VERIZON BYRON NELSON CLASSIC

May 9, 2002

Frank Lickliter

TODD BUDNICK: We have Frank Lickliter. Thank you for joining us today. Looks like you got off to a pretty good start today with 3 birdies on the front side, beginning with No. 5.

FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, I hit wedge to three feet.

6, I hit little 9-iron to about 15 feet.

8, I hit 50-yard pitch shot to three feet.

10 I hit 7-iron to a foot.

11 I hit --I was right in front of the green, chipped it to about three and a half feet.

15, I hit a wedge twelve feet, left of the hole.

16, I was on the fringe and hit a little chip shot to about two feet.

17, I came out of it, fanned it, borderline shanked it into the gallery on the right, didn't get it up-and-down.

TODD BUDNICK: Would you comment on the day.

FRANK LICKLITER: I played extremely solid. It was kind of a surprise this morning to get up on that 1st tee and the wind is blowing exactly opposite of any other time I have ever played that golf course. So I was like well we're in for a long day today, it is going to be interesting. So I knew I was going to have to be extremely patient starting out from there.

TODD BUDNICK: Didn't look like it bothered you too much.

FRANK LICKLITER: No, like I said, hit it really solid with my driver, and starting to hit some really good iron shots and made some nice putts.

Q. Your grip, is that something you have always done when you stand up on the ball; is that your pre-shot routine or?

FRANK LICKLITER: That's part of all the changes that I have made in order to get the club you know, in the right position. That's the first page of Hogan's book right there, getting the shaft on that part of your finger and the above -- the path of your palm on top of the butt, there, that's it. You grip it, grab it. First page of Hogan's book.

Q. Do you think playing with Tiger was a factor in how well you did?

FRANK LICKLITER: I don't know if it's a factor. I like playing with him. I enjoy playing with him the views are a lot nicer.

Q. What got your round going, you said you came out you thought this is going to be interesting, obviously you thought it was going to be tough, what got you going?

FRANK LICKLITER: Well, staying in the one-shot mentality. One shot at a time because the wind is different and just trying to figure out -- you know, your lines change. Lines - we're used to seeing year after year because the wind always comes out from that direction; then all of a sudden it is 180 degrees opposite you go, okay, how far out you know, how far out there do I need to move my line, what is it, 15 is a perfect example, normally that's left-to-right and in off the tee. Today it was downwind, I mean, almost straight downwind and like my point of aim moved 40 yards there. I am-- now I am trying to hit it over those trees, trying to aim far enough left so I don't hit it through the fairway on the right which is what Tiger did.

Q. The changes that you made, is it massive changes, Augusta changes?

FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah. It was -- well it's more than that.

More like Torrey Pines changes (laughter). Yeah.

Q. Can you elaborate on that?

FRANK LICKLITER: It's all on the same piece of property. I am in the same body but other than that, it feels totally opposite of what I used to do.

I guess the simple version of it is I had a shut club face at the top, ala, David Duval. Now I guess everything that I am doing is allowing my club face to be neutral instead of shut. It's not open, you know, feels open, to me, because I have been shut for so long, but being in the neutral position will allow me to hit golf balls; to shape the ball both ways and also allow me to hit it higher, which is kind of important in majors with firm greens, tucked pins, I am just -- not just majors but when greens get firm and they tuck pins behind bunkers, now I have access and I am starting to have access to left pins, front left, back left pins.

Q. Vijay talked a lot about how his bad shot always had trouble, and it was left. Do you have that same --

FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, when I miss the golf ball I am always going to miss it to the right unless it's terrible.

Q. Now, you mean?

FRANK LICKLITER: No.

Q. Back then?

FRANK LICKLITER: Back then, okay. That's part of my DNA. I grew up on a golf course that was a left-to-right golf course. When I miss the ball my ball is going to fall to the right. I am not going to lose that because of what I have done because it has been with me for so long. But what I am doing is going to more neutral to where I can actually move the golf ball right-to-left when I need to which means the back nine on Sunday of a major. And Mr. Sonnier is the one that's helping me do that.

Q. That was the whole reason for the change?

FRANK LICKLITER: Absolutely.

Q. (Inaudible)

FRANK LICKLITER: Absolutely. To give myself a better chance to win majors because I was very limited with what I had before. It's not that I wasn't good, I was just limited.

Q. How much time did you give yourself as far as having all this come together?

FRANK LICKLITER: Randy and I talked about this. And we still talk about this, how much time it might or might not take. Potentially I might be ready sometime this year. At the latest probably, you know, end of my career, I don't know. (Laughter) It depends on how fast I pick this up. So.

Q. Was today an epiphany; that now you picked it up?

FRANK LICKLITER: No, no. No. Today was a lot of really good things happening, especially with the driver. Some pretty cool things happening with the irons and two extreme failures on two par 3s and both of those came when I was into the wind and it was total swing breakdown because I wasn't comfortable enough with what I am doing yet in order to hit those shots.

Q. One of those failures included a good save?

FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, I pitched it, No. 9, missed the green short and to the right and got up-and-down from like 25 yards.

Q. When did you start with this?

FRANK LICKLITER: First day of THE TOUR Championship. Thursday of THE TOUR Championship.

Q. You didn't want to talk about it that day?

FRANK LICKLITER: Nope.

Q. How come? Jinx thing?

FRANK LICKLITER: No, it is because you know, I just, you know, Doug, this is -- like I said, to a guy earlier out there I said, I went for 18 years and never knowing how to grip a golf club. I won a tournament on the PGA Tour not knowing how to grip the golf club. I won a tournament on the PGA TOUR not knowing how to stand at the golf ball. My address position - played golf for 18 years not knowing how to address the golf ball. (Laughs) What is that? (Laughter) I mean, that's -- I feel like a kindergartner. The things that I am learning from Randy are, you know, they are the basics and yet in the basics that he's showing me there are so many fine minute details that are -- I mean, it is just incredible.

Q. Are you concerned that at some point as you are talking about all these little details that go on that you are learning that maybe it's going to go over the top and you are going to be thinking about so much about every little thing that's going on that you are not going to be able to play your game?

FRANK LICKLITER: No. I am an athlete, I am not that smart.

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