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WORLD CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY NORTHWESTERN MUTUALNovember 29, 2012Graeme McDowellTHOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA Q.  Graeme McDowell was a winner here at the World Challenge in 2010 but didn't play last year and you're back and playing well. What is it about this golf course that you like so much? GRAEME McDOWELL: I don't know. I've always enjoyed it. I finished second here in 2009 and then won in 2010, so it's been a nice place to come and play golf. It just fits my eye. I think it's a golf course where you can keep it in the fairway off the tee, it offers you a lot of great birdie opportunities, and the greens are always fantastic here if you hit good putts generally they go in, even though I opened up with nine two‑putts today. Q. Hearts breaking all over the world with that engagement a couple weeks ago. What is it like playing golf at this level as an engaged man now? GRAEME McDOWELL: It's a lot of fun, a lot of fun. I'm sure she's watching back on TV back in Orlando, so hi. But it's been a lot of fun. It's about that time in my life. I can't be a boy forever, I've got to be a man at some point, so here we go, we'll give it a go. Q. Just talk a little bit about your opening round. GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, I played really solidly today. I think I hit 17 greens, and the 18th was a fringe, so it was pretty good ball‑striking. Nine two‑putts on the front nine. I was getting a little frustrated I have to say. I didn't putt very well. Kind of been a little bit of my theme of my year has been a lack of good putting, which is kind of unlike me. When I was playing well in 2009 and 2010 the putter was pretty red hot and it's been pretty ice cold this year. Certainly something I'm looking at in the off‑season. But good ball‑striking round. This golf course, I've always enjoyed playing it because I feel like it just offers you so many chances. Pins were tough today. Pins were tricky on the front nine today. I thought there were five or six of the toughest pins on the golf course on the front nine, and I think that's reflected in the scoring. Typically when you give guys ball in hand like we have today, greens as receptive as this and they're quite pure to putt, you'd expect someone to go really, really low. But the pins were tricky today I thought. Q. There was a lot of ebb and flow among the leaders today. Do you expect this to continue over the next few days, a tight field? GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, I mean, obviously there was a lot of rain here overnight. The golf course was saturated compared to how it was yesterday, and I'm sure it played a little bit longer. I'm sure that affected scoring a little bit today. But this will be a shootout this weekend. As receptive as the whole golf course is, give the guys a few easier pins the next couple of days, and someone will shoot 7‑, 8‑, 9‑under par around here the next couple days, and you've got to be prepared to probably shoot mid to high teens to win here this week I would suggest. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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