WGC WORLD CUP

November 13, 2003

Alex Cejka

Marcel Siem

GORDON SIMPSON: Welcome Team Germany here, Alex and Marcel, a great effort in really difficult conditions. Just tell us how hard it was coming home there.

ALEX CEJKA: Coming home it was pretty tough for us, especially 17 and 18, but I think it was tougher during the round into the wind for me, sometimes not reachable. Marcel hit a 3-wood sometimes and he's a long fella, so it was very difficult today and we managed pretty well.

GORDON SIMPSON: Marcel, it was a lovely save at the last there to make sure you led the tournament.

MARCEL SIEM: Thank you. It was a tough start today and I was really nervous on the first tee. It was the biggest tournament I've teed off in since I was a professional, since I was a golfer, and I was very nervous. And Alex played very well at the beginning and made the birdies so I tried to get on my game. And the wind was so tough and I just tried to punch my irons because every high shot I made it was a little draw and with the wind it was gone all the time. It was tough for me to get my game, and after six holes I got my game and could help Alex a little bit.

ALEX CEJKA: A lot.

GORDON SIMPSON: Did you enjoy playing someone with Alex's experience?

MARCEL SIEM: He is unbelievable. I have learned so much. I have to practice a lot to get where he is. And his long irons are unbelievable, 5-iron and 3-iron, and 9-iron out of the sand, it's really, really good. I had long drives and my putting is very well. I still have a lot of work to do, but it's great fun and it's a great honor to play with Alex.

GORDON SIMPSON: He's embarrassed.

Q. What is it about the first round of a World Cup at the Ocean Course? You shot 63 here in '97 and today.

ALEX CEJKA: It was playing a little bit different in '97, there was no wind. It was a shorter course and I played well. It was great to have a score and see our name up on the leaderboard again. They changed the course -- the wind was 30, 40 miles an hour, so it was much tougher. I think we both were very pleased to lead the tournament after round one.

Q. What was the key to keeping it under par? There are a lot of guys that started off well.

ALEX CEJKA: I wouldn't say there is a hole where you can rest. Every shot you have to give 100 percent, otherwise you miss it on the wrong side and there is no shot at all. There is no really sand in the bunkers. It's very hard. The short game is not so easy, and to get it close it was neither today.

Q. Did you make any long putts, any lengthy putts?

ALEX CEJKA: Marcel made two birdie putts from five or six meters, but the rest we had shorter. We never drained a 60-footer today or chipped in.

Q. How about difficult up-and-downs or anything? You had an up-and-down on the last hole.

MARCEL SIEM: It was a good up-and-down at the end. It was a bad lie in the sand. I holed the putt from about four meters. Alex made some good saves today, especially on the long par 4s. I was on the fringe and against the wind, a long putt. I made 3-putts and Alex made a great chip-and-putt on 11, I think, 11 or 12, it was very good. It's pretty tough outside there. Driver, 3-wood on the par 4s and not reaching the green and then you have 10, 20 meters to the pin again, into the wind. The short game is getting tough as well, especially on these firm greens. I've never played on such firm greens. It's a great test, big test.

Q. Which hole did you hit driver, 3-wood? Which par 4?

ALEX CEJKA: I hit it on a few. (Laughter.) I think it was No. 9 I couldn't reach. I think 12, as well.

MARCEL SIEM: 13 -- 12, 13.

ALEX CEJKA: Especially these long par 4s into the wind.

Q. How many club wind was it today?

ALEX CEJKA: It felt like 16 to me. (Laughter.)

MARCEL SIEM: Two or three clubs.

ALEX CEJKA: I think two or three clubs.

GORDON SIMPSON: Clarify your status, as well, Alex, with the European Tour. You resigned, but you rejoined.

ALEX CEJKA: I'm a member again, so I'm looking forward to playing more tournaments than I did this year on Tour.

GORDON SIMPSON: Get some points, hopefully, for the Ryder Cup?

ALEX CEJKA: I hope so, too.

Q. Are you going to play the U.S. Tour, as well?

ALEX CEJKA: I'm going to start here at the beginning of the year, but I'm going to go over to Europe and play my 11 tournaments minimum. I'm going to combine it somehow. I don't know how, but I'm going to try. It's not easy to play both Tours.

Q. Did you say you two had played as a team in competitions before or is this the first time?

MARCEL SIEM: First time.

ALEX CEJKA: We sometimes practice before the tournaments, but he always kicked my ass. It's good to have him in this tournament on my side.

Q. How do you think today's experience will translate into tomorrow, as far as teamwork goes?

ALEX CEJKA: We haven't figured out exactly how we're going to do it tomorrow, but it's a different format tomorrow. You have only one shot. And as a partner, you're trying not to hit it somewhere where it's not playable, so we're going to try to hit it somewhere in play, try to hit the greens and make as less mistakes as we can. It's going to be in weather like this, in the windy conditions like this, it's going to be very tough, but we'll see.

Q. What will be a good score tomorrow in alternate shot?

ALEX CEJKA: 62. (Laughter.) No, I don't know. Tomorrow, in these conditions, anything under par I would think would be a good score.

GORDON SIMPSON: Woosie said he thought anybody who shot two or three-over wouldn't do any damage to his chances.

ALEX CEJKA: I think he's right. He knows.

GORDON SIMPSON: Alex and Marcel, great round today. Good luck.

End of FastScripts.