VOLVO PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 25, 2002

Maarten Lafeber

RODDY WILLIAMS: Maarten, very well played round. 67 takes you to 8-under par. You must be very pleased with that.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Yeah, I played really solid too. To shoot 67 today is always a really good score and really happy.

RODDY WILLIAMS: What was the key to your good score today?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: My concentration was pretty good, better than the first two days. Stuck to my game plan. Putting was solid. I didn't hit any wayward shots, which was good.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Nice way to finish, 3 birdies in the last three holes; a good long putt on the last one.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Nice putt to hole. Didn't play the hole really good, but, I mean, we are trying to hole it, so it went in. It was great.

RODDY WILLIAMS: How far was that putt?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: It was about 9 meters, something like that. 30 foot.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Should we take some questions.

Q. Why are you playing so well this week?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: I am playing pretty solid, actually the whole year, only I am not really scoring well. Changed some things in my swing in the winter, and my coach said I have to be patient and it is going to take quite a while before it all comes together. But I am playing better by the week, so I am really patient and we'll see what happens.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Who is your coach?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Gregor Jameson

RODDY WILLIAMS: Over in the States?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Yeah, Lake Nona.

Q. What is your game plan? You say you stuck to it?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: I had a good plan going into the first round and it didn't change. The wind is the same the last three days, and I don't try to be too aggressive off the tee, just put it on the fairways because the course is not playing that long, and trying not to lose too many shots before you go to normal turn because normal turn, it's pretty much all downwind and the wind is not that tough.

Q. You are not using the driver very much?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Yeah, I use the driver quite a bit. But on the back nine last couple of years I hit it more than I did this week.

Q. You say that you weren't having that much trouble with the wind. Quite a few players were concerned as to how it was swirling. It seemed to be changing directions. Did you not find any trouble with that that at all?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Sometimes, obviously, it is tough, but at one point I think you just have to trust it, where it's coming from. I look at the sky a lot, where the clouds are going. If you get it above the trees, the wind will affect it quite a bit; but if you keep it a bit lower, it won't affect the ball that much. But to me, I didn't think it was so tough because it's the same for three days already. It's not suddenly a different wind, so you know how to anticipate the shots a bit.

RODDY WILLIAMS: What do you make of the leaderboard at the moment; only Anders Hansen ahead of you?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Didn't have a look. I just saw I was lying second at the moment. But Anders is playing well, and he's played well last week and last year, so if he keeps on going like this, he looks very, very strong, but it is a new day tomorrow, and a lot of guys who have a chance so we'll see what happens.

Q. What is your mindset? Did you think, I have got a great chance of making a very big check or do you think I have got a great chance of winning this?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Well, I just -- I mean, I try to be in a position where I have a chance to win a golf tournament, and I am playing better. I just stick to my game plan. I am not going to think about winning - going to give it 100% tomorrow and see if it's good enough or not. If not, too bad. If it is good enough, it would be a dream come true, of course.

Q. No matter what happens, you won't alter your play?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: No. Just see what how the weather is tomorrow, just play as good as today, and just give 100% tomorrow.

Q. How did you finance the life on Tour?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: I got some sponsors, Glissen Bankiers and my clothing sponsor, my manager had a plan with the director of the bank, and they sold shares. They sold 7 1/2 thousand shares at a hundred guilders each. After five years they can have a profit over it. And so if I keep on playing like this, I can buy the shareholders out at the end of the year maybe, and they get a profit over the years, so that was very good base for me to finance all the travelling and the costs.

Q. How many shareholders?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: About 1100.

Q. Different packets?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Different. Some have, like, yeah, like 50 shares, some have one. Some bought, like, two for the kids for Christmas. It is more like a support. I mean, it worked out great. For me it's really good. It's sort of a fan club for me. I have got very good response about it in Holland.

Q. You must have a lot of friends to sell 1100 shareholders?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: A lot of friends, you mean?

Q. Yeah.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Well, not -- well, it's like I said, it's companies who bought shares. It's famous sports people in Holland from auto sports that bought shares just to -- I am not going to say names, though. (Laughs).

Q. Why?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Let's say famous football players and then one of the famous ones we have, so you can make your own.

Q. Still playing or not still playing?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Not still playing anymore. But I mean, also like I said, people who bought shares for their kids for Christmas and friends as well, and so, all sorts of people.

Q. How much money could they make on the shares?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: They get at least 50% profit over it. After five years they get about 70% profit over it, but I mean it's not a way to make money, but it's more like you had to make it look like, how you say, like really a business deal, not only support for me, that it was easy for me, I really have to play well for it to earn it, but it's really nice.

Q. When did this contract start?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: It started when I turned pro 1st of January, 1998.

Q. It won't be Marco VanBlasten, would it?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Could be. (Laughs).

Q. Did you used to watch this championship on the television?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Every year, yeah, every year, when British National team, all the players I think did and we love to watch Wentworth, and for me it was always a dream to play here when I was an amateur. First time I played I think was in 2000. I mean, it was great just walking over the fairways here, all the people, it was really great.

Q. One of your sponsors play with you in the dunhill links?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: I don't think so, no. (Laughter).

RODDY WILLIAMS: Give him a run for the whole Dutch football team now.

Q. Any of them ever manage Barcelona?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: I think just one.

Q. How many sportsmen do you have as backers?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: I am not sure how many. Like three maybe, three or four.

Q. They all footballers or --

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Not all, no.

Q. How much did they each pay you?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: I don't know. Don't know. I mean, I don't really want to tell you, put it that way. You can phone my manager maybe he will tell you, but I don't think so.

Q. Would you tell us if you win tomorrow?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: If I win tomorrow, I might tell you.

Q. Why are you so secretive about it?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: It's just because they supported me and they are good friends of mine, and we just wanted to keep their name a bit quiet. They just wanted to support me. They don't want to say, hey, I am supporting a golfer. They just want to support me because they like the idea and they like golf.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Run through your card for me.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Bogey on the second. It was bad concentration, hit it pretty straight at the pin but just short, ran down the hill, made bogey.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Then the 4th.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Hit it on the green in two, 2-putts, birdie.

RODDY WILLIAMS: How far?

MAARTEN LAFEBER: It was about 10 meters from the hole.

RODDY WILLIAMS: 6th.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Hit a good sand wedge in to about two meters from the hole.

RODDY WILLIAMS: 10th.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: 10 I was a bit lucky, hit a bad shot off the tee, bad tee shot and -- but it bounced back to like 3 meters from the hole and holed the putt.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Then 15.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: 15, 3-wood off the tee, pitching wedge to about four feet.

RODDY WILLIAMS: 17.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Hit it on the green in two - well, just on the fringe, 2-putted for birdie.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Then 18 was that 9 meter putt.

MAARTEN LAFEBER: Yeah.

RODDY WILLIAMS: Any more questions?

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