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THE DEUTSCHE BANK PLAYERS' CHAMPIONSHIP OF EUROPE

July 26, 2007

Lee Slattery

ALVESLOHE, GERMANY

THE MODERATOR: Lee, well played. Great start here. Birdie, par, eagle, off to a flying start.
LEE SLATTERY: Absolutely. I was hitting the ball well on the range this morning. I've been hitting the ball well the last few weeks now, so I mean, just to go out to there and have a start like that, it was no surprise really. Just trying to keep it together.
I've not been in this position for a little while, certainly this year, so I was a little bit nervous, especially playing the back nine, few loose shots. Managed to get it up and down and keep it all together.

Q. You were saying that you've been putting a lot of work into your putting. You spent four hours on the putting green yesterday?
LEE SLATTERY: Absolutely, I mean, every part of my game. I've been told I have to do a little less, but it's not the way I work, so I've been working hard on every aspect of my game. And this year, hopefully, towards the end it will payoff.

Q. Lee, I think it was -- you were saying about four hours on the putting green yesterday seems to have done the trick.
LEE SLATTERY: Absolutely, I mean, the putting green yesterday, with so many people walking on it, it wasn't really the truest. But to go out there on the greens this morning, they were putting a lot better and the stroke felt good and just pulled a lot of putts down the aisle and just kept it together.

Q. Has that been the problem, presumably your putting? You've been playing quite well, they're just not falling?
LEE SLATTERY: It's been tricky. I mean, I've not played great this season, and when you're not playing great, you tend to miss a lot greens, you have a lot of long putts. And although people do look at stats a lot, I would say my stats, certainly this year has been a little false as I have not been putting that bad just not having many birdies chances.
I've been playing better over the last few weeks. All of a sudden, you know, I'm hitting 10-, 12-, 15-foot every single hole, and, you know, I'm not used to hitting it that close. I suppose you're going to miss a few the first few weeks, but, you know, today, putted great, played great, obviously.

Q. Ten years ago, Mark Garrod (of PA) predicted great things for Lee, and Lee went on to do great things. Same guy said the same thing about you three or four years ago, said great things for you.
LEE SLATTERY: Very kind of him. I'll be honest with you, I've just gone back to my old coach now, who I was with a whole year on the Challenge Tour, because winning the Challenge Tour that year, I mean, I only played 14 events to win the tour that year. I played fabulous that year. Then, you know, it was very good coming out that year, hitting the ball really well.
And then coming up, you know, first year on Tour, you start changing things, you know. You see it all the time, and, you know, you see it all the time, and that year, changed too many things and started working with another coach.
And I made a decision about four or five weeks ago now, that I was going to go back and see my old coach and that's exactly what I've done. The things I've gotten out of the golf swing are a lot better. And I almost feel at the moment that I'm playing very similar to what I did that year on Challenge Tour. So, yeah, hopefully I've got a lot to learn.

Q. Might have had better results already?
LEE SLATTERY: I think so. I think so. It was tough because my old coach was such a good friend as well, but sometimes you've got to be hard-faced out here, and just do what's right. I sort of wish I would have done it earlier, but let's just hope I can have a good finish to the season and it won't matter.

Q. I was going to ask, how he take being sort of being dumped in the first place and now you've gone back to him? Are you still on good terms?
LEE SLATTERY: Yeah, everything's fine. I mean, my old coach was fine. The problem we had was he never liked travelling. He just never wanted to travel. So, you know, I can see him once every four weeks.
And I honestly believe as well that the main Tour is more hectic than the Challenge Tour. You know, you go home, you've got a ton of things to do, you never have time to have a lesson back home. So it was almost impossible to see him. And that was why I made that decision. Whereas, you know, I've had a few weeks at home over the last few months, ad I just thought it might be a good idea to go back and see him. See what he's got to say. And whatever we've done, it seems to be working, so that's been it.

Q. Can you just spell his surname for us and also the club where he's attached.
LEE SLATTERY: Alan Thompson, pretty simple.

Q. With a t-h and p.
LEE SLATTERY: Yeah.

Q. And the club?
LEE SLATTERY: Heswell Golf Club.

Q. Have you just bought a flat near Royal Birkdale>
LEE SLATTERY: The one that's currently flooded? Yeah, yeah, flooded a few weeks back. Had a lot on my plate the last few weeks, but luckily I moved in with my brother and he's dealing with everything. It is 300 yards from Royal Birkdale. The reason I bought it was because we have The Open next year year as well, so...
We've got the barbeque, so you're obviously all welcome. But, no, should be good. Should be a great place to live.

Q. Was the fooding caused by the rain or --
LEE SLATTERY: It was. It was just a drain that sort of sprang up and it managed to get in through the front door. If we would have had a decent front door on it, then this wouldn't have happened. It was our fault. The insurance are dealing with it, so we're okay.

Q. I assume it's a ground floor flat, Lee, and you --
LEE SLATTERY: Actually, there's a old mansion there, which been renovated, and it's a lovely place, lovely part of the world. We have all our great courses at our doorstep, as well, so it's a beautiful place to live.

Q. Just looking ahead the rest of the week, you said it's been a while since you've been in this position. How positive are you that you can translate it into a really good round?
LEE SLATTERY: I think the last few weeks, like I say, I've been hitting the ball well. As long as I keep putting well, like I did today, I think I have every chance to -- it's all to do with that I suppose.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Get the details of your birdies and eagle as well.
LEE SLATTERY: The third hole driver, 3 wood, and then holed about a four-foot putt there. The first hole was driver, wedge, and about a 20-foot putt.
RODDY WILLIAMS: 8th.
LEE SLATTERY: The 8th hole was 3-wood, sand wedge to about 25 feet, holed that putt.
9th hole was 3-wood, 9-iron to about ten feet, holed that.
17, driver, 3-wood to about 15 feet, two putts.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Lee, well played, and good luck.
LEE SLATTERY: Thank.

End of FastScripts

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