BUICK OPEN

August 12, 2000

Chris Perry

CHRIS PERRY: It is a moving day, very good. I started 6 behind and pretty much this tournament someone comes from kind of behind, either Saturday or Sunday, you get back into it. I don't know how far back-pretty much of an idea of what the winning score is going to be -- I am just playing the golf course. I don't look at the leaderboard too much with what is going on. There is a long way to go. Even if I had a 5-shot lead, whoever -- someone can catch anybody once they get catch on fire because you can make some birdies on this golf course. If you are hitting the ball solid, you are going to have a lot of opportunities and I have been playing really well, so I am looking forward -- I finally made a few putts today. First day I played super as well, but even though I shot 5-under I felt like I had left a few out there. Hopefully I can shoot 4-, 5-, 6-under tomorrow. Somebody would have to shoot a really, really low round -- it is just one at a time. Today I got off to a good start with a good drive. Birdied 1. Hit a great sand shot to about five feet. 2, made a nice second putt. Just short made about 6-footer for par. Parred 3. Lipped out on 4. Made a good putt on 5 for birdie from about 16 feet. Made about a 12-footer on 6. 7, I kind of hooked my drive. I only hit about 10 hooks a year, hit it left; had to play down the left side. It was a 9-iron; had like 210 yards. Hit it in the front bunker; hit it about eight feet missed that, bogey. Parred 8. 9, I drove it to the right in the trees a little bit. Narrow fairway. Made about 8-, 9-footer for par which was kind of a saver there because it kept my momentum really going, going into the back nine. I think you really have to score -- 10 through 14, you have got to make some birdies. Pushed my drive on 10 in the rough; made a nice par; almost made birdie. Good up-and-down on 11 from over the green. 12, I hit it about 30 yards from the front, chipped it just to the left about eight, nine feet, made that. 13, the par 5, I didn't hit a big drive, but I still went for the green. It went under the tree; hit it to the left of the bunker pin-high; chipped it about four and a half feet; made that. Then Vijay and Skip Kendall (inaudible) -- They had the tee up about 15 - probably 295 to the front and I hit it on just a perfect shot, just dead straight about -- I had about a 45-footer. I rolled it in for a 2. So Tiger probably hit 2-iron on the green (laughs). 295 to the front, I probably hit it about 310, 315. 45 feet. 15, really good drive, great 6-iron to about 18 feet almost made that, but it went by about three or four feet. Good putt coming back. 16, little out of my range, laid it up with a 5-iron; had 92 yards. Hit it about, I guess, I was about twelve feet behind the hole downhill left-to-right, made that. I really hit a good shot on 16. Wind came -- 17, came up, and knocked it in the front bunker and hit my bunker shot a little too hard had a downhill slider left-to-right 10-, 12-footer, made that. That was a huge putt because the green doesn't have a lot of grass on it. Probably the fastest green. 18, drive down the left side, nice draw. I had an angle into the pin. I hit pitching wedge in, had about, I don't know, 18-footer and that was a little faster -- I just left it five inches to the right of the hole just a little short. If I can shoot a round like that tomorrow it will be tough -- I am looking forward to the challenge. I have got some goals that I wanted to reach; now I am in a position to hopefully do that. Probably going to wash my outfit and wear the same one.

CHRIS PERRY: No, not going to do that. I not going to put that extra added pressure on me of (inaudible) more than they are already.

CHRIS PERRY: I think guys are probably, you know, within 6 of the lead usually. I am sure a couple of times guys have come back from 6 or 7 behind. Because you can really get it going. You get in a rhythm and momentum where sometimes some guys have been leading and shot a 72 or 73. It is -- if you are not right on, you are going to make -- start hitting into it these trees; off the tees you are not going to make birdies. You are going to make a few bogeys. Can't hit it in middle of the green and have 40-footers; not going to make any birdies that way. A lot of guys bunched up. I am going to play like I am three or four behind tomorrow. That is the way I am going to play. I know I am just in the position where I can kind of see what is going on once we get into -- around the 15th hole or so, 14, hopefully I won't have to take a lot of chances to -- but I know I have to play a good round. To shoot 72 tomorrow you are not going to win.

CHRIS PERRY: Don't even know where Tiger is 6. You know Tiger is going to shoot well. He is capable of shooting 10- or 11-under on this golf course. There is a lot of par 3s out there for him.

CHRIS PERRY: It comes down to all 18 holes. I mean, you got to -- look what Skip Kendall did today double-bogey, bogey, and I saw he was at 4-under. Next thing I know he is 11-under, done; played the last six holes 7-under. That can happen. Probably never been done too much around here. It can be done. There is a lot of high-profiled players up there on the leaderboard and you know those guys are accustomed to being in that position, so I am just going to play my game and where I finish is where I finish.

CHRIS PERRY: I always put the right sock on first.

CHRIS PERRY: Never done that before, but yeah, I am kind of considering that because all I got is a lot of red left and I have (inaudible) --

CHRIS PERRY: I am hitting it real solid.

CHRIS PERRY: Just when you got everything, timing just right, I mean, off the tee I am pretty aggressive around here where it is almost driver every hole except for No. 4 when it is downwind, you kind of run out of fairway there so I hit my 4-wood off the tee. But pretty much 12 and 14, I am trying to knock it up as close to the green if not on and the par 5s, the ones on the back nine -- well, not 13, but 7 and 16 have been into the wind. They are a little out of my range being into the wind. I really can't quite get to those. If I bomb 2 I can maybe get it to the front edge. But you have got to hit it in the fairway here too. You can get away with a little bit, but there -- the trees aren't too far off. Just continue to play real aggressive and hopefully I will have the putter rolling.

CHRIS PERRY: Still a lot of people out there. You can hear the roars. Phil had a great round today, I don't know, 6- or 7-under -- 6-under today. Yeah, great players and there is a guy that is very aggressive and plays to win every time he goes out which a lot of us do, but they seem to come through -- a little bit more accustomed to the challenge and a little more comfortable in that situation.

CHRIS PERRY: I was 2 behind going in.

CHRIS PERRY: If I am in the lead, I am in the lead, I am in the lead. I mean, that is just one less, you know, one more mistake maybe I can make, but I know I have to shoot a good round to make it. As I said, 72 is not going to win this tournament so you have got to go out and have a real good round.

CHRIS PERRY: Well, always is to win during the year, but to still play consistent -- consistency really has always been my forte, always been real consistent, make a lot of cuts; a lot of Top-10s and that, but I just haven't quite either hit a few more fairways or few more greens for the whole week to be right in there, as far as having a chance to win.

CHRIS PERRY: Yeah, well, I mean, obviously to win is No. 1. Top-30 is another goal to make that and I just missed making the Ryder Cup team last year, so my goal really with two events left is hopefully to make a run at The Presidents Cup.

CHRIS PERRY: I think I am like 15th because this year the points or the money is doubled. If the money would have been doubled last year, I would be on it, no problem. But that is not the way the rules are so, so I have got two more weeks to -- I probably have to win or I don't know, finish -- a couple of Top 5s, I don't really know.

CHRIS PERRY: You know I told him last year at The INTERNATIONAL I just wanted to let him know, congratulations on being chosen Captain and hopefully I will be there with you because I told him - looked right in his eyes, I said, that is my goal not only to win, but to make the team. If I don't that just means I have got to work that much harder to fulfill another goal which would be the Ryder Cup the next year. Pretty high goal but it is attainable. I still have it in sight. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But I think it would be pretty neat to be a part of the team concept when you are accustomed to always playing by yourself and for yourself. It will be kind of cool -- even though I wasn't on the Ryder Cup team, I have a lot of pride for those guys watching them play that tournament. I remember I was at an OSU football game and pre-game we were at the one of the places watching all the matches before we went into the game. It was a great thrill for all Americans to watch that great comeback.