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ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 29, 2011

Marc Warren

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

Q. They call it "Carnasty," but you obviously tamed the beast today.
MARC WARREN: Yeah, really pleased. Carnoustie, if I could pick the order to play, I suppose this would be the first one to play. It was a really tough golf course, and arrived this morning, it was calm and fortunately we got to play a few holes at the start.
I got off to a really good start, I was 3-under after four. Probably should have been 4-under after five. I had wedge into the par 5 and ended up couldn't even hold the green; it was that much downwind. Ran it through the green and didn't get it up-and-down.
Tee-to-green was really good today. Played from the middle of the greens a lot of times and of course my irons were good. On 9 I hit 4-iron, 4-iron to finish off there, just wind was down off the left, a tough tee shot and still ended up with 20 feet left for birdie.

Q. You must be pleased to get the call that you got the invitation, obviously a massive tournament.
MARC WARREN: Yeah, last Wednesday night I got the call to say I was in. It's a huge event and obviously to be in an event like this, of this size, but especially in Scotland as well, it's just that extra bit special for us.
Yeah, I'm absolutely delighted to receive that call and yeah, I mean, as you say, it was the first time I've played this event for sure.

Q. One off the lead at the moment playing the hardest course, you must be looking forward to the rest of the week now.
MARC WARREN: Yeah, it's a great position to be in, with all three courses to go. I love the Old Course. Probably my favourite course. I can't wait to get there tomorrow.

Q. Especially if the weather is like this, a nice day; no finer place to play golf.
MARC WARREN: Exactly. You know, just as I said, just keep doing what I'm doing, and hitting fairways and greens and pace of my putts have been really good. I hit 16 greens or something out there, 15 greens out there today and that's the key to this place. You know, keep that standard over the next few days, should be okay.

Q. Can't really think too much about your card --
MARC WARREN: Yeah, the position I'm in, it would be easy to get carried away, it's such a big money event. Obviously I've not been playing a lot of events this year, and the last couple of months I've been playing very well and I felt the last few weeks signing off -- I had 67 the last round last week as well, little things like that build your confidence. Finishing off with good rounds, things that I have not been doing so far this year, but to do that, and coming in here, feeling great about this week, and obviously today added to that confidence I suppose.

Q. Best round of the season would you say?
MARC WARREN: Last Sunday was good. That was a tough golf course as well, tough finishing the way -- I took a lot the way I struggled with bogey. Struggled with the finish there.
But today, yeah, because it was really tough, I hung in there a few tough holes. We teed off on 10, 18,1, things like, that hit a poor tee shot on 17 and dug in there and made a really good five. And then hit it to ten feet on 18 and from there, just really good, solid golf.
A few of the flags, you want to go for, but just kind of keep going for the middle of the greens and stay patient and realise the golf course you are playing and give it the respect it deserves.

Q. Plan for rest of the season? Are you back on The Challenge Tour?
MARC WARREN: Yeah, obviously Top-10s or whatever to get into next week, things like that. Obviously a long way away, but Madrid next week -- you know, obviously decent finish last week and a good round this week won't do any harm, so as long as I keep performing well and I went to Singapore and Hong Kong last year, didn't get in. As I said if I keep putting good numbers on the board, hopefully will see that and give me an opportunity to play.

Q. And avoid a trip to the Q-School I guess?
MARC WARREN: Last year was the first time I had done it in quite a few years, and it's not an enjoyable experience. It's a sure veal experience, it's a weird atmosphere, and that tournament is definitely not something you want to be in. I believe I'm playing good enough golf to avoid that. It's just a matter of doing it.

Q. Do you feel like getting back to where you were when you had that unbelievable season in 2007?
MARC WARREN: 2006 and 2007 were good years, a couple of wins and World Cup and everything else that goes with it and everything was obviously going great at that time.
You know, you make the changes and I feel the changes that I made working with Pete Cowen, I've got a far better understanding of my golf swing and what I'm doing. I feel as if I'm getting mentally stronger and stronger all the time. Shots that if I'm not comfortable with, I can start committing to it, which is something I couldn't really do in the past and it was probably one of the reasons why my rounds -- a lot of bogeys, and recently there's been a lot more pars and a lot more birdies and bogeys.
First part of the year, to get good finishes, to it start off with Dubai and things like that, a couple of Top-20s and I was right in the hunt getting into the weekend and just couldn't finish it off. But I feel as if I struck the ball well enough. I just couldn't hole the putts. First two years on Tour, I think I was first or second in putts the first two years. So obviously if you're not holing the putts like you were, that was definitely more wayward tee-to-green.
Now probably getting used to hitting more greens and getting used to the fact that you are going to miss a few more because you're hitting greens. You know, but things like, that I do feel more confident and what I've done with my golf. You know, starting to actually show that as well.

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