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MCI HERITAGE

April 15, 2005

Thomas Levet

HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA

TODD BUDNICK: We welcome Thomas Levet after his 3-over 74 in the second round of the MCI Heritage, a different story from yesterday's 64. Just tougher conditions out there today?

THOMAS LEVET: Yeah, it's a little bit tougher to judge the putts. You know, for example, when I doubled that 14th hole, I seen my two partners carry the lake by one inch with a 5-iron, so there is like 17 yards to the pin from there, so I said it must be a nice 4-iron, and my ball just flew 20 yards behind the pin in the bunker dead. So it showed you that between two shots, they are like in the air, and anything can happen.

It was a little bit tough, but I'm pretty disappointed because I played really, really well. I hit a lot of greens or just maybe on the fringe many times, and I putted, like I said yesterday, like a monkey, but this time with boxing gloves on. I used my putter 36 or 37 times today. That's way too much. All the bogeys that are on the card are three putts, and the double bogeys, there was a good chip to ten feet and then a three-putt with my partner showing me the line and making the putt right before me. Great putting. Not only boxing gloves but black glasses, as well (laughter).

TODD BUDNICK: Is that something you'll work on after the round today?

THOMAS LEVET: I'd like to because I'd like to see a middle between 24 putts and 36. You can't have 36 putts.

TODD BUDNICK: We noticed it's playing almost three strokes harder or over par at the moment. Both you and Peter had yesterday's rounds, both struggled today. Just talk about the difference in yesterday's -- it was windy in both cases, but --

THOMAS LEVET: Just today it was a bit stronger. It was a little bit cold at the start. But the thing is that the greens are becoming harder, and like I don't remember one hole, but I think it's the No. 5 or No. 6, I had a really good 8-iron, second shot, and it just pitched about ten in front of the pin, and it just released, released, released until it goes like 19 yards past. You feel like it's going to stop right there, it's not enough club, and then it's too much club. Sometimes it stops, sometimes it doesn't, and like I told you on the par 3, it's difficult to judge the clubs. Between two clubs there could be a hell of a difference in the flight and in the length, so that's difficult.

Q. Was the wind a factor in the putting do you think?

THOMAS LEVET: No, the boxing gloves and the glasses, you know (laughter). It was, just, I don't know. I'd like to know. If I could tell -- I don't think it was the wind. It's more like I didn't have the speed today. Like my first bogey today on the 4th hole, the par 3, I mean, the pin is back left against the water. There was no pin on that green, so I hit middle of the green right, a good shot, exactly where I want, and I hit the first putt and it's not only short but it's ten feet left, as well. So you go, "hello, wake up." Bogey, thank you.

And No. 6, same, first putt, uphill, only 30 feet away, uphill into the green, straight. First putt, almost off the green the other side, 12 feet by. Thank you, bogey.

No. 8, good drive, good 4-iron in front of the green, perfect, exactly where you want. My partner shows me the line and all that. Boom, five feet short.

Next one doesn't even -- that's not even -- doesn't even say hello to the hole. Thank you, bogey.

So after that you just really don't have the feeling, don't have the speed, and it's tough to make birdies. Like on the back nine I played pretty good, like five or six birdie putts. Like 17, I'm 15 feet right, and 18 I'm 15 feet left, no chance. No chance.

Q. Do you think the greens were inconsistent in their speed?

THOMAS LEVET: No, it's me that was inconsistent. Between 24 and 36 I don't think the greens have changed from yesterday, but it's my feeling changed, that's all.

Q. Usually if you shoot a 3-over score on a second round after having a good first day, you're going to see a lot of players zoom past you, but you're still in contention obviously because nobody really is -- are you surprised?

THOMAS LEVET: No, because it's tough. The greens are getting bouncy. I remember the par 3, No. 7, I just carried it on the green with a really soft 6-iron, and I went a good 10, 12 yards past the pin, impossible to stop. And when it's windy then the greens are speeding up, and you're faced with sometimes three-footers with slope and wind that are not easy to make. So that's why it's more the control in the air that's the problem. The course is not playing much different than yesterday but little bit more bounces, a bit more wind and that makes a big difference.

TODD BUDNICK: You just had two birdies, 1 and 2.

THOMAS LEVET: 1, I hit a 3-wood and an 8-iron to ten feet and made the putt. On the 2nd I hit a driver, 4-iron and I two-putted. I hit 4-iron to 35 feet maybe.

TODD BUDNICK: 50 feet?

THOMAS LEVET: I don't know, just front edge of the green.

TODD BUDNICK: Yeah, about 50 feet.

THOMAS LEVET: 12 meters roughly I would guess.

Q. How did you play 18 today and how was 18 playing?

THOMAS LEVET: They put the tee right in front, and it was strange because into the wind like this, the yardage to go to the water, the other side, so I hit 3-wood and 5-iron. I hit a really good 3-wood low and I was ten yards short of the water, and then I had the distance for 7-iron but I hit 5-iron because it's really windy. My partner hit 3-wood not really well, and he hit 4-iron short of the green and the bunker on the right. It didn't go anywhere. And I missed the putt again. I made it on the 1st, that's it, nothing else.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, Thomas.

End of FastScripts.

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