We’re now a month on from the Hong Kong Open. You said at the time that you weren’t disappointed by the result - but has that changed at all now that you’ve had time to reflect?
I’m still on a high when I think about the Hong Kong Open - I’m very proud of my performance that week. Going into the tournament my goal was to give [Miguel Angel] Jiménez a run for his money as he was the best player in the field, and I couldn’t be happier to make it into a play-off against him.
The only negative I take from the week is missing out on my maiden win, which would have given me tournament entry exemptions for the next two years.
Where does that chip-in for birdie on the last hole of regulation play rank in terms of your career moments, and how hard was it to gather your thoughts before the play-off following the excitement that had come before?
The chip-in on the last is one of the highlights of my career … my head was spinning and my hands were shaking with adrenaline when I got to the tee for the play-off. The head of my rescue club became even smaller and I caught the ball high on the clubface, leaving me a long second shot to the green. I tried to play a high cut into the tight right pin position, but overdid it. In the end it was a superb putt from Miguel to win.
You rose to prominence thanks to your performance at the World Cup in November, where you finished tied eighth in the individual standings. Your third round - where you started birdie, hole-in-one, 11 - was one of the more unusual 72s ever recorded. How did you deal with that wacky opening?
The ace was pretty special - shame about the car though! [Manley thought he had won a Mercedes for the hole-in-one only to be told it was only up for grabs in the final round.] But the 11 on the next hole had nothing to do with the fine print for the hole-in-one prize. It was just a disaster hole that we all have once in a while.
The main thing I take from that round is the way I gathered my thoughts to quickly get back into the tournament after that infamous 11, when all I really wanted to do was crawl under a rock. The banter from the Aussie crowd was pretty brutal but I think I gained a lot of respect from the galleries by my strong finish.
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