WGC EMC WORLD CUP

November 16, 2001

Toshimitsu Izawa

Shigeki Maruyama

SHIGEKI MARUYAMA: I still had trouble with my putting, but overall it was a so-so day. A little bit frustrated with the putting, but it was the odd-hit shot so that Izawasan made a good putt today to make the score.

TOSHI IZAWA: Well, with my shots I am doing real fine like yesterday. Maruyamasan had a good shot today, too. We were on the green all the time. But the birdie chances, about five to six meters, it is hard to expect to make all of them. All of the other teams are having a hard time with the 5- to 6-meter putts. So considering that, 3-under today is a very score.

SHIGEKI MARUYAMA: No. 9, I hit the putt pretty well but I misread it. The greens are very hard to read. Like on the 18th hole, the ball hooked. And on the birdie I putted straight but even though it was two-third more than I expected, it made a curve. But playing with this kind of format, it's sometimes good because even if you misread the putts, you have a teammate who can tell you, "Well, you can't help it." So sometimes, it's good to have this kind of format to play with. On the 11th hole, the third shot was 89 yards with a sand wedge that I hit. That's almost a full sand wedge to I hit it pretty well. On No. 12, I had 137 yards to the pin. I hit a pitching wedge, full shot. 18, it was a very good chance for an eagle because I had 185 yards, with a 7-iron , but I misread, with the wind. It was a team match, so we asked the caddie and Izawasan's opinion about it, how the wind was blowing. Well, it was a good shot, but the wind took away the ball. The approach shot was very difficult shot, right next to the lake, but Izawasan made a good approach shot.

TOSHI IZAWA: Usually during this tournament, Saturday is the difference. Now it's very hard. The pin placements are more severe compared to the tournament we have here usually. So, this is a very competitive golf tournament. The difficulty of this game today, it's not the game, even though No. 9 hole, the birdie putt, I missed it. It was a very difficult putt. So, you can't help it. During the four days of the round, sometimes you make the putt, but you don't make the putt, too. Even in a week, some weeks, you don't make any putts.

SHIGEKI MARUYAMA: I am not putting well, but I think I don't have to care much about that.

TOSHI IZAWA: I am more concentrating on each shot, so I'm not having that many difficulties. This is a completely different game, so in that sense, I can't go right and I can't go wrong.

TOSHI IZAWA: Yesterday I had a round with Tiger and I watched him. It was good to see. But it wasn't the first time, so Tiger wasn't special to me. All of the other people on the golf course, I'm just continuing myself and concentrating on hitting all of my own balls, so there wasn't much pressure. Today's round, all of the groups are not making scores on front nine. It's not only the front nine that the pin placements were very difficult today, plus, the 2- to 3-meter putts, it always makes a turn. So playing the golf course, I understood that the other teams are going to have difficulties. No. 7 green, compared to the other greens, the condition are good.

TOSHI IZAWA: Well, I don't know which team is going to be coming up, but looking at the U.S. team yesterday, I'm sure with the 4-under today, they made their move today. But you can't guess who will win yet. Players are going against the golf course, and, well, I'll try to do my best.