BELL CANADIAN OPEN

September 6, 2003

Hidemichi Tanaka

LAURY LIVSEY: We have our leader, Hidemichi Tanaka, and interpreter Tomo Kuga.

We'll just let Tomo take it from here and ask to talk about your up-and-down round today.

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: Birdies, second hole, 155, to three meters, 9-iron.

5-iron tee shot, 192 second, 5-iron also, about two meters.

Next, 15-yard approach, two meet ares and made that birdie.

5, 3-wood, 77 yards, nine wedge, four meters.

7, driver, 130 left, approach was in the rough about three meters and missed it for a bogey.

Next, 5-iron to ten meters, birdie.

9, 3-wood, 112 left, lob-wedge, went over, 15 yards over, missed it, bogey.

3-wood, 95 yards -- 3-putted -- ten-yard 3-putt.

16, 170, 6-iron, ten meters left, putted in for a birdie.

17, 258 left, 3-wood, two meters, eagle.

18, 4-iron tee shot, 190 left, 5-iron, bunker and missed a three-meter putt for bogey.

Well, that was great, with a lot of birdies, but with a lot of wind -- a little miss turned into bogeys. But I was thinking that -- I was still thinking that I was at the top of the lead, so trying to be patient and worrying about -- I knew that there was also going to be tomorrow left.

Q. Are you excited about having a chance to win your first PGA TOUR event? Will you be comfortable tomorrow?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: Yes, I do. It's been about four or five years since I've been in this position on the third day, since I think the American Express Championship four years ago.

So I'm looking forward to it because it's been a while, to be in this position. Even if I don't play well tomorrow, I would like to experience being in this position, and having this experience is very important to me.

Q. Statistically, the 18th hole is the second-toughest playing on this course. How confident are you that if it does come down to that hole tomorrow, you'll be able to play it well enough to win?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: Of course, I want to be in the lead so I don't have to worry about that situation, standing on the tee on 18 tomorrow.

I just feel I'll be more happy being in that position at that time on the 18th hole. Even if I don't play well on the 18th hole tomorrow, just being in that position where I have a chance to win is exciting.

Q. You said it's been four years since you've been in this position, I think you said the American Express. Can you tell us what you did in the last round then and how you'll play this to be different from that?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: I was playing with Mike Weir, and I didn't feel any pressure, but playing with Mike Weir and kind of going back and forth, I kind of felt uneasy because of that, trying to -- I guess, in a sense, felt a little pressure trying to beat him or trying to beat somebody I'm playing with.

That's the only experience that I have in that position, four years ago. Tomorrow, I'm looking at it as the experience.

TOMO KUGA: He just told me he's not that confident, but still, he wants to do well.

Q. How many shots, what lead did you have?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: At that time I had a one-stroke lead, I believe. In the last round I shot a 77 or something and fell to like 11th or something like that.

Q. Can you talk about your decision to leave Japan and play here?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: I have already played seven years in Japan and came to the United States to play major championships, and at that time felt that I had to come to the United States to go to my next level to play better.

Of course, I'm small in stature. I want to show the kids that are smaller people, not only in Japan, but all over the world, that if I can do it, anyone can do it. I only have a 28-inch waist, so there's probably not too many professional golfers with a 28-inch waist, about 132 pounds.

Q. In Japan, I notice you had the radio station calling in, you said it was 7:00 am in the morning?

TOMO KUGA: Japan broadcasts live at 5:00 in the morning, so the next day it will be Monday morning. He's in the lead, so I'm pretty sure everybody will get up before they go to work, watch it and it will finish around 7:00 in the morning.

Q. Assuming he wins, how big will be the reaction?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: I believe that everybody was very happy when Mr. Aoki won and Mr. Maruyama won, so he would be the third Japanese player to win on the PGA TOUR.

Q. I know when Mike Weir won the Masters, everyone -- I use the word crazy -- they went wild about it. Will it be the same type of reaction in Japan?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: I hope so. Even when Mike Weir won, I was very happy, because he is also smaller in stature.

(In English): I like Mike. (Laughter.)

TOMO KUGA: He just said: "Maruyama makes so much money, he lives in Beverly Hills." (Laughter.)

Q. (Inaudible.)

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: Going in, I feel comfortable playing here. But the course is so difficult, it didn't get to that point.

Q. Did you like the course when you arrived on Tuesday, or have you learned to like it as the week has gone on?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: I felt comfortable. I felt that -- because most of the golf courses are pretty long, but here, it's a position course, so in that sense, I felt comfortable with this golf course. It reminds me of the U.S. Open in the United States, I was in 15th place at the U.S. Open, so it kind of reminds me of that, that position.

Q. Where would you rank yourself among the current crop of golfers from Japan?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: As a 28-inch waist, I'm No. 1.

Q. Do you think you are much better than Maruyama?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: He is much better, I think. The putter -- inaudible -- he's been using it for seven years, so he's counting on his coin tomorrow.

Q. Where did you get it?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: He likes this country the best out of all the countries he's been so to. When I went to the Vancouver Open, I used to spend time in Whistler. I love Whistler.

Q. Would this be kind of like the tournament you would want to be your first PGA tournament win, seeing as Canada is a country you like so much? Is this almost the ideal place for you to win for the first time?

HIDEMICHI TANAKA: I know Mike Weir is probably the No. 1 famous, but I would like to be almost as famous as Mike some day in Canada.

End of FastScripts.