Saturday October 6, 2007
Q. Martina, congratulations on two great victories but the celebrations were a little delayed weren’t they?
MARTINA EBERL: I didn’t know on 18. I didn’t know throughout the day how my score was or how Sophie’s score was. I think I’m just overwhelmed at the moment.
Q. What does it mean to get your first win after everything you’ve been through over the last two or three years?
MARTINA EBERL: I can’t describe it. I’m going to cry later. I have to behave myself now but I mean it’s fantastic. I can’t believe it.
Q. Not only did you win the title, you also won The 18 Finest.
It’s been quite a week hasn’t it?
MARTINA EBERL: If that could happen a bit more often it would be nice! That was great. Of course I came here to win The 18 Finest but at the end of the day I came here to win a tournament, to win a tournament. That’s what I do week in, week out. Eventually I did the best. It was great that The 18 Finest was here as well. I mean, it’s fantastic.
Q. When you missed that short putt on 15 were you a bit nervous?
MARTINA EBERL: No. I didn’t hold my putter quite correctly and that was a silly mistake I will never do again. Especially not in that situation. It was a stupid mistake and because it was a really short putt I was not focused enough. It was a mistake and I will definitely learn from it.
Q. Can you tell us about your birdies on the front nine and how long the birdie putts were?
MARTINA EBERL: On the second it was two metres, straight over the pin and behind the flag. On the fourth I hit my wedge really, really close. It was like one-and-a-half metres.
Seven was a fantastic birdie because I hit my second shot into the deep rough. It was a difficult shot out o f there so I just tried to hit it somewhere. Somehow I hit it close to about five metres and I sank the putt. Number eight was the same again. The flag was on the left side. I hit it to the middle of the green. I had a nine-iron in there. Hit it to five metres and holed the putt. On number ten, I was really lucky because I hit the stones off the water for the tee-shot so it jumped back to the fairway. I could almost get onto the green in two. I made up and down out of the sand there for birdie and that’s it! The bogey on 15 I three-putted and I missed a really, really short putt from about 30 cm. I didn’t grip my putter correctly and maybe I was just not focused at that moment. Sometimes the belly putter does things you can’t control.
Q. How long have you had that belly putter?
MARTINA EBERL: Since Finland. Finland was my first week. I love it!
Q. You looked very comfortable on this course for the last three days. Did you feel at home here?
MARTINA EBERL: Very much because I spent all my holidays when I was little on Majorca. My grandparents live on Majorca so I always feel very comfortable on Majorca. I had my biggest success as an amateur in Spain, the Sherry Cup in ’99 and 2000. Then I became Spanish champion so I’m at home in Spain.
Q. What are you going to do to celebrate?
MARTINA EBERL: I’m going home tonight. I think we’re going to celebrate at home. The October fest is going on so I think I will have a chance to celebrate!
Q. Are you going to come to India and Dubai?
MARTINA EBERL: To both of them, yes!
Q. How does it feel to win?
MARTINA EBERL: I’m very, very happy. I still can’t believe it. It’s my first win. I’m overwhelmed and I still can’t believe it so just happy.
Q. You won against the best 30 players in Europe.
MARTINA EBERL: I know. It’s unbelievable. I felt comfortable the whole week. I was hitting the ball well all week, putting well, a good short game, so it all came together and today I was the best.
Q. With the money, what will you buy?
MARTINA EBERL: The first thing I will buy is a ticket to America to see my boyfriend.
Q. You wouldn’t have been here had it not been for the invitation for The 18 Finest by Banque Baring Brothers Sturdza SA. Are you grateful to the bank for giving you this opportunity?
MARTINA EBERL: Of course. The 18 Finest is a great competition. It’s tough because you have to be on the spot nine times, or eight times because you can take time out once. I think I’m very, very grateful but at the end of the day I worked really, really hard to be here. I think I played so much better than my ranking on The New Star Money List shows and so I thought I deserved to be here even if it was through a different way. Now I think that I’ve shown that I belong here too.
Q. You knew that you were leading the tournament before you came here. Did that inspire you to play a little better?
MARTINA EBERL: No. The only thing was that three years ago in Italy where I finished second I was leading and I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep. Last night I just told myself, its just another round. Keep cool and do whatever you did the two days before. I did and I slept really well and I had a great cooked breakfast. It was awesome today. We were really calm and I didn’t know I had won until the end. Everybody approached me on 18 but I didn’t know that I had won. I mean, if you dream of your first win you think you’re going to sink the putt and everyone is going to come on. I sank the putt and I didn’t even know that I had won until after schedule. I am happy. I hope it’s not the last time!