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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 27, 2011

Matteo Manassero

SURREY, ENGLAND

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Thanks for joining us. First of all, just give us your assessment of your 70 today. Good score in tough conditions.
MATTEO MANASSERO: Yeah, it was good scoring. I'm happy about 70 today. It wasn't easy. The flags I think were trickier and it was a more difficult course. Even if it wasn't as windy as yesterday, it wasn't easy to score, and not many low scoring today.
So I'm happy about my round, especially even because I haven't played as well as yesterday but I still shoot under par, which is important on a course like this.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: Can you give us your thoughts on sharing the lead at such a prestigious event as the BMW PGA Championship.
MATTEO MANASSERO: I'm delighted to be in this position, absolutely. It's a great spot to be and it will be something new on the weekend. I've never led such a big event, so it's going to be good fun and a great experience for me.

Q. Is this a course where you have to grind it out, or is it a course where you can attack it sometimes?
MATTEO MANASSERO: I think it's a course where you have to be conservative, and attacking, obviously, attacking the right moment.
For example, today, I decided to go for the 18th green, even if I didn't have a good yardage. I hit a good shot. I was on the right side and I just clipped that tree. It could have been perfect if it wouldn't have clipped it, but it nearly went in the water. It's not an easy course.
But I think sometimes you should take some risks, and that's what I've done these two days, and what I'll do the next.

Q. How do you rate this course in terms of how difficult it is? Is it one of the toughest you play?
MATTEO MANASSERO: It is. It's a tough course. It suits me well, though. I like the shape. I like the way you have to hit shots and the way you have to put the ball in position to score well.
So it's a course that suits me. I think it's difficult, but I think it's less difficult than some other courses that don't suit me at all. So I like the course. That's why I maybe find it a bit easier than someone else.

Q. Did you get that the first time you played it, when you walked out there, you felt, 'Oh, this suits my eye, I can see the way it goes'?
MATTEO MANASSERO: Yeah, I think it suits my game, yeah, it does, definitely. Because it's not a long hitter's course, not at all. You have to draw a little bit the ball, and that's what I'm doing well this week.
So, you know, I think it's a good course for me, and I just like it.

Q. And the crowds seem to have taken to you. You're getting good reaction from the crowds?
MATTEO MANASSERO: It was a very big crowd today. It was a great day. I played well. And you know, I had so much crowd, it's big fun. It happens just one time on The European Tour, and it's in Wentworth; that's why I think it's so special I think.

Q. Seve was one of your all-time heros; does that give you extra inspiration today?
MATTEO MANASSERO: Yeah, I think it gives me inspiration all the time. Especially today, we were remembering. But I think we can remember him every day. He was a special golfer. He was a genius.
He stays in my heart and he has been my idol and he will always inspire me, as he will do with other young guys, I'm sure.

Q. How nervous do you think you'll be tomorrow? Have you had so many big-time experiences now that you take it in stride?
MATTEO MANASSERO: No, I think this will be the biggest I will have. I've never led such a big event. This is really important for us on The European Tour and I think it's going to be a big crowd, two good players leading with me. I will be nervous, and I will enjoy it. I will, as I say before, take a lot of experience, but I will fight to keep the lead. I will fight to stay in the same position on Sunday.

Q. How nervous did you get?
MATTEO MANASSERO: I will be nervous.

Q. Do you expect it to be in comparison, say, first hole of The Open, first hole of the Masters?
MATTEO MANASSERO: It's different, because that's just one hole, and then you get a bit more relaxed.
Here, you can stay nervous for 18 holes. Every single shot counts on a course like this, and that's what gets you nervous, really. But if you know you are playing well, and you can score well, I think you get less nervous.
But I will definitely be tense tomorrow. I will definitely be nervous, yeah.

Q. Do you think you'll be attacking 18 tomorrow?
MATTEO MANASSERO: Depends. I think I played it fantastically today. I didn't deserve to be there, a bit lucky to not go in the water, I admit that. But the way I played that, it was two shots. I wasn't giving anything, being on the green. I played it well. I've been a bit unlucky and then lucky with the bounce, because it could have been in the water, and I was still chipping 30 yards away with not a very difficult chip.
So I don't know what it's going to be. Maybe tomorrow I will hit another driver with the same play off the tee and I will get a better number and a shot into. I don't know, or maybe I will hit 3-wood and lay up.

Q. What's your strategy at 17?
MATTEO MANASSERO: If I can get it on the green, if I hit it good enough.

Q. You'll go for the second shot?
MATTEO MANASSERO: Yeah, if I hit a good enough tee shot. Like today, and yesterday, too, I'll go for the green, because it gives you a chance to make eagle all the time, if you hit a very good shot.
I hit a poor shot today and I finished in the wrong spot.

Q. Down in that swale?
MATTEO MANASSERO: I finished left of it. Very tough flop shot, and I made five, but you can take some risks on those two holes, and taking them, if you hit two perfect shots, you can make eagle.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: Matteo, thanks for joining us.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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