WGC WORLD CUP

November 12, 2003

Shigeki Maruyama

Hidemichi Tanaka

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: We would like to welcome Team Japan here in the interview room at the World Golf Championships, Hidemichi Tanaka and Shigeki Maruyama.

Shigeki Maruyama, you played on the team last year that won. You're here as defending champion with a new partner. Make a couple of comments about being a defending champion and we'll go to a couple of questions.

SHIGEKI MARUYAMA: I'm proud to be defending the title since last year and pretty happy to be here as a defending champion. This year I have a new partner, but obviously my partner is playing very well in the PGA TOUR so I'm pretty happy to be playing with him and hopefully get a good result this year also.

Q. Talk a little bit about the golf course itself. What type of challenge is out there?

SHIGEKI MARUYAMA: Today I came over and played the first time in the practice round, but the course is long, tight, small greens, hard greens, firm greens, big greens, very difficult, and I'm ready to go home now.

Q. How is your back and how are you feeling?

SHIGEKI MARUYAMA: It's much better than a few days ago. I injured my low back two weeks ago and was getting better, but it came back on Sunday, a few days ago, and I couldn't swing. I couldn't hit the ball at all and came over here. Dale Richardson, who was looking after my body, he is here also this week, so I asked him to look after my body and it's getting better and I tried to get an injection directly on my low back last night, but it was kind of misunderstanding with the doctors, so they couldn't give me a shot. Dale is looking after my body and it's getting better now. It's not 100 percent good, my low back, and it's a long course. I have to walk all day. I'm expecting getting my legs getting tired, more tired than the other golf courses, trying to look after my legs and low back also every day.

Q. Is that something that was bothering you earlier in the year? Did you have some problems earlier this season or were you maybe not playing quite at well in the earlier part of the year?

SHIGEKI MARUYAMA: I had a neck and shoulder injury this year and it came to my fingers and at last it came to my low back, so I injured everywhere. The only thing left is my brain.

Q. This is the 50th anniversary of the World Cup. Do you feel some pressure to carry out the tradition of winning here at the World Cup?

SHIGEKI MARUYAMA: Not really pressure because we won last year. We were able to fulfill our responsibility to our seniors. So I'm looking forward to having an enjoyable week and doing our best.

End of FastScripts.