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DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC


March 3, 2005


Sam Osborne


DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

RODDY WILLIAMS: Very well played, a little unlucky at the last but you must be pleased with your opening round here.

SAM OSBORNE: Yes, definitely. It's my first time in Dubai, and I only played the course fully once on Tuesday, so yeah, I was pretty pleased and I was excited to be here. It's pretty cool body

RODDY WILLIAMS: Can you tell us what happened on the last hole, dropping a shot there?

SAM OSBORNE: Yeah, I had 190 to the hole and it was just a normal sort of 6-iron. I didn't really focus properly on the shot. I was aiming right because the ball is above my feet. Then as I was hitting it, I was thinking, I don't want to miss it right, and kind of hit it left. Somehow it ended up in the water and I had to take a drop, but I got away with it because I had a decent wedge and holed a putt. Kind of got away with it but it was my own doing.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Highlights of your round?

SAM OSBORNE: Basically, I played pretty steady the whole way around and just putted well, really, holed a few putts and holed a couple that you don't really expect to hole.

It could have been better, but pretty much I was just pretty steady the whole way around. Probably best shot was on 18. I had 3-wood, I had 255 or so to the hole and just had a good 3-wood straight into the wind about 15 feet sore so and that was pretty good. Then I birdied the first and second after that. It was a nice little loop there.

Q. Can you give us the length of the putts you didn't expect to hole?

SAM OSBORNE: Well, I holed one on the second that was probably 35 feet. It was actually downwind that hole, so I went for the green and I hit it just short right of the green and then holed that putt. So that was good.

I also chipped in on the first. And I holed -- what was the other long putt I holed? On my front nine, I had a good putt at 11, actually, which I had 25-footer down the hill, quick putt, so it was nice to hole that one.

Q. This is your fourth or fifth event?

SAM OSBORNE: Well, it's my fifth, because I played the Dunhill at the end of last year.

Q. What have you learned over those tournaments?

SAM OSBORNE: Well, I've learned that pretty much every one has got a great short game out here and a great putter. Basically, that I don't need to -- I don't need to be really technical or work on a whole lot of things to try and get better. You just need to let it happen and when I do that, I usually play good.

Q. How is the mental side of the game? Last time I talked to you, you said you had a few demons inside your head every once in a while.

SAM OSBORNE: Yeah, I think most people do. I'm definitely better, just more confident and I think my whole game, I'm more rounded and sort of, that, makes you more confident because you know that you're not going to go out there and suddenly you're going to hit 1-over here or 1-over there.

Q. Did you work with anybody on that?

SAM OSBORNE: Well, I had done, but it didn't really make any difference. I read a lot about all sorts of stuff and golf and mental side of golf. Without really working at it too hard, like I say, my game is sort of steadily improved and along with that, all of a sudden I thought, you know, kind of one day, kind of just thought, you know, I'm all right, decent player. So I stopped worrying about it, really. Yeah, it was a slow progression.

Q. How tough of a decision was it to not wait a year?

SAM OSBORNE: Well, it was difficult, certainly, because of the Walker Cup, but thinking logically, that would have been the end of next year and I really want to improve and play on the highest level. You know, I felt that I could just come out here and make an impact. So it wasn't as difficult a decision as it might have been, but I really wish the Walker Cup was last year because I wanted to play in it. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way.

Q. What's your best finish so far in your professional starts, and do you still keep tabs with Nick since winning the Junior series?

SAM OSBORNE: My best finish I think, the only cuts I've made were on the Challenge Tour, and my first event I think I came about 24th in Mexico.

Then I played South Africa and then I played the three at the start this year, which were all -- well, I grew up in South Africa and the others were all invites that I got through IMG who have got me into all of those tournaments and this one.

Nick Faldo, you mean? Yeah, well, I had kept in touch with him until last year. I haven't really spoken to him this year. When I see him, I say hello and what have you. I saw him in Australia and that was cool.

Yeah, I'd like to sort of try and keep in touch with him, anyway -- yeah, maybe get Woosie for a pal first, that's right. (Laughter.)

RODDY WILLIAMS: Very well played.

End of FastScripts.
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