BETHAN CUTLER: We would like to welcome Anja Monke, the 2008 Dubai Ladies Masters Champion from Germany. This is your second LET victory but no doubt the biggest. You beat a quality field, including Annika Sorenstam in her last tournament. How does that feel?
ANJA MONKE: Well, it feels really good to me. I’m sorry for Annika, but I played well. Yeah, so, I’m feeling very happy.

BETHAN CUTLER: And did you say anything to Annika today?
ANJA MONKE: I just thanked her for everything she did for women’s golf. She was a little scared to give me a hug to congratulate me because I was completely wet. So I can understand that’s, that’s fine. (Laughing).

BETHAN CUTLER: Wet from perspiration or champagne or whatever.
ANJA MONKE: No, it was water, all of the girls from Germany and Australia and from Switzerland, all of the German speaking girls, they ran on the 18th green after I finished my putt and they had a lot of water with them. Yeah, they hit quite well on me.

Q. I wonder if with the focus being on Annika, did that make it easier for you in the last stages to play your game unnoticed with the pressure off?
ANJA MONKE: I mean, I had to play my game no matter what or where the focus is or what you pay attention on. You know, I mean, I just tried to focus on my game, and of course, I heard the big applause when she was hitting her shot into the 18th green. I was on the 16th green at the time.
And then we saw her actually finishing it off on 18. We hit our tee shots on 17 by that time and so I could at least see a little bit.
But, yeah, still had two holes to play, and, yeah, finished up with two pars. So it was good.

Q. So you actually stopped briefly on the 17th fairway?
ANJA MONKE: Yeah, because it was kind of yeah, very loud and a lot of applause going on. You want to be a part of it even if you still play. I mean, I want to see it a little bit, because it’s a great moment for women’s golf I think when the best player for the last century retires and makes her final putt on 18. At least she finished up with a birdie, so she finished up in style, I would say.

Q. Will next year be geared up with Dubai in mind to defend?
ANJA MONKE: Yeah, definitely I’m going to be here, and I want to defend my title, you bet.

Q. The key to victory appeared to be that little burst after the turn, you went 10, 11, 12 and birdied them all; you were in the clear then, weren’t you?
ANJA MONKE: Yeah, that was nice. I hit some really good nice, and I think the long putt the longest putt that I had to make for all those birdies was probably 1 1/2 metres, maybe two metres. They were all really good iron shots.

BETHAN CUTLER: How will you celebrate now? What will you do for the next few days?
ANJA MONKE: I’m going to have a drink later on in the clubhouse. First I’ll have a shower and get change, and then I’ll have a few drinks because I know quite a few people out here and I want to celebrate with them.
I want to talk to home because I haven’t seen my mobile phone for the last eight hours, and yeah, I definitely want to speak to my boyfriend and to my parents and all of the people back home who are in front of the Internet or in front of the TV watching this.

Q. How are you going to celebrate the holidays?
ANJA MONKE: First it’s going to be Christmas. I have family coming over to my house and I’m going to be the cook for Christmas. We are going to have a nice traditional German goose for Christmas Eve. And then I don’t know what I’m going to do yet over New Year’s, maybe have a long weekend trip somewhere.
And then I think my season is going to start quite early next year, so I’ll probably prepare from late January on.

Q. Will you be making a trip to the States?
ANJA MONKE: I think so. I haven’t made any plans yet.

Q. What about Australia?
ANJA MONKE: I don’t know yet. I haven’t made any plans yet. We’ll see.

Q. And whereabouts do you live?
ANJA MONKE: I live in Germany in Hanover, that’s the name of the town which is about 1 1/2 hours south of Hamburg.

Q. Who would you like to say thank you?
ANJA MONKE: Oh, so many people. To my parents, to my boyfriend, to my crowd here and to my caddie.

Q. Yesterday you said you would win if you played well today and Annika played poorly today…
ANJA MONKE: No, no. The question yesterday was I think if I would mind Annika winning here, and I said, well, if she plays well, I mean, she was four shots behind, and so she has to play really well and I had to play poorly to get Annika the victory. So I said, well, but if I play well, I play well, and that’s what happened today.