WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 22, 2002

Scott McCarron

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Scott, for joining us. Good match out there, it looked likes you guys were having a lot of fun.

SCOTT McCARRON: We did have a lot of fun. Playing Sergio Garcia was a great match for me today. I played real solid all day long, just a couple of loose shots coming down the end trying to close the match out.

But playing with Sergio is always a lot of fun.

Q. You made a couple of putts on the back nine that kept you from losing holes?

SCOTT McCARRON: Isn't that what you are supposed to do?

Q. Did you feel like there were times that you felt the momentum swing?

SCOTT McCARRON: I don't know about momentum swing, but making the putt at 14 was big, awfully big. Sergio almost missed his, so that was a big swing; if he misses his that would have been a huge swing. But to make par after I hit a very poor 5-iron there, it was big. My ball was completely buried in the bunker on the side hill and had no shot at all. To make 3 there was big.

And the next hole, I hit a really good shot off the tee and I was very surprised that I carried 273 to the bunker with a 3-wood; and my caddie wanted to hit 9-iron, but I hit 8-iron and for sure I pulled it to where you just can't hit it. It was really not a bright club choice by my self, and that ball was buried; it came in low and hot and left me with nothing. Sergio was already in the left bunker there with a very difficult up-and-down. I made a good 5 there.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: You're going to play Tom Lehman tomorrow morning. Why don't you talk about that match a little bit.

SCOTT McCARRON: Yeah, I'm looking forward to playing Tom. Obviously, he's played pretty well. He took down my little brother, Matt Gogel. Matt has been playing very good and he putts really well on these greens; so, obviously Tom must be doing something right to get this far. Tom is a good friend and I'm sure it will be a great match.

Q. Can you explain just about the drop? I didn't see what hole it was on, but you were using your putter?

SCOTT McCARRON: Yes, my ball was on the cart path and I took a drop.

Q. Okay, but there were questions in the press room and we were unsure whether or not a long putter was allowed to -- I know the rule reads "any club in your bag" but --?

SCOTT McCARRON: You're wrong. Next question.

Q. It seemed last week I know you had a lot of people rooting for you in L.A., it seems like they are out there this week for you?

SCOTT McCARRON: There are. We've got a lot of people that come down from L.A. and I've got a lot of friends that live here in San Diego. So, I'm sure this weekend we'll have a lot of people rooting for me.

It was unfortunate what happened last week, I played really solid all week. It was the first time in my career that I felt the crowd was pulling for me and that was a lot of fun. Hopefully, they will get behind me a little this weekend.

Q. Did you feel the crowd a little bit more behind you today?

SCOTT McCARRON: For sure. Sergio gets a great crowd, and he is so much fun to watch. He is certainly, obviously, one of the best players in the world and probably going to continue to be one of the best players in the world for a long time; so he's going to attract huge galleries. I think there were a lot of people out there rooting for me being the underdog. I didn't see myself as the underdog today. I've been playing really solid golf, and I really felt I was going to win this match.

Q. Can you talk about the challenge of this format, would you want to do this every week, week-in, week-out?

SCOTT McCARRON: I see the gray hairs already forming on my head. I would not want to do this every week. Coming down the stretch, every match is like trying to win a golf tournament. The pressure out there is enormous. That's the kind of position I want to be in all the time, but it's tough on you. I'm absolutely drained after these matches. That's the way it should be.

Q. It looks like going into the morning matches tomorrow without a single one of the top 16 seeds in the tournament. The seeding, did that mean anything to you?

SCOTT McCARRON: It meant absolutely nothing to anybody. It's just a player, play the golf course and hopefully you play well to win. Sometimes you play well and don't win. The seeding does not really mean anything. It just means who you play next. As far as marquis players, the guys who are left are playing the best in the world now. These are your marquis players; I don't care who they are.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SCOTT McCARRON: There are just a few guys. I'm sure we'll get some more friends and family out tomorrow.

Q. What was your tab for your hole-in-one?

SCOTT McCARRON: $459.

Q. How many guys?

SCOTT McCARRON: There were probably -- two. (Laughter.)

There was probably, I don't know, 15 guys are or so.

Q. Did the waggling get to you at all today?

SCOTT McCARRON: I never watched Sergio hit one shot all day long.

Q. Was that intentional?

SCOTT McCARRON: That was intentional. Paul Azinger called me last night and said, "Don't watch him hit one shot."

I pretty much was going to do that anyway, but Zinger has been out here a long time and he's a great friend and he is someone I really look up to.

I really didn't. I watched the tops of trees, clouds, stared at blades of grass, drank some water, read the paper, all kind of stuff.

I don't think he waggled as much today as he probably did. I didn't notice it being extremely long until the last few holes. But Sergio is such a great player and I really enjoy watching him play. But like he said, if you don't like the waggle, don't watch it. So I didn't watch it today.

Q. You got off to a quick start today. How important was that for you in terms of confidence, going up against Sergio?

SCOTT McCARRON: Well, going up against anybody, getting off to a good start is key. I made that first putted on one to make birdie, made birdie on two at the half, and then,3. So, that's a good start.

Any time you get ahead of any of these guys, that's what you've got to do. You've got to keep them down, you've got to keep them pressing and I've got to continue pressing, too. I think the last few holes, I get ahead I start trying to make pars, and that's not the way I play. And the last two days, I've done that. I've got to go out there and keep firing at the pins and making birdies because these guys are the best players in the world and they are going to continue making birdies.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you.

End of FastScripts....