|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
THE EUROPEAN OPENMay 29, 2009Michael Lorenzo-VeraASH, ENGLAND MICHAEL GIBBONS: Thank you for joining us. Maybe talk us through today and the first two rounds and your good position. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah, very good position. I was struggling a lot on the first days, like Monday, Tuesday, I was hitting the ball not very well, but putting good. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Anything changed? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: I putted better than usual. No, my driving is good, and my irons are average, and I can fix the rest around the greens; so, good. Q. You haven't made a bogey. That's very impressive. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Thanks to my putting. Trying to be for one time in my life play intelligent on the course and play the good side, because if you miss on the wrong side, it's really tough to get a par. So try my best to go on the good side, and after, it's pretty easy to have a par. Q. It seems like most of the players are struggling for consistency, and you're the only one out there who is pretty much, as far as I can see, isn't struggling. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: I think I had a good draw the last two days, absolutely no wind, except the last four holes. It can be easier, too. We'll see tomorrow. Q. Your recent record, you've had some trouble this year, some missed cuts on your resumé for the year; problems with your game? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: I started the season pretty well with the South African Open, but after, I've been changing material, and I'm starting to change a lot of technical things to be better and some physical, more than usual, and couldn't swing it very well. After, I lost my patience a bit. I've been attacking and trying to play when I've lost the confidence and everything, so that was a bit tough in the it beginning. And after, I don't know, my coach and my brother, just look at me and said, okay, enough, now you do what you know the best, and just be confident again, because you can strike the ball well. You can have a good game, so just be confident in that and the last few months and a half, it's getting much better. Q. The last time you were in this position, well, we don't know yet, was the South African Open, you had the halfway lead. Anything you learned from that and you can put that experience to use here? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah, actually in South Africa, I was leading by six into the last round and I came back in the lead, so just have to play 12 holes more better, that's all. Q. And how is the wrist? I know that was last year. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: It's okay. Totally finished. Beginning of January, was totally finished, and after, of course, I had to work a bit more because I couldn't work well for three months, so it was a bit tough to swing, as well. But totally out of my mind. Q. Did you say you changed your equipment? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah, in January, I went from Cleveland to Callaway. Q. You're still Cleveland? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: From Cleveland to Callaway. Q. You're still with Callaway? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah. Q. That's always very satisfying, isn't it, to back up a good start yesterday with just as good the next day. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah, it's very good, and just trying to keep that for the rest of the weekend, that's all. Q. How is it out there? We've seen obviously big crowds out there, and a tough course, and not the easiest conditions. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: As I said before, I think I had the easiest condition, absolutely no wind yesterday and now they are going to have the wind this afternoon, so it's going to be tough for them. Yeah, I was a bit lucky on the draw, but for one time, usually when I'm lucky, I don't use it, and this time I just use it, so pretty happy for that. Q. What's been the key this week so far? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: For me, it's going to be better iron shots, because my putting is really good, chipping very good. Course management is all right. Driving pretty good. So I just need to hit more greens in regulation, because I can hole from everywhere, and I have the pace, the good tempo on the greens, no problem. Q. You sound like you are going to take a lot of confidence into this weekend. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah, I am taking it. It's better to be like this than ten over, so I am more confident than usually. So I just have to believe in that and continue to play. Q. That's the important thing when you get to the weekend, isn't it, to take that belief out there. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: I've played good two days; why can't I play four days. That's the thing, I just have to trust me and make good decisions and here we are. Q. Now someone just told me you switched manufacturers at the start of the year and a lucky autograph Hunter got handed a whole set of clubs from you; is that right? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah, the irons. I made bad choices on the shaft. Usually I break the clubs when I am angry, so Raphaël Jacquelin told me one day: Instead of break it, just give it. That was after the second round of Dubai. So instead of breaking it, I gave it. He was a very happy little boy. Q. He just asked you for an autograph? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: I said, "I have better for you, all of the irons, take it." Q. What did he say? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: I don't think he said something. No, he was thanking me a lot. The thing is, it's absolutely not the problem of the manufacturer. It's just me that choose the wrong shafts. That's all. After, I found better settings, and it's looking good now. Q. So as a final thought, how excited are you about the weekend ahead? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: I am very excited. It's always good to be leading and it's going to be a big crowd tomorrow. I'm going to be playing maybe in the last groups, good chance to be in the last group. So just enjoying it and be good. Q. Does it feel like a long time since you've been in this kind of position? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah, it's been two months for me. No, I'm happy, I just have to play well and enjoy and take good points from my swing and my game. Just trying to remember the bad swings that I did in South Africa; we'll see. Q. The first time you were out here, everything was fresh and exciting. Are you knuckled down a lot more now? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: No, it's horrible, horrible courses, it's horrible food -- no, no, except Ireland, it was horrible weather. No, everything is just fantastic and I'm still enjoying it as much as when I arrived on the Tour. I'm still as excited; maybe more, because now I know that I am competing a few times, and even better. Q. Do you know you can win, in yourself? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: We'll see. What's the total, 72 holes? I did 60 holes leading in South Africa. So just have to do 12 more, as I said. I don't know if I can win, but this time I just have to be a little bit brave, and here we go. Q. I would imagine that you would like to play in front of a huge crowd, as opposed to nobody. MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yeah, it's cool, because when you miss a drive, they can find the ball. (Laughter). Q. Does that get you going, though, to have a crowd cheering? MICHAEL LORENZO-VERA: Yes, I just hope that the English crowd is going to be for a French player, that's all. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Michael, thanks for joining us. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact 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
|