EURASIA CUP presented by DRB-HICOM
Friday, January 15, 2016
Team Asia
Press Conference
CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Ladies and gentlemen, we have members of Team Asia here with us, Nicholas Fung and Danny Chia, along with Thongchai Jaidee and Byeonghun An. Let’s start off, well played for the half-point, perhaps just talk us through the key moments of that match, which happened very late. How exciting was it for you guys?
NICHOLAS FUNG: Yeah, we was starting, we struggled on the front nine, and we started to play well after the 10th hole. Danny make birdie, birdied 11, 13, birdie. And 15, we birdied the hole. 16, then he birdied. And 17, I chip-in from the outside. That’s a good one. Then he hit a great chip on the last hole. I think on the back nine, we played well. It was like, when I out, then he in. So that’s why we got a half-point there.
CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Danny, how important was that par on the last hole that gave Team Asia the half-point?
DANNY CHIA: I think in any way, it’s very important, it’s very vital, because it could come down to just one single point, winning or losing.
So me and Nicholas just try our best not to lose any point at all. If we get a half-point, it’s great. We didn’t hit it that great today. Didn’t make that many putts. But as long as we didn’t lose any point, I think we stand a good chance there.
CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: A nice come back for you and Thongchai. You turned at 2-down but came away with a three and one win. How vital was that match for you guys.
BYEONGHUN AN: Well, we were 2-down at one point, and I looked at the board and it was all blue. I didn’t care about the other guys, because I know they will do well, and the first thing was we had to win our match. That will maybe gain some momentum. Even when we were 2-down, I still had confidence, Thongchai is obviously a good player. We had a really good I think team, and then he can take care of me when I hit a bad shot and I can cover when he hits a bad shot.
I think overall, he played really well on the front nine, and then I played well on the back nine when he, I wouldn’t say struggled, but I made the putts first, so he didn’t get to putt any. I think we have a good team chemistry here. We are looking after each other. It was quite nice to get a win for the team.
CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Thongchai, definitely a much better result for Asia compared to two years ago. What do you think of the score right now?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: I think every point is very important. Our play today, we have 1 1/2 point, and I think we are 3 1/2 behind. The thing is, we have to work hard tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be very important again. Tomorrow we have the foursomes, just this one, I think if we get some points back, we get some singles for Sunday, going to be great for tomorrow.
Tomorrow, our team is set up quite well right now. I think going to be a chance to make some points back tomorrow. You know, tomorrow, I think foursomes, it’s very, very difficult. You can’t miss anything. You play without a partner and you play — you have to look on your side who played together. For me, I think it can be a good chance for Asia to come back tomorrow.
Q. What kind of role did Jeev actually play? He was dashing from one team to another.
BYEONGHUN AN: Well, we saw him a couple times on the course. He always mentioned to us, we are the best players in the world. That gave me a lot of confidence. Even when we were losing, he says you guys are the best team and you will do well and you guys are champions. He definitely has 100 per cent belief in us. Definitely that give me a lot of confidence. Even we were losing, definitely those are great things to hear and that gave me a lot of boost and confidence. I heard it on No. 11 before my eagle putt, and since that eagle putt, I think I played quite well the last eight holes.
Q. Danny and Nicholas, the pressure on the entire team is obviously huge, but for you two guys to play in front of your home crowd, I’m sure it must be even more so with all the phone calls, texts, before the matches and things like that. How would you describe the pressure on you today, and how are you looking forward to the next two days with all these expectation from you guys, especially after the showing today?
DANNY CHIA: Yeah, the pressure is great, but at the same time, I kind of enjoy the environment. You know, sometimes a lot of the amazing shots, you need a lot of pressure. It takes a lot of pressure to come off. So I guess I just have to focus a lot on the shot at hand and what we need to do and just try to achieve it. If you play great, you just embrace the environment, that’s it.
Q. The second shot that you played on the 18th, what was that? Because you were so upset with your own shot, that —
DANNY CHIA: Honestly, it’s the wrong position. It’s the wrong shot to play. I was so focused on the shot that I want to play, I totally forgot how tight was that pin. And Nicholas already missed the green on the left. That pin position, you can’t miss left, you can’t miss right.
The only way is to play it to the front part of the green. I mean, just hit on the green and try for 2-putt on the pin. I was so into my shot that I’m going to hit — I actually forgot that I need to play a safer alternate shot.
The minute when I hit it, I thought the wind was right-to-left, and when the wind didn’t take it, I realise I played the wrong shot. I took the wrong club. You know, when I walked to the ball and I saw how my ball lies next to the green, I almost want to kill myself (laughs). That’s how I feel. (Laughing).
Q. Chemistry is very important in this format, so I guess when two of you were sent out today, how was the chemistry out there?
DANNY CHIA: I think it was great. On the practice round, we had a lot of chat on the golf course, like who is going to tee off first. In fact, we pretty much decided what ball to use tomorrow already by I think Tuesday. And you know, I played quite a bit with Nicholas in the practice round, so we kind of know our game. We kind of know each other’s game quite well. So it makes it quite easy for us to discuss our strategy on the golf course.
Q. You talk about young boys, but you’re doing pretty well. What’s your secret? You’re getting better with time.
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: We do a lot of work. We work with my coach and also I had a good year last year for this tournament. We have good confidence to play. I have to work hard last time, we do on the EurAsia Cup. This week, more confidence, we play partner and we play all the team. We work hard. That’s the main thing. We can’t stop. Mentally, golf, I like to work hard and like to play well. That’s why my game quite consistent. The best year of my life last year. You try to get better; I don’t know how to get better. I try my best anyway.
Q. When you say you felt like killing yourself, Nick’s shot wasn’t the best he played all day. You must have had additional pressure at that time when you had to chip and then putt. How did you manage to change from wanting to kill yourself to putting it right there?
DANNY CHIA: As I say, on that green, that pin position, you miss left or you miss right, it’s dead. There’s not much room to work with. When I saw my lie, it’s quite bad, but when I saw Nick’s lie, it’s impossible. His shot, it’s impossible. There’s nothing much you can do. So from there on, I just try to focus on what kind of shot to try to play. My chip needs a little bit of luck, as well, to try to judge the lie and judged it really well, yeah.
Q. You had to fight back today and this is something the Asian team will need over the next two days. When you go back and have a team discussion this evening, is that something you will be talking about, about how the team can fight back now?
NICHOLAS FUNG: We can’t talked to the captain yet, but I know what we are going to do for tomorrow, me and Danny, for the foursomes. We have been practicing a lot. Even we are discussing in the room secretly. For tomorrow foursomes, for us, we need to beat them, so we try to hit as much as we can in the fairway, because we know the green is firm. So always go for the fairway first, that’s the first thing.
Q. Can you tell us, foursomes is supposed to be the more harder format in a team match-play event. What did you talk to the boys last year, and what was the secret that Asia did so well last year in the foursomes, despite Europe having more practice in foursomes and Asians rarely play foursomes?
THONGCHAI JAIDEE: For my idea for last year, we have to pick the right player together because we use the same ball, we more confident to play together, that’s the most important.
Foursomes, it’s very difficult, difficult to tell everyone how to get the right way. The first thing I tell you, but sometime, you put alike player, you both have to be confident. Another thing, I think pressure because alternate-shot, not normal. That’s why they make it so difficult, because not like your normal game. It’s very difficult. Anyway, golf, you never know.
This year be different, different player, and our team is 12 players, we have more points. I think anyway tomorrow going to be hard work for us. I try my best to make some point back. I think that’s the thing we have to do. Everyone is thinking about that. You know, foursomes, difficult to tell. If we want to win we have to work hard tomorrow.
CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Thank you very much.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
