Martina Eberl (Germany) 69-68 (-9)
Q. The 18 Finest by Banque Baring Brothers Sturdza must be a big deal for you this week?
MARTINA EBERL: Of course The 18 Finest is a big deal but I just tried to stay calm and do what I did the whole year. I never knew which holes they were before but of course this week I know its 17 and 18. It’s just a par three and a par five. You just have to pick the right clubs and hole the putts. It was really good and today I had a great day.
Q. What clubs did you take on the 17th and 18th?
MARTINA EBERL: On 17 I took a seven-iron and on 18 I laid up. I could have gone for the green in two but I may have been short of the green. I don’t like long chips so I decided to go for my favourite distance which is 75 metres. I hit it close and holed the putt so that was nice, from about two metres.
Q. Now you’re in contention, what is the game plan?
MARTINA EBERL: I came here to play well and today I had nine birdies, a double and two bogeys. Tomorrow I’ll just keep trying to hole the putts. I just had 23 putts and hit 10 greens so I had a good short game going in today. The plan for tomorrow is to stay calm and enjoy it. I’m probably going to play with Sophie and she’s a great player. I’ll just try to enjoy the atmosphere.
Laura Davies (England) 71-69 (-6)
Lisa Hall: How does it feel to be 44?
LAURA DAVIES: You’ll find out soon!
Q. Can you tell us about your round?
LAURA DAVIES: I played well today. Four under was the absolute worst score I could have had so I’m pleased and disappointed in different ways. Obviously Sophie is already ten-under or maybe more.
Q. Is this a nice way to celebrate your birthday?
LAURA DAVIES: Yes. If I could have shot four or five better, which I should have done, it would have been nicer, but four-under-par is a good round again. I just keep playing consistent golf and that’s what I want to do.
Q. Four birdies in the first five holes.
LAURA DAVIES: I could have been eight under after seven. After the first seven holes I’d had one short eagle putt that I missed and missed and four other chances. I was four under after six and I should have been seven. I know that sounds ridiculous but that’s what it should have been.
Q. How far away were you on the first?
LAURA DAVIES: The putt was probably eight feet. The second was 12 feet and the third was a ten foot eagle putt and two putts. I missed a short one at the next. The next birdie putt was three feet. On nine I thought I hit a good shot and it just trickled into the bunker and the bunkers are so wet. I didn’t get up and down. It was a nice birdie on ten with a driver and a three-iron into the middle of the green and two more putts. The birdie on 12 was a nice eight-iron to about 10 feet and holed that. Three putts for bogey on 14 from about 10 feet. I had a good birdie chance and had a bogey which was bad news. The only hole I played badly was hole-16. I hit a poor tee shot into the rough and then a poor second shot. I missed the green with my chip so I was chipping for par and missed it. I had a birdie at the last.
Lisa Hall (England) 72-68 (-6)
Q. What was the best part of your game today?
LISA HALL: You have some holes where you can hit in short irons so you want to hit those close. I had three birdies in a row on the front. I had another stretch where I hit them close and I made some nice putts. It was good, it was solid. It’s a course that is possible to shoot low on so maybe I’ll go low tomorrow.
Marta Prieto (Spain) 73-68 (-5)
Q. Congratulations on a great round today. You had a great front nine. What was the secret?
MARTA PRIETO: To tell you the truth I have no idea because last week in Vienna I lost the feel of my driver and I couldn’t hit it straight so I have been struggling with trying to keep it on the fairway. That has been the only thing that was worrying me. Yesterday I went on the range and hit 100 balls with the driver and it still wasn’t going where I wanted it. The irons were fine but I wasn’t sure about the driver. I was standing there and praying, you know. I knew it could go anywhere. I was very happy to see that I kept them straight and I just concentrated on doing my best. Standing there and swinging like I was supposed to. On the range some were good and some were bad and I didn’t know how. The irons were going great and I was hitting them well. Yesterday I missed a lot of birdie putts and today I made all of them. I was close to the pin most of the times and I was making them. Every time I had a little sand wedge from 60 metres or less it was always close to the pin. It was easy that way, apart from the 16th hole where I missed the driver but I guess I had to miss one.
It went into the water and I had to take a drop. It wasn’t in a nice place to drop so I knew I wasn’t going to have a good lie. I hit it okay but from where I was it was a tight pin. I hit it into the bunker and short and then the next bunker shot rolled into the next bunker. On the 17th I hit a good shot but I had a downhill putt and I didn’t think it was going to roll that much. I can’t complain though it’s just a pity that one bad hole can make such a difference. It happens.
I’m playing so well today and I have played better the last few tournaments so it’s nice. I got it back and it’s better late than never. I’ll try hitting my driver again and see if it goes straight. I’ll try my best tomorrow.
Tania Elosegui (Spain)73-68 (-5)
Q. What was the key to your round today?
TANIA ELOSEGUI: The putting. I had 28 putts and yesterday 32 so that is the difference. I didn’t hit it that straight on the front nine but on the back nine I was good with the driver.
It’s nice to be playing at home in Spain. It’s not normal weather though! It was okay, but no rain – perfect! The course is just a little bit wet.