WGC EMC WORLD CUP

December 12, 2002

Raphael Jacquelin

Thomas Levet

RODDY WILLIAMS: Thank you very much for joining us. Very good day. Perhaps if you could talk us through the incident on the 18th and what happened there.

THOMAS LEVET: I drove it just an inch in the right rough and the slope is very, very big, so I aimed right side of the green, it was a 9-iron and just flew it like 20 meters and just spin in the water. There, the slope, I dropped it two-club lengths from where it entered, but the slope is so big that the ball could not rest on its own.

I tried to place it at first on the flattest spot, but it was high in the slope. It didn't stay there. I thought it was going to stay easily, especially when I put it on quite the high grass, as well, but it didn't.

So we called the referee and he told us that it was a re-drop. I knew it was going to be one like that.

So the next one, I dropped it have I very close from the hazard. So if the ball rolls back, at least the big rough in the hazard would stop it, but it still moved back an inch or so. I placed it and maybe ten seconds later, it was still moving back down.

So for the fifth shot I just didn't even address it. I was this much off the ground (indicating three inches) and about six inches behind the ball to make sure I don't touch it. I could spend all day there if the ball starts to move all the time. Lucky we didn't get 65 on the last hole.

That was the best thing I ever made on the golf shot, I think. No swing at all. (Laughing).

RODDY WILLIAMS: Well, everything was all going very well. You combined very well.

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: We played good today. I made two eagles on the front nine, and then Thomas made the rest of the birdies for the front nine. We turned, I think, at 29, so a pretty good start. Then we just keep on going and played a better game, as usual. We putted very good for birdies. Just the 18th hole made it very difficult for us, but it's only one more point. So got three more days so play.

THOMAS LEVET: I think we would have taken 61 on this tournament every day. You shoot 44-under, you'll be there, I think, hopefully.

Q. Has anything like that happened to you before, or have you seen it happened?

THOMAS LEVET: Yeah, it happened to me, but it was in 1979 or something like that when I was 11. I was in the bush playing with my dad and I dropped it two-club lengths still in the bush, and it bounced back in the bush and I thought I could re-drop it. And he told me, no, no, no you cannot.

So I re-dropped it outside of the bush the second time but it cost me a point penalty. I think losing a point so stupidly, I don't know, there is no word to say that.

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: It's the question of the rules.

THOMAS LEVET: Yeah, it's just the rules and bad luck. For two-club lengths, it's like this, it's 45-degree slope. It's bad luck, how can I say. There's nothing else.

Shot of the day. Shot of the year, maybe. (Laughing).

Q. What do you think should happen, should you have just -- you thought it was a stupid rule, did you say? What do you think should have happened?

THOMAS LEVET: I told Raphael, we'd better call the referee because I'm pretty sure I need to drop it with a stroke penalty. I was pretty sure myself there. Because once the ball is in play, it's in play; and if it goes in the hazard, it's in the hazard, you have to re-drop.

It's like, imagine you are two on the green on a very severe slope and you place your ball on the green and the wind blows it in the bunker, you have to play from the bunker. If you blow it in the hazard, you have to play in the hazard. So that's what I thought immediately. I told him after even one second, I just took my putter in the bag and I turned back and the ball was not there. I said, "I think I have to re-drop again."

Q. But the rule is unfair, you feel?

THOMAS LEVET: Well, it's unfair a little bit because I didn't cause anything to move. But in any case, your ball is moving without you touching it, it's pretty unfair. But I think it's life. It's the rules of the game and you have to stick with it.

It's good for you guys because it gives you something to write about -- (laughing) from the boring driver, wedge, six-foot, make the putt.

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: Not boring for the fans on the 18th hole.

THOMAS LEVET: You want to know, my partner, what he did? That's more interesting, as well. (Laughter.)

Q. When you were going through the problems on 18, did you think back at all to what happened to your countryman in the British Open?

THOMAS LEVET: I'm far from that, hopefully. You don't think about that. You're trying to think, yes, what shall I do, yes, it's gone back in the hazard and yes, it's a point penalty. That's about what you think.

Then once the ball is in play, you try to do the best you can to finish the hole the best. If you start thinking about that, then you start thinking about, "Oh, today my ex-girlfriend was born that day," or "my grand, grand, grandfather broke his leg that day," and then you start not playing golf at all.

Q. You putted your fifth shot?

THOMAS LEVET: Oh, yes, I putted from there, yes. I 2-putted there.

Q. What happened to you on 18? He said it was more interesting than what happened to him.

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: I drove in the left side in the water.

Q. Off the tee?

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: Off the tee. And then I waited for him to play the second shot and then he pulled it in the water. So I dropped it back in the water again.

So, yeah, should have shot like 7, made 6, so it's not like a very good hole for us today.

Q. Were either of you conscious on the 18th tee that you needed a 4 for a 59 between you?

THOMAS LEVET: No, we didn't count that. Did you count that?

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: No.

THOMAS LEVET: I know we were 30-under but that's about it. Some guys did in 55 once in the World Cup, was that in Argentina -- 57. So in a four-ball it doesn't really mean anything.

Q. It's a nice number though, isn't it?

THOMAS LEVET: Nice, nice. Not on the last hole, though.

Q. What is your strategy for tomorrow?

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: Tomorrow is a foursome so the first thing is to putt put the ball in play from the tee and let your partner hit a shot to the green and then try to get more chance of birdies for the old course and then try to make your putt and then the score will come.

THOMAS LEVET: We played last year together, and it worked out well, keep the ball in play most of the time and don't go for any -- like which one is difficult, there is a hole, the third hole is a good example. Today I hit first, I hit driver over the bunker on the fairway. So Raphael goes with a driver and hits it over the bunker, as well. So tomorrow I think it is going to be more to play a 3-iron or 4-iron off the tee and then leave yourself an 8-iron and make sure you don't leave your partner in trouble on that hole in the bunkers.

I think 11, is another example as well. Today we hit driver, so once the first guy in the fairway has a much easier shot and can play the hole with like a driver and little sand iron, where tomorrow I think we are going to hit probably 3-wood off the tee.

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: 3-wood shot and then like a 9-iron to the green.

THOMAS LEVET: So it makes it maybe 60 yards longer that hole. So it's going to be different, the approach.

RAPHAEL JACQUELIN: A bit more strategy than the four-balls.

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