VOLVO PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 25, 2002

Anders Hansen

SCOTT CROCKETT: Anders, thank you very much for coming in. 66, fantastic performance. Is it possible to sum up how you feel about that?

ANDERS HANSEN: I feel great. I didn't play too well in the start, but things were coming around. Made some good up-and-downs. Really key was my short game in the start of the round to keep it going, and then towards the end, I was picking up my game. I felt I was getting back into it and really hitting some good iron shots, solid shots, and had some good chances coming down the stretch, but didn't convert. But 66, I am very pleased.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Could you ever imagine being this far ahead of the majority of the field at this stage?

ANDERS HANSEN: No. (Laughs).

Q. A lot of people coming tomorrow will know the names of Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo. They won't know too much about you. What will be your feelings going into tomorrow against those sort of guys?

ANDERS HANSEN: Tomorrow is a new day. It's Sunday. Today is Saturday. Yesterday was Friday. We wake up tomorrow and we will see what happens. Obviously I am playing pretty solid; otherwise, I wouldn't have the score that I have. What is going to happen tomorrow, if I can keep on playing solid -- yeah, you know, that's -- they are few shots behind, so probably going to have to shoot a decent score if I play well.

Q. You dealt with the pressures of leading the tournament today. Just a question of going into it with the same attitude?

ANDERS HANSEN: I just went out there -- I was a bit tense in the start, and I did hit some tense shots in the start; but, you know, I shot 66. I don't know what to say. Guys, a 66 under the pressure, it's good, you know. I will take 66 tomorrow and let the guys come after me.

Q. Do you enjoy the pressure?

ANDERS HANSEN: Yeah, I do. I mean, if you go on a rollercoaster, what is the fun of going on a rollercoaster if it wasn't exciting?

Q. You looked at the leaderboard as you were going around you were so far ahead?

ANDERS HANSEN: I looked at it a couple of times, and I was quite pleased to see what was happening.

Q. For the big crowd tomorrow, Faldo, Montgomerie are obviously going to be the players they are rooting for. Do you think they are so far ahead --

ANDERS HANSEN: I am not too far away for them not to catch me. What is Monty? Is he 9-under?

Q. Yes.

ANDERS HANSEN: I mean, he shot 62 here before, and he can probably do it again tomorrow. So he shoots 62, puts him at minus 19; then I am going to have to shoot 2-under. So you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. I can't do anything about the other guys' games. I can only do something about my own game and go out and play as good as I can.

Q. Do you think this round today, bad start, getting over it, will help you deal with whatever pressure there is tomorrow?

ANDERS HANSEN: It will probably help me deal with whatever pressure tomorrow, and it will probably help me deal with any pressure in my future career.

Q. Did you play a lot of golf in the wind growing up in Denmark?

ANDERS HANSEN: Didn't play any. It's too cold. I went to America when I was about 20 and I was there for four years. That's when I learned how to play all year-round.

Q. A lot of wind in Houston, isn't there?

ANDERS HANSEN: Yeah.

Q. You went to college there?

ANDERS HANSEN: Yes, University of Houston.

Q. Did you or anybody you know have a big bet on you before the start?

ANDERS HANSEN: I know one of my friends had a little bet. I don't know if it was a little or big one, but I know he put something on it. So hopefully I can make him happy tomorrow.

Q. You don't know how much?

ANDERS HANSEN: I don't know how much.

Q. Your odds were cut from 80 to 1 to 50 to 1 just before you teed off...

ANDERS HANSEN: 50 to 1. What is it now?

Q. No. You were --

ANDERS HANSEN: (Laughs).

Q. You don't know what he put on it?

ANDERS HANSEN: No.

Q. When you were growing up in Denmark, what did you think of this tournament? Was it something that was big on television?

ANDERS HANSEN: We didn't have golf on TV in Denmark back then.

Q. You didn't?

ANDERS HANSEN: No.

Q. When did you first become aware of this event?

ANDERS HANSEN: It was very late. I am not going to say it. (Smiles) But you are very fortunate now that we have golf on TV in Denmark, and it is going to help all the youngsters. And hopefully this performance so far I have done is going to make more youngsters want to play golf and more youngsters to come forward.

Q. What ever happens tomorrow, you are in a rich playing form. Is there any specific reason for that?

ANDERS HANSEN: Hard work. I have worked really hard on my game for a long, long time, and it seems to that it's paying off and I am probably starting to believe in it as well.

Q. And believe in yourself?

ANDERS HANSEN: Yeah.

Q. What will you do tonight to relax?

ANDERS HANSEN: It's the European Song Contest on tonight, aren't there? Oh, yeah, great, isn't it. Maybe a bit of room service. I don't know. Maybe a bit of golf, Sky Sports -- oh, it's BBC, isn't it? Ooh, ooh.

SCOTT CROCKETT: We'll edit that out.

ANDERS HANSEN: Watch a bit of TV, a bit of room service and relax and I am so fortunate I get to sleep in tomorrow again.

Q. You said just now you were joking that it was not until quite late that you realized the significance of it. You obviously realized the significance of it now. What will it mean to you tomorrow?

ANDERS HANSEN: The significance of?

Q. Of winning tomorrow?

ANDERS HANSEN: I will tell you about that tomorrow. I haven't won the tournament. As far as I know we still have 18 holes to play tomorrow, and ---

Q. What would it mean for you?

ANDERS HANSEN: I will tell you tomorrow. Is that all right?

Q. That's fine.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Birdie at the second.

ANDERS HANSEN: 8-iron to 15 feet.

SCOTT CROCKETT: 4th.

ANDERS HANSEN: Hit it just on the fringe and 2-putted.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Then you dropped shot at the fifth.

ANDERS HANSEN: Yeah, hit a bad shot just right of the green, couldn't get it up-and-down.

SCOTT CROCKETT: What did you hit from the tee?

ANDERS HANSEN: 3-iron.

SCOTT CROCKETT: And 6.

ANDERS HANSEN: Just holed it from off the green, about 15, 20 feet.

SCOTT CROCKETT: 8.

ANDERS HANSEN: Hit it to about four feet.

SCOTT CROCKETT: What did you hit there?

ANDERS HANSEN: 9-iron.

SCOTT CROCKETT: 10.

ANDERS HANSEN: 8-iron to three feet.

SCOTT CROCKETT: 12.

ANDERS HANSEN: Chipped it to about three feet.

SCOTT CROCKETT: 17.

ANDERS HANSEN: Chipped it to about two feet.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Any more questions?

Q. You didn't actually sink that many long putts; it was your whole game that got you the score rather than a few putts?

ANDERS HANSEN: Absolutely.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Thank you very much, Anders.

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