VOLVO MASTERS ANDALUCIA

November 1, 2003

Greg Owen

GREG OWEN: Great condition again. With the rain we've had it's fantastic how it's holding up. To hit the fairways and give yourself chances of birdies, you have to hit the fairways to start with and then the greens. It's playing tough and the wind is blustery, and some of the greens out there are a little -- very open. It's very tough to putt one from three feet. You just want it to get up there without a two-shot penalty, make your putt and get on to the next hole.

Q. This is a course that's mentally exhausting, and you're going to play it twice today; how tough is that going to be?

GREG OWEN: It's hard. I'm going out there today thinking, there's plenty of score out there. It's going to be tough and you've got to enjoy it. The wind, the conditions are very severe. And I'm going to go out with the same kind of feeling this is afternoon, go out there, and if you play well, you play well.

It's very difficult in these conditions -- had a few good breaks and a few bad breaks. I played well. Had a couple of good breaks as well. Chipped in on 9. But we have another round and it's going to be tough. It's heavy on the foot. Looking forward to it. Still feel young.

Q. Did you come here playing well?

GREG OWEN: I think looking at the last six ones I've played, there's nothing very good. But I played okay in Madrid, played a lot better in Madrid. I had a bad back before then. I have that nearly sorted, so I'm swinging a little easier. I just feel more confident. I know where the ball is going. I have a good feel for this wind today. The distance control is pretty good. A couple of shots that went awry but not bad either.

Q. What was the trouble, was it lower back?

GREG OWEN: It's sciatica. I've got a tight muscle in my periformus muscle, it's in my backside. It's trapping the sciatic nerve, and it's shooting down my leg. The physio has been working on it the last couple of weeks and it's getting better but still needs some work. I'm looking forward to going in.

I was at home before two weeks before Madrid. I'm taking some anti-inflammatories.

Q. Any during the course of the round?

GREG OWEN: Just took one this morning, one this evening. Just taking two a day and go from there.

Q. And you had the chip-in on No. 9?

GREG OWEN: I had a very good 9-iron. It flew ten yards further than I expected it to and it was only 20 feet from the flag. Just popped out nicely and ran to the hole, probably three or four feet past, but you need those breaks.

Q. And then missing on 11 --

GREG OWEN: I can't believe it didn't go in on 12. I had 7-iron to that to three, four inches and I cannot believe it didn't go in and 9-iron again to four feet and then the 6-iron to about 12 feet and then I missed. I missed a 10-footer on 15. Missed a 6-footer on 17. And then missed it from about ten feet on the last.

Played nicely. I missed one green wide. 10 was a good shot into the wind but didn't go. One of those things, if you get a gust, it's perfect; and if it doesn't, it stays there. 16 I pushed a 4-iron right.

Q. Still wet -- any mud?

GREG OWEN: There's none on the ball in the fairway. The greens are now firming up a little bit. It's playing good. It's still fast greens and the wind is drying everything out really quickly. They have done a wonderful job. It's amazing how we can actually play with the amount of rain we've had.

Q. The sciatica, did you feel that sometime during the week afterward?

GREG OWEN: No, just have to play through it. Just go through it.

Q. That finish on Thursday, did that annoy you?

GREG OWEN: I was in exactly the same position on 18. I hit a good drive, I kicked it left behind the tree, no shot, made bogey there. You know, I didn't play 17 very well. I 3-putted that. It would have been nice to make 4 and recuperate. I played it well today.

End of FastScripts.