Q. Captain's pick, slightly tougher day at the office.
KIPP POPERT: Yeah, I mean, I was really pleased with how I did. Everything I was trying to achieve today, I sort of managed in the sense of, you know, focusing on what I could control. I don't know if I looked it but I was trying to be as patient as I possibly could. A younger Kipp might have got a bit frustrated.
Shows that I only had four bogeys around a very tight golf course with an extremely cold putter, and it wasn't that I hit poor putts. I think I just tend to hit putts and just if they go in, they go in, and today they just didn't go in until the last. So it was nice to hole a birdie on the last.
Q. Starting bogey, bogey, was it just a case of maybe not exactly off the tee today?
KIPP POPERT: Great drive down the first. Instead of being in the fairway, I was just in the thick rough. Wedge; I had a clear shot but it was just so thick and juicy with the rain. So basically had nine feet and just lipped-out.
Par 3, didn't hit a great tee shot. It was in the bunker, ten feet, didn't hole it.
Next hole, hit a good shot in. Hit a good putt. Burned the edge.
I honestly played extremely solid. As I say, I think -- I don't know how many pars I had in a row but I was extremely patient. I've got a few goals in my notebook that I've written down this week and I did those extremely well.
17, the tee, they moved it up even further so Ben and I played last year, you had to carry that tree. This year, we've been hitting and letting it run down the slope. Hit 6-iron off there, stayed halfway up the slope. Had four feet for par. Lipped-out. Horse-shoed.
To be honest, as I say, coming down the last, I did what I needed to do today. I'm just quite proud.
Q. Battling around, as you said, that could be a nice taste for lunch after the last?
KIPP POPERT: Yeah, exactly. A hundred percent. I'm excited for tomorrow. I think I'm playing well. I know I'm playing well. I think that was quite nice out there. I didn't get frustrated. I trusted myself. And yeah, I'm very excited for tomorrow.
Q. World No. 1 again going at it tomorrow, what's it going to take to edge him tomorrow?
KIPP POPERT: Shooting lower than him.
Q. Are you excited for it? You've come up against each other a lot. It's exciting for the championship tomorrow, as well.
KIPP POPERT: Yeah, exactly. Me and Brendan get on. His family in America took me to a Texas-like lunch and stuff. It was really nice to spend time with him way from golf. I get on with him well. I think it will be nice to actually play with the lead, the leader/in the final group. I thought they two do that today and they didn't, so that was a bit of an odd one, really.
I'm excited. Just stick to my game plan and we'll have a nice battle.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports