BELLSOUTH CLASSIC

April 1, 2001

Scott McCarron

SCOTT McCARRON: Wow, I tell you what, the whole week was really -- you had to be patient, just from the get-go. We had all that rain and some tough weather. You know, sitting there in your hotel room, trying to think of something to do on Thursday, then having to come out here and play 36 holes today in some very tough conditions, gusting 20, 25 miles an hour. You just had to stay really, really patient. I felt I did a really good job of that this year and this week. It's so good to be back in the winner's circle after four years. You have no idea (laughter).

SCOTT McCARRON: I think so. I've been playing some really good golf probably the last six months. I've had some chances already this year. Bay Hill, was right there in the leader group going into the last hole on Saturday. Made a triple, tripled the 1st hole on Sunday. Take those away, I would have been a factor there. Just a swing here or shot there that didn't turn out right, bad breakage. But I feel I've been playing really, really well coming into this week. Everybody has been telling me, "Hey, you're due." I really felt that, too.

SCOTT McCARRON: Oh, man, it sure was. You know, my hands and forearms were starting to cramp up a little bit. I was drinking so much water just to stay hydrated that I was having to go to the bathroom every two holes (laughter). I mean, it was just amazing how much water I drank out there. You know, I tried to eat some energy bars. After 18, just tried to keep some food in me because 36 holes on a day like today, the wind even takes more energy out of you. That was just a tough day. I'm going to be up all night now (laughter).

SCOTT McCARRON: Yeah, I think so. I think it was about 40 feet, 42 feet, something like that. At the time I had no idea really who was there. I knew I had probably maybe a two-shot cushion, maybe three. I wasn't quite sure. I told my caddie, "Let's just nuzzle this thing in right up there by the hole." He said, "Just like Crenshaw." Ben Crenshaw, when he putts, his balls just roll in. I hit a really good putt. It just rolled right in the center of the cup. At that point, you know, I knew I had a four-shot lead with two holes to play. Mike I think birdied the last hole. But those two holes set up really well when you have a four-shot lead.

SCOTT McCARRON: Which one, the putt on 16?

SCOTT McCARRON: The putt on 16 broke a little bit to the left, then broke back a little bit to the right once it got right in the last six feet. Just nuzzled right in the hole.

SCOTT McCARRON: I haven't talked to her yet. It's her birthday today, April Fool's Day of all days. She was here with me this week until Wednesday. Our youngest daughter got sick. With the weather looking like it was going to be pretty bad, she just felt like it was time to go home, let me do my job. We're moving next week so she wanted to go home and take care of a few things. I really wish she was here right now. I'm sure she'll get over it once I get home.

SCOTT McCARRON: She wasn't here in '97 either. I wasn't even planning on playing. I decided I really wanted to come here. My mom and dad were here. It was Mother's Day. I won this tournament on Mother's Day four years ago and I win on my wife's birthday today. It's quite a tournament, quite a day.

SCOTT McCARRON: Yeah, it was very trying. You just had to be very patient. I kept telling myself, "One shot at a time. Don't get out of yourself. Don't be thinking about the stuff behind." The first 18 holes, I'm putting on a jacket, taking it off, putting it on. That kept me pretty busy for the first 18 (laughter). Second 18, I really just had to stay patient. I knew that par was going to be a pretty good score coming in. I thought it would be very difficult for someone to probably catch me after the Front 9, the second 18. You know, birdie-ing those holes, it's going to be difficult coming in. Just so hard to putt when the wind is like this. I really felt that up and down on No. 9, I thought that really spurred me to go into the backside. I'd been watching Phil Mickelson hit these shots all day long. I guess something finally rubbed off on me on 9.

SCOTT McCARRON: Not really. I didn't really look at the board that much. I didn't know how many shot lead I had. I knew I had two, three, four shots, but I wasn't really looking at the board because I wanted to stay in the moment one shot at a time. On a day like this, if you start thinking, "I've got this tournament locked up," the wind is so severe, it's going to bite you. Yeah, certainly I didn't want to make any big numbers. The shot on 12, I had a similar shot in the morning round, the ball moved about 30 yards left -- actually to the right, almost went in the water. I was aiming pretty far left to make sure that happened. It pulled it a little bit, the ball stayed there. That led to one of my bogeys there in the back.

SCOTT McCARRON: Two of my three wins are here. One of those golf courses that I really feel good playing. A lot of the tee shots set up really well for me. I can hit my cut. Some of the draw holes, there's just a lot of room. I can really go ahead and swing away. There's only one hole out here that I really don't like. Other than that, I love every other hole. You know what hole that is, No. 4. Lost that tree, put those bunkers in. My third shot, all four days, 3-iron the first day, 3-iron the second day, 2-iron this morning round, then a 9-iron left-handed for my third shot. You're not going to make a lot of birdies on that hole playing that hole that way. Just one of those holes that was very difficult for me (laughter).

SCOTT McCARRON: I played the other 17 extremely well, played that one lousy.

SCOTT McCARRON: I'd love to be back there. That's one of the golf courses I really feel good at. It would be great going into Augusta after winning this week. I'd be playing with a lot of confidence. Unfortunately, they changed the rule. I hope they change that back - I really do. I think every guy on the TOUR feels the same way. Maybe someday they will. They changed it this way one time, why don't they change it back? It would only let a couple more guys in. That whole Masters experience is just one that I can hardly wait to get back. Not this year - well, maybe next year.

SCOTT McCARRON: Like I said again, I wasn't really watching the leaderboard. I didn't know how big a lead I had at that time. I knew I had a couple-shot lead. I wasn't really looking. I don't look until the last few holes on Sunday.

SCOTT McCARRON: What's accurate, that night I said, "Gosh, I'm really bummed that I triple bogeyed the last hole." She goes, "Well, triple bogeying the last hole is not that big a deal." I said, "God, I'd rather triple bogey the 1st hole and play good all day instead of playing good all day and triple the last hole." Sure enough, next day, hit it, drive it down the left side, hit a tree, hit it in the bunker, have to trip out sideways and make triple. My wife was sitting there going, "How does that feel?" It didn't feel good (laughter). I played really well there all week. Except for really two shots at Bay Hill - 18 and the one on 1, I played well. That's a good story.

SCOTT McCARRON: Yes, I do. If you want to go out there and try to hit a 5-footer downhill with this wind right now, you'll see that 1-over is a great score. I heard that 1-over is the highest winning score since Tiger Woods. He wins so many tournaments, but that was a great score today. 1-over is shooting like 6-, 7-under the last two rounds. It's so hard to play out there with the wind, the way these greens are, how much water and trouble is in play. I played really solid.

SCOTT McCARRON: One of the reasons I won, happened an hour before I teed off, I sliced my finger open. Always beware of the injured golfer. Got a big bandage, it's been bleeding all day. I did that in the bathroom stall in the clubhouse. The doors don't lock. Guys are always barging in on you. I was trying to hold the door, push the lock in, sliced my finger. Bleeding all over my pants. Did that a half hour before I teed off. A good omen.

SCOTT McCARRON: I really didn't. Used three or four Band-Aids. Didn't really bother me at all. Finally stopped bleeding about an hour ago.

SCOTT McCARRON: The second 18?

SCOTT McCARRON: Let's see. I birdied No. 3. I hit a good 2-iron down there and hit a pitching wedge probably about 15, 18 feet, had a putt that broke two and a half, three feet, just curled right in there. Bogeyed 4. Bounced right back, hit a great drive on 5. Hit a great pitching wedge to about 15, 18 feet, made that one. Really solid birdie there. Missed a short putt for birdie on 6. Hit a big drive on 7. I had sand wedge in my hands, about a hundred something yards. Pulled a little bit, wind took it, put it up there two and a half, three feet. When it gets open, those holes like 7, the wind is howling, your pant legs are going. The long putter, it is a little more difficult to putt when the wind is severe because you're standing so tall and getting moved around. I really had to widen my stance, try to get the weight on the inside of my feet, get anchored in there. I hit a good putt, didn't break. Wind kind of held it out. Hit a great up and down there on 9, like I said. Birdied 10. Hit a really good drive, great 3-wood that landed about five feet from the hole. Just went off the back, knocked it up to about three feet, made that for birdie. Bogeyed 12. Pulled that 8-iron to the left, stayed out of that water. Then bogeyed 13. I hit a drive up the right side which I wanted to do, but I hit it too far right where the gallery was standing, and it was just mud. I was in a footprint in mud. Hitting right back in the wind, I had 87 yards. Hit it pretty good, but it hit on the green, (inaudible) back. I was happy to hit it on the green. Hit it 80 feet, great putt that lipped out, went by the hole. Mickelson hit his birdie putt by. Coming back his putt broke to the left, so I played mine inside right. My putt broke right on the exact same line. That's how difficult it is. The wind can have that much effect over a 4-footer. Made a good par the next hole, 14. Bogeyed 15. Hit a good drive there. I had 168 to the hole, maybe 170, hit 4-iron. My 4-iron traveled 145 yards. I hit it good. I mean, the wind was just howling. Landed on the top, rolled all the way down the slope. I again had another 90-footer straight up the hill. At that point I knew I had a couple-shot lead. It was like, "Whatever you do, leave it below the hole." I did. I probably left it about ten feet below the hole. Then I hit a great putt there, just lipped out. That's fine. At that point I said, "Let's go birdie the last couple holes. Still play aggressive." I hit a good 6-iron there. Just cut it back in the wind a little bit. Made that birdie putt from about 40, 45 feet. Then played 17, 18, pretty conservatively.

SCOTT McCARRON: Thanks, guys.