Q. A 69, can you tell us how amazing that is, especially in what was clearly a lot of painful moments for you on the course today?
IAN POULTER: Yeah, I would have been delighted with that after a few holes. Last Saturday was tough in the wind and rain, and I started to get back spasms there. So they haven't let off. I drove home Sunday night, six hours in a car is never good. I've been having some treatment over the past few days, acupuncture and everything I can, to try and settle them down, and they weren't going away today. It was just getting worse.
I called the DOC out to the course to see if I could get some extra pain relief, which he gave me after about seven holes, and may have just taken the edge off it a little bit. So you know, it was a great finish. Birdie, birdie, eagle finish is a lovely way to finish here at Wentworth, and hopefully I can go and sit in the bath and get some Epsom salts and see if this will actually let up.
Q. Clearly after the 8th, there were times we thought you might not even make it to 18.
IAN POULTER: After four holes, I was contemplating whether to call it a day. I didn't want to do that. Here is a big tournament and I know that I'm playing good golf. I mean, obviously coming off of a good finish last week. I just know if I can get this back to just ease off and give me a little bit of a break, then obviously I can do some good stuff this week.
So you know, let's see how it is tomorrow morning. It's going to be an early start. I'm going to need to get some treatment tonight and make some more pain meds.
Q. How much tougher is the course playing?
IAN POULTER: It's tough, and to be honest with you, it's had a lot of rain in the last week or so, or two weeks. It's flooded up by my house and obviously it's not too far from here. I know how much rain they have had.
Q. How did the back start?
IAN POULTER: It started some back spasms on the Sunday night, and six hours in a car driving home wasn't the best. I've been having some acupuncture and treatment to try and give me a bit of respite there and after a few holes, I was struggling. I called the doctor out early in the round to see if I could get some kind of pain relief.
Q. We've got pictures giving you some treatment.
IAN POULTER: He's a big guy and his elbows are pretty strong, too, so that is not enjoyable at all. He's trying to loosen up the spasm right where it is, just right of the spine, and it's just so uncomfortable. I don't really suffer with that issue, but obviously last week and driving as many hours as I did has not helped things. So I took some pain meds. Going to have to have another go at that and see if I can sit in a nice hot bath with some Epsom salts and see if I have some relief in the morning.
Q. Tell us about the putt on 18.
IAN POULTER: It was a nice finish. I kind of was trying to work out how I can hit a golf shot. I seem to do better the harder I hit it. But yet there was a couple of shots in there where I had to take some yardage off. Sort of like a hard, soft one, if that makes any sense, kind of like a sawed off shot. Hit a lovely 7 wood in there at the last to 12 feet and rolled that in there for three. A big close here, which you can have on this golf course helps that scoreboard today.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports