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VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONSJanuary 7, 2014Matteo ManasseroDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA STEVE TODD: Many thanks for joining us, happy new year to you. Maybe you can start by telling us about the preparations for 2014 and how you're feeling about the tournament and the year ahead. MATTEO MANASSERO: It has been kind of a short turnover, and the last two weeks into this season and not enough weeks really but I try to, first of all, relax a little bit. I went into the season a little bit tired and a little bit stressed‑‑ and when you have‑‑ so I was very tired at the end of the season, and I just wanted to relax at home a little bit, and obviously there was this big change from Titleist to Callaway. So I got to do that and I wanted to work on that, too, to be ready for this week. It's going to be ‑‑ it can be over quick and it can be straight from the begriming. It's going to be a process. I was able to do some work at home and then I went to Abu Dhabi for six days just before coming here to do put in some very good practise. But still when I prepared, I didn't have all the time I did last year, not as much as last year. So I have had shorter time off this year but still I managed to do everything I wanted to. STEVE TODD: A top ten here last year; give us some thoughts on the course and your prospects for the tournament. MATTEO MANASSERO: Well, the course is different from last year. It was more wet. It was much softer. I remember the first day it was actually very windy and it was really tough days. It wasn't a great round but I played really well. My thought on this course, I feel very positive. I like this course and it's a course that could suit my game pretty well. There's not many drivers off the tee and you have to be very smart around here. It's pretty much all about having confidence in how the ball starts from the tee. Second shots are, I wouldn't say easy, but you will have many birdie chances if you are in the fairway. So I think if you start moving it off the tee, then you're going to struggle on this course. Very positive off the tee ‑‑ not just drivers, you just need to be positive in that and then you can go really low. STEVE TODD: Let's open up for a few questions. Q. Last year, the fairways were a bit narrow and the rough was up a little bit. This time around, they have taken away the alien Bush and there's a little bit of wind coming through and the fairways are much wider. Do you think the scores will go lower than what they were last year? MATTEO MANASSERO:  I can't remember what was the winning score last year, but rough makes such a big difference, but also the fairways being firm this year than last year. So if thefairway is wet in general, it can play wider. This year, it could be a littlebit wider, but it rolls much more. On many holes, you have wind across and you can hit a good shot, pitch in the fairway and it rolls in the rough. The rough could be too, high, so I think that you have to play a little bit steady. The greens are a little dry. They need some rain overnight. I would think the course is better than last year overall in general, just because off the tee you need to do more thinking. It's not if you hit it in the fairway it stops, and that's because of the rain last year. Q. Inaudible. MATTEO MANASSERO: ‑‑ and right into the tournament, that for three or four weeks, after awhile dismiss that and need to get it back as quick as that. Q. Having an amateur play with you this week, what do you think about that? MATTEO MANASSERO: Well, in general, it's a great tournament, I think that's the best way, and it works perfectly. And then for Volvo, I think it's a great idea obviously, the clients are very important, and it's very important for the sponsorship in general. Q. I notice you have a different visor, can you tell us about that? MATTEO MANASSERO: Yeah, I was speaking about it before, there it was quite a big change over this winter. Yeah, I'm really happy with the way things have been going and I'm anxious to see‑‑ my Twitter yesterday went a little crazy because I got a announced as a Callaway player, for the first ‑‑ it's going to be the first year. Yeah, I have been trying for a while and probably going to start with 14 clubs Thursday. That shows that I have been trying anything and everything, and it suits my game pretty well it seems. So I'm really happy to be part of this team. I really feel like I'm part of a team and it's only been a few days. So I'm really happy. Q. There's a strong South African contingent out here who don't get a chance to play very often in South Africa. Can you tell us your thoughts on some of the South Africans and do you think it might favour them? Obviously Louis being defending champion as well. MATTEO MANASSERO: South African players are always crowd favourite in their country I think. I don't know if it's because they really perform at their best in their country or because of the course or because of the grass or something. But they seem to always do well and I think that's great, and especially here, there's 30 players and they have got strong players. All of them are great players, and obviously they have got Charl, I'm going to keep a close eye on Charl because I'm playing with him, but they are great players, not just Ernie‑‑ he's a great player. I think you'll see if not one, there will be more than one in contention on Sunday for sure. Q. How does not having a cut affect your approach? MATTEO MANASSERO: It's probably a little more relaxing. Still we approach each tournament trying to end up on top of it. The cut is only halfway but most of the times we end up fighting for it. So it's just something that brings a little bit of stress at times, and as I said, it's great to not look at the first tournament of the year. You know that you're going to get four days of tournament golf. STEVE TODD: Thanks for joining us and best of luck. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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