2008 Mayakoba Golf Classic Interview Transcript: Roland Thatcher

Interview Transcript: Roland Thatcher

Feb. 23 2008
Transcript by ASASP Sports

ROLAND THATCHER: Yesterday, I was 3-under on the back side and 7-over on the front side; I just couldn't seem to get through the stretch of holes on the front. I was playing fairly good golf and hitting a lot of shots that were starting on the target line and wasn't able to dial on the distances.

Today with the wind down, I was able to dial in the distances and get through that stretch of holes on the front.

Q. And so the 4-over wasn't really indicative of good or bad yesterday.

ROLAND THATCHER: Yeah, very frustrating, I felt like I was doing a lot of things very well the first two days and wasn't getting a whole lot out of it and today I got more out of it than I probably put into it. Somewhere in the mix there, it's probably evened itself out through three rounds.

Q. Did you ever think about something like a 59?

ROLAND THATCHER: I birdied No. 5, which is my 14th hole of the day. I birdied No. 5 to get to 7-under par, which left me, if I birdied last four holes -- I did briefly think about that, especially I birdied No. 6 and I hit a shot on 7 that took off right at the flagstick and I started maybe kind of thinking about it, ball was in the air and got set up pretty good away from the hole.

Q. You didn't let the round get away from you; sometimes people start out hot and sometimes their mind wanders a little bit and kind of fall apart down the stretch.

ROLAND THATCHER: Yeah, I was able to keep a hot stretch going and stay aggressive for the whole day. I played a marginal hole in the middle of the front side and was able to save par, and that was really the thing that kept it going.

Q. And it looks like Brian Gay is at 14-under and is kind of trying to run away with it. Obviously short of winning, you just want to probably -- you can't do anything about what he's doing, but just do your best tomorrow.

ROLAND THATCHER: Yeah, being on the cut line, didn't start thinking about the tournament at any point in the week. I'll go out and play as solid a round as I can tomorrow.

Like I got it hot out there today, I have to go out there and play solid and aggressive and see where it ends up at the end of the week.

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The Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancún is dedicated to assisting the media in covering this historic event. For more information on press releases, press conferences or attending the event, please contact the Mayakoba Golf Classic's media directors:

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Mayakoba Golf Classic
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Greg Norman Production Company
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About The Mayakoba Golf Classic

The Mayakoba Golf Classic made golf history when it became the first PGA TOUR event to ever be contested outside of the United States and Canada in February 2007. Today, the Mayakoba Golf Classic remains “Mexico’s Only PGA TOUR Event” as it prepares to enter its sixth year. The event is regarded as one of the finest on the PGA TOUR by players, their families, sponsors and the TOUR itself. With a purse of $3.7 million USD, the Mayakoba Golf Classic boasts the largest amount of prize money of any golf tournament in Latin America. Held annually in February, the tournament features 132 professional golfers participating in four rounds of stroke play competition at the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleón Golf Club at Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, in the Riviera Maya-Cancún regions of Mexico. Johnson Wagner, a five-year veteran of the PGA TOUR, claimed the title in 2011, winning $666,000 USD. Other past champions include: Fred Funk (2007), Brian Gay (2008), Mark Wilson (2009) and Cameron Beckman (2010).

About Mayakoba

Mayakoba is situated just south of Cancun on Mexico’s prized Caribbean coast – the Riviera Maya. A mere 40-minute drive from the towering hotels of Cancun, visitors will discover a completely different experience. Here, nestled in a lush natural paradise, lies Mayakoba—a truly unique resort destination. Mayakoba is comprised of three luxury hotels, each featuring a range of culinary and spa experiences. An 18-hole Greg Norman championship golf course, El Camaleón, managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, offers players an ever-changing terrain that moves gracefully from mangroves to the sea. Created to harmonize with the unspoiled tropical forest, Mayakoba is connected with a series of lagoons enabling guests to wander effortlessly from place to place through the resort using the “lanchas” (covered boats) as well as a network of trails. Mayakoba, a luxury destination like no other where you are immersed in unspoiled natural beauty and the mysteries of an ancient civilization.

About OHL

Based in Madrid, OHL has over 23,000 employees and an impressive average yearly growth rate of 20% since 2002. In the third quarter of 2010, its net sales amounted to over 3,4 billion Euros. At the same time, OHL is strongly committed to environmental responsibility and in 2003 produced its first Sustainable Development Report. As Juan-Miguel Villar Mir, the chairman of the board of directors and the author of the report, noted, mindful attention to the long-term health of the environment creates a "virtuous circle" that benefits the company, its clients and the globe. OHL's ecological diligence has served it well in México, where strong government regulations are enforced to protect the environment. A presence in México since 1980, OHL employs over 3,400 people there and has built highways, bridges, hotels and hospitals. The tourism complex at Mayakoba, which will eventually include two or three golf courses and six luxury hotels, is OHL's most ambitious hospitality project to date.

About Greg Norman Production Company

The Greg Norman Production Company (GNPC), a subsidiary of Great White Shark Enterprises, is devoted to event management and sports marketing. In addition to the PGA TOUR’s Mayakoba Golf Classic, the GNPC operates the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Franklin Templeton Shootout. The GNPC prides itself on producing events and marketing initiatives that not only reflect the discerning standards of its namesake, but of its clients as well. Through its myriad relationships within golf, media and event industries, the GNPC is fully capable of providing its clients with a wide spectrum of services that will seamlessly build brand equity and generate a unique marketing and or hospitality medium.

About El Camaleón Golf Club

El Camaleón Golf Club at the Mayakoba resort is yet another of Greg Norman’s masterworks. The 7,039-yard layout is unique - not just to Mexico but to the entire world of golf. The course bends through three distinct landscapes—mangrove jungles, limestone canals and stunning, oceanfront stretches of sand. El Camaleón incorporates a cenote, a massive underground cavern, into the heart of the opening fairway. The handsome, Mayan influenced clubhouse rises above the 18th green and features stunning views over the course. The adjoining practice facility and driving range are of international caliber. With Mayakoba’s unique system of lagoons, golfers will be able to step out of their rooms and into a boat, which will ferry them directly to the first tee. El Camaleón is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

About Golf PARa Todos

Golf PARa Todos aims to create a fun-filled, diverse and educational program that teaches about the game of golf and its ideals. The program encourages active participation in the game as a participant and as a fan, and facilitates the integration of golf into the lives of all those within the community. Golf PARa Todos is a community program presented and created by the Mayakoba Golf Classic. In January 2011, the event earned a place in the Guinness World Records by hosting the world’s largest ever golf lesson. The lesson featured 1,073 participants. The inaugural installment of Golf PARa Todos was held in October 2007 at El Camaleón Golf Club in Playa del Carmen. On average, 600 people currently attend each session. A monthly program, Golf PARa Todos is open to people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of golf skill or knowledge. For more information, visit www.GolfParaTodos.org.

Ticket Information

Golf PARa Todos aims to create a fun-filled, diverse and educational program that teaches about the game of golf and its ideals.

GolfPARaTodos.org

El Camaleón is aptly named for its diverse layout and ever-changing landscape, which bends through tropical jungles, dense mangroves and oceanfront stretches.

About El Camaleón

Mexico's Only PGA TOUR Event

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