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September 16, 2011
LEMONT, ILLINOIS
Q. Just comment on your day.
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, obviously I didn't hit it great on the back nine, but I scrambled well, made some good putts on some squirrelly greens. It was good. I mean, I'm just sort of staying where I need to be. Hopefully on the weekend I can just play a little bit better. But I'm putting well, gaining more confidence every day.
Q. You're the one that told me that you know it's T5. Are you keeping on eye on that?
ROBERT ALLENBY: I mean, all I can do is just go out there and play, and obviously I have to finish 5th or better to get into next week. And also that would take care of a lot of things, as well, Presidents Cup, obviously. But yeah, I mean, I know what I've got to do, it's just a matter of focusing on each hole and each shot, and hopefully I can -- as I said to you yesterday, I just want to improve on my score every day. So far, so good, so hopefully tomorrow will be a good one.
Q. Do you find yourself looking at where Badds and Geoff are whenever you look at a board?
ROBERT ALLENBY: No, I don't care what they shoot. I can only worry about myself. I can't control their destiny, I can only control my own. Obviously I've come here to try and play as good as I can and first of all make next week. That's my No. 1 goal. And then my second goal is to make The Presidents Cup. I figure that if I take care of the first goal, it'll take care of the second goal. I mean, I feel like I'm playing pretty good. Just got to keep scoring well, that's all.
Q. So you think that if you get into next week in Atlanta, you think that that would be enough either way to get you in the Presidents Cup?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Oh, absolutely, because that will take my World Ranking into the top 10. I think that would be enough, because obviously on Sunday night, top 10 are in. I know that if I finish 5th this week my World Ranking will come down inside the guys that are 9, 10, 11 and 12, so that would put me obviously in the ten.
Q. How important is that, Royal Melbourne, where you're from?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Well, I missed out in '98, but it wasn't that long after I had a car accident. I was playing okay going into that sort of time, and that was a major, major disappointment for me to miss out on Royal Melbourne, especially at home. But that would be a major disappointment if I missed out this time, but I can't -- I've already had the experience of missing out, so I'm going to do everything I can to try and get back in there.
But you know what, I'm not going to die from it if I don't get in.
Q. It's been a good golf course for you in your career, too, right?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Yeah, I've got a pretty good record there. I've got a couple of wins and seconds and stuff like that. Every time there's been a tournament there, I've been right up in there.
Q. Am I right, you won the Open as an amateur on that course?
ROBERT ALLENBY: No, runner-up as an amateur.
Q. Is it a golf course that local knowledge is important for?
ROBERT ALLENBY: Oh, 100 percent, 100 percent. It's all about the greens. It's all about knowing where to hit them on the greens and where not to hit them. There's a lot of subtle slopes there. You know, you think, oh, yeah, no problem, and then all of a sudden you're 15, 20 feet past the hole, just without blinking an eye. The greens are the hardest part about Royal Melbourne. It's not a very long golf course anymore because of technology, but the greens are running at 16, and it's hard as rock. It's a golf course that you bounce the ball into the hole. You can't fly it all the way there, otherwise you'll be over the back. But yeah, definitely knowledge.
Obviously the guy with the most experience is Greg Norman at Royal Melbourne. He has the best knowledge out of anyone that's ever played there. He played there so many times, more times than anyone has ever been there. His knowledge for the team will be very vital.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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