WGC EMC WORLD CUP

December 13, 2002

Pablo Del Olmo

Esteban Toledo

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: If we could get some opening comments from Esteban on how the week is going so far. You may not be playing as well as you would like, but there are still two days left and you have a lot of great fans out there. So it has to be a great experience for you already regardless of how you are playing.

ESTEBAN TOLEDO: I think we are playing better today than yesterday. We were joking about it a little bit, but Pablo played very well today. We had bad luck on the 13th hole.

But Pablo played well and we are hoping that good play will continue through the weekend.

PABLO DEL OLMO: We were joking, just trying to have fun and stay relaxed. I've learned a lot. I love the atmosphere. We were very unlucky on the first hole, but then as the round went on we were playing better, getting more confidence. But whenever there was an opportunity for a birdie, we didn't make it.

So, tomorrow, we will be more quiet, less joking and just make our decisions and we'll see what happens. It has been a very good experience, this event, for me.

Q. The situation, maybe you should not be so tense and take it with a little bit of humor.

ESTEBAN TOLEDO: We were just unlucky. I made an error. I hit into the trees and I wasn't able to get up-and-down. We were close on a lot of the holes, but we didn't make anything. We were unlucky on the last three or four holes, but we are confident that tomorrow we are going to practice more. We are going to get together and talk about what's going on tonight.

Q. You seem to have tried to be successful, perhaps you need courage to continue since things are not working?

ESTEBAN TOLEDO: We were a little bit frustrated because that things did not go as we thought. We are confident this tomorrow is going to be better.

PABLO DEL OLMO: We're giving them a chance because it's our country. (Laughing) But tomorrow we are going to go for it.

ESTEBAN TOLEDO: We feel the equality with all of the players, and even my family is there and the Mexicans are there, but we don't feel like underdogs.

We came to win and we are doing our best. We don't feel that we are not doing our job.

Q. What have you heard from the other players, the other countries?

PABLO DEL OLMO: I've talk a lot with the other players and they are all enchanted. They are enjoying the weather. Everybody is having a lot of fun. We talk about the best restaurants, the best beach. Everybody brings their family along, and it's the best place to bring their family. Everybody is having fun in the tournament, all of the players.

Q. I have never seen you so tense in other tournaments, and today you seem tense.

PABLO DEL OLMO: No, I am not tense. On the contrary, I am very relaxed. It's a Mexican tournament and there is pressure from the Mexican people. So we feel that we have to achieve our goal.

Q. The people have applauded more, even if you are playing in a pair and you seem to be getting more attention than Esteban, how do you feel about that?

PABLO DEL OLMO: It doesn't mean that I'm playing better than my partner. We are a team, and if there is somebody not playing well, it's a team, working, and it doesn't touch me.

Q. How do you feel about the people's comments, hearing them talk on the course? The audience feels that you are not communicating with each other or that you are mad at each other. How do you feel about that?

PABLO DEL OLMO: We have to adapt. This happens. Sometimes Jack Nicklaus doesn't say anything with his partner and sometimes, the partners speak to each other. I am just concentrating on playing and I don't need to talk to him all the time. Everything is fine between the two of us.

We played a little quick from 15 on. I was pushing him a little faster. We are going to take our time now and try not to make any mistakes.

ESTEBAN TOLEDO: We're not perfect. It's not that easy. It's a different format. It has nothing to do with him being better than me or him being better than me. It's a team and the system is different, the format is different.

I'm used to playing my own ball. So when it's two balls like this, it's very different because I don't necessarily agree with the choice of play, or we may have a different approach to how to play the ball. So at that point, we are not helping one another at that point. We just have to talk about it. I have a different game when I don't have to play according to his game. On a personal level I might play better because I don't have to play his ball.

Q. Which are the more difficult holes?

ESTEBAN TOLEDO: They are all difficult. I want Pablo to attack the par 5s because he is longer. So on the par 5s, we had to adjust so Pablo could drive the ball and I would have shorter clubs in.

When we were playing for birdies, if it was not my turn or his turn, it made a difference on the par 5s than the par 4s because we were alternating.

End of FastScripts....