Thursday Interviews: Jerry Smith, 67;Aaron Baddeley,68;Stuart Appleby,66;John Daly,69 - April 20, 2006
JERRY SMITH TODD BUDNICK: We thank Jerry Smith for stopping in after a 5 under 67 in the first round of the 2006 Shell Houston Open. Jerry, everything cruising along the whole week, just a little bogey on 18, but that's going to be a hard hole this year.
JERRY SMITH: Well, yeah. It's a great finishing hole, and I'm sure there will be a lot of drama if it comes down to that, if it's a close event, which I'm sure it will be, which is typical out here. I wouldn't say it was cruise out there. This golf course I've seen, I think it fits somebody, at least for a right hander, that moves the ball right to left, and I don't move it that much in that direction. I find a lot of tee shots out there are ones I have to really focus on and keep my target and just hit the ball there. I was pleased with how it went today; I didn't hit it in the rough very often, and I think the approach shots into the greens were fine. It's just getting it in the fairway, and I did a good job with that, so it's just what I've got to continue doing. TODD BUDNICK: Two top 20s this year, you're 113th on the Money List about a quarter of the season through. Assess where your game is right now.
JERRY SMITH: Well, last year I played the Nationwide and I finished very strong the last three events. I came right out and I felt like I played very similar to the way I did then in both Hawaii and Phoenix, and actually the first couple rounds at AT & T. I haven't felt as good really since then. I haven't played much. I only played one of the last five events. For me I like to get out here and play and kind of just play into a good rhythm or what have you. And then you get on a golf course that doesn't really fit my eye I actually was a little surprised how well I scored today. Just in the practice round I thought this was going to be a difficult golf course, and as it will be, I think, throughout the week. I'm very pleased with today, and I just need to get out here and get some starts and kind of get back into a good rhythm. Q. How do you think you kind of overcame the not fitting your eye thing today? How did you get some good thoughts in your head?
JERRY SMITH: Well, I actually called I work with Manuel de la Torre and a lady, Pam Barnett in Phoenix. I called Manuel last night in Phoenix and it just helped. We talked about focusing on your target and swinging your club to it. Manuel seems very simple, a lot of the things he says, but he has a lot of wisdom and experience, and I think a lot of what he has to say in his teaching works with the mental side of the game. I think getting maybe my mental focus a little different or a little better, I'll be able to go out there and play a good round of golf. I wasn't comfortable last night actually before I was getting ready to go to bed really for this golf course, and I think it's going to be a challenge for me all week. I don't try to deny anything, but maybe my game will start feeling a little better as the week goes along, and like I said, I work into my game. I hope that's the case, and I'll probably call Manuel again tonight and talk with him again. Q. Jerry, playing only once in five, was that your decision? Other than The Masters, I guess, and Players, was it your decision to take a couple off?
JERRY SMITH: It wasn't a decision. I had a good number coming off the Nationwide Tour and I pretty much got in everything on the West Coast. I was actually the last guy in at LA. I got a call Wednesday night, went over and played and I missed that cut by 1 and I missed the cut in Tucson by 1, and that kind of hurt because the reshuffle happened because I ended up being second alternate at both Doral and Bay Hill, and I didn't get in. So that was unfortunate. I was kind of prepared to go down there and play, and then I played, I guess, the Honda. I did all right there, 31st or 33rd or something like that, and then I don't know what I guess The Masters is in there. I didn't play that, I played Atlanta. I played okay in Atlanta, I didn't putt the ball very well, so I kind of focused on that as I went home. Then last week I got in The Heritage on Wednesday, and with Easter and family and so forth, I just wasn't really prepared to go down there and play, so I didn't. It looks like a good decision at this point. Q. The reshuffle, why didn't you stay where you were? I thought you had
JERRY SMITH: Well, I started and my number was 9 at the beginning of the year and I went to 8 after Tucson and then the next reshuffle was after Atlanta and I went to 10. So I have a good number, it's just difficult to get in a lot of events early in the year. It should get easier now with the expanded fields, so that will be in my favor, I guess. Q. You had a three year run out here and have had to work your way back. Can you talk about the path getting back here, what that was like and how you're different now than your previous go around?
JERRY SMITH: I don't really feel any different other than I think just experience. I think it's just learning that I could do it again, I guess. It took me a long time to get out here initially. It wasn't until I was 35 I got out here my first year in 2000. I had some good through those three years, my first year I came out and played very kind of similar to the way I'm playing now, very consistent, made a lot of cuts, didn't really contend that much, but I was there playing a lot of weekends. As the years progressed my cuts kind of decreased. I wasn't contending really in any events other than a couple. I did finish 3rd back at Disney and then came out and finished 5th the next year at AT & T. So really at that point, that was 2002, felt very good the first part of the year and was feeling much more comfortable out here and was prepared to, I felt, start contending. But it didn't happen. It could be a lot of reasons. I've started a family and our second child did come along later that year. I moved into a new house. I mean, there was just a lot of other things, I think, away from the golf course that maybe took some of my focus away. It's a very fragile business that we're in, this game. Confidence is key. My confidence, I think, got beat up a little bit. I came out in 2003 and had just a miserable year on the Nationwide Tour and the Nike Tour, I believe. I felt lost all status, and it was kind of a decision for me at that point. It was gut check time or whatever, and I still had the passion and loved to play and I felt like I could play, so I wouldn't say I did anything differently. I'm still kind of playing the same equipment and working with the same people, but I was able to go out and play the Gateway Tour, which is a great developmental Tour, and do very well on it. I was kind of the leading money winner that year, and I think that was just the confidence I needed, and I'm just progressing to kind of that same level that I felt like I was. I can't say that I'm a better player, I think I'm just a more experienced player and just still working at improving all the time like all of us. Q. What's the biggest challenge when you're waiting to find out will I play, will I not play, in terms of is it tougher to keep sharp mentally, keep sharp physically when it's a 1 in 5 situation when it's a Wednesday and you're wondering "Am I going to get into this event?"
JERRY SMITH: Probably the best word for it, it's a little frustrating. You want to come into a tournament and get there and prepare and feel prepared. For me, I got in two of the events on Wednesday, and when I went over to the LA Open and attempted to play and didn't play very well. Harbor Town, I got in and decided not to do the same thing. It is challenging. The other events, I've been on site and sort of prepared and done well. I was the last guy in the field at Phoenix, which it's at my hometown right now so it was easy to prepare, but I was out there on the weekend preparing for the golf event expecting to get in and I did and I went out and played very well. That's a hard thing, and a lot of guys out here experience it. It's kind of unfortunate, the way it's set up, that so many guys do seem to pull out sort of the week of the golf tournament, and it makes it difficult for guys like myself to just get there and be ready and prepared. So I'm sure it's frustrating for a lot of us. It's what makes it hard for rookies coming out here to do well unless you get off to a great start and contend and win somewhere like a J. B. Holmes or Camilo, how well he's played. It makes it tough for the guys to come out here and get off to the start they need and carry it forward throughout the year. Q. To follow up on that, with the daylight savings now and the bigger fields, are you able to somewhat set a schedule now through the next month?
JERRY SMITH: Well, I hope so. I'm planning on playing the next four, maybe five if I got in Colonial, and I feel I've looked at the schedule going forward. I have in my mind what I'd like to play. It might vary somewhat, but I think there's enough tournaments out there that I'll be able to get sort of in that rhythm I'd like to get into and hopefully contend in some tournaments this summer. Q. Any one part of your game especially please you today?
JERRY SMITH: You know, I hit some good approach shots that were most of my birdies today were from very close range, so I was pleased with a lot of my approach shots. Typically that's I'm pretty good at controlling my distances and a little bit my ball flight with the irons. Like I said, the direction of the holes and so forth, I don't turn it over with the driver very much, so that is a challenge for me. But the approaches were good today, I kept it in play, kept it in front of me. Just didn't really have any difficult shots into the greens, other than I was in a couple of fairways bunkers like on 18. I tried to basically play it short of the green thinking I could get it up and down. I just need to go out and work and hit some balls and kind of get that rhythm I've been referring to and go out there and just trust it. TODD BUDNICK: Let's go through the birdies, Jerry. 1st hole.
JERRY SMITH: 1st hole I hit a good drive and had kind of an in between yardage, had 113 exactly and I tried to chip a wedge in there and it actually probably landed pin high but hopped over the back of the green, and I chipped that one in, so it was a nice start there.
5 is a good par 4. I didn't hit a particularly good drive there. I was well back in the fairway with 6 iron to probably a couple of feet, so a kick in there.
9, I hit, like I said, my 5 wood and hit it probably to about four feet there on that hole. That's a great hole. It's playing 238 today, I think.
10, I hit a wedge in probably about eight feet.
11, I hit an 8 iron in probably about five feet there.
13, I was able to get just short of the green in two and chipped it up to a foot there.
And then the bogey on 18, missed probably a five footer there for par. TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, Jerry. Good luck this week.
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________________________ AARON BADDELEY TODD BUDNICK: We welcome Aaron Baddeley after a 4 under 68 in the first round of the 2006 Shell Houston Open. Aaron, a continuation of your good play from last week. A different course, but talk about what went well for you today.
AARON BADDELEY: Today was good. I was just very patient today because I got off to a slow start, a lot of pars to start off with. But just made some putts when I needed to. It was just a solid day overall. TODD BUDNICK: Is this just a continuation of last week or a little bit different out here today?
AARON BADDELEY: I'd say I didn't really drive it as straight as I did last week, but definitely just having confidence on the greens and around the greens, just knowing I could hit the shots when I needed to, so yeah. Q. Can you talk about what you did since last week, time to pause and reflect on everything?
AARON BADDELEY: Yeah, basically Monday we traveled here, just relaxed from Hilton Head. Tuesday I practiced like normal, and then yesterday I had the Pro Am. I mean, it's been great just to no one has come and told me I finished 2nd (laughter). It's just been good just knowing I've won out here, and when I do play well, I can go ahead and finish and win. Q. I'm wondering, how much pressure did you put on yourself to win? I mean, was that the be all, end all to win and did you feel successful not having won?
AARON BADDELEY: I mean, it wasn't the be all, end all. It's definitely a goal you want to set and you want to achieve it. I felt like with my game and how hard I worked that it was going to happen; it was just a matter of when. That was probably the perfect time, my anniversary weekend and Easter Sunday, so it was perfect. Q. What was your most comfortable hole out there today, and can you walk us through that?
AARON BADDELEY: Let's see. What were my birdie holes? I would say my best shot today was on 16. Pin was back left, and I hit a 6 iron just perfect to about 15 feet. That was probably the best shot I hit all day I reckon. Q. You said you didn't drive it as well as you did last week. Do you have to drive it as well on this golf course?
AARON BADDELEY: Yeah, I think you've got to drive it well because the greens are getting firm, and when you come out of the rough you can't quite control it. A couple times today out of the rough, even with a wedge in my hand I couldn't get it close to the pin. Coming out of the rough you can't control the trajectory and the spin, so yeah, the fairway is an advantage. Q. How happy are you that you followed your first win with a solid round today? Does that make you pretty proud, pretty happy, what you did today?
AARON BADDELEY: Definitely. I definitely made it a point this week to not let up because in the past sometimes when I've won, the next week I haven't quite played as well, and being a little I'd say maybe a little lazy. So this week I wanted to keep the routine normal, so that's why I was at the course by 6:30 on Tuesday going out to practice and just do exactly what I usually do. So I was very pleased going out there today and shooting a good number. Q. Over the years have you been much of a technical player? Do you hear a lot about do you study the video of your swing a lot? Or are you more of a feel guy?
AARON BADDELEY: I'd say I'm on the technical side, just my whole life growing up just with a video camera. My first coach, Dale Lynch in Australia, we always used the camera, looked at it on camera, so I've always grown up with a video. If anything I lean toward being more technical. I try to go the other way and be less technical. Q. Is that something you've consciously tried to do the last couple years?
AARON BADDELEY: Yeah, last year I didn't look at the camera, look at it a whole lot. This year I looked at it a bit more because I've made a few changes with a couple new coaches. Q. Who are the new coaches?
AARON BADDELEY: Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett. Q. When did you hook up with them?
AARON BADDELEY: November last year. Q. For a few years Australians really had success here in Houston and Allenby and Appleby said there are some similarities to back home in Australia. Are there any similarities of this course to what you play in Australia?
AARON BADDELEY: Probably not so much. I'd say the greens are a lot smaller in Australia. But the firmness is similar to Australia and also the wind, as well. There's definitely some similarities in the condition of the course, but I'd say the course in general isn't quite as Aussie as other courses. TODD BUDNICK: Let's just go through your birdies. The one on No. 6.
AARON BADDELEY: I hit driver, 6 iron to about 35, 40 feet.
8, hit driver, 3 wood in the bunker, then hit it to about two feet.
12, hit 3 wood, lob wedge to about seven feet.
13, driver, 4 iron, lob wedge to about six feet. TODD BUDNICK: Bogey on 18?
AARON BADDELEY: Driver in the bunker, 6 iron short, chipped up, two putted. TODD BUDNICK: Talk about how difficult that hole is going to be if you're in contention this week.
AARON BADDELEY: It's a great driving hole. I mean, I didn't think the tee shot was overly difficult today with the right to left breeze, but in general coming down the stretch, if you're going to make par to win you're going to have to suck it up and hit a good one. TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, Aaron.
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STUART APPLEBY TODD BUDNICK: We welcome Stuart Appleby, the current clubhouse leader, 6 under 66, past champion of this tournament in 1999, a T 2 in 2003, new course and another lead. Just I guess start with talking about today's round first.
STUART APPLEBY: Conditions were quite easy this morning, no wind blowing, so if you weren't too intimidated by pins being sort of four yards from the edges you could go at a lot of them. They're not too hard yet. I think that there was definitely a 6 under score had to be had out there by somebody, and I was fortunate enough where my round wasn't clean and perfect but there was enough shots where I hit it good enough to give myself opportunities, a couple of good breaks. Some good breaks, and only one real mistake that I made and let probably two shots disappear for the day. Could have been better but could have also not chipped in and made some other stuff. Otherwise a very good solid start. I sort of like the way my game feels right now. I think the course will fit a lot of players' eye this week. Q. You had a solid Masters, but before that after Hawaii kind of middle of the pack. Was there something that happened before The Masters that sort of turned things around?
STUART APPLEBY: That's my game plan (laughter). No, there was no game plan. I played pretty good at Augusta, I just tended to find my way there. I felt like there was a Top 10 in me and I couldn't manage to squeeze that out. I had an average Sunday. I'm always trying to prepare my game and get it to the best level any given week. I didn't boast and say I only pull myself up for majors or The Players or world events. I don't have that skill and I don't think many players do. I'm trying to play well all the time. I think that's an addictive thing you want to get into and you keep going and keep playing until it gets out of tune. Certainly with Augusta I'm looking forward to playing at a high level there. I think I'm a player that's better than my results there. Q. What do you think you are in terms of you've been very close to the top, flirted with the Top 10, you've been a guy who now is roughly 30
STUART APPLEBY: I'm 35 actually in two weeks. Q. I mean in the rankings.
STUART APPLEBY: About the same. Q. You've been able to win some tournaments. What do you kind of thing where do you think you're supposed to be?
STUART APPLEBY: I can bore you with statistics and things like that, which is really part of the package. I'd like to hit the ball just a little bit better and I'd like to putt better. It's pretty general. There's not one area of my game where I feel I need to drive the ball better, hit it in the fairways a bit more. I'd like to hit more greens. If I have missed the fairways I'd like to hit more greens. I think my chipping is fine. I think I don't make enough putts. I think that's the secret to the game. I don't think hardly anybody in the history of golf has ever putted average and won a tournament. That's really the thing that will keep you extending like on the 18th when I holed that putt. That could be the putt that wins me the tournament, that could be the putt that didn't matter any ways.
I would say to be when I play well, when you look at my stats, many parts of my game are solid, but certainly my birdie conversion rate, I'm making a lot of birdies, which is confidence in putting. I think I just need to play golf like a very confident golfer and just drive it and keep going. I can only play at my best level for probably another 10 to 15 more years, so let's run across the line. That's probably the thing I've got to do is improve tiny little putts. Tiger always says he's trying to get better. That's the attitude you've got to have. Q. You said play like a confident golfer. Does that waiver a lot?
STUART APPLEBY: I think you should practice like you want to play. A lot of players would go, oh, if I could just get my confidence. It's not like a cold where you're waiting for it to come up and get you. You've got to go out and get it and I think you've got to develop that on the range and on the putting green, whatever it is. I think Mickelson, Phil, has done a very comprehensive look at his game and learned from mistakes he's made and moved his level up to be now a very confident player and what he's doing and using two drivers. He's coming up with all sorts of ideas to do it. You always have a very open mind about what you need to do and not be closed minded about it. Q. Do you have any good ideas for you?
STUART APPLEBY: I think the two driver thing has been taken (laughter), so I don't know. TODD BUDNICK: Two putters?
STUART APPLEBY: That's probably been done. I think Jesper has done that before. Q. Two caddies maybe?
STUART APPLEBY: I don't know. I do think that I just need to be a more confident putter I think is the big thing, just be more confident. Not that I sit there and think I'm going to miss every putt, but I just need to be more relaxed because I'm not English, but more comfortable, more relaxed and more true to my true to how I can practice. I guess that's the hardest thing every player has been through, taking the range swing or the range stroke or the range chipping to the course. That's the difference. It's a different animal. Yeah, making competition much like practice and become very familiar. I think the best players have always managed to do that. Q. You laughed that it was a lull, but you came out of the gate fast and then it was kind of a lull.
STUART APPLEBY: Yeah, I've never really played well on the West Coast. I don't call Hawaii West Coast. Almost Australia is east coast, it's that far away. I have not managed to do well there, but I'm not too concerned. Getting off to a nice start, there's a lot of people that win races leading the first lap, but there's a lot that never do, too. It's all about the total, how many laps we're doing for a year, and that's a full season. Certainly stronger than ever next year once we move into the FedEx format. Getting off to a good start has always been a weakness of mine and now it's definitely not a weakness and now it's about filling the whole season full of golf and Top 10s and wins and just becoming a more experienced player and getting myself to the next level, which is certainly solidifying a Top 10 position in the World Rankings. Adam Scott has certainly got that number right now, and I've been there but not managed to stay there, and that has been a goal of mine since I was there, to work out a way and find a way to become a better player, to solidify being a player deserved of staying there instead of popping in and out. Q. Obviously we talk about the Australians having won this year. Is there a comraderie, or if there's not, there's not, but you guys
STUART APPLEBY: There's a big comraderie between Robert Allenby and Mark Hensby. They're very close (laughter). There is. I think all foreigners that travel abroad or leave their homeland have always got that, and I think the Europeans have that when they come over here, Ian Poulter and Darren Clarke, McGinley and so forth that are playing here a bit more often or full time. Same if the Americans came to Australia. They'd be hanging out and talking about the football, have they seen results, et cetera. We are a bit of a family, yeah. It's a big family. It's a Brady bunch times about four. Q. But is it kind of cool that you guys have won
STUART APPLEBY: This is cool. The thing that we've sort of struggled with in Australian golf is America has the U.S. has the golden child in Tiger right now, and without Tiger there would be a definite degree a dropoff of excitement. It's proven that Tiger can drive events. Greg Norman was our driver of events in years previous, and sometimes in Australia we have the best quality of Australian players, the most depth we've ever had by far, no doubt about that, but we don't have a Greg Norman. The thing we find as Australians is we feel a bit inferior and we need a confidence boost that we are good as a little country on the bottom, and our sponsors are wanting to have a gun, a star, and we don't have that guy right now. We have Robert Allenby dominating Australia, but we don't have that golden child. It's tricky at the moment because they're all waiting for someone to step out of the darkness and become potentially or try and fill some very big boots of Greg Norman, and it's very difficult. When we come over here we're certainly very proud to represent our country, and we're dying to get that number up. 20 something odd players now, we'd love to see it get to 30. That's a huge representation of a very small country on a very big tour. No one else has come close to representing their players. Q. You guys have four guys who could be Greg Norman.
STUART APPLEBY: Sharkey was different. It's a timing of everything. UK, England had Nick Faldo. It's just different eras. I turned up when Tiger first started so I can only talk about the Tiger Woods period. I can't talk about Arnold and Jack, but Tiger is certainly going to be my relevance. There will be hopefully another gun, person that just lifts Australian golf. I talk about Australian golf because we don't have Greg, but we have a lot of other great players, but sometimes it's just not enough for us, and I call "us" the sponsors and the people in Australia. It's tough to sell something when you don't have your golden child. It would be tough for the Tour to sell without Tiger. One day Tiger is going to be gone, and I think Nicklaus made a quote that one day there's going to be a guy that hits it longer, straighter, hits it straighter and putts better than me, and I think that might be Tiger. Q. Are you running the risk of becoming a regular at this tournament with the results you're getting?
STUART APPLEBY: First thing, once you get a relationship with a place or a town or a course, you pretty much have to keep that on your schedule. I won the Honda in '97, and every year I went back I played worse, but every year I went back it was only a couple of places worse. By the time I finished there I was like 12th, so that was a cool place for me, and obviously Kapalua is the epitome of a relationship. I think you do. I think you want that. You don't use that to cling on to your form, but it's nice to know that you've conformed well and you keep coming back. I don't know how long we're staying at this course. I think we're here for a while. I'm sure I will extend a love about Houston, and I think it's about the wind and the breeze. It's a little bit like Australia. Texas has had some Australian winners over the time, so it's something like what we have. Q. I thought maybe it was the Mexican food.
STUART APPLEBY: We don't have much Mexican food, and we don't have any border patrol (laughter). Tasmania is probably the nearest thing to a foreign country (laughter).
Card time? TODD BUDNICK: Card, please.
STUART APPLEBY: 3rd hole, par 4, 3 wood, wedge to three feet, tapped it in.
6, made a 25 footer off the back of the green with a putter, just putted it off the fringe. That was definitely one that was a bonus.
8, I had a two putt from about 60 feet, par 5.
9, I hit a poor tee shot with a 7 wood.
10, I made a 12 footer for par.
11, made a 25 footer, so another big bonus there.
Par on 12.
Ugly 6 on 13, hit it in the hazard left on my second shot, took a drop and made a disappointing 6 when really a 4 was in the cards.
Had a chance to make birdie on sorry, then nothing special through the later part of the round.
Then 17, hit a good second shot which was the wrong club and ended up making a birdie, so it was a bonus there from probably about 15 yards from the hole, chipped in, and then a 20 footer on the last. Q. If Tiger calls his 5 wood a senior club, what is a 7 wood?
STUART APPLEBY: That's my senior club. He hits his 5 wood probably 255 to 265 probably. Tiger has got no rights to talk about senior length (laughter). TODD BUDNICK: Thank you very much, Stuart.
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_______________________ JOHN DALY JOHN DALY: I was real solid today, just one bad tee ball and a bad 9 iron on 7. It was just one of those good solid days, hit a lot of fairways and kept myself out of trouble. Q. You played well on the other course last year. I know it doesn't relate, but do you think it's coming to this tournament, that you had success here last year?
JOHN DALY: Kind of, but this is a totally different golf course. The other one you can rip driver on all the par 4s and par 5s, and this one here you can't. On a couple of holes, that's the hard part about this course that makes it a little bit harder. The fairways are about the same width, but 330 or 340 off the tee they close in to 10 or 15 yards and they're kind of hard to hit. I hit a lot more irons at this course than I like to. Q. How about the wind? It seems like it picked up a little bit this afternoon?
JOHN DALY: Yeah, you think it's doing one thing and then you hit it and it's doing another. I hit pretty decent shots on one of the par 3s. The guys hit 5 iron just pin high, and I hit 6 iron and it went over the green. The wind can kind of just mess with you a little bit. It can change on your backswing. Q. You always have a decent sized gallery here, people following you around. Do you get the sense people are attached to you?
JOHN DALY: The fans here have always been great, even when we played the Woodlands and the other course. It's a great city for golf and all sports. It's great, I love the people here. Q. Was the wind into you on 15 when you got there?
JOHN DALY: Yeah, we had 291 to the hole. I really didn't think I could fly a 3 wood there, and Peter said we can probably roll it up, and I just caught it really solid. I hit a crappy putt but still made birdie. It worked out all right. Q. How many times were you able to hit driver today? You said you hit a lot less drivers here on the other course.
JOHN DALY: Probably about half of what I did on the other course. I hit probably six 2 irons today, a couple 3 woods, probably six drivers today. Q. You obviously had a lot of confidence on the other course. Do you have any comfort feeling here? Is it kind of a struggle for you?
JOHN DALY: A little bit. When the wind blows here you struggle because hitting the ball in the fairway is a premium because the par 5s you can at least roll the second shots on the green. You hit something low and roll them on. The wind can play a factor. Like I said, a lot of the holes narrow up at 320, 330. Q. On 15 what did you hit there?
JOHN DALY: I hit 3 wood but it was against the wind off the tee. If there was no wind I probably would have hit 2 or 3 iron off the tee. That's what makes a change here. The other course, you know exactly what it is. Q. And the wind I'm assuming is much more of a factor on this course?
JOHN DALY: I think so, yeah, quite a bit. There's a lot more water on this one, too. Q. No. 5 was coming across, wasn't it?
JOHN DALY: Yeah, that was hurting out of the left. That's definitely a tough hole. Q. Do you feel like this is a course you can have success on? Obviously you had a good day here, but how do you feel about it?
JOHN DALY: I do. I'm hitting my long irons really well. I got the 2 and 3 iron this week, got them all set, and I'm hitting my long irons good again. If I'm hitting my long irons good I can keep the ball in play. When I'm doubtful if I need to hit 3 wood or driver, I'm going to hit my 2 iron and I feel like I can hit the fairway with it and at least have a chance to knock it on the green. But the course, I do like it. It's an awfully good golf course. If we could just stay somewhere for a while, it would be nice. Either this one or that one, but let's stop moving. Q. How do you feel in general about having the 72nd hole with that kind of a water factor and that kind of a boom or bust factor to decide a tournament? Do you like that?
JOHN DALY: I do like that. The bunker is playable. I don't know if my 2 iron if I pull it a little bit it's going to go over the water. It's like 250 to 258 carry, so we just hit 3 wood, aim it at the bunker, and if it turns over, it turns over, and if it didn't we'll just play out of the bunker. You just don't really know what to hit off the tee, and that's probably what makes it special coming down the stretch if you do have a chance to win. FastScripts by ASAP Sports....
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