at, I don't know, 8:00 in the morning?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, it's going to be an early start tomorrow. It's going to be fresh, cold. I don't mind that, though, to be honest with you. Historically I've played pretty well in the mornings. Yeah, it's no big deal I don't think.

Q. You don't have that thin Florida blood now?
JUSTIN ROSE: It's getting that way actually. Yeah, I'm getting a little soft in my old age.

Q. Do the guys find it strange that because of college football you guys have to shift your Saturday schedule?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, you know, a bunch of kids ruling the show? What's going on? You know, that's one of the amazing things I find about this country really is how big college sports are and how big the college system is. It's something I've never experienced, but it's fascinating to see how big these games are and the attendance it gets and the TV ratings. It's just phenomenal.

Q. What are you doing after FedEx is over and done? I imagine you're going to go over and try your luck in that points contest on the other side, too?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I've got a bit of grinding to do the rest of the year. I've got four events to make up on the European Tour. I haven't exactly finalized my schedule yet, but I'm trying to fit in a bunch of stuff and trying to balance that with being away from the family, a two and a half year old who doesn't want you to go now and a wife who's going to be in her last trimester of pregnancy, due Christmas Day.
So there's a lot going on for me at the end of the year, but that's kind of the balancing act you've got to do when you're playing both Tours.

Q. Is that something you're going to continue to do, or will you find it'll be just too much of a grind and you'll want to be home with the family?
JUSTIN ROSE: For now I'm going to continue to do it, there's no doubt. The European Tour moving it to 13 events has made things a little bit trickier over the last year or so, but it's definitely a commitment, but European golf being as strong as it is, it's still something I want to be a part of it, and obviously to play Ryder Cup you need to be a member of the European Tour, so for now it's definitely a goal.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Justin Rose, thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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