First round leader quotes from the ANZ Ladies Masters

Thursday 5th February 2009

Q. How do you sum up the round?
BECKY BREWERTON: Pretty good really. I had a fantastic start and was firing at all the pins to start with. I got to five under after nine holes and had a double on the second which was a bit disappointing. It came from one horrendous shot but apart from that it was very good.

Q. What was your horrendous shot?
BECKY BREWERTON: It was my tee shot on number two. Normally my driving is the best part of my game but on number two I just lost focus for a second and hit a snap hook into the trees. My ball finished at the root of a tree and I had a clear shot to the green which was lucky. I went for it but this root behind the ball almost pulled the club out of my hand and it went way out to the right under a tree. It was a bit messy after that.

Q. In practise did you think you would go out and shoot 67?
BECKY BREWERTON: This is one of my favourite courses and I’ve done quite well here. I’ve got good memories and I feel that it suits my game quite well. If you can drive it long and straight you’ve got a real advantage because a lot of the holes play quite short. Coming in with short clubs you can get a good score here. I played with Karrie two years ago when she shot 62 so I’ve seen It done here and definitely think it can be done.

Q. How did you do last year?
BECKY BREWERTON: Last year I finished 15th on the European Tour money list which I would class as a very boring year. I had a lot of top tens but never really a chance of winning which was a bit disappointing. I finished sixth and seventh a hell of a lot. It seemed to pass by without anything spectacular happening so I’ve worked hard this winter to try and make sure I get a few wins.

Q. Where do you practise in the winter?
BECKY BREWERTON: I have a house in the south of Spain in Desert Springs that I go to. I hardly spend any time in the UK because you can’t play.

Q. What is stopping you from going to the next level?
BECKY BREWERTON: Having really thought about it I think that the thing that has always been my biggest downfall is the mental side. I don’t think that for a good player I’ve ever had enough belief in myself. I’ve worked hard on that this winter. I’ve worked hard on focusing on myself and my own game, nothing else. I really do think that now I have a lot more belief and that was the only thing that was missing before.

Q. After your double you came back with birdie, birdie. Is that somewhere it was working for you?
BECKY BREWERTON: Yes. I think before if I had made a mistake like that I would have given myself too hard a time and ended up one or two under when I should have been at the very least five under. In situations like that it has definitely helped. I actually did exactly the same thing on that hole two years ago in the final round when I was in with a chance and came back well for the rest of the round.

Q. You’ve been working on your fitness.
BECKY BREWERTON: I started working with a trainer straight after the last tournament in Europe, in Madrid in October. He really did put me through my paces. I must admit that gym work was something that I never enjoyed. I could stand on the range and hit balls for ten hours or stand or the putting green and putt for ten hours but get me in a gym and I would find it the most boring thing in the world. The trainer that I’ve been working with has changed my attitude and got me to enjoy it a lot more. We did 20 training sessions in the space of eight weeks which was pretty good. I was travelling two hours there and back in a day to see him so it was a lot of hard work but well worth it. I especially felt the benefit at the first tournament back in Dubai. I felt fit for the week and wasn’t feeling tired. Normally at those tournaments if you’re not fit you can start to flag a little bit. You can possibly see that in the scores for the last couple of rounds. It can end up affecting it so I’m pleased that I’ve worked on it.

Q. How did you finish in Dubai?
BECKY BREWERTON: I finished 12th in Dubai but the highlight was getting to play with Annika on the last day. That was a special week. I don’t think it would have mattered what happened. Getting that honour was fantastic.

Q. Does your approach change for tomorrow?
BECKY BREWERTON: Not really. I think the only difference is in the morning you get the first six or seven holes without wind and it gets a touch stronger in the afternoon. The course plays pretty much the same so I’ll be going out with the same mentality tomorrow.

Q. Did you have a little flutter on yourself?
BECKY BREWERTON: I didn’t. My dad probably did. He likes to. The only tournament I ever had a bet on myself was the tournament I won and that was the English Open a couple of years ago. I don’t normally bet at all.

Q. What were the odds?
BECKY BREWERTON: I think I was 33/1 which was quite nice to add to the winner’s prize cheque.

Q. Tell us a little bit about the round.
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: I hit the ball pretty well and made a few putts. When I started the round I thought about playing golf. Last year I tried to win every time I teed up at a tournament. I thought if I just went out there any played with no pressure I might have fun – and I did.

Q. Were the conditions for scoring easy today?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: Yes. There was a little wind but I like the wind so that’s fine.

Q. You did well on the money list last year. What do you put that down to?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: A lot of practise. Three or four years ago I changed coach and we were working on things .It doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time.

Q. How old are you?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: 22.

Q. Do you think you could have shot any better than five under? Could anything have been better?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: Of course, a couple of putts. I was happy with five under for the first round.

Q. What will you do this afternoon?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: Lunch, practise and go home.

Q. When did you first come here?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: 2005.

Q. What are your memories of it?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: 84, 75: not so good.

Q. Do you think four rounds like that would win it?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: Yes.

Q. Can you shoot three more rounds like that?
MARIANNE SKARPNORD: Yes.

Q. How do you feel about leading the tournament?
She didn’t have a missed shot today so she feels pretty lucky, hole by hole.

Q. When she finished second last year, was she leading entering the final round?
She was leading until the 17th hole but she had a three putt there so she lost by one. She thought that she didn’t do too badly that day but Shin Jiyai was too good.

Q. What inspired her to play golf?
Her father really likes to golf and she followed her dad when she was a kid. There was a lot of good stuff to eat around the golf course so that’s why she started.

Q. What are her plans for this year?
For now she will play on the KLPGA in Korea but might play in a few others.

Q. Do they have to play on the KLPGA Tour for at least three years?
Two years.

Q. Was last year her first year?
She has done two years.

Q. What was her best finish in 2007?
She had a fourth place finish.

Q. What does she consider the strengths of her game and weaknesses?
Her strength is her confidence with her irons but she has never thought about a weak point.

Q. Is she one of the dragon ladies? Born in the year of the dragon?
Yes.

Q. What does that mean?
For the people who were born in the dragon year, that was the time when Se Ri Pak had great success. They were 10 years old at that time and looking up to her. That became known as the dragon ladies.

Q. Is Inbee Park a dragon lady?
Yes she is. Herself and everybody in that era. The time was 1998.

Q. In 2004 you represented Asia in the world championships. Was that your first trip overseas?
Yes it was. She was 15.

Q. Is it her first time in Australia?
Yes.

Q. Why does she use a belly putter?
She just likes it. She was playing one day and she messed up so her coach suggested she use the belly putter. Her coach told her that her that a belly putter is easier. She has been using it for two years.

Q. How were the conditions?
They are very good right now. The wind is probably a little bit of a concern but she has been here for three weeks in Brisbane getting used to it.

Q. Question about new golf ball…
(Inaudible).
You know how your old golf ball worked and how is this one going to go.

Q. Will you stick with it?
KARRIE WEBB: Yes, I’ll probably use it for the rest of the week. I think the doubt that I had on some of the loose shots was caused by me just doubting it over the ball.

Q. Do you have any expectations for tomorrow?
KARRIE WEBB: No real expectations. Obviously the first tee shot of the year, you don’t feel so comfortable going into the round. I just felt a little uncomfortable when the wind picked up and didn’t trust myself as much as I had on the first ten holes.

Q. Is it hard to switch into the golf?
KARRIE WEBB: It’s something you still get into but I probably had a few lapses of concentration out there. I think it was more because of the doubt that I put in my mind.

Q. What are your thoughts to Katherine Hull saying she wants to come out and challenge you?
KARRIE WEBB: I don’t see it as a contest between any of the younger players to be better than me. I think this year they will just be as good as they can be. There are loads of girls out there with tons of talent. I think that the right breaks here or there, or doing the right thing at the right time; they are not far away. I don’t see it as a contest. I would just like to see the young girls playing well because I know how much talent we do have.