Anja Monke, 33, from Hannover in Germany, won her third Ladies European Tour title at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco in March and will be one of the players to watch at the Deutsche Bank Ladies’ Swiss Open this week. We talk to Germany’s leading woman golfer as she prepares for the 2010 event.
Obviously you won earlier this year in Morocco which has set your season up nicely. How do you feel about your form going into the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open?
I am looking forward to it very much. I always like the tournament there. This is the fifth year we’re playing and I like the golf course; I like the area. I think it’s so pretty there and I look forward to driving down there.
You won early this season. How much of a boost was that?
It was so unexpected. When unexpected things happen they are so positive and you enjoy them even better, I think. It was more like a relief since because of my win I qualified for the British Open and the Evian Masters very early. Since then I haven’t really got my game together but I’m not too worried because it was a good start and it will come again.
What are your goals now?
I would just like to hit the ball well again and try to make some putts and if I can bring that together again I would be very pleased with that.
How similar to home does it feel at Losone?
I really like it down there because the food is so good and the area is so pretty. German speaking is not so big in Losone. I mean, they speak a little bit of German but it is Swiss German so I struggle understanding that. Everybody speaks English as well so I get around. It’s not like German speaking in Munich where you can understand every spectator on the side lines.
The prize money is big and there are more Solheim Cup points. How much more important does that make the tournament?
I don’t know. It’s nice to play for a little bit more money and if you have a good week in Switzerland, it’s better than to have a good week in a 200,000 Euro tournament. Normally Switzerland is a pretty good field.
Is The Solheim Cup a goal for you?
It’s a long time to go until The Solheim Cup. I’d just like to play well and we’ll see. If I play well I’d like to play in the team but since its one and a half years’ away I think it’s a bit early to talk about that.
The Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open is a carbon neutral tournament. Are you an environmentally friendly person?
I try to be. I have to admit that when I’m home I use my car quite a bit because I like driving so much so probably not as much. I try during the winter time not to leave the window open and not to use the heat too much. I like environmentally friendly products you can buy like food. I buy a lot of stuff directly from the farmers when I’m home so I don’t need this big transportation to bring me a pineapple during winter time and stuff like that. I think it’s terribly important in this age and I want to live in this world for a couple more years. I think it’s very important that everybody does a little bit for the environment.
You were married last year in November. Is there anything new going on in your life?
Other than that: nothing really. Everything is good. I’m happy and healthy and I enjoy what I’m doing.
