Swedish star Alex Noren reflects on his brilliant second-round 65, the challenge of yesterday’s brutal winds, and what it’s like to play alongside Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark. He shares how his BMW PGA Championship win boosted his mindset, the tweaks he’s made to his routine and putting, and why his coach and caddie keep him grounded as he chases another title in Japan.
Second round 65. What’ you like about your round? Yeah, it was nice. It was the weather was obviously a lot better. Uh so it’s a lot more kind of enjoyable um easier for the caddies to to get a grip on the course and um yeah, it was a it was a lovely day and it was very inspiring to play with Xander and Wind them. What’s almost more impressive 69 yesterday in the wind or today’s round? Uh probably yesterday. I mean, yesterday was it was brutal to trying to get everything right. Um, but also some T- shots were easier, you know, when you get up there, uh, you get so much help from the wind and then, um, and today, but today was way easier hitting into the greens, you know. So, yesterday off the team maybe wasn’t as as tough as you would think, but into the greens was very difficult yesterday. So, um, yeah, but h happy with both days. What’s the key to navigating these greens? Do they compare to any other tournament or course you played? Yeah, I think they I mean they’re they’re more like uh it’s very slloy. Uh yesterday they had to put the pins on pretty pretty flat surfaces and and same for today. Um, but I mean they’re they’re great greens and and you just have to stick with it and maybe don’t pay too much attention if you miss on pots and just go go through your routine and and because you get a lot of chances on a day like today. Um, you mentioned playing with Xander and Windam. How strong was that? And also Xander going low, kind of building off each other. Yeah, I mean I I haven’t played with Sander in a long time, if I’ve ever actually. And uh u you know, he’s such a strong game and and Windham played played better today than yesterday. Well, sort of. And um uh and um yeah, it’s just fun. You know, they they hit it so far. Sometimes, you know, it’s it’s tough when you don’t keep up with their drives and you got to just stick to your to your own game and maybe get inspired to work hard in the gym. Uh but it’s great. Yeah, it was fun. What confidence momentum you taken from your win at BMW PGA Championship? Yeah, I think the the biggest u lessons from those ones is that you don’t have to hit every shot good. You just have to stick with it and and stick with your your practice and your routines. Uh and uh and and uh you know the good play will come if you start kind of like going more through your motions emotions and and not stick to your game plan then it and it’s tricky. You mentioned to Craig was it something you changed in your routine or you went back to Yeah. Well, we just tried to get my overall game more sort of uh sorry neutral. um the putting, you know, the aiming and the putting starts going a little bit left and then I always have like a, you know, a crazy routine sometimes and I try to get away from that to to just do the to do a little bit more on plane on the range. And so I just trying to have a lot of small range sessions where I just enhance that and then on the course I you know kind of take a normal practice swing and not and not that crazy routine. Yeah. Is that something you’ve been working on range session since Ryder Cup? Have you been able Yeah. No. Yeah, I mean I it was it was I was a little rusty after pretty much two weeks off after Wentworth. Uh and then it was good to get a few days last week and then coming here. Um I mean it was tough with the jet lag but but my coach is here which helps a lot and and me coach and and my caddy you know it’s it’s a good team. and they they keep me in line and in check. So, uh whenever I get a good good few days with him, it it seems to do the trick and like just getting back to to golf. Yeah.
