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UBS HONG KONG OPENNovember 23, 2008Lin Wen-TangFANLING, HONG KONG SHENTON GOMEZ: Lin, firstly, congratulations on a job well done in a dramatic finish at the UBS Hong Kong Open. Firstly, can you just tell us, what's going through your mind right now. LIN WEN-TANG: As you can see, I'm still smiling. And, well, in fact, I'm very tired, because I've had a lot of days on Tour from Shanghai to Singapore and now back to Hong Kong. This is my first European Tour win, and actually, my feeling is, it cannot be described. All I can do is use my smile to say thank you to you all; thank you. SHENTON GOMEZ: It has been a dramatic finish for you, just sum up emotionally how has it been for you during regulation play and in the playoff? LIN WEN-TANG: Actually my feeling of how to face a tournament, how to enjoy the atmosphere and facing all of these strong players; I try to be happy as much as I can. For the last few holes, actually, I do have a chance to win the tournament without the playoff, but I didn't make it. On the first playoff hole, I didn't hit a good tee shot. But I did not give up and I thought I could do it. So I placed my ball near the hole, and my opponent, also, he parred with me. So we played the other hole, and at the end, I can do it. With the win, I am reassured with what I think is right, and I think good preparation is the basis of success. Q. You are away from your wife very much on Tour; did you get her a present? LIN WEN-TANG: The best Christmas present will be the prize money for her. (Laughing) I am very grateful and thankful to my wife, because she is looking after the two kids at home so that I can be free to play the tournament. I feel very excited to be Chinese to win the tournament, and I have proven that the Chinese can do it. As you can see, Liang and Zhang have done it already. Also, I would like to thank my dad and my mom for giving me so much support. Q. Would you tell us about the first playoff hole when you hit into the tree? LIN WEN-TANG: I know this is very difficult, because I missed the drive and that it would be a very, very tough shot, my approach shot into the green, because it's not possible to the left. I didn't know how to do it, but also I could see Rory McIlroy was in good position on the green. But I've been hard-working for the last four days, and I really did not want to collapse, but I was collapsing. I didn't want to give up. I still think that even though the ball was not in the hole, I still had a very, very good chance to take it to another playoff hole, so I went for it. And it was like help from the gods; and at the end, I made it. Q. What club did you use? LIN WEN-TANG: Wedge. Q. What will you do with the prize money? LIN WEN-TANG: Well, you don't know me very well, because what I will do is I will leave it up to my wife, because whatever she wants to buy for the kids, she will make her own decisions. Q. What is your schedule now on the Tour, and will you still be playing the Asian Tour or Vietnam Tour? LIN WEN-TANG: Well, I am going to next week's tournament, the Mission Hills World Cup. Then I need to go to Japan, but I don't have a Japan Visa, so I must rush back to Taiwan on Monday. If I'm lucky enough to get the Visa on Tuesday, I might be able to catch up with the first qualifying round on Wednesday. But I ask my friends to negotiate with the officials and see whether I can catch up with the tournament, the qualifying. Q. You have now won a European Tour title, so that means you now have a European Tour Card; what is your plan coming up? LIN WEN-TANG: I will stay longer on the Asian Tour, because I want to play better on the Asian Tour, and also there are a lot of supporters, sponsors, friends in Asia. As an Asian Tour player, I would like to spend more time on the Asian Tour. SHENTON GOMEZ: You've had two wins, two runner-ups, and a tied-third this season; what has been the winning combination for you, winning formula for you this season on the Asian Tour? LIN WEN-TANG: As you can see, smiles is my secret weapon. (Smiling) It's very pleasing to my supporting friends, media and spectators. I haven't yet become a star player on Tour, but I think my smile will give a relaxed feeling and welcome for everyone. The fan support is also a drive for me to become a better player. I played well this year, and I think I will keep on my smiling face. Q. Just going back to that shot, did you have any options, or did you just go for the green, on the second shot on the playoff hole? LIN WEN-TANG: I can see that there is no way out. Because if I hit a low-trajectory shot, I can hit on to the green, but I might hit into the water. So I decided to hit a long shot, and if I could hit it hard and hit it good, I could hit it on to the green. That is what I thought. Q. Your win, is it luck or is it something else? LIN WEN-TANG: Well, actually, I'm very excited because I've been waiting to win a tournament for a long time and have prepared for this tournament very well. But if I get too overwhelmed, I'll be overwhelmed on day three, not today. I played lot of star players today, including Langer. But this is not the first encounter with Langer, because I used to caddie for my dad, and my dad has been paired with Langer before. So I was less excited today. I've always said that the trophy goes to the most well-prepared player, and I'm very well prepared this week. I really have been wanting to win. I've been waiting eight years to 2006 to win my first Asian Tour title. I never realised that this is also a title for the PGA European Tour, and I'm very happy. There is the saying that is in my mind: It is very fair to the players who is well prepared. Q. When you went back to the 18th tee for the first playoff hole, you waved to all of the fans on the fairway. What was on your mind? LIN WEN-TANG: Waving to the crowd is because I want to say thank you for the support of all these spectators, and this is a polite gesture. Every player should do it, because this is a basic etiquette for a tour player. And also, the applause was giving me a lot of drive to do better on the playoff hole. I waved all the way back to the 18th tee. Q. You have won on The European Tour and Asian Tour and Hong Kong Open this year; is it a good start for you, or is it only a memory, because you've been trying to qualify for PGA Tour, but you have also talked about retiring at age 40. LIN WEN-TANG: Yes, I have been talking to the media about retiring at 40, but 40 is only a number. I may not do it; I might do it. Even though I am retired, I will still help and support the Taiwan golf scene. SHENTON GOMEZ: Lin, with that, fantastic win for you here at the UBS Hong Kong Open. Congratulations once again. End of FastScripts |
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