Iben Tinning (Denmark)
You got to seven-under and then what happened?
I had a couple of bogeys. I hit a bad shot on eight and got a bogey there and nine is a really, really long hole. I had 185 metres on the second shot so that’s a long par four.
You were leading after the first round in Turkey. What does this first round mean to you?
I played nice and solid; I just made the two bogeys at the end. I’m alright with it.
Do you think you could be number one at the end of the day?
Well nobody’s every won on a Thursday; I’m just going to focus on my game. I’ve got a lot to learn here and I’m working a lot on the mental part of the game so I’m just going to keep doing that and see what happens.
The weather is not great. Is it a problem?
It is. I am a little surprised myself that I finished at five under because it’s pretty wet out there but the greens are still nice and that’s going to make a difference.
Two bogeys – what happened?
I had a really bad shot on eight and I don’t know where it came from. I didn’t feel nervous to be honest. It was a perfect yardage and I pulled it and ended up having a bogey. That was it. The last hole is just really long and you’re going to expect to have a bogey there one of the days. That was today unfortunately. I’m definitely satisfied. Conditions are tough out there. It’s not that windy but it’s wet; the greens are still good but I’m very pleased with five under. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing.
What was the key?
Well I only had 26 putts. My husband Lasse Degn, an ice-hockey player for the Cobras in Rungsted, is caddying. He retired one month ago. Now he’s working as a production engineer so he doesn’t get as much time off.
He’s been looking forward to this and so have I. He hasn’t caddied for me for two years. It was a tough start with the umbrellas as it was so wet. I think he did a great job.
Why do you use a golf ball that looks like a football?
It helps me with alignment and it feels like you have a better lie when you’re in the rough. It’s a lot to do with the eyes.
What were your best birdies today?
All the birdies were good putts, except one on 16. I hit it towards the right side just short of the water. Then I had a seven iron into the wind and rain and I nearly holed my second shot. It was a tap-in so that was the birdie of the day.
Christel Boeljon (Netherlands)
How did you find the conditions?
I think it was okay. I expected it to be worse so if you expect the worst then everything is okay. The rain didn’t really come through; it stayed light. It is what it is. You’ve got to play with what you have and everyone is in the same boat.
How do you rate your game today?
Pretty good overall. In the middle I had a few hiccups. I’ve just got to stay focused; stay confident and play shot by shot.
I’ve got a few things to work on but overall I’m pretty satisfied with how my game is. I’m always working a little bit on my backswing. I have to be on my right side a bit more. There are a few loosed shots but today they were fine. Just one bogey I think.
How pleased were you with tied second place in Turkey?
It was a good finish for me: the best one so far without the win at the European Cup, which was a team event.
You’re close so you always want to win but you can learn from it and I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully in the future it will be my turn.
Anything in particular to which you attribute your form?
I think its hard work that I’ve done in the past with my coaches. I think I’m doing it the right way and right now its showing. Hopefully it will keep showing.
Lisa Holm Sorensen
You finished at three under. You lost one shot on the last hole.
All in all, the round has been pretty good. I’ve been struggling with my long game but it seemed to be going the right way. I hit some very good shots. I hit some dodgy shots and one of them came on the ninth. I am expecting a few of them this week because I have made a few changes but all in all, I’m really happy.
The weather conditions are not so good. How was it on the golf course?
I think with all the water the course has had and the storms of the last two nights I think the course is in really great condition. It’s holding up the water and it’s not a problem at all.
Of course it is a bit wet but I don’t find it playing much different than all other years.
It seems that there is a Danish power at the top. How come?
It’s always nice to see Iben play well and I’ll just try to follow her.
Laura Davies (England)
Is this your kind of golf course?
It is my kind of golf course, but it was so cold and wet today that it was so difficult to get into a rhythm. I think one under is an okay round of golf.
How different is this to last week’s course?
Its chalk and cheese. Last week the handcuffs were on and this week the handcuffs are off and you can hit drivers, not as hard as I’d want to hit them because of the conditions being as they are. You can’t really swing freely and go for it because you’re scared that the cold will get to you a little bit. The last four holes with the rain were really tough for everybody.
How did you find the support?
The galleries were good. When we teed off the first there was a pretty good gallery and they lasted probably until 13 and then they started drifting away. I think they got close to their cars and they could smell the beer and everything so they were gone.
Were you surprised at the turn out, considering the weather?
I’d heard that this was a great tournament for galleries and the infrastructure, the tented village, the music, the fun; that’s what I was told this tournament was going to be so I’m not surprised. It’s lived up to what it was billed as so that’s nice because sometimes you go somewhere and you’re told its going to be great and it’s not. This one lived up to it.
What have been the highlights of the week so far?
I think the car, definitely. I haven’t told them yet but I’m going to steal it and drive home. Maybe I’ll tell them when I get to the border: I’ll phone them up.
Is it an R8?
Yes, it’s a grey one. Not my choice of colour but I can deal with that for a week.
Do you prefer the red?
The red’s nice but I think a white one would be nice. The one in the advert is nice.
How did you enjoy your start in Munich?
I can’t say I enjoyed it because it was tough. You know, in the pro ams that I played the conditions were nicer and it was a fun course. You felt like you could shoot lots under and it became apparent pretty quickly today that you had to play really well to shoot one or two under. That would have been a good round today. It’s a lot tougher because of the weather. Hopefully it will get better and the scoring will get lower.
You could feel like you are at home here?
Everyone keeps saying that to me but, I mean, the weather has not been good in England this year. I don’t like it. I like the sun like everybody else. It doesn’t make me feel at home; it makes me feel a bit miserable.
Was it an advantage to play in the morning?
I’ve no idea. I looked at the scorer’s chart when I finished and it looked like there were a lot more scores under par this morning than there are this afternoon. There are so far two of us: Sorensen and my round.
What do you expect tomorrow if conditions stay like that?
If conditions stay like that I’d probably like to shoot two or three under to get a bit closer to the leaders but if the weather is slightly better then you know you’ve got to shoot four or five under, so that would be the plan.
You changed your mind a little about the score?
I thought 16 under would have been a really good target but now with these conditions, probably 10 under would be a comfortable winning score. It just depends. Who knows? Iben is obviously playing well: played well last week and started off well this week. Alfie is out there so there are some good players playing some good golf so you never know.
Were you surprised people followed you for the full 18?
I actually couldn’t believe it. I looked at them and there was a line of about 30 people. I was freezing and soaking wet and they are watching and they don’t have to be there so I take my hat off to them for sticking with us. Obviously they were there watching Martina. She is the home girl and the favourite. A lot of them were probably friends and family, the real die hards: because that was pretty grim for the last four holes.
What can you say about Martina?
She’s not playing as well as she’d like to be. She missed a lot of putts earlier and put some pressure on herself. I think she ended up shooting two over. It’s not a great round but it’s not a bad round either in those conditions.
