WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 26, 2004

David Toms

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: David, we got a rare day off for you. You've obviously seen the golf course a little bit, but it sounds like you're going to go practice a little bit. Can we have just a couple comments about the day?

DAVID TOMS: I knew going to bed last night I was probably going to wake up to the rain this morning, at least that's what the forecasters said. I knew with the golf course being set as it was yesterday, we couldn't handle much more rain, and we got a big downpour. It was pretty comical to look out across the golf course and see what it looks like right now. I'm sure you all have seen it.

I got out here about 7:30 because I wasn't sure what was going to happen, so I came out and just watched the water rise just like all the other players. It kept us around, not really knowing -- they were trying to play some golf and kept us around in the locker room area. I've eaten way too much before noon now that we've been sitting around. But I'll spend the rest of the day just practicing and maybe go see a movie, not sure what the day holds for me. I want to stay sharp. I needed to play golf today. I don't need to be out beating a bunch of balls, but I needed to be playing golf, so I'll just try to stay sharp as far as my game plan for tomorrow and just relax.

Q. 36 holes, are you worried about anything?

DAVID TOMS: I'm not really worried about it. Since last Monday I've hit a lot of balls every day and my hand seems to be improving. And 36 holes, I wouldn't be hitting nearly as many shots playing 36 holes as I would if I spent the whole day on the driving range, so I'm not concerned as far as my hand goes, maybe my stamina because I haven't been out here walking golf courses very much, just in the past week or so. So maybe a little bit concerned there. When I get into the heat of the battle or the competition if I were to move on from tomorrow morning's match, I'm sure the adrenaline will carry me through the afternoon.

Q. (Inaudible).

DAVID TOMS: I think if you were to make it that far, you don't really think about it. It's such a reward to keep winning and move on, and I don't think -- it's not something -- I'm looking forward to being able to play that many holes, just because it means I move on. So I'm not concerned about it at all.

Q. (Inaudible).

DAVID TOMS: We'll do a lot of walking around. We're not going to be walking straight lines for the next few days, as wet as it is. We'll be walking over water and stepping over puddles. That soft ground can wear on you after a while, so we'll be walking more than the regular 18 holes, that's for sure.

Q. Have you ever seen this much water on a course?

DAVID TOMS: I've seen it here before. I guess it was last year, the first round, the Tuesday, there was a big rain, and then the first round I remember playing the up tee on 17 because we couldn't get to the back tee from the 16th green, which was fine with me. The hole is too long for me anyway, so I had no problem playing the up tee there.

There was a lot of water here last year, and by the end of the tournament I don't think anybody was really concerned about the course being wet. I think you come to expect it here. Even the whole west coast, for the most part, you know, it's more the norm for everything to be wet than it is to be dry, at least that's what I've seen over my career here.

Q. Because of the prestige of the event, would you like to see it maybe move around a little more so you didn't have to come here and deal with what is generally wet conditions and bumpy greens?

DAVID TOMS: You know, I like this golf course. I even liked it more before they added the extra length to it. I thought it was an Old Style course that we don't get to play very often. I like it here. Obviously the last few years we've been fighting these conditions, but two weeks ago here it was dry, so I don't know if it's bad timing or what, but I guess the chances are it's going to be wet here, but I still think it's a great venue for the tournament. It's nice to be able to just step out of your hotel room and walk down to the locker room and the first tee and everything be so close. I like that part of it. I don't mind playing here.

There are a lot of places we deal with the weather. We deal with it at Augusta every year. I've spent many hours sitting around the locker room at the Masters and nobody seems to say anything like that as far as moving. Nobody thinks they'll move The Masters. It's something we deal with. We don't play in a dome. Guys are starting to understand that the money that we play for, you know, everything is not going to be perfect

Q. Is match play more mentally demanding on you than stroke play?

DAVID TOMS: Well, I think you have a lot of swings in your emotion. Yesterday I'm on the 18th hole and Niclas Fasth has to make a 20-footer for birdie to continue the match, and with the so-called bumpy greens we have out here, what are the odds of him making the putt, and he poured it right in the middle.

I went from thinking I was about to win to going to extra holes. Then we get to the first playoff hole and he bombs it right down the middle so I had to hit a good one on top of him. I hit it close, hit it first to the green. Then I made mine and he misses. That's the way it goes all day, so you have to learn to deal with the ups and downs of it.

Q. Does it make that worse or does it matter?

DAVID TOMS: No, it doesn't matter. I'd rather be playing because I haven't played much golf. I want to play golf every day, just continue to play, play, play. I've played six rounds of golf since November, so for me, I just want to be playing golf.

Q. How bad did you want to win that -- (inaudible).

DAVID TOMS: It was confusing. Normally -- well, today or the next match we'll have a referee with us that will be calling all the shots. Here we are with the flag out trying to measure and do all this. I don't know if Niclas has ever flipped a coin, because he goes, "How does this work?" It's like this is heads, this is tails. I don't know, it was a very confusing thing. In the end we agreed I was putting first and he was putting second. It was fine. We flipped a coin, but he said, "Well, what happens if I call tails?" It was just a big mess. The two caddies and the two players agreed that it was my turn, so I went.

End of FastScripts.