home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP


July 20, 2007


Maria Hjorth


NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK

Q. On 8 when Paula 3-putted, was that the turning point?
MARIA HJORTH: I think so for sure. She didn't get up-and-down and for her just to 2-putt and probably win the hole, I would think that was a turning point. You know, that happened pretty quick and all of a sudden, you know, she just started to make a few mistakes. In match-play strategy, you make a few mistakes is all it takes.

Q. You were playing well and you had the swing on 15.
MARIA HJORTH: It's a weird hole. I just feel really uncomfortable on that tee. I did the same thing yesterday, so you know, this afternoon I had to figure something out to get a good tee shot, but other than that, I was playing pretty solid. When you play against these good players, really it just comes down to a little mistake and you lose the hole. So you just have to keep on grinding and that's what I did today.

Q. When you got to 18 tee, what do you tell yourself?
MARIA HJORTH: I still thought, okay, we're coming down all-square unfortunately. I thought I was kind of ahead there a little bit and thought I should have finished it off a little bit earlier.
But you know, coming down 18, we were all-square; it can go 50/50. I had a good tee shot and a really good second shot. So I knew that, you know, at least I should have a birdie and she has to get up-and-down for a birdie.

Q. Was length an advantage on this last hole?
MARIA HJORTH: I think so. At least could I get up on the green. She hit two good shots and just a little bit short. Yeah, I think so, par 5s, if you have the length, it's always an advantage.

Q. Have you been using that belly putter for a long time?
MARIA HJORTH: I have, for two years now.

Q. What made you switch?
MARIA HJORTH: I was actually using a belly putter for a year before that, and I still felt like my hands was interfering a little bit in my putting. And with the long putter, it's such a huge change for me because your hand can't interfere and you just get a pendulum stroke with it and it's really helped me.

Q. Talk about what it's like taking down a top seed.
MARIA HJORTH: Yeah, of course that's something you go out there and try to do. Paula is a fighter and a great player. You just have to play your best and try to make as few mistakes as you can.

Q. Will you start thinking ahead now?
MARIA HJORTH: There's still a lot of good players left in the field, so you still have to take it a match at a time and see what happens out there. I birdied six holes today, so you really have to make sure that you keep yourself mentally strong and, you know, rest a little bit for the next round.

Q. Have you had a match-play experience quite like that where you're down three, you're up three, that kind of a roller coaster?
MARIA HJORTH: Not very much, no. That was quite a roller coaster. So I haven't really had that much up-and-down. I've been down a bit and come back to like square, but not like that over such few holes. So that was quite interesting.

Q. What happened at 15, did that carry over to the tee shot on 16?
MARIA HJORTH: Not at all. I actually don't think I hit that bad of a second shot on 16. I just, you know, came down a little bit open on my club face, because the wind was a lot stronger on the left and I followed and it just drifted too much right and hit the tree and got a bad bounce.

Q. How hard was it to keep your composure during that stretch?
MARIA HJORTH: It's hard. But again, I was up most of the way coming down and all-square coming down the last, you just have to in a way forget about everything and it's just a one-hole playoff and try to make the best out of it.

End of FastScripts
About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297