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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 9, 2005

J.L. Lewis

SILVIS, ILLINOIS

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Okay, J.L., before we start, as the 54 hole leader you're the winner of this week's Crestor Charity Challenge, and in your name a donation of $50,000 will be given to the health care charity of your choice, and in addition Gilda's Club of the Quad Cities will also receive $50,000 from the John Deere Classic and Crestor.

J.L. LEWIS: That's a wonderful deal. I think it's the first time I've won that, so I'm really proud of it to be a part of something like that. Good deal, good sharing. Clair will probably want to fill you in about that.

CLAIR PETERSON: If you want to give it to Gilda's, that would be cool.

J.L. LEWIS: Sure, okay. That would be good. Is that okay with you guys?

PHIL STAMBAUGH: You take a three shot lead into tomorrow. Just a couple thoughts about how you played today and how the course played.

J.L. LEWIS: I played pretty good really. I didn't make as many short putts as I probably should have, but I felt like I had my game going pretty good. I struck the ball okay and I felt like I hit it kind of where I wanted to most of the day.

On 17 I hit a pretty good drive down the left side and it caught the very tip of that tree and knocked it down. You know, that hole was playing very short. I think that hurt me there. I think I could have had like a 6 iron into that green had I missed that tree.

But anyway, that's about the only thing that happened that I couldn't come back from really.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: You're trying to become a two time winner of this event. Any thoughts on that?

J.L. LEWIS: That would be great. I was telling them outside, I don't think about that too much. It's not my goal. When I start a tournament I'm never thinking about winning or losing, I just try to go out there and put all the mental energy I can on the shot that I'm playing and not get too far ahead of myself. If I'm able to produce and perform the shots as best I can, then I know I'm going to probably shoot a pretty good number and then I'll have a chance maybe to win, and that would be good. If you can just get yourself in a good position and have a chance on the last hole or two, then that's really good.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: You want to just take us through your round if you would, please.

J.L. LEWIS: Bogeyed 1, tried to hit a driver off the tee, too much club, hit it in the bunker and knocked it over the green and ended up making 5 there.

2, hit a good drive and I hit the top lip of the bunker and it stayed there and I had to lay up. So I didn't start off too good.

I think I made a birdie on No. 7. I hit a 3 iron on the green. That played hard today. I thought the pins were tough today. You know, they seemed to have a lot of pins out on the corners of the greens, and I figured somebody would shoot a really, really low score and I was kind of surprised that nobody did. I think that may have been why. It was kind of hard to get to some of the pins.

Then I made a nice birdie on 8. I hit a sand wedge, driver sand wedge up there about seven feet, made that.

I think I had one more birdie, 15, made a long putt missed short putts on 13 and 14 and made a long putt on 15. All in all, you know, it wasn't a bad day. It just wasn't what I would consider a great day. But it was good. It was okay. I made a couple of nice up and downs.

Q. Based on the looks of it, it looks like you shot lights out the first two days and today you got the most out of your round?

J.L. LEWIS: Except for the six footers that I missed, yeah. Like I said, a made a couple long putts and made some nice up and downs, so maybe it all balances out.

I hit it close in there on 14 and thought I hit a pretty good putt and the ball didn't break. Then on 15, I hit it close again and I didn't hit a good putt there. 13 I hit a good putt, 14 I did not hit a good putt, and then 15 I made a great putt and a good up and down on 16. I hit a lot of really good shots.

This course will corner hook you if you're not careful. Just like on 18, I hit a pretty good drive and I'm in the bunker, and I think this may have been the best shot I've hit this year. I had to choke up on a 7 iron and try to punch it 140 because I couldn't take a full swing with an 8. It's just one of those deals where you'd better hit a good drive on that hole because in the bunker is no bargain there.

Q. Aside from the hole locations, did the course play much more difficult today than it did the first two days, considering the scores are higher?

J.L. LEWIS: It must have. I think maybe the wind was a little bit more. You know, this is plenty of golf course anyway. I've always said that. I always felt that way. They laid this thing out nice. The greens are set up to have pin positions that are tough, and you'd better be in the fairway and you'd better hit a good shot.

Holes like 4 and 15 and 18, 11, you can go all the way around this golf course and just find one good hole after another. 7, 9, you know, they're all good holes. They set up good, and ball striking is a big deal here. I hope I strike the ball good tomorrow. If you don't strike the ball good, you won't have a chance to do anything good.

Q. Two years ago you had the third round lead but of course you went straight to the first tee.

J.L. LEWIS: Right.

Q. Didn't get that done. Does that motivate you a little bit more?

J.L. LEWIS: Well, Vijay, I was playing with Vijay, and he was playing really well at that time. I think I shot a 1 under or something like that and tied for 2nd, so I didn't play bad. You know, he was just so strong that day, it was I could never put any kind of enough game together to really get up there with him. He was just playing too good.

Q. This course has been now in existence for six years. You've been around. How has it grown into itself? How is it maturing? How do you find this course?

J.L. LEWIS: Real good. It's just like the shot I hit on 17 today. Two years ago that shot would have got past the trees, but now the trees are hanging out there farther, same thing on 18. The course is getting more like this. 11, those trees grow up and they start growing in. I love the layout. They've got a great piece of land. That's the key to these golf courses. Most of the TPC golf courses they don't have the piece of land that they've got here. That's the key to building a great golf course, and they did a good job when they selected the property and then they also did a good job building the holes to go with the property. So it's good.

Q. You came from behind in '99 here, and I think you came from behind at 84 Lumber?

J.L. LEWIS: Yes, way from behind there.

Q. What's it like playing with do you know what it's like playing with the lead?

J.L. LEWIS: I don't know if I've ever won from the front on a Tour event, but I know I've won from the front on smaller events, sectional tournaments and state tournaments and stuff like that. You know, I don't really consider it a lead because if you go out there and you don't play well, they're going to blow right by you. I was surprised somebody didn't do it today. I figured I'd have to shoot 3 or 4 under just to stay where I was at. I think I'm pretty fortunate to shoot 2 under and basically be in the same position. I think I'll probably have to play better than that tomorrow.

Q. Even with a three shot lead?

J.L. LEWIS: You never know. Geez, that's how I won my tournament. I shot 62 at I was seven shots back, shot 62, and the guy that was leading shot 1 under and lost. You know, there's a lot of guys three, four shots back here. Anything can happen. I'm not counting any chickens at all.

Q. Do you feel owed anything from two years ago here?

J.L. LEWIS: Not really.

Q. Or did 84 Lumber pay that check?

J.L. LEWIS: No, I don't feel owed anything. I think in life you feel like you kind of get what you deserve, and I've worked really hard to become a better player, and so if I get rewards from that, it's because of the work that I've done. I don't feel like anybody owes me anything, no.

Q. How much would a win mean with the two year exemption, get you that much closer to

J.L. LEWIS: Well, it would be good, but it would be like a bonus really. I mean, I came here just trying to have a good week. I've been playing real well the last two or three weeks, haven't been getting much out of it. I was hoping that I could come here and get a little more out of it, and so far I have. If I end up winning, that's a huge thing bonus wise, but if I don't, then it's been a good experience and I've enjoyed it, and I'll go to the next tournament and try to do the same thing.

Q. Do you consider yourself a pretty relaxed playing, being at or around the lead? Are you pretty good at keeping your tunnel vision?

J.L. LEWIS: I think I've kind of matured into that. I'm not out there thinking about winning or losing on the 4th hole. You come up 18, you've got a three shot lead, you might want to start thinking about, well, maybe I want to hit a 3 wood on this hole and try and just give myself an opportunity. Basically on the Tour, if you watch the Tour at all, you can see that a lot of guys make a lot of birdies out here, and you can get on a roll and a guy can make three, four, five, six birdies in a row, and he's right in the game. I always play with that thought in mind, that at some point I'm capable, I know I can get three or four in a row, and it's usually how they come. You don't usually make a birdie and then par, par, par. You don't do that very often. Birdie, birdie, birdie, you get a little flow going, and that's what happens to these other players and that's how they learn how to maximize when they do get on a run.

Q. You say you've matured into that viewpoint. Speaking of maturity, what were your thoughts on what Michelle Wie did the first two rounds?

J.L. LEWIS: I thought it was phenomenal. She's only 15 years old. Where were you guys when you were 15 years old? I was about 5' 6" and weighed about 120 pounds when I was 15 years old, and I'm looking at her going, "geez, she's great." I was hoping she'd make the cut. I thought she was going to make it, and it's got to be hard. She's the one that's got the pressure on her, all these people following her around and she's not even a freshman in high school.

Q. I guess you wouldn't have a comparison having played in the morning, but what did it feel like today compared to the last two days? Was there a little less charge in the air?

J.L. LEWIS: I don't know if there was less people. There was quite awe few people here today, so I think the attendance has been pretty good every day. I haven't asked anybody about that. I don't think so, no. I think it was pretty good today. I think people still love the game. I think it was good for the game when people like that start coming into it. That's what's so great about golf, everybody can play, 12 year olds right on up to 95. And when you get one that's young that can play on the Tour like that, that's phenomenal.

Q. How important is this tournament with having all your family here and kind of being a family time?

J.L. LEWIS: Well, my wife goes with me to the tournaments, so that's kind of a regular thing. You know, we just started traveling together about nine or ten years ago, and she home schooled our kids and both kids are in college now, so now one of them comes once in a while, not very often. So I'm kind of used to that.

But then I have my wife's parents and I've got some cousins here and she's got cousins here, from Emporia, so it's easy for people to get to this location. Here and Dallas are about the only two tournaments my parents go to, and Las Vegas. They like Las Vegas (laughter). I was making my schedule last night, and my mom said, "You've got to go to Las Vegas."

Q. And they're staying at the casino this week?

J.L. LEWIS: Yes.

Q. You're a pretty low key guy. Do you ever feel like maybe taking the John E. Morgan approach to golf and get the fist pumps going and playing with a little energy?

J.L. LEWIS: Yeah, I mean, if something exciting like that happens to you the way I look at it as the Tour player averages about four and a half birdies every time he plays, so if you know you're going to make four or five birdies at least every round, if you go crazy every time you make one, you'll be a little wore out at the end of the day. So I try not to high five everybody and ran laps around the green and everything. Now, if you win the tournament on the last hole and you make a putt, there you go, you can jump in the lake (laughter).

Q. Is that a promise?

J.L. LEWIS: No, I'm joking.

Q. Talking about tomorrow and saying how easy it is for guys to catch up from behind, that said, do you have to play more aggressively and get on the accelerator right from the getgo?

J.L. LEWIS: Absolutely. I was little disappointed today that I didn't start off better. Because when you're in a situation and you've got a chance to do well, you want to start off good and start making birdies, and I just didn't do it. I hit the wrong club there on the first tee. I wasn't nervous or anything, I thought there was more wind than what there was, and I pushed it about ten yards and I wish I could have that one back.

Then the next shot was pretty good, too, and it just seemed like it just didn't carry, so I couldn't make the four. I'm going to have to go out there and make four, five, six birdies tomorrow and play a solid round and hit shots where I want to hit them. That's how you do it. You've got to give yourself an opportunity.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Okay, good luck tomorrow.

J.L. LEWIS: Thanks, appreciate it.

End of FastScripts.

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