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VIVENDI SEVE TROPHY

September 15, 2011

Jean Van De Velde

PARIS, FRANCE

SARAH GWYNN: Today probably didn't go as you were hoping. Just run us through your thoughts right now.
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: Well, my thoughts is pretty simple. You look at the sheet and you see that five games played 38 under par. So, you know, find the link here. They played 9-under, 6-under, 8-under, 7-under, 8-under. That's what fourball is about. They delivered. Obviously excellent players. They at least today found the right combination, all the right combinations worked ideally I would say.
You know I was out there, and I didn't see too many missed putts by them to be frankly honest. They seemed to find the groove. We had three teams who performed very well. The first one shot 7-under and lost. The second one shot 9-under to win his game, which is a third game, and the fourth game shot 6-under and lost.
So you know at the end of the day, you can only ask the guy to do their best and try to play their best. There is no doubt that from looking at those numbers, they are going to have to raise their level of play; or, equally, maybe Great Britain and Ireland can lower it down a little bit. I would really like that actually. (Laughter).
You know, what can I say? I have some very, very young players on my team. I felt like, you know, Matteo was never in the rhythm. He couldn't find his groove. I guess that is something that he's going to try to rectify. As I say, playing a team competition is never easy.
For the many that I've played in amateur rank or the professional rank, it's always difficult to cope with the fact that if you don't have the best of the day, you feel -- you know, I mean obviously you feel unhappy with yourself, but you feel double unhappy with yourself because you kind of feel like you letdown your partner. That's a tough thing to carry. You know, you need to be mature and probably a little bit older, and you know, Matteo is 18 years old and Colsaerts is very young as well.
The next question, is why did you pair them together then. Why did I pair them together? Because I think they have tremendous potential. They shot 6-under par and I feel like they really started playing golf on the par 5,7th, where they started off getting a little bit looser. Playing 6-under, two thirds of the course, there's good hope here, or I would like to think so anyway.
So that's why I paired them together. You know, Alexander Noren kind of went -- had an off-day I would say. I think he only had one birdie today. He had eight yesterday, I think he shot 8-under. Once again, he's very young. He's going to learn that you don't want to shoot those kind of numbers in the Pro-Am, never want to. (Laughter).
What can I say? It went very quickly in the red and I guess for the morale of the team, as well, and for the youngsters, it's something quite heavy to carry, but I have great belief that golf is not easy. Performing in this kind of environment is not easy, as well, and who is to say that Manassero and Colsaerts are not going to be in the next Ryder Cup. Maybe they are going to learn the hard way, but I'm pretty sure that today was very, very, very valuable to them. Already spoken to them. And that's that.
Tomorrow is another day, isn't that an English saying? I hope it is, anyway. I hope it's not Groundhog Day, that's for sure.

Q. What did you say to your team then?
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: You don't need to know that. Next question.
What I said to my team? We communicated all together and, yeah, I told them what I had to tell them. Really the good thing is that we all have pretty much the same analysis about it. And we all are on the same path and always the same vision, so it's not like there's any kind of confrontation. Far from it. And I think that's the most important thing.
But just, yeah, you need to be out there, to be ready, to be geared in, and let loose. That's what I believe. You cannot let GB&I sneak ahead. It's very hard to catch up with them, there's no doubt about it. I mean, look at the scoring 9-under, 6-under, 8-under, 7-under, 8-under.

Q. Do you suppose they lack a bit of intensity?
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: Yeah, the intensity may be -- they are maybe trying to do too well, trying to -- the best is the enemy of the good. It's all a combination. Once again, you need to fine your groove and to find it fast.
So once again, maybe Paul's plan to putt a very experienced player together with another one -- it worked today but maybe it's going to be 5-0 tomorrow for my side, and what are we going to say? It's very easy afterwards.
But you know, I'm pretty confident that, well, first of all, it's Thursday. Five balls have been played. 4-1; it's only three ahead. How many points remain? Make the math.

Q. What about the combination of Jacquelin and Hanson. They did not play very well. What did they have to say and what did you have to say to them?
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: I did say what I want to say, and they didn't work very well at all. They shot over par. When do the calibre of two players like that shoot over par in a golf course like in Saint-Nom-la-BretÃ¨che? And like me, like I'm a three we're old, because it's something I don't quite understand here. They both had an off-day, whatever it is, I hope that was a fluke. Because (laughing) 1-over in singles is not a good thing, so in double, imagine.
I think, you know, you can't dramatize it. I think you have to see it with philosophy. If you had a bad day, you had a bad day. And maybe two players had a bad day together. Maybe one had a bad day and is likely to shoot 2-over par, and you play with a guy who is a red hot chili and he makes eight birdies and you have 11-under. Sometimes a so-so day goes more unnoticed when the team does well. Here, they both have a bad day together.
So, you know, maybe it was a great pairing together to put together, because, you know, both played bad in the same team. You can only lose one point. What can you say. It's true, nevertheless.

Q. The experience gained for all of the guys is going to be really important, isn't it, for them in the future and playing in team golf, and possibly there are some guys out there who are likely to make their debut in The Ryder Cup next year, and this year will be -- what they have learned here will be very important.
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: Oh, without a doubt. This type of tournament, you know, the Seve Trophy, the Vivendi Seve Trophy and the Royal Trophy, as well, which is played a little bit later on, are very valuable tournaments, because you get to learn something from, you know, not only how the players can perform but as well how he melds into a group, how he embraces the others.
It's not only about individuals, but individuals you bring in to perform as an entity, that is something that is, you know, that doesn't go unnoticed without a doubt by various captains. You have to remember, as well, The Ryder Cup, there are a few picks. So that's an important thing, as well.

Q. And have you learned as a captain today?
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: Yeah, I learned that I got my backside kicked pretty hard. That's what I've learned. Without a doubt. (Laughter).
Yeah, and I learned a few other things, so, yeah. As long as we learn, as we say.

Q. Do you have the pairings there now?
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: I do have the pairings. You don't have them? I guess you're going to have to wait.

Q. If the pairings are in, could you just comment on yours? I assume you probably changed some of them?
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: Have they been announced? Let's wait. I don't know.
I'm looking forward to see those games. There's not much of a surprise here. It's a bit of a shuffle and there's one change for me, and, yeah, to be expected.

Q. What did you change?
JEAN VAN DE VELDE: You'll know later. Good? Thank you.
SARAH GWYNN: Thanks.

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