BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC

January 20, 2000

David Toms

DAVID TOMS: Well, the game is in pretty good shape. I'm still not driving the ball like I'd like to. I don't know if I'm still rusty from the winter or not, but I played well today on the front side, and just didn't make any putts at all. And I turned at 2-under par, and then I birdied -- what did I birdie? 12, I hit a 7-iron, probably a couple feet from the hole. And then I hit it out of bounds, left, on No. 13, the par 5. So I've got a hole I can almost reach it in 2, an easy birdie hole, and I made double-bogey -- kind of slowed me down but I came back with a birdie on the next hole, so nice comeback there. And then birdied 18.

DAVID TOMS: Yeah, it was just I hit a bad shot. One of my amateur partners said, "I wish could I trade my par for your double." It wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last. I just lost my train of thought on it and put it out of bounds. Those things happen, especially in a 90-hole tournament, something like that is going to happen, and I hope that's the only time it does this week.

DAVID TOMS: Well, you meet some interesting people. And the last two days, I've had a couple of great groups to play with, a lot of conversation. Some groups -- you play with guys that don't talk much, kind of stay out of your way. But I've enjoyed the two groups I've had this week, and I think it's shown in the way I've played. But, you know, it's a different atmosphere than normal, obviously, the Pro-Am side of it. But like I said, if you get along well with the amateurs you play with -- sometimes you tend to -- you have a good time out there, and you talk to them a lot, and it gives you something to do in between shots where a lot of times, if we're playing with a couple of pros and you're not talking too much, your minds is all over the place in between shots. Sometimes it's better to get away from it a little bit walking down the fairway.

DAVID TOMS: Well, fortunately yesterday, I made two eagles, so that helped to get to 9-under par. And then today, I played -- I played well, other than the tee ball -- iron shots, I've had a lot of good birdie putts, and I think that's why I've scored well so far. And I think if I can get the driver in play a little bit better the next three days, then maybe come Sunday, I'll be right in the hunt.

DAVID TOMS: With the weather like it's been, I would not say any of the courses are difficult. I think Indian Wells, as long as you keep it in play -- I mean, Indian Wells, you can make a big number quick, because it's tight. If you can keep it in play there, it obviously plays easier because of some the greens are short, and the greens are pretty flat, and you've got some par 5s that you can reach in 2. Where the other courses, the par 5s are a little bit longer. I'm trying to think, other than the 18th hole on this golf course, there's not a par 5 that I can reach on this course. So that makes the golf course play a couple of shots harder than it might for some other players that are longer hitters. So I've never played extremely well on this golf course, and maybe I can figure it out come Sunday.

DAVID TOMS: Yes, probably a few. I was shocked over the winter and late in the fall how many people I would run into at the airport and who would say, "Great playing this year." I had no clue who they were, but they obviously knew who I was. Little things like that have been different. But my hometown, I guess, you know everybody has always known me, that I can play golf well, and everybody knows who you are. Maybe I'm treated a little bit different outside my particular region that I live in. But as far as opportunities outside, you know, I've had a few, but nothing tremendous or, you know, no endorsement deals that you're going to read about in the newspaper or anything like that. I think if I keep getting better, maybe those things will come.

DAVID TOMS: No, it really wasn't. I struggled with reading the putts. I don't know if it's Indio or what it is, but the ball is just not rolling like I think. You know, I'm totally misreading putts. When I think it's going to go left it might go right. I'm having trouble with it. I don't know if -- I don't know what I'm going to do on Sunday here. Even in the practice round on this golf course, I had trouble. You know, I just didn't see the putts like I normally do. Maybe I'll look up on Sunday and I'll push a couple or pull a couple and they will go in when I don't expect them to.