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PORTUGAL MASTERS

October 14, 2011

Simon Khan

VILAMOURA, PORTUGAL

Q. Last night when you said, I need a bit of pressure to play well, well, you had that because you were a shot off the lead and you played well again today?
SIMON KHAN: Pleased, started above great, birdied the first two holes and that settled me down quickly and generally played good, I hit it perfect. I felt quite a lot of times this year I had to play perfectly. And this year my attitude has been good, any sort of misses, and obviously the putter has been working.

Q. Compare conditions between the two days.
SIMON KHAN: It's perfect again. I mean, when the wind gets up in the afternoon, some of the par 5s are a little bit easier, maybe the third, but without a breath of wind this morning and just ideal.

Q. How much better were the greens this morning?
SIMON KHAN: A lot better. Definite advantage being early out and they are rolling really good this morning.

Q. Have you got a plan?
SIMON KHAN: Not really. I think that you have to be positive around this course, and if the wind gets up a little bit, it can be a little bit more testing. I think you've just got to hit your wedges close and definitely get the putter going. That's the key.

Q. 65 yesterday, 66 today, you are playing very well.
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, it's been a great two days. It's not been a brilliant year overall, but I always feel good coming around this course and enjoy playing in Portugal. So I'm delighted with the two days, yeah.

Q. Tell me about your game. What are your feelings about today's game?
SIMON KHAN: I wouldn't say I hit the ball absolutely perfectly, but my putting was good, and I put it in some good positions below the hole sometimes.
I think some of the putts are getting a little bit quicker if you get above the hole. So it's having the control on your shots into the green to give yourself a nice birdie putt, and I did that well. And you know, kept patient really. Similar to yesterday, and managed to finish well.

Q. And 13-under in total, what can we expect from you for the next two days?
SIMON KHAN: Never really have many expectations. I think the thing is to enjoy the position I'm in and enjoy the pressure, hopefully I'm leading, and carry that on into the weekend.
We are only halfway through the tournament, so still lots of birdies to be made hopefully and I think that you've got to be positive on this course.
I had a couple of little blips, on 10, hit one way right on and made a bogey there. But then managed to play good from there on in, which pleased me really and to finish the way I did, birdieing the last, is always good around here.

Q. A lovely little bonus there, wasn't it?
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, certain holes, most people are looking to birdie, but if you can birdie a hole like that or 7 or something like that, they are the harder holes on the course.
But I kept my expectations in check and didn't get ahead of myself too much. You know, just enjoyed playing. It was good.

Q. Has it made much difference playing in the morning compared to afternoon, with the wind picking up as you set out yesterday?
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, it's almost like the little morning breeze here and then it switches, normally in the afternoon it becomes more downwind, like, say, on 18.
But I think when the wind gets up, it definitely plays a little trickier. It definitely plays a little trickier. You know, it can get up around here. I don't know what the weather is like for the weekend, but if it does, scoring can be kept in check a little bit more maybe with the leaders. But I think you've got to be positive here and go for your shots and hopefully hole a few again.

Q. And you continue to keep those expectations in check?
SIMON KHAN: I don't really go out thinking, oh, I've got to shoot this, I've got to shoot that. I never really have a figure in mind. Focus on what I've got to do on my next shot, that's all that matters really.

Q. It would be nice, and a different attitude, I'm sure, to be one of the leaders, in the last group on Sunday or Saturday.
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, I haven't been -- I can't remember the last time I was probably leading, maybe French Open 2007 -- well, Scottish Open with Graeme McDowell 2008, something like that. But I enjoy being up there.
And like I said to Rob yesterday, you have to sort of embrace the pressure really, and if you want to be on the fringes on this tour, then go and do something else really. It's only the shadow of your ambitions really, the pressure, and just got to enjoy that and take it into yourself and go and do it.

Q. Presumably the heart is pounding that bit more and you feel a bit more nerve and anticipation, but it's all part of the fun.
SIMON KHAN: Yeah, I like that, though. I think that in the past when I've hell really had to go and perform, and some of the bigger tournaments I've done well in, so sometimes it's harder to get up.
I've had a good little crowd following me, friends from back home and that sort of spurred me on the last couple of days. Hopefully it will be noisy again tomorrow. A couple of my old friend from back home and my old boss I used to work for when I was an assistant pro lives out here now; so he reminds me, brings back down to those days, as well.

Q. Remind us of those days.
SIMON KHAN: I used to work for him but I wasn't much good because I was always out practising and I used to forget to tell him about stuff like club repairs and things like that. Yeah, I was so caught up in what was doing with my golf, I don't think I was much of an assistant I don't think.

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