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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

November 4, 2011

Fredrik Jacobson

SHANGHAI, CHINA

LAURY LIVSEY: We are pleased to welcome Fredrik Jacobson into the interview room, after shooting a 67 yesterday, you came in with 66 today, no bogeys, and you have to feel very good about your position leading the tournament.
FREDRIK JACOBSON: Yeah, it's been a great couple of days. I feel I've been striking the ball well. Been setting up a lot of chances out there, taking advantage of the greens playing a little bit softer after that rain we had. Yeah, really pleased.

Q. You've been not playing quite well before this year, since 2003. Do you think it's a comeback for you this year?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: No, I think last year -- well, the year before this year was my best year-to-date in the U.S. I finished 43rd on the Money List. I didn't think it was that bad. I feel I've been playing pretty consistent since I moved over there. I know I won a few times in 2003. So I would say the similarity probably with this year is that I won again, and I'm certainly happy about that.
But I feel the consistency of my game has been there throughout the years. I don't really feel I've had any struggles.

Q. You seem to have cut down on your beard. It's usually more rough around?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: Yeah, well, I guess I've cut it down then since last time you saw it. Well, I don't know if you -- it is what it is (laughing), isn't it.

Q. You always have worn some kind or another, haven't you?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: Well, for most of this year I haven't had any.

Q. Really?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: Yes. That's been a comeback, a comeback beard. (Laughter).

Q. What about Ryder Cup ambitions?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: Yeah, definitely.

Q. What do you plan -- how do you plan to deal with it? Are you going to come play in Europe a bit, or what?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: I haven't decided yet on the schedule for next year exactly. I think it's going to depend a little bit on how I play.
I've done the part that I've locked up most of the Majors, at least the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open for next year, and the Doral tournament. I know all of those tournaments are -- probably looking good for the Match Play. All of those tournaments count on both lists, as well as this week. I'm starting to get into a lot of the tournaments where I can create points both on the European list and when it comes to World Ranking points.
But first thing's first, is to keep getting better and keep playing well. That's what my goal and if it comes to it where I'm close on the points, I'll probably sneak over and play a few when it comes to that time. But that's a later decision.

Q. Do you quiz other players about The Ryder Cup, and do you watch it on television?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: Yeah, I've been watching it on television. I think it's a great event. Well, through the years I've certainly heard from some players that's been there. It's been, you know, after moving to America, it's been I little bit tricky after I fell out of the Top-50 in the world to kind of play. Eventually I ran out of -- I was exempt four or five years from my Volvo Masters win up until that point.
Now, I don't know, I might get my European Tour card back from the few tournaments that I play this year. That gives me a little bit more options, if that's the case.
I just went through a few years where I didn't really focus on The Ryder Cup as much because we were having -- the kids were so small, and I felt America was a big enough challenge, which I still think it is.
But I feel the kids are getting slightly older and that we are through the early few years with all of them. So I do feel that Ryder Cup would be one of my main goals for next year, to give it a shot.

Q. What is it about this course, obviously 11-under, what is it about this course that you seem to like, and is it difficult coming all the way over and actually performing as well as you're doing, at least in the first two rounds?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: I think the course is just -- straight when I went out, I really liked the golf course. It's in great conditions. Greens are good. Fairways are good. It's a nice layout.
I didn't see those kind of scores when I played my practise round before we had that rain. The greens were quite firm. They were in great shape. I think that they softened up a little bit and then we managed to stay away from rain for most of the two days, kind of opened up a little bit of an opportunity to make some more birdies.
It is, when it comes to coming over here, I'm lucky that I was playing last week to play for a week before, last week in Malaysia. I had a hard time with the sleep and the jet-lag. I was sleeping in shifts for three hours here and two hours here.
It was very difficult to have a 12-hour change like that. I've never been great at time, jet-lags, but it probably took me a good six days or something before I slept for a full night.

Q. Have you encountered any difficult shots during the round today? Any up-and-downs?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: Yeah, there were some holes that played tough. I mean, the last hole that I played, the 9th hole, was playing really tough. I hit 3-iron coming in there. That felt tough. I managed to stay out of trouble for most of the day, so I didn't really face any real rescue shots so to speak -- well, any shot is challenging. But stayed out of trouble.

Q. What do you rate your two days' scoring? Are you happy with what you have done today and yesterday?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, very much.

Q. Is it because you have more rest?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: I think I've just been striking the ball really well. I've been driving the ball really well over these first two days. I think that's been last week, the same thing.
I got a new driver from Callaway a couple of weeks ago and started with it last week. They are coming out with a new model and it just seems to work really well. I've been hitting it a little bit further than before I think last week there was not much run in the fairways and this course is playing pretty long sometimes. I feel I've been having pretty good distance off the tees, and if I can hit it straight, which I have so far, I'm going to get some good looks with my irons.

Q. So the Diablo is helping you?
FREDRIK JACOBSON: No, it's not the Diablo. It's called RAZR Fit.
LAURY LIVSEY: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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