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ALSTOM OPEN DE FRANCE

July 2, 2011

Thomas Levet

PARIS, FRANCE

Q. 17 beautiful holes of golf and then double-bogey at the last; do you feel like screaming?
THOMAS LEVET: Yes and no, because I was facing a shot I could make a 20 on that shot if I try to go for the green in three. I've got 225 yards into the wind and if I go -- I could go at the green.
The way I was playing today, probably could hit it on, but just look, if you're in the water and you have to drop from there again, your best shot could be a 7 or 8 and a ten on the scorecard and tournament finished.
So I thought just play safe, take you medicine, maybe make a five, I tried. Even if I make 6, it was a safe 6. Just bad luck, I hit one bad shot today off the tee and that was one. I felt like, you know, I was going to fade it around just to avoid those bunkers on the right and it went like straight left. We have all done it before, and it's just a pity but the rest of the round was absolutely fabulous, and the public was just crazy. I felt like I played The Ryder Cup today. Just it was so noisy.

Q. Talk about the support, the noise even from here was deafening.
THOMAS LEVET: It was crazy and on some of the slopes, it's like I'm playing the Tour de France, like I'm riding the Tour de France, because you're in the middle of the public and they open up when you arrive. It's quite fun actually and just reminds me so much of The Ryder Cup. And just the fact that we have The Ryder Cup here in 2018, that's the preparation. Imagine if you multiply the number it is by six or seven, that's going to be nuts.

Q. What would it mean for you to win tomorrow?
THOMAS LEVET: A lot. A lot. It could mean that I'm not dead yet at 43 and I can compete with the kids, and I'm showing that today. I know every week -- because you're much older, you're older than their moms sometimes, that you're not dead yet. That's what keeps you going, competing, days like today, it's what I enjoy the most because that's where you play well, you enjoy it, you make putts, you make people happy, they scream, they go nuts, that's golf.

Q. After the round you've had, you have added an extra couple of thousand through the turn-styles for the final round.
THOMAS LEVET: Probably more than 2,000 because my club is already 3,000 people so they are probably going to all join up. There will be a lot of people tomorrow. If the weather holds up, it's going to be perfect.

Q. You were saying you were hoping the putter was going to get hot this week and your would come to the fore. It seems like it has?
THOMAS LEVET: Almost. Almost. It's pretty good. But it's just that the iron play was so good today, I didn't have to putt too much. All of the putts I made on front nine were like from two metres, three metres and I made finally one on 13 that was more than two metres and kept me going. And just my short game is so good at the moment, I don't need to putt after it. Just kept playing steady, try to minimise the mistakes and enjoy the birdies and that's what I did very well so far this week.

Q. Your first European Tour win came in France in Cannes. What would it make to win your national title, what would it mean?
THOMAS LEVET: As long as it's not the last it would mean a lot. Just it would mean a great deal to me. I used to live not too far from here. I know not everyone in the public but I've seen them on golf courses and seen them through the years. I don't know what number of Opens I've played but I've played a lot of French Opens already, and it's just a joy to play well in front of the public. Because they are here to support us, and when you play medium to decent, they are behind you so much and they carry you like they would carry a Ryder Cup team. They put you to a really, really high level of golf.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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