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HSBC CHAMPIONS

November 10, 2007

Paul Casey

SHANGHAI, CHINA

Q. Paul, fantastic round of golf, that could have been almost anything.
PAUL CASEY: Yeah, could have been almost anything. A little lucky today. I had three hole-outs from off the green, two chip-ins and then the whole bunker shot, which were, I mean, sometimes it happens, but it really got my round going.
Yeah, I had a lot of fun out there, made the putts, made up for some of the missed putts I had yesterday and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So hopefully that will continue through to tomorrow.

Q. We experts are always analyzing things, talking about momentum and all those types of things, we felt the putt at 14, probably the crucial -- the turning point, if there is such a thing, in such a good round.
PAUL CASEY: Possibly, yeah. I actually hit a good putt. You know, there were no putts today where I was -- a couple maybe where I scratched my head at where it went in the end. But I felt like I picked the line I committed to and I hit them well and that's all you can do.
They are very, very difficult out there. The pin positions were tough today. Combine that with a little bit of wind and the drying out of the greens. They are extremely difficult to make putts. So you have to have a good, positive attitude and you know, maybe I haven't had that in the past few weeks but I certainly had that today and that's what it produced.

Q. 7-under through 13 holes, do you feel any sense of pressurising, tremendous score is about to be made?
PAUL CASEY: Not really. I mean, I thoroughly enjoy shooting low numbers. I don't feel -- I don't feel the pressure of the number. I don't feel the pressure of trying to, you know, go low. I love it. I think it's the lower the better, as far as I'm concerned. The difficulty I found is that the last few holes are tricky.
You know, I don't enjoy going for 16, so I've never gone for it, in fact, in, all of the times I've ever played the hole. I stick to my game plan but holes like 15, exceedingly difficult today.
18, into the wind, nobody is going to get up in two. There are not the birdies there that there have been in the past on this golf course.
So it's just very difficult to try and increase that number. It's a shame because it would have been nice to do that.

Q. You mentioned having put yourself into contention fairly recently would it be fair to say a win early in the year, you've qualified and made a good run in all the majors, but perhaps not the most satisfactory it's not been a great year just yet perhaps?
PAUL CASEY: Definitely the win early in 2007 in Abu Dhabi is great, and after that it did go a bit flat. I had some tremendous rounds of golf throughout the year but I didn't really manage to put four rounds together as the season went on. So it was disappointing.
However I really feel like I've grown as a player, I'm much better with the swing. A lot more focused. Working very, very hard in the gym. I mean, everything is right there. I'm just waiting for it to click and hopefully this is the -- hopefully the corner has been turned and this is an indication of the golf tease going to come in the next few months and hopefully for many, many years.

Q. Now, a tournament like this, HSBC Champions, right at the start of the European season, title, cash, the Ryder Cup points. What most appeals to you about a tournament like this at this time of year?
PAUL CASEY: A lot of things. All those that you mentioned. World Ranking points, of course, vitally important. We have a great field this week. I think all those things, but just, you know, having a stellar field and then trying to beat all those guys. I would love to beat -- got Harrington right behind us here, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Mickelson, Cabrera. That means the most I think to tee it up and say, I won that tournament, but it was against those guys. So that's what I'm trying to do this week.

Q. Can you run us through the details?
PAUL CASEY: Second hole, 3-wood off the tee, 6-iron, back edge and a 2-putt from 20 feet.
No. 3, 3-iron off the tee, 9-iron just short of the flag, 20 feet short in the rough and I chipped in.
4th hole, 6-iron, behind the flag, 15 feet, made it.
9, 5-wood, right, just off the fairway in the right, I got a flyer with the 6-iron just over the back of the green and chipped in from 20 feet.
No. 10, driver off the tee, 9-iron in to about two, 2 1/2 feet, tap-in.
No. 12, 3-iron, just short left in the bunker and holed it from about 35 feet.
13, 3-wood, middle of the fairway, 9-iron to 18 feet and made it.
Missed from four feet on 14 but I hit a good putt.
The bogey on 15.

Q. Did the photographer put you off?
PAUL CASEY: No, there was no sand in the bunker. I hit driver right half of the fairway, 6-iron, came out very strange and the wind knocked it down and it fell very short in the bunker and there was no sand in the bunker. The club bounced and it went over the green and it was a good par save from eight feet, difficult putt -- bogey save. So I was happy with that.
And that was it really. 16 was a bit flat but very good putts on 17 and 18 which didn't go in.

Q. You're in the mix, aren't you, you got yourself up there.
PAUL CASEY: It was just fun today. It was good. It's a tricky golf course. Greens are drying out, and it was good. Simple as that. Chip-ins were a huge bonus. Three hole outs from off the green in one round, doesn't happen.

Q. Have you been practising your short game?
PAUL CASEY: I always practise my short game. (Laughs)

End of FastScripts

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