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WACHOVIA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 5, 2005

Kenny Perry

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

JOE CHEMYCZ: First off, Kenny Perry, job well done last week at Colonial. You admitted last week's victory was a lot more emotional than two years ago; why was that?

CHRIS REIMER: 14.

KENNY PERRY: Little short hole on the back side. Like where everybody was looking with the driver, that's where I could hit it, and that was just kind of the tone for the day, and I was able to hit a few chips close, make a few putts and it was just a good solid round.

Q. Firmer and faster out here this year. Is it a different golf course than you've seen here before?

KENNY PERRY: Well, I didn't play last year. I heard they had rough last year. I was here two years ago when they had serious rough. As firm as these fairways are, if they would have had rough, this would have been a very difficult test. But the ones I did hit into the rough, you know, I actually hit good drives and they just kind of bowled right on out of the fairway and just got into the rough. The lies weren't very bad and I was able to hit a normal shot right on the green.

I think that's where you'll see the difference from last year to this year. The scores will probably be better because guys will be more aggressive. They will probably be hitting tighter lines, not lay up as much and get it as far out there as they can get it to where they can have a shorter shot into the green.

Q. Any one shot get it going for you today or just sort of a steady progression?

KENNY PERRY: Yeah, I really -- I birdied the first hole, 10, right out of the gate. I hit it right on the front fringe. That's probably a 580 par 5, but it's kind of down. The fairways are so fast. If you hit the fairway, the balls are just going forever. I made birdie on the first hole, so that was kind of a nice way to start the day.

The shot of the day for me was 17. The wind was left-to-right into our face and I hit a 5-iron in there six feet left of the hole, and the pin is front left and I was able to make birdie there. I ended up shooting 33 on the back nine, to be my front nine.

Then I made a couple birdies to get it to 5, and I bogeyed the last hole, missed about a three-footer. All in all, I can't complain. It's a good day.

CHRIS REIMER: Joey talked about the wind making the holes like 9 and 18 a little more difficult. Did that have any effect on anything for you?

KENNY PERRY: You know, I'm tired of wearing a sweater. I'm ready to wear short-sleeved shirts. That northeasterly wind makes those two finishing holes very demanding, very difficult. I don't remember many times where I have to hit a wood into a par 4, and the 9th hole I hit 230, killed a drive, still had 230 into the wind to the hole. I hit like little Rescue club. It's like a 1-iron, but it didn't get there. It's pretty rough when you can't -- poor Fred Funk, he was in my group today and he was hitting 3-wood into those holes.

But it's going to rotate around. I guess it's going to be warmer on the weekend so the golf course will change again come the weekend.

CHRIS REIMER: We just want to go through your club selections here. Started out with the birdie on 10.

KENNY PERRY: I hit it on the front fringe and just chipped it up there to a couple feet.

Bogey on 13, I hit it short, 5-iron, chipped it long and two-putted for bogey.

Birdie on 14, I drove it on the front fringe of the green and chipped it up there to a couple feet.

Birdie on 16, I hit a driver, 8-iron about eight feet, just below the hole, made a nice putt there.

17, hit a 5-iron to about six feet left of the hole.

Then No. 6, par 3, I hit a Rescue about 30 feet away and made a snake, made a big curler. It probably broke eight feet, went right in.

Then another birdie on 7, the par 5, hit a driver, 7-iron about 15 feet, 20 feet left of the hole and two-putted. That hole is playing -- that was unbelievable. I only had 175 yards. That hole usually plays a lot longer.

9 I hit driver, Rescue, front fringe, chipped it up about three feet, missed it.

CHRIS REIMER: Good luck. Thank you, Kenny.

End of FastScripts.

KENNY PERRY: I mean, I think it was the people, it is the tournament, it is the history there. I just I have really got to know the whole staff. I got to know the guys in the plaid jackets. I have been with them two years, I know them personally. I know how much they love that place. And how much love is there.

It wasn't exactly I was playing for myself, they inspired me to play for them. It was awesome. They were all coming up giving me high fives, saying, "we love to have you back as our defending champion." That is more special.

Q. One more win at Colonial, or maybe 2 more wins at Colonial before the Kenny Perry statue goes next to the Ben Hogan?

KENNY PERRY: He won 5 times. I doubt that will happen. I think there has only been ten multiple winners, and nine of them only nine with double wins. And Ben has got 5. So if I can get three, that would put me ahead of eight other guys. I would be second, and that would be cool.

Q. Talk about coming here this week. Golf is cruel. Kind of like, "what have you done for me lately?" Your win last week was an easy win on the scorecard. You show up tomorrow morning, the bell rings, it is a whole new week?

KENNY PERRY: Exactly. You know, you can go in a slump. You catch lightening in a bottle and you are back on top of that mountain. I was able to get there. That is twice this year I was able to win.

Tomorrow I will get there and settle down, and come off this high, and try to hit quality golf shots. Get back in the flow of things, and get back in the rhythm of it. See if I can get there and win another golf tournament. I don't know if it is possible with the changes and conditions at this golf course. It made it longer, tougher. They changed the surface on the greens to Bermuda. I've never been a good putter with Bermuda. I was struggling today on the green. My speed was fine, but the reading of the greens wasn't good. I have to figure, hopefully Andy and I, my caddy, can figure it out tomorrow.

Hopefully, I will hit it closer today so I don't have to struggle as much. It is a fickle game. That is why I love this game. One week is great, one week may not be. You keep plugging a lot, that is all you can do.

Q. Couple of things on the rise, President's Cup obviously, Ryder Cup, Tom Lehman, the captain. I am sure the two events are on the back of your mind?

KENNY PERRY: Very much so. I was plugging Tom last week. It was on Wednesday he looked at me, he said, "KP, how are you playing?" I said, "I am playing good." I looked at him and said, "I am playing good this week." He says, "you are?" I ended up winning and I saw him in the locker room. He said, "you were not kidding about playing good, were you?"

KENNY PERRY: I am trying to put a plug in there to get on that Ryder Cup team. That would be a goal. Looks like I made enough money to play on the President's Cup this year. So I am looking forward to that. We will have a good time.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Thanks for your time. Good luck.

End of FastScripts.

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