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ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPJanuary 27, 2012Thorbjorn OlesenABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Q. Disappointed I'm sure to bogey the last hole but seven birdies in the first 12, what was responsible for that? Any particular aspect of your game? THORBJØRN OLESEN: No, I hit it pretty close and holed some good putts. I had a few bad shots here and there on the back nine but I saved a lot of them. It's a bit of a shame to finish with a bogey but I played really well. So, that's good. Q. Your first time at this championship. When you saw the course in practise, did you think, yeah, I like this? THORBJØRN OLESEN: There was a lot more wind in the practise round, so I thought it was going to be a really tough week. But it's still really tough out there. To see on 18 when I get in the rough, it's tough to get out of it. So it's a tough golf course, firm greens, so you have to be in the fairway to hit them close. Q. You had a fabulous first year on Tour last year, 48th in The Race to Dubai, three times in second place.  What sort of goals and targets have you set for yourself this year? THORBJØRN OLESEN: Of course win a tournament, that's the main goal. Q. Do you feel comfortable amongst these big boys on the range? You have Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald; do you feel you belong on this tour and you're ready to kick on? THORBJØRN OLESEN: There's so many good guys in this event, it's tough. If Tiger plays well, he's unbeatable I think. But I just try to play my own game and try to be up there on Sunday and play well. Q. This is your first time around here; what's made you so comfortable, do you think? THORBJØRN OLESEN: I don't know actually. It's a tough golf course, very tough, but the rough is especially really tough. So you need to keep it in the fairway. I hit a few bad drives on the back nine that made it tough. But I hit it close on the front nine and made a lot of putts. Yeah, it was really nice today. Q. Speaking about comfort level, what is it like looking around the range and seeing Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald and all the great players in the world? THORBJØRN OLESEN: For me it's very special. It's not many years ago I was watching them on TV. Of course it's special and I know it's tough, but I'm trying to keep playing my own game and do my best. Q. What type of experience will you lean on going into Saturday in this third round? THORBJØRN OLESEN: Just trying to play as I did today. Try to hit the greens and see if I can roll some putts in and make a few birdies. Q. First of all, happy new year. Please, tell us about your Christmastime and New Year's time after such a great year you had last year. THORBJØRN OLESEN: I played in Thailand just before Christmas and then I went home the 23rd of December. I just got home for Christmas and it was very quiet with the family and a few friends. But really nice. Unfortunately I got sick over New Year's, so nothing really happened there. But then I got to Dubai and did a bit of practise. Worked out pretty good. Q. Looking at your golf right now, it seems that you are starting where you ended last year, playing extremely solid golf. How was it today? THORBJØRN OLESEN: It was really good. I had a really good practise week in Dubai here the week before. I was playing solid and I hit some good putts, and you need to do that on this course to make birdies. It's really playing tough out there with the rough. So I played very nicely. Q. How tough is the course? Scores compared to last year are higher. Is it just the rough or is it in overall terms more difficult? THORBJØRN OLESEN: I don't know, I didn't play last year, so I don't know. But for me it seems very tough this year, and especially the rough. It's a tough golf course with firm greens, also, but really good. Q. Talk us through today, that's an exceptionally good round, isn't it? THORBJØRN OLESEN: Yeah, started out with a birdie, two birdies actually. I just played a great first nine. Basically hit a lot of greens and rolled some really nice putts in. The back nine, I struggled a little bit with a few drives and that makes it tough on this course. But I saved a few of them and hit some good putts for par. So unfortunately I made a bogey on 18 but I was playing really nice. Q. It was three birdies in the first four holes and another four in the space of five around the turn, as well; some really purple patches there. THORBJØRN OLESEN: Yeah, but I had it yesterday, also for the turn, I made three birdies in a row. So I just like the holes I think. Q. And presumably that gets the confidence going. You feel that, yeah, I'm murdering this course at the moment. THORBJØRN OLESEN: Yeah, I really like this course. It's very tough and everything is good about it. You need to be straight; you need to be a good putter; you need to be good all around your golf game. So I think it's a great test of golf, yeah. Q. Also helps when you chip‑in, as well. THORBJØRN OLESEN: That was lovely. Thought I hit a perfect tee shot. Just came up a bit short and then holed the chip. So that was very good. Q. I take it you're enjoying seeing your name at the top of that board with all of those other illustrious names beneath you. THORBJØRN OLESEN: There's so many good guys in this event, so it's fantastic to be on top. We'll see at the end of the day how it is but I'm looking forward to the weekend. Q. How do you fancy it will stand the test of time, because the wind has not picked up like it did on the first day. THORBJØRN OLESEN: Yesterday it picked up a bit in the afternoon and made it really tough. Hopefully it gets up a little bit so they can get a bit the same as yesterday. But we will see until the end of the day. Q. You've been down here for some time preparing for this tournament. THORBJØRN OLESEN: Yeah, a bit over a week actually I was in Dubai and practised down there. It was really good. I had my coach down, so we got some very good practise done there. Q. Probably obvious but what was the thinking behind that? THORBJØRN OLESEN: Just to get ready for this Desert Swing. Great practise facilities and all that, so just been down here. It's great. Q. And the sun on your back? THORBJØRN OLESEN: That's nice, also. Q. How did you winter? THORBJØRN OLESEN: How what? Q. How was winter for you? THORBJØRN OLESEN: I was actually only home a few weeks. I got home late from Thailand, and it was very quiet, cold, but very quiet, just a few friends and family. Q. I'm told you were a little ill, as well. THORBJØRN OLESEN: Yeah, over new year, it was not one of my best new year's, I can say that. I was in bed very early. So that's not very nice but hopefully make something happen here. Q. And all fit and healthy now and feeling the benefit of the work? THORBJØRN OLESEN: Working hard in the gym, so I'm feeling really fresh and good. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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