DEUTSCHE BANK PLAYERS' CHAMPIONSHIP OF EUROPE

July 24, 2005

Niclas Fasth

RODDY WILLIAMS: Niclas, congratulations, Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe winner. How does this title compare to some of the others you've won?

NICLAS FASTH: Well, it's by far the biggest one I've ever won, of course, so it feels fantastic, of course. This is one of the big ones, and to get this is worth a lot to me. It's the first really big tournament I won, and you do feel like you have to prove yourself. I won a couple of smaller events. A win is a win, it's great, but this is really, really big. I like this. It feels great.

RODDY WILLIAMS: How did you find the pressure coming down the stretch and also in the playoff? You seemed to really grow in stature during that time.

NICLAS FASTH: Well, it's a huge pressure, of course. I was okay until the 17th green sort of started to get to me there, but at least I seemed to thrive on this and I'm playing my best when the heat is on. It's always been like that and I'm glad it's kept going like this.

RODDY WILLIAMS: 39 holes today, you must be shattered.

NICLAS FASTH: Yeah, I am. It feels great at the beginning of the day, I'm very tired, but of course you find the energy and of course the few extra holes, you always find the energy for it.

Q. It's kind of been a long way back for you from the year when you finished 2nd in the Open and played the Ryder Cup. You talked about it earlier in the week, but is this sort of vindication for all the work you've done since then?

NICLAS FASTH: Well, I mean, I tried to take the next step for years. I felt I had more in me, and I've probably tripped myself over inside. I had a rather it was okay in 2003, but last year was very, very poor, so in the spring last year I decided I had to really re work the technique together with my coach, and I spent well, all the time since then really working really, really hard on the technique, on all parts of the game, and it's really improved. But it doesn't mean the results come automatically.

I tried to start playing golf and just play and have fun now because all the work I've done is pretty much cemented now, and I'm sure it's not the last technique I'll ever redo, but for now this will have to be good enough, and it's really held up, even under pressure, really held up, which is a great sign that what we have done has been all right. I've been hitting a lot of good shots out there. I haven't been as stable as I would like it to be this week, but several of the rounds have been very, very good, and I've hung in there, and also the putting has been fine.

Q. What are your plans for tonight and for the next couple of days? Are you going to celebrate or are you going home?

NICLAS FASTH: I hope to do some celebration, but I'm heading for the next tournament. My family is waiting for me in Stockholm, so there will be some celebrations tonight, but mainly then with my family and some friends tomorrow.

Q. How special is it going to be going to Sweden now having won the week before?

NICLAS FASTH: It'll be great, of course. It would be great to go anywhere, but especially to a home tournament. There will be a lot more attention, I guess. But I'll also go there with good confidence and feeling good.

Q. What role did your caddie Dave play today, and will he get a bonus for his work?

NICLAS FASTH: Oh, yeah, certainly he'll get a bonus. The role the caddies play on the course

Q. I mean for having been Padraig's caddie when he won here in 2003.

NICLAS FASTH: Well, I mean, he obviously knows the course, but he would have anyway even if he hadn't been here before. It's more the experience of having won tournaments before, a lot of them, and playing a lot of big events. He's one of the more experienced guys out there. He's caddied for Faldo and Nick Price, as well, and he's been there for years and years, and all that experience has been good for me. I mean, he's made it available to me, and it's helped me in the long term, and today on the course he knew how to handle things.

Q. This is the first step I would assume to the Ryder Cup at The K Club. Are you looking forward to that? Is that a target in your career right now?

NICLAS FASTH: I've been thinking about the Ryder Cup at The K Club. I played on the team in 2002, and I've always said I think we really had a nice one at the Belfry in 2002, but it will be special in Ireland because I've seen some of it, and that is I've told my wife and my friends, that's one I really, really want to be in, and I said this a long time ago and I've said it this year and I'm saying it again, that is definitely a huge goal.

Q. Can you go into your schedule the next few weeks? Are you playing the PGA?

NICLAS FASTH: No, I'm not doing anything after this. I don't know if this changes anything or not, but I haven't had a chance to look at anything. I was going to have three weeks off after Sweden, and I don't know how much World Ranking points this gives. We shall see.

Q. You certainly should get in the NEC.

NICLAS FASTH: I thought so, yeah.

It's a wonderful tournament, and if I can go back there, I'm going.

End of FastScripts.