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THE CELTIC MANOR WALES OPENJune 7, 2009Jeppe HuldahlNEWPORT, WALES GORDON SIMPSON: Okay, everyone, well, many congratulations, Jeppe. I'm sure the words "Celtic Manor Wales Open 2009 Champion" was not something you maybe expected to hear today. Just tell us a little bit about the whole week and how it's worked out for you. JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, I mean, it's been a fantastic week. I mean, I started out solid but not great. But this weekend has just been amazing and didn't put a foot wrong out there. So, yeah, it's been great. GORDON SIMPSON: Obviously you've been working towards victory, did you expect it so soon? JEPPE HULDAHL: No. Well, of course you're hoping for it and dreaming of it, but I wasn't expecting a win or anything this soon to be honest. But I mean, it's just an amazing feeling. GORDON SIMPSON: And what made the difference this week? Which part of your game, if there was such a thing, that helped you create this victory. JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, my approach shots got pretty close this week. I had a lot of easy birdies out there. I actually missed a lot in the first couple of rounds but the last couple, yeah, it just turned out well. And I mean, the last couple of rounds, my putter was really good, as well. GORDON SIMPSON: And you have £300,000 to spend on your new baby when he or she comes along in a few months' time. JEPPE HULDAHL: Yeah, she. GORDON SIMPSON: You know it's a she, is it? JEPPE HULDAHL: Yeah. Q. Are you going to be a father for the first time? JEPPE HULDAHL: Yes. So it's quite exciting. GORDON SIMPSON: Your girlfriend is here with you this week. JEPPE HULDAHL: Yes. GORDON SIMPSON: What's her name? JEPPE HULDAHL: Katrine. Q. A couple hundred thousand pounds could go towards the wedding. JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, it could, we'll have to see about that (laughing). It all goes pretty fast at the moment. Q. Is this your first visit to Wales? JEPPE HULDAHL: No. I've played quite a few golf tournaments in Wales before. I played on The Challenge Tour last year, as well and I played actually the Celtic Manor in '04, as well, The European Tour. Q. The tenth anniversary of The Wales Open, and I just mentioned it to you yesterday, Steen Tinning, first winner of it; has a nice ring to it ten years later. JEPPE HULDAHL: Yeah, I'm happy with it, I think it was his first win as well. So, yeah, it's quite amazing. Q. But said you didn't expect to win this soon. Having won, you go away now and set your sights a bit higher? JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, I mean, it changes a lot of things really, because I'm coming off Challenge Tour, and I'm not sure -- I wasn't sure get of getting into the big tournaments. Obviously I can play my own schedule now as I want it, and it gives me -- I mean, well, it's a lot easier working with it. Q. You have the exemption through 2009, and you'll be back here next year, could you imagine being back in October, as well, or is that too much to hope? JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, that's too much to hope. I'm not going to set my goals there. Well, of course I'll take it if it comes, and I'm not going to say it's not going to happen, but I'll be happy with this at the moment. GORDON SIMPSON: At least Monty knows you can play this golf course. JEPPE HULDAHL: Yeah, he might give me one of the wild-cards then. (Laughter). Q. You mentioned yesterday that Thomas Björn has obviously been an influence. How has he influenced you in particular? JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, he's the first Danish player to really break through out here and has been out here, done well out here for so many years now. He's done so much for Danish golf, and I mean, if he wasn't there, I guess there wasn't a lot of other Danish players out here. He's had a really big influence. Q. Probably don't know too much about you with the greatest respect, what sort of character are you like off the course in is there anything in your background that's particularly interesting? JEPPE HULDAHL: I don't know. (Laughter). GORDON SIMPSON: Were you always going to be a pro golfer. JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, I've been playing golf since I was six, so, well, I wasn't thinking of being a professional at the time, but yeah, been thinking of it a lot since I was 14, 15. It's a tough question I think. Q. What was your impression of the course? JEPPE HULDAHL: This week? Q. This week. JEPPE HULDAHL: It's been fantastic. I mean, the way it held up with all that rain was amazing. I don't know how much rain there was that night, but I know it was a lot. And it actually held up very well. The greens were still fine here. It was great. Q. You mentioned how nervous you were out there, has it been the most nervous you've been in your life? Is the prospect of fatherhood equally as nerve-wracking or not? JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, I don't think fatherhood is nerve-wracking actually. I'm looking forward to it. Well, anyway, I guess, yeah, I haven't tried that kind of pressure before to be honest. This is by far the biggest win I've had in my career. I was nervous last year when I won in Norway, but I guess you can compare it in some way, but this is so much bigger. Q. You've spent some time in America; did you go over there and play golf or on scholarship? JEPPE HULDAHL: No. I went to, what do you call it, some kind of business school or something, and then I went to play the Qualifying School, Tour School, and I got through, so didn't have a choice then. Turned pro. Q. Where was the business school? JEPPE HULDAHL: In Denmark. Q. And then The European Tour Qualifying School? JEPPE HULDAHL: Yeah. Q. What are the areas where your game has improved since you played in 2005 or 2004? JEPPE HULDAHL: 2004. Well, pretty much all of them. Looking at the stats, well, all of them, all of my statistics has improved quite dramatically actually. Q. Will this be a big thing back home in Denmark for the public over there? JEPPE HULDAHL: I'm pretty sure it will be, yeah. I mean, I didn't expect to win this week, and I don't think they expected it back in Denmark. I mean, I haven't played great the last month or month and a half, but it felt like it was getting there, and obviously people back home can't feel that. I'm the one to feel that I guess. Yeah, I guess it's a pretty big thing back home. Q. What does your father do? Do you come from a background steeped in golf? JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, he has been playing golf ever since I was born, so yeah. But he had his own company, carpenter company. That was it, if that's what you're asking. Q. We saw that that Garrido had a double-bogey on the short 16th; did you keep your eyes on the leaderboard itself when you were going around the final holes? JEPPE HULDAHL: Well, I got to look at it a few times out there, not on purpose, actually. But it's tough to look away from them; there are so many of them. But I didn't see them the last couple of holes, and then I asked my caddie on 18 after the drive what we needed. Q. You knew par would be enough? JEPPE HULDAHL: I knew walking down -- well, before I hit my second shot, I knew par was enough. Q. In the Tour handbook, you list your interests, amongst them, include socialising. Does that suggest you were or have been a socialising -- JEPPE HULDAHL: Can you -- Q. Sorry, socialising, as in were you a party animal or have you been, or do you regard yourself as somebody who is quite outgoing? JEPPE HULDAHL: Not anymore (laughing). I guess I had my years of partying but not anymore. I'm quite serious that this is what I want to do and this is my job. Q. Was that something that held you back before maybe in '04? JEPPE HULDAHL: No, I don't think so. This has always been what I want, so I haven't had a tough time choosing golf over partying. Q. A shame. It would have made a better story. (Laughter). JEPPE HULDAHL: Yes, I guess it would. Q. You said your girlfriend is called Katrine; is that right? JEPPE HULDAHL: Yes. Q. Quite an English-sounding name. JEPPE HULDAHL: It's Katrine. Q. Following you around early on in the round, pars were going well for you, but it was that short par 3 early on, your first birdie, how much did that get you going? JEPPE HULDAHL: I actually think that the first and second gave me quite a lot more actually. I was in trouble but -- I wasn't in trouble on the first but I left myself with like a three-meter par putt and holed it. I got up-and-down on the second. So I think that was more important, actually, that I got that birdie. I felt like I got going there already. GORDON SIMPSON: I think you said earlier you were due to qualify tomorrow at Sunningdale at the moment. JEPPE HULDAHL: I have no idea if I have to play it or not. Someone in here know? Q. I don't think this gets you into the U.S. Open. If it does you'll still play, would you? JEPPE HULDAHL: I haven't decided. 36 holes tomorrow is a lot right now. I will probably be a bit tired, and I think I've got a tee time at 6.40. So I'll have to see about that. GORDON SIMPSON: Jeppe, congratulations again on your performance today and well done. End of FastScripts |
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