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THE EUROPEAN OPENMay 31, 2009Christian CevaerASH, ENGLAND RODDY WILLIAMS: Christian, 2009 European Open Champion. Sum it up for us. That was a great day for you. CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: Yes, fantastic day. It's amazing what choosing to be happy can do. And choosing to re-kick in a little bit: Come on, believe in yourself, you've got great skills. So I mean, yeah, I'm ecstatic to come out on top. Obviously for anyone, even more so obviously the leaders in the last group to go out, tough day. The course was drying out, but I'm really happy the way I swung it overall. I just didn't catch the right breaks on the front nine. I went into the rough a few times and just couldn't get it up-and-down. But to come out in the end on top, and luckily some others struggled, too, because as you see, the wind, the greens are drying. And so the short game obviously finally came through with great up-and-downs on 16 and 17. And then, what can I say about my 18th hole play, yesterday and today. Fantastic. This is what we work for, you know, to be in that situation and to pull off those shots, just the way I wanted them each time. Not only the drive, but the second shot approach, with each time a rescue four. Because I'm a shorter player, I take out a 3-iron and use the modern technology, so thank you to my sponsor TaylorMade for the rescue utility clubs. And yeah, to be honest, I saw the leaderboard on 17, and I saw the other guys on 7. I knew it was a tough hole coming, so I'm just hanging in there. Hopefully I can hang in there for a playoff, and what a great surprise to see that leaderboard coming up the hill there, to see that I'm the only guy left at 7. So fantastic. And luckily, to see that, I got a putt, and that a beautiful shot stayed short of the rough. Q. Were you thinking back to your win at the Spanish Open today? CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: As a matter of fact, one of the memories back at the Spanish Open, I was going well, and then I remember I had a stretch of four bogeys, which kind of, you know, blew my chances away, without playing awful. So when I had it not going my way on the front, that kept me in it, saying, yeah, okay, the back nine with the birdie opportunities. Q. You talked quite at length last night about the problems that you've had to get over to get happy. Everyone else was worrying about that finish, and you were trying to just be happy. CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: Definitely, I mean, like I said, this whole adventure, you know, I'm a human being, and it got to me even healthy-wise. I was really unhealthy. I'll spare you the details. It got to a point where I was suffering of inflammation the last two weeks and I got off to horrendous starts each tournament. Luckily I thought I had made the job in Ireland to make the cut, to come back from 5-over after six holes all the way to 3-under and then it turned out to be 4-under. Then at Wentworth, same, terrible start, and just never happened there for me. So, yeah, before I forget, last time I won the Spanish Open, I dedicated my win to my father, who looked after me, and this time, definitely to my wife, who is obviously my greatest supporter, and what a fantastic -- I was joking lately, you know how the footballers sometimes when they have had a kid and they go, they win and they do this (as if cradling baby, swinging back and forth) I'm like, okay, happy we can do the same. We are expecting in four or five weeks. So with a horrendous start to the season I've had, not playing awful, playing plenty of good stretch of golf, but you know, just not getting the job done. Then what a relief to know that, who cares now if I miss the French Open or the Scottish Open, because it's going to be another victory this year in four or five weeks with a second child. Q. I was going to say, you mentioned already yesterday, 18, over the four rounds, you were 1-over par, and other players are shooting 6s and 7s every day, 18 has been good to you this week. CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: Absolutely. I should frame it and bring it home I guess. I think I've hit -- maybe I've hit four fairways, which is huge. Maybe being a short hitter is an advantage for once. Q. I think if you miss the French Open, you might be in trouble, but it's been a good week for French golf, starting at Walton Heath on Monday. CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: Absolutely. Like we said, a lot to the French journalists, we have a good bunch of young men who believe in themselves. Obviously our leaders create motivation, and this year with the young guys coming out, like Bourdy with two wins and Thomas winning again, and Raphaël Jacquelin with a couple of great performances this year so far. And you know, I was really touched to get a text from him, a text message from him yesterday. And of course, with all of my friends and supporters. And so the French golf is in a great state, and I'm just so proud to be able to be -- to say, hey, don't forget me, I'm not over the hill yet. And I look forward to passing on my knowledge and my skills to all of the -- especially with short game obviously with the young, upcoming French players, just to know that I am secured here. How many years' exemption here? Five? Wow, what a great gift to receive at this moment. So, yeah, I wasn't in the U.S. Open Qualifying, because as I explained to you, I didn't want to get too far away from my wife. So I didn't even go. But I look forward to the British Open qualifying. Q. You said you would spare us the details, but the inflammation of what the last two weeks? CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: Inflammation of the bowel. That's what it's called. Q. And debilitating has it been? CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: Well, it drains you. Whatever inflammation you have, it drains energy from you, and just to suffer is not fun. And you know, I suffered all the way till Wednesday or even Thursday, as well. Thursday I played with the pain, and just getting -- you know, I've been in treatment obviously, and luckily it started also with a good first round, which was probably pleasing, and able to reconnect with the fabulous life, job that I have and how many ways I'm blessed and everything. To come up with such a positive, could be even more positive result, yeah, I feel delighted, blessed. Q. Was it stress-related, you were told it was stress-related? CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: Yeah, you never know what you might eat. You eat plenty in the restaurants and maybe spices and stuff. But I think a combination. You know being like I said, I am a human being and like everyone, I suffer from stress sometimes, and with the worries off the course, luckily nothing related to my family or anything, but like I mentioned yesterday, unfortunately some worries. You know, you get upset and you get worried a little bit for the future, and maybe some guys are able to just, hey, let's go have a beer, no problem, but I sort of took it in. And at the same time, being 39, and not having a great start of the season, you know, I look into other -- I must admit, wanting to stay focused on playing obviously all the way till the end of the season, but I want to prepare a second activity, or how do you say, on the side, or not necessarily second career, but definitely I want to communicate with my great short game skills and putting, and I think it's about time being 39 that I can help out others. And so somehow I'm going to, you know, little by little; now this is a fantastic exemption, I can keep focusing on my game. I thought to myself, you know, I got a nickname when I won as a junior that I liked very much when I won the British Youth Championship, the Scottish press back then gave me the nickname of "the Sundance Kid," because I looked a little bit like Robert Redford in the movie. It's a nice nickname to receive, isn't it? (Laughter) I mean, there's worse nicknames. Ask the caddies on Tour, they will tell you. And because obviously I was shooting nicely at pins, so I guess Robert Redford in that movie, which I've never seen, I should, I guess. So this week, part of the pleasure was, hey, come on, Sundance Kid is here, he's greatly skilled, so let's enjoy that. Q. I think that's the biggest payday of your career to date. Any plans in terms? CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: I don't even know what I want. You know, when you're over the moon, I don't know what the amount is, but definitely it's probably more than the Spanish Open I guess back then. Well, this is getting you to know me. I can tell you that I'm going to -- especially with this economic times now, I'm sure we are all going to be much more careful what we do with our money. And I always want to look ahead and plan for the future. You know, with all of the -- somehow with the 15 years or so, whatever, of golf, touring around the world, and like I said, of course it's a fabulous job to have, but, you know, there are hardships through it. And so I deserve to be able to have a peace of mind towards the future, and obviously being a father and having a family, I want to. So believe me, there will not be any sports car being bought or what-have-you or any sort of stuff like that. It will be well invested into the future. Q. Again I know you probably don't want to talk about it but we've got to ask, problems with Victory, is this likely to cost you any money, the problems your management company is having? CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: No, I mean, luckily what helped me a lot is I put things forward to lawyers, and that helped me clear my mind. So who is to know exactly, but now professionals are dealing with it. So, we'll see. I don't know. Q. You might lose some money? CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: No, I don't think so. I mean, I have no personal investments into that company, you know, so it's not like, I just have to pay my dues. Q. There's been a bit of suggestion this tournament could move to Turnberry next year, would you happy to see it go to Turnberry, or happy to see it come back to the London Club here? CHRISTIAN CÉVAËR: Obviously I liked every minute of playing this golf club, which funnily, especially today on the back nine, or the whole nine was starting to play a bit linksy, funnily enough, because as you know, it was firming up and windy. But you know, all due respect to London Golf Club, I mean, if the sponsors and it's in the interests of the Tour to bring this event to Turnberry, I believe that we don't get enough opportunities to play on links courses, and that's great. So, you know, either/or, it will be great, but yeah, if it moves to Turnberry, fantastic. RODDY WILLIAMS: Christian, thank you very much indeed. . End of FastScripts o relaxed. But we started playing, and then you just kind of get back in your groove and play. Q. In the second period, do you come out encouraged with how you guys played? I guess, going into Game 2, you played like you did in the second? RUSLAN FEDOTENKO: Yeah, we played pretty good. Just need to, like I said, address some things where we didn't do as good. And focus on the good thing and, you know, come out in the second game. End of FastScripts |
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