|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICFebruary 10, 2012Lee WestwoodDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Q. Lee, a perfect round of golf, finishing with three birdies. What pleased you most about your play today? LEE WESTWOOD: I persevered really. I gave myself a lot of chances out there and kept burning the hole. Missed a couple putts early on at 2 and just left a few hanging on the edges, and just had to be really patient and hit it closer, and nice to do that on 16 and 17. Q. Tell us about the second shot 16. That looked like a cracker. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah. I'd had that yardage three times already today, and hit little knock‑down 9‑irons, and had 137 again on 16, and little knock‑down 9‑iron, pitched by the hole and then it screwed back in. Q. You've been pleased with the progress you've been making on your putting. How is it feeling this week? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it feels good. Yesterday I missed a couple of short ones, but I'm running the ball at the hole and it's just not going in. Sometimes that happens. So I'm 10‑under after two rounds without ‑‑ I've rolled one putt over about eight feet, so that's pretty good golf. Q. Do you sense one of those really low ones, a 60 or 62 like you shot at the end of last year coming if the putter warms up a bit? LEE WESTWOOD: I'm giving myself enough chances to shoot a low number like that. It's been a bit strange the first two days here. It's like being on one of those little Scalex shoots as a kid where they pull the trigger and come out as fast as you can and hopefully hang on at the corners. The scoring's been incredible, and it's partly to do with the condition of the course. It's immaculate. The greens are immaculate. There's no breeze, and they've been holding. That's why the scoring is so good. So I think with a little wind over the weekend and a little bit of luck, the course might start to show its teeth a little more. Q. Thoughts going into the weekend with the leaderboard as it is and you're in the position you're in. LEE WESTWOOD: Just keep playing the way I'm playing really and hopefully make a few more putts, and you know, give myself, like I said, a lot of chances. I just need to see a few 15‑footers going in and that can turn biggest confidence and you can feed off that. Q. Darren Clarke has just been voted Comeback Player of the Year, Athlete of the Year. What do you think about the word athlete in there? LEE WESTWOOD: I can see the comeback part of that. The athlete I am not so sure about, although athletes come in all shapes and sizes. No, credit to him. I know obviously Darren obviously very well and he slipped off the map a little bit a few years ago due to obviously very sad circumstances, and it was nice to see him in the Open get voted comeback ‑‑ actually sportsman of the year should we call him. Q. Good playing today? LEE WESTWOOD: Thanks. Q. World number 2, 3, 4 all in the Top 8, 9. Is that a case of (indiscernible)? LEE WESTWOOD: No. I think it's a case of seeing the fairness of the course and the fact that they're 2, 3, 4 in the world. That's what they're supposed to do, I think. Q. Yeah. No (indiscernible)? LEE WESTWOOD: Not really, no. I was just trying to get as close to the lead as possible going into the weekend. That was my goal for today. Q. What was special about your play today? LEE WESTWOOD: I hit a lot of good shots today. Best shot over the first two days, 3‑wood into 3 yesterday by fade and then three‑putted. But no, I've hit a lot of good shots. You point out the 9‑iron into 16. But I've controlled it really well all the time. Q. Would you like the conditions to actually toughen up? LEE WESTWOOD: I'd like for the people around here that set the course up and run the tournament, for there to be a bit of breeze, just to keep it interesting for everybody and make par under bogey worth something because at the moment it's a bit of a race and chase out there. Sometimes if you don't make a birdie every three holes you feel like you're losing ground on the field, so it would be nice if it got up and made us think a little bit. Q. Pin placements they can do it that way, can't they, and toughen it up if they want? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, they could, but I think we're sensible enough to play away from those. I think you probably want to have a 15‑mile‑an‑hour wind blowing out there consistently over the next couple of days. Q. Lee, could you assess the task of trying to catch Rory this weekend? He seems to be one of those fairly (indiscernible)? LEE WESTWOOD:  I've rolled enough over the first two days I'm only three behind. I'm not really concerned what Rory does. I'm more focused on my game. Q. That's it, the putting. As you said, what kind of score would you have had today if your putter was working? LEE WESTWOOD: I mean I don't know. Q. You missed how many 15, 20‑footers? LEE WESTWOOD: Five to six, I guess. Q. So that could be the difference this week at least? LEE WESTWOOD: I'd like to roll a few more in. I'd like to hole my first shot over the weekend, yeah. Q. What was the longest putt you hit today? LEE WESTWOOD: I holed from about eight feet on the par three, 6th, which was nice to see that go in. Missed from 15 feet on the first. Q. You're finally on 16, 17 and 18? LEE WESTWOOD: I said that to Billy, there's the secret to hitting more putts, hit it closer. Q. Those last three holes ‑‑ LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah. I hit it good all day and gave myself a lot of chances, and hit some good putts that missed. Just waiting for one or two to start going in, like I said. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|