EMAAR-MGF Ladies Masters
Eagleton Resort, Bangalore, India.
Round two Interviews
Thursday 6th December 2007
Gwladys Nocera (France) 69, 69 (-6)
Q. How did you feel about the bogey on the 17th hole?
GWLADYS NOCERA: That was pretty stupid because my lie in the rough was not too good and I just wanted to play it with a draw but I pulled it. It flew forever. It was just a bad hole.
Q. How much do you like the 18th hole, which you have birdied both today and yesterday?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I’m starting to really like it! It’s a nice hole. You have to hit a nice drive and then the second shot is nice because you are higher than the green and you can see the green really well and I like that. It’s not easy but I guess that is the way to make it easy.
Q. What do you need to do to win this weekend?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I think I need to shoot another good round tomorrow but like I always say, I just want to play for myself and I’m not going to look at the leader board. Even if I look at the board and someone is shooting a good score then that’s good for her. I just have to take care of my game, keep on working on the things we have been working on and we’ll see.
Q. Are you pleased with the way your game is shaping up?
GWLADYS NOCERA: Probably not. It could be better but it’s getting there. My irons can be really good but I pulled a few and I’m just going to go to the range now to fix that.
Q. How do you put a bogey hole behind you?
GWLADYS NOCERA: It’s alright. I mean, a bogey happens. A bogey in golf is not that bad. When you are playing a lot of golf, you realise how not to take that bogey with you and have another bogey.
Q. How were the conditions?
GWLADYS NOCERA: It’s difficult. Sometimes the wind is really strong and sometimes it just dies. It was nice because it was not too hot so it was a good day.
Q. What did you chip in with at the 18th?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I chipped in with a sand wedge from about 15 feet. I thought my second shot was going in the bunker.
Q. Your putting was not as good as yesterday, was it?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I hit more greens today so when you hit more greens you have a tendency to miss more putts. I putted well today though. I had 30 putts.
Q. Can you talk about your birdies?
GWLADYS NOCERA: On four I made a putt from about six metres and then on five I made a bigger one from like, 10 metres. On ten I made a metre and a half putt. I hit a wedge.
Q. What was the key to your round?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I think I stayed patient. I hit a few drives on and off and I hit 15 greens. I think the key was the irons, even if I pulled a few.
Q. The rough is quite punishing isn’t it?
GWLADYS NOCERA: Yes. Each time I was not on the fairway I was in a really bad lie in the rough so I guess being on the fairway was a really big help.
Q. What about the greens?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I tried to make my putting a bit easier. My caddie has been really good. He’s a local caddie so he knows the greens and that’s nice.
Q. What have you been doing over the last few weeks?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I took a few weeks off after I failed LPGA Q School in the US. I took six weeks off doing nothing and working out. I’ve seen my coach and I’ve been practising my short game.
Q. Are you thinking about the New Star Money List?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I’m thinking about it but I guess it all depends on if I win this week. I think this season has been up and down and I’m already looking forward to next year.
Q. How are you feeling about having a four or five shot lead with two rounds to play?
GWLADYS NOCERA: I need to shoot really low tomorrow just to make it easier for Saturday.
Marta Prieto 73, 70 (-1)
Q. How was your game today?
MARTA PRIETO: It wasn’t the best I’ve played all year. My score doesn’t look all that great. It has been almost two months without playing so I think you need to find your rhythm on this golf course. I played almost the same as yesterday but I made some putts today and yesterday I didn’t make anything.
Q. Do you think this is a particularly tough course?
MARTA PRIETO: Yes. I mean, if you play well, in that you hit a lot of fairways, it’s not a big deal. It’s a good course. I think the tricky part is the greens. They are really hard to read and the pace. Sometimes its downwind, sometimes it’s down grain. You have no idea. For me, it’s really hard to judge them. Sometimes I’m really short and sometimes really long. It’s not easy.
Q. What have you been doing for the last few weeks since Madrid?
MARTA PRIETO: I don’t think you want to know! (Laughs). Actually, I took a few weeks off after Madrid because I still had a month to practise. But I found it was really difficult to get back to practise. I actually think this is good practise for me. It’s different playing at home from being in a competition. I was just trying to get a good rhythm and perhaps that’s why I played well. I wasn’t thinking about a good score. Good feelings, that’s it.
Trish Johnson 73, 71 (-1)
Q. How difficult do you find this course?
TRISH JOHNSON: It’s the greens. We don’t often play on greens like this which is unusual. The rough is not easy so you’ve got to hit fairways and you’ve got to make putts.
Q. What was the key to your round?
TRISH JOHNSON: I was pretty consistent to be honest. I drove the ball well: hit a few greens, made a few putts. There’s no point complaining about the ones that you miss. The last few holes were a bit disappointing. I got to three-under and had hardly hit a bad shot and just gave a couple away from nowhere. I had a good chance to finish with a birdie and didn’t so it was a little bit disappointing at the end.
I played the front nine in one-under and I think the front nine is the harder nine. There are birdie chances on 10, 11, 12. It sounds like an obvious comment but if you play well there are lots of birdie chances. The greens are tricky though.
Q. What is the goal now?
TRISH JOHNSON: Just to try and catch Gwladys I suppose. It won’t be easy because she’s playing very well but let’s hope she’s holed her fair share of putts. Hopefully I can make some over the weekend. It was good. I enjoyed it.