ADT CHAMPIONSHIP

November 21, 2002

Patricia Meunier-Lebouc

NEAL REID: Nice playing out there. Let's go over your score card real quick.

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: No. 3, birdie. I got a 5-wood to the green, just landed that short of the water on the left. So I just chipped from the left side of the green and made it to four feet.

No. 6, I had a good birdie there. I put my driver left in the rough, way left, and I hit a 9-iron just down the hill. So I had a pretty good putt to make and I made it. The pin was back there, so I made -- I don't know, it was maybe eight meters, nine meters. 30 feet, almost, yeah.

Birdie on 10. I had a good drive and I hit a 7-iron. I was maybe three meters downhill.

16, three putts, I think I was about seven meters.

NEAL REID: How far was your par putt?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Two meters; would be like six feet. But with the break, you know, and this grain on the greens, it's terrible. I didn't really feel it, but I really tried and I hit it too hard.

Then 17, birdie, straightaway. I had a very good 5-iron shot that was maybe six feet again from the hole with a good break, too. Very good round.

NEAL REID: How is the course playing? Was it windy out there at all?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: It was not that windy. The only thing was the wind was totally opposite to the beginning of the week. It was totally opposite; so that made it a little bit different, you know, because you had to think a different way.

And then they moved the tee. All the beginning of the week, we played the really back, back tees on some of the holes, and today they moved it and with the different wind, like on 18, you had to find out where you would play it, because the other day we played backwards and the wind was into us. Now we were playing down there and the wind was helping. So it was kind of interesting to find out the good line, actually, because you have to know where you can carry it.

So it played not that tough today, I think, but it's still, you have to feel the shots a lot on this course. With this kind of grass, it's so difficult, I find it very difficult to hit the sand wedge shots. My partner made like two fat shots, 20 yards -- this grass, if you don't really move through it, you just hold the club down in the ground, so you really have to be careful. It makes the easy shots not that easy, actually. Better have a 9-iron, a full 9-iron than a 60-yard shot. I'm not planning on playing short like 50 yards, but this is more like feeling shots. You don't really put a lot of swing into it, but then if you don't really go through it, then you can get in big trouble.

So it's almost easier to hit a 9-iron, I think, a full shot, than an easy sand wedge on this grass. It's very different than what we play all year long. But it makes it fun.

Q. Inaudible?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Not really, because the conditions I think today, were, I mean, not easy, but I really hit a lot of very good shots. Like there are some tough iron shots to the greens and I really played almost all of them very well, I mean perfect touch and good length, everything, so that helps. But it turned really quickly. I got it pretty okay. I missed a few short ones today, actually, that could have been even better, I think than the 3-putt.

So if you play well today, with these conditions, I think some girls might shoot 5-, 6-, 7-under.

Q. What have you heard about the course and how does that affect your attitude coming in?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: I heard there was a lot of wind last year. Mostly that's what I heard. And myself, I think the grass is also not that easy for people like me. In France, we don't have it at all, this kind of grass, never, never, so we are not used to playing on this kind of grass.

But you really have to -- the only thing I'm thinking about when I have this little sand wedge shot, I just think you really have to make like even a shorter swing, but really go through it. You can't really just slow down, sometime on the other grass, even with sand wedge, even if you don't accelerate really much, the club just slips on it. Here, no way, you really have to go through it. You really have to hit it strong. If not, the club just stops down on the ground.

For me, it was more the wind on this course, of course, and the grass. The grass is really something I'm careful about. Like on 18, I had an 8-iron shot, but I was in position, there was not a lot of grass, so you could see the ground, and you know it's soft. This kind of shot I really know I have to focus on how my club face, my club head is going to ride on the ground. You can't let it go like this. If you do, you're going to do a very bad shot. You have to really focus on doing it and keeping it very, very square to the hole. It's pretty interesting, actually.

Already, the course is tough. And then this, I think if you don't have the day -- today I had a good feeling, so I could just focus on that and just go, just hit it.

I've seen some scores are a bit high compared to what these girls shoot usually. So it's just a matter of how you feel if you know your game that day. There's a lot of things making it very tough out there. But today maybe the easiest day of the week, I would say, that wind.

Q. Inaudible?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Well, I did that because I was not playing well this year at the beginning. I had a good reason because I broke my sacrum in January, so I started very late, no practice. And I went straight to play the PGA TOUR in Phoenix and it was kind of hard and I didn't start well.

So after a few months, it was tough. It was putting a lot of pressure on me, and on him, too, so we needed some time off, even as a caddie, actually. That's why we decided, and it was a good move, I think. He was following me; he was here today and he's still coaching me, but it was too much at the same time with caddying, coaching and my husband. So I was 100% together -- when it's not working well, it's very tough.

Q. Who is your caddie now?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: JoAnne. Jo, call her Jo Berry. She's nice. She's English, and I knew her from the European Tour and she's a very nice girl. We've been working a few times in Europe together, a long time ago. When we decided he would not caddie for me anymore, something happened like this, she just quit with her player, she was caddying for another player, I think two years and then they just stopped that, and us at the same time. So she just called me, and, yep, here we go.

Q. How did your injury happen?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: During my physical training. I was very fit at that time. You know in France, during the winter, the weather is not that good, so I'm more focusing on physical training in the winter. So that happened on the 15th of January, and I was supposed to leave to practice in Australia on the 26th of January that was a month and a half that I was working very hard on my physical training. And at the end of the exercise, I just did a special exercise on the bench and both of my feet got stuck on the bench and I just fell straight on the hard floor, straight on the back.

Q. What did you break?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Sacrum. It's right here. It's not the coccyx. It's higher, right between the hips. It's right there. I just fell straight, flat on my back.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Well, you know, for me, my head, it's like 90 to 95 percent chance she's going to be in the top five this week. You really think about it, because she won ten times and she's still not tired. You look at her -- actually asked her the other day at the meeting, they said at the meeting, "Oh, you might be tired at the presentation." And she says, "Oh, no." She's not tired. You look at her and she still enjoys playing so much right now. She's got no fear. She has nothing to lose. She just goes for it. That's the way she is. I'm pretty sure. I mean, you're never sure of anything in golf, but there's a lot of chance you will be out there by the end of the week. I don't think I'm the only one who thinks that.

Q. Why was Annika approached, when and where?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: At the presentation on Tuesday night at the hotel. The party, we went on the stage. She was just beside me and I just asked her, how are you, because we know each other since a long, long time now. We've been playing amateur golf in Europe together. She was on the Swedish team and I was on the French team but we've played tournaments together.

I like her very much. She's a great lady. I think she's doing very good job for ladies golf. She's very nice. I like to look at the attitude of people and I love her attitude, so I think she's very -- you know, even if she's Annika, she's still, every time she speaks with you and when she has time. I don't know a lot of people doing that every time you see them. So I like that kind of attitude.

Q. When you won, how big was that in France?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Well, actually it's been bigger than I thought it would be. A lot of -- I got also direct in radio with big guys, well known guys in France that I just watch on TV, you know. So they called me and had interviews and -- it's like I was important, a live interview. Yeah, it was a lot of fun first to see that I got straight on the big media, like our main and only sports newspaper just called me, pretty big article, and actually came on Sunday here to do -- because they have a magazine on the weekend and they are going to do something with me. They did it on Sunday and they are going to bring the magazine in a few weeks.

Q. What is it called?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: LeQuipe. It's like the team but it's in French. That's actually the only really sports newspaper in France. But they mostly speak about futbol -- I mean, soccer, and a bit of everything else, but not that much.

So that was a big -- to come to you, "oh, we want to do something in a magazine," it's pretty neat. That means a lot.

Q. Inaudible?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Yeah, of course, I'd be so happy to be there. I think it's even more fun for us when it's in Europe, but I've played only once and it was in Europe. It's a lot of fun when you are in your country. You feel more comfortable maybe.

So I do my best. But I don't know really what is going to be my plan for next year yet. I still don't know if I will play a lot in Europe or not. I didn't play this year in Europe, really, so I don't get any points. When you think that my win in the States, they don't even give me a point in Europe, that's pretty sad, actually. So I don't even know if I'm going to bother. I might just choose to myself to say that I'm going to play very good here and maybe I would be a pick if I play well. I'm getting to that point because they don't give a chance playing good over here to get points in Europe for the Solheim.

And I understand their point of view, too. They have to protect the Tour. They want us to go there and earn the points over there, that I understand. But I give seven years of my life to the European Tour and I did my good job, I think, and I just need to focus on the future. I just want to play a lot on the PGA TOUR, because when you make so much effort to come here, it takes a lot out of me.

It's a total change in my life, so I couldn't really concentrate on both. I've always been somebody able to focus on one thing. I can do a good job if I can focus on one thing, but if I were to try to manage that and play here, I don't think I would do any good. So I just don't know yet what I'm going to do. Maybe play a few small -- like Evian, the British, so we don't have to travel so much.

Q. Even though it's only one round, do you think ahead that you might have a really good week this week, what could happen?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: If I keep playing the way I play, I could be in the top ten, five, no problem. But with this tournament, I'm not the only one thinking that way, and I'm just going to try to enjoy it.

That's my main thing at the moment is trying to play golf. I improved so much this year and the last two years, playing on the PGA, my game changed so much. So I'm still not really -- I mean, I don't control all of it. But I have so much different feelings than before; I've improved so much that I have a lot of fun playing. So I just try first to focus on that, keep working on this little thing that I feel new and that makes me motivated to play. Then for sure if I can finish on the top five or ten this week, I'd be very happy. I'd take it with no problem.

I'm going to go for it, actually. Today, I just made the bogey on 16 with 3-putts and I still made a birdie on 17. That just shows that I'm into it and play my game and just tried to enjoy it. And I think that's a good way, because I made the birdie on 17. I was pretty happy with myself, okay, that's all you have to do. Don't run out after the 16th, speaking back to myself, okay, that happens. And then if you're good with yourself, you make a birdie and that's the way it is with golf you know.

It's hard enough that I'm the kind of person that I could easily speak badly to myself after a hole like that, and I didn't and I made a birdie. So it like gives me some better perspective that I just have to play my game.

At the end of the tournament, we see two or three more days, as you said. But if I keep playing that way, for sure, I can give some trouble to some players up there.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Michelle Lorenzi (ph), do you know her? Well, she's only been playing in Europe. She played the U.S. Open a few times, I think. But she focused only in Europe but she's been like European No. 1 for a few years in a row. She's in the Hall of Fame, if that means something, in Europe. She's French. I've always -- she's a great lady.

Q. Did she play in the Solheim?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Oh, yeah, she's played, yeah. Two or three times. Three times, I think.

When I started to play golf, she was a big name and she was really, really well known. Even people -- there's not many golfers well known from the 80s in Europe, in France, and she was known by a lot of people. ^ and she's a beautiful woman, too, so that helps. That helps a lot.

So she was kind of -- I was looking at her the way, trying to model like a little bit the way she was, her attitude. She was very professional, too, you know and very good stroke, very good swing, very good game. Very good game. Nice lady. So that's the most well known player in France.

Actually, he got his card on the 24th on the PGA TOUR. That's Thomas Levet, he finished second at the British, he went into the playoff with Ernie Els. Well, he's that kind of guy. He's really natural and very nice.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: No, they are not going to move here but he's going to play in the States. He's going to focus on both, I think. I think he's still going to play in Europe. He's going to come out here, but I don't think he's going to play full-time here because he still has to play in Europe for his sponsors maybe or whatever. But he loves to play in America, I know.

Q. (Inaudible.)?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: No. Well, once in awhile. If we would play again -- like next year -- inaudible -- professional player, really focus on his game. So he's not that kind -- he's a hard worker, but playing-wise is not really interesting for him. He would only play a lot if he knew it would just, okay, that day, I start to play again. He would be very motivated to play, but he doesn't really practice. He still plays good. He's got a very good game. I'm always amazed how good he can play without practicing.

Q. How do you spend your time in the off-season between living here and France?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Until now I was not living here, so I was pretty simple.

I always the last few seasons, because in France, you know, the weather is not good, so I mostly left to play in Australia. We have some European tournaments in Australia, so I left to practice like for three weeks before the tournaments in Australia. The weather is so great and I love that country. So we went there three weeks before the tournament, and that's maybe where I was practicing before the season started.

But I still hit a few balls in France but the greens you can imagine are not that good. You might just play it around the hole, putt around the hole because that's all you can do.

But now, maybe this winter, I'm going to come here. Depends what I have found and if I've found a home. If not, I'll go to Australia. I'm going to go to Australia anyways because I love to go there. It's perfect conditions to play golf. We have two wonderful tournaments over there and they do a very good job and it's a lot of fun to play. I might go there for a few weeks before that and see my friend Shani, actually, Shani Waugh; she's playing here. She's Australian and she's going there in mid-January. I might go there and visit her on the West Coast, which actually is the best part of Australia for me she lives in a very beautiful little town named Burnberry, and she's a lot of fun to be with. We might just go there and have fun and practice.

I love Australia. People are very, very easygoing, you know. They are not -- we always say like America is less people living and less active -- inaudible -- so it's more relaxed and people are less, they work, but a different way. You don't feel that stress. But it's a lot of fun.

Q. Will you do any house hunting this week around here?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Well, Monday a little bit.

Q. Did you look at a house?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Yeah, we did, but just for half a day. We actually have one more week. We stay one more week after the tournament. That's our time to find a house. We have to.

Q. In the Palm Beach area?

PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Not necessarily. From Palm Beach to Boca Raton, actually, because we have friends professional tennis players, French people that live down there. We were there last week with them actually, and so we might be in between here and Boca Raton, actually.

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