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March 29, 2012
HUMBLE, TEXAS
DOUG MILNE: Carl Petersson, thanks for joining us for a few minutes after a successful 7-under 65 in round one of the Shell Houston Open. Just a few comments on the round and kind of how you're feeling, making I guess what's your third start here in the Shell Houston Open this week.
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah. You know, I got off to a great start. I think I was 4-under through five or something like that and kept it going and got it 8-under, a little disappointing bogeying 17, but gave myself a great chance on 18 and didn't make it. Happy with 7-under.
DOUG MILNE: 7-under.
CARL PETTERSSON: Played really good. Played solid from the tee. Hit good irons, putted really well.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. With that we'll go ahead and open it up for some questions.
Q. Is this a surprising round to you at all? I was looking at you recent results.
CARL PETTERSSON: I played poorly the last two tournaments. I played really well on Tuesday and yesterday. I felt confident with that, but that doesn't always relate to great play. But I felt like I was striking the ball well again, and I told myself this morning just to play aggressive and shoot at the pins and see what happens.
Q. Did you find something out on Tuesday, did you change anything?
CARL PETTERSSON: I changed my set-up a little bit. Opened up my stance and enabled my left hip to really fire through the ball, and I play my best when my club really exits left through the ball. So, it was as easy as that, I was playing with an open stance and firing my left hip through the ball.
Q. When are you going to write the book?
CARL PETTERSSON: It won't sell, believe me.
Q. You had gotten off to a pretty good start this year. You had second place finish real early.
CARL PETTERSSON: I played good in Hawaii. I played so-so. I made a lot of cuts this year, but missed the last two, obviously. Hadn't played as well as I would have liked, but it's been a decent start, and hopefully I can get on a roll here and see what happens.
Q. Is that the issue at The Transitions, your hip?
CARL PETTERSSON: My iron play was poor. I played terrible the last two weeks.
Q. Is this a place that you feel like should suit you or is it --
CARL PETTERSSON: This is my third time. I've been on Tour for ten years. I like the golf course. The golf course is great. I don't know why I haven't come more. Must have been the schedule was set-up. But the golf course is in the best shape, probably the best-shaped golf course we've played all year. That's always fun. The greens are phenomenal. Putting well, you should be able to make a lot of putts, and it's a nice golf course.
Q. Were the conditions pretty benign out there?
CARL PETTERSSON: No. Started getting some wind on 16, last three holes, but before that, it was nothing. It was nice.
Q. Is 18 playing downwind?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah. 17 played real long. Hit driver, hybrid into 17. So did Sean O'Hair. The hole is playing very long. It's wide enough.
Q. So was there any magic with the putter today, or was it just giving --
CARL PETTERSSON: I didn't make any bombs. I made all my good looks. That's the key, really, to make the makeable once. I didn't make any real long ones, but made all the ones I should. I missed a couple, but that's every round of golf. You look back and see you should have shot a couple better. That's just the way it goes.
DOUG MILNE: All right, Carl. Thank you.
Q. Carl, you only missed two greens. You only made one bogey. You make almost all the putts you had a look at. Anything at all you can find wrong this round?
CARL PETTERSSON: I felt my game was good in the Pro-Am yesterday. You never know. I started off great with some birdies and it was a fun round. I really enjoyed it. Hit it well and played some putts.
Q. Where did this come from? Because a couple weeks at Copperhead at The Transitions, a course you love, where you didn't make the cut?
CARL PETTERSSON: I don't know. I've missed last two cuts. I haven't played very well and changed my set-up a little bit and seems to be working and hit my irons good again and it's fun.
Q. You could have been a couple more. Your iron play was spot on today.
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah. That goes with any round. You know, I left a couple out there. I'm thrilled with 7-under.
Q. Is this about as gettable as this golf course can be? You didn't have much wind and the rain was just an annoyance.
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, it was. Instead of blowing a little bit on. It started blowing on 17 and 18. Other than that, it was perfect. It's always nice to play when it's cloudy. You can read the greens better. It was fun, enjoyable day.
Q. Opening round of 65 ties your lowest round of the PGA TOUR in 2012. Eight birdies and a bogey. Was it as easy as it appeared?
CARL PETTERSSON: I played really good. Didn't get into trouble once today except for 17 when I made the bogey. Yeah, it was a great round. I played good from the tee and hit my irons close and made a lot of putts. It was a nice first round.
Q. You missed the last two cuts coming into this week. What did you find?
CARL PETTERSSON: Changed my set-up a little bit, more open, got me firing my left hip to the left and striking it good.
Q. With the conditions as they were this morning, relatively easy, how important was it to get a low one on the board?
CARL PETTERSSON: When there's no wind and the greens are as perfect as they are here, it's very good to make a few birdies at the beginning to kind settle you down and it was nice. I took advantage of the good conditions. Hopefully good to go.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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