(Rome, Italy – June 1 2005) Austrian Ladies Open Champion Federica Piovano and her fellow Italian players are set to lead the home charge at this week’s €300, 000 BMW Ladies Italian Open.
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| Italy’s Sophie Sandolo |
“I’m feeling fit and I like the small greens here because it means you only have small putts to make!”
Sanchez is keen to make it into The 2005 European Solheim Cup team after her 2003 debut but admitted that she is not quite as confident with her game as she was back in 2003.
“My game is strong but in most of the tournaments this year I’ve had one bad round so I need to put four good rounds together. I’m not quite as confident about where to place the ball as I was, but all I need is time,” she admitted.
During the winter off season, Sanchez practises alongside the Spanish Ryder Cup star Miguel Angel Jiminez at their home golf club and she credited him for teaching her sound course management.
“After The Solheim Cup, he said to me, ‘Ana, congratulations, now you know you can do it, you have to go back and do it again.’
“He teaches me about how to play the course rather than about technique. I have the technique but its how you use it that counts.
“When you play well like I did in 2003 with so many top ten finishes it does put you under pressure, because once you get there you want to stay up there.”
Piovano said that her old home course was in great condition leading up to the BMW Ladies Italian Open, but that despite its short length it could prove deceptively difficult.
“Even if you put it close with some pin positions you can have some tough putts,” said the Austrian Ladies Open Champion.
“The wind can come into play in the afternoon and it comes from the sea so you have to choose the right direction. I think 15 and 16 will be quite interesting this week because the wind comes across from left to right and it’s only a very small green.
“I’m just going to rest as much as possible so that I don’t get exhausted. I’ve got all my family here but I want to stay focused. Winning two in a row, you have to be focused. You’re starting again from zero. Anybody could win.”
