BANK OF AMERICA COLONIAL

May 24, 2003

Kenny Perry

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Like to welcome Kenny Perry to the interview room. Kenny, you're the 54 hole leader at the Bank of America Colonial, thanks for joining us for a couple minutes. Great round today. 61 ties the course record. Most recently by Greg Kraft in 1999. You also broke the 54 hole record of 195 with a 193 total. You're still obviously have a lot of work to do tomorrow, but if you would give some opening comments about your round today it was fantastic.

KENNY PERRY: Well I tell you what, guys, I was hanging around and I saw Loren Roberts birdie the first three holes before I teed off. And that kind of got me in the mind set and sure enough I went out there and I birdied the first three holes. That kind of got me off to a great start. It relaxed me and it kind of got me in that mode, that birdie mode. And I never seen a day where I was as calm as I was for 18 holes. And for every iron I hit seemed like every one went at the flag. I just had birdie putts after birdie putts after birdie putts out there. I didn't chip any, I think I missed two greens, but both of those greens I missed I was able to putt. And actually I left one hanging on the lip, so it was just a -- I've shot some course records that have been broke, but I shot 63 at Muirfield and I shot 62 at Riviera, which still may be the record there. But when I walked off the green there I felt like I did about as good as I could. Where today I felt like I could have shot in the 50s today. And I didn't know if that was possible or not. And to have a round like that, well it's just pretty unbelievable really. It was just a good day for me.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Last year Nick Price had a five stroke lead going into the final round, you finished tied for second to Nick. Obviously you're hoping to do the same thing he did last year, go out and play a solid round and kind of close people out early, I'm sure.

KENNY PERRY: Well it's the kind of golf course where it's really hard to catch up on it. You got the Horseshoe, which is very difficult. And I was able to play those holes great today. Hopefully I don't get too conservative tomorrow. I want to play the same kind of golf I played today. I drove the ball beautifully. And there's a few holes where you could possibly hit iron off the tee but I elected to hit driver. I was very aggressive today and I was able to hit the fairway and set up birdies.

Especially like hole 7. I to hit 2-iron there last year and today I hit driver and a sand wedge about three feet from the hole. So I don't know what I'm going to feel like tomorrow. I've never been in a golf tournament where I've had this kind of lead. So it's all going to be a new experience for me. But hopefully my 17 years experience will get me through it. I told my caddy Freddie, I never had my rhythm is better this week than I've ever had it in my life. I feel like I'm swinging real easy at it and the ball is really going far. And it was just very simple out there for me today. I don't know, I guess I was they talk about the zone thing, and whatever it was, I was in it today. It was just very easy for me today.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: We'll take some questions now.

Q. Did you allow yourself to think about the 59?

KENNY PERRY: I did.

Q. If you did, when?

KENNY PERRY: When I had the birdie putt on 15. I'm thinking, if I can make this putt I've got a very good shot at shooting 59. Then I hit it close on 16 and missed it. And missed that putt on 15. After I missed that little putt on 16 I knew it was virtually impossible. But I was able to birdie 17 and still thought it was in my mind to hole my pitching wedge on the last hole. So it was possible.

Q. Talk about the zone that you were in today. What was the last time you ever remember being in a zone like were you today?

KENNY PERRY: It was definitely at the Buick when I won in 2000 up in Flint. I shot 29 on the back nine finishing on Friday or was it -- well whatever, I shot two back to back 29s. I shot 29 on the day I ended and then the next morning I opened you know on the front nine with 29. So it was that was the last time I can remember every putt was true and straight and seemed like where I'm looking the ball is going. And it just ended up shooting 24, 25, 26 under. I don't remember what it was. Made a lot of birdies.

Q. Obviously baseball there's stories in the dugouts when you get close to a perfect game or a no hitter there's not a lot of talking going on. Obviously you had to talk to your caddy, but was any of that going on out there?

KENNY PERRY: We were talking a lot. I was mentioning it, he was saying he wasn't worried about it. He said just keep making birdies. It will happen if it happens. But me and him, we communicate a lot out there.

Q. You talked about your course records and your rhythm as being so good. Have you ever had a better ball striking round?

KENNY PERRY: Never. I don't remember I don't know if I missed a fairway today. I don't remember hitting one -- oh, I did on 6. I hit it in the left fairway bunker on 6. But other than that, I remember every ball was in the fairway and every iron was at the flag. I can't remember holding it together that many holes in a row consecutively for one round of golf. I've had stretches where you have 6, 7, 8 holes pretty good. But I don't remember having this many.

Q. What did you say to your caddy after that putt went by on 18 there?

KENNY PERRY: We were just talking about the read. I played it a ball out and we thought we made it. And it didn't break a bit. He was as surprised as I was that the ball didn't turn to the right into the hole.

Q. Did you get a break on nine and need one to have a round like this? Your tee shot on nine there?

KENNY PERRY: I hit it hard. I hit a good hard low boring 2-iron. It started a little right but it was still drawing. And I don't think it hit anything, did it? I think it was going right down the right side of the fairway. It could have hit and jumped over to the right. But it just stayed on the path it was going. Actually I was in a good spot. I had 154 to the hole I was able to hit an 8-iron up on that top plateau and make birdie.

Q. Number 1 and number 10 starts tomorrow given a night of weather, at 10:15 in the morning, does that do anything to change your preparation about what time of day you would start?

KENNY PERRY: They're going to be two tees tomorrow?

Q. That's what we were told.

KENNY PERRY: No, actually, no. The pace of play will be different. That's the only thing if you're playing in threesomes instead of twosomes. Actually it will feel more like a Thursday, Friday round instead of a Saturday, Sunday round.

Q. Is that good?

KENNY PERRY: It can be. It just depends on the players in your group. Hopefully you got players that play the same pace you do. I get along with all the guys out here. I don't have no trouble with anybody. So if we're going to play 3s tomorrow if that's what I got to deal with, that's what I'm going to deal with.

Q. You shot 64 yesterday, you were co-leader, and hardly anybody paid attention. Was that at all bothersome to you?

KENNY PERRY: No. They have never paid attention to me anyway. So it doesn't matter to me at all.

(Laughter.).

Q. You mentioned yesterday nobody was really with you there were maybe 10, 12 people following you around. A little more energy today?

KENNY PERRY: Oh, the people here in Fort Worth are great. They cheered me really hard from the 10th tee on. I really felt a lot of support from the gallery today. You don't get that much. I'm a lesser known player out here. But yet I've earned my way. I paid my dues out here. And it was nice to finally have the crowd on my side for once. And they were really rooting hard for me. And they all kept saying, make another birdie, come on, 59, you can shoot 59. That kind of kept all that notion in my head too. So it kept me going.

Q. Obviously having the big lead is great, playing well today was great, but how important is it, you've been out here long enough, to shoot a 59? Is it a big thing to you or is it just a number?

KENNY PERRY: Well I think it's a score it's almost unobtainable. It's just a perfect round of golf. If you can shoot 59. I was able to do it in a tournament it was a mini-tour event back home. And it was a pro event. I shot 59. But it wasn't a TOUR event by no means. And didn't have the course conditions we're playing now. But it just shows it's a perfect round, you're mentally focused for 18 holes. You don't get in the way of yourself. And I was able to be relaxed and be free and be able to attack each hole. And actually I almost pulled off a perfect round.

Q. For those of us who don't get to see you play every week, is that shirt kind of a trademark or something?

KENNY PERRY: No, Tabasco pays me money to wear these things, so I'm going to wear them.

(Laughter.).

Q. Do you have any of them that look good, any of them that match plaid?

KENNY PERRY: Match plaid?

Q. Or are they all landscape seasons?

KENNY PERRY: No, I tell what you, it gives me some color. My wife likes them she said I used to wear all those solid colors and I was the pretty blah out there. She says it finally gives me some color out there.

Q. There were three really, you nearly made them on 12, 15 and 16. Would you talk about the distance on those and what you, what happened on those?

KENNY PERRY: Well, 12, I had 126 to the hole and my pitching wedge hit in the middle of the green and spun back to the front. I had a 35 footer and it hung on the lip. If it would have made one more half a revolution it would have went in the hole. That's just the kind of putt you're trying to lag up there and two putt and get your par and go on. But I really hit a great 9-iron. I pulled it just a hair on 15, ended up probably 12 feet left of the hole. And that's a putt I never had before on that hole. Usually I'm right of the flag, but I was left of the flag and it looked downhill to me. And I actually hit a good putt what I thought was speed-wise, but I hit it too easy and it came up short. If I had the correct pace on that putt, it would have went in. I had it on line.

And then 16, great 6-iron, we had like 194. And a 6-iron. It looked like it had a chance to go in the hole there as it went by. And that's a tough little putt it was probably a 10-footer with probably 6 inches of break to it. And I just didn't hit it firm enough and it broke low. Didn't go in.

Q. It's almost happening so often it's not even a story any more, but yourself, Hal Sutton, Jeff Sluman are the guys winning out on the TOUR this year, the veterans, can you speak to why this year is the year?

KENNY PERRY: Well the rookies had it last year. We're fighting back this year. You know what? A lot of the guys keep themselves in good shape now. And with equipment and technology, we're all hitting it plenty far enough. And I think with the older fellows it's a matter of having a little discipline, getting out their working at it a little bit. Hal Sutton's had a great career, Jeff Sluman has had a great career, it's just a matter of motivation that guys have to want to win. And that's still a goal of mine to want to win again. And hopefully I can achieve that tomorrow.

Q. Tell us a little bit more about that 59 you did shoot once. Where was it and what you had to do get on the 18th to get it.

KENNY PERRY: On 18 there I actually had to make par. It was a par 70 golf course. Just like here. And I was 11-under playing the 18th hole. All I had to do was make par. It was called the Capital City in Nashville, Tennessee was the name of the tournament. It was just a pro-am event. Two day event. Or no it was a three day event. I think I shot 59, 66, 67 and won by about nine, I think.

Q. When was it?

KENNY PERRY: Oh, man. That was back I want to say '81 or '82. Somewhere in that era. Yeah.

Q. The name of the course? You said?

KENNY PERRY: McCabe.

Q. It's not a Major championship, but Hogan's Alley is one of the great tracks in golf. Could you talk about what the Colonial means to you and that?

KENNY PERRY: Tremendous history. With Mr. Hogan here, it would be an honor for me to win his tournament and be on that wall. I like getting on that first tee and looking at that wall. Your name is engraved there forever. I was fortunate enough to win Jack's tournament, The Memorial. I thought that was pretty special. I pushed really hard to try to win Bay Hill this year. I wanted to win Arnie's tournament. I finished second at Arnie's tournament this year, so I was close. So it's pretty neat to win places where there's a lot of tradition, a lot of history. It just means a lot to me personally.

Q. While we speak about the lead that you have, what's the biggest lead you've ever lost and do you remember where that was?

KENNY PERRY: I haven't had too many leads out here.

(Laughter.) That's a good question. I don't know, tell you the truth. I don't think I've ever had a lead -- I had a big lead at the Buick when I won. And that's the biggest lead I remember. I think I had a five stroke lead at the Buick in 2001. And was able to win, I don't know, I won by two or three. I didn't win by the same margin I started out with. That's about the only one I can remember.

Q. The W is important, obviously, but what about breaking the overall tournament record. You've already got it right now. By just shooting par tomorrow?

KENNY PERRY: Well that's not a concern of mine. That would be a nice thing. That would just be another feather in your cap. But whatever it takes for me to win tomorrow that's all I'm going to try to do and get that W. Because a win's everything out here and it means so much to you personally and it just opens a lot of doors and it just is just a neat feeling to be on top.

Q. Why do you play so well here? Last year second, does this course just suit you?

KENNY PERRY: I guess it does. I just feel very comfortable. Optically when I'm looking at the holes in my mind they set up good. I feel very free and very relaxed when I'm swinging the golf club. I don't know, I hit it far enough and I hit it pretty straight. And I think this is the kind of golf course where you got to hit the fairways to where you can attack these little greens. And I was able to hit a lot of fairways these past three days.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Go over your nine birdies and then we'll take one or two more quick questions. You said you birdied the first three holes.

KENNY PERRY: First hole I hit a driver and a 3-iron on the back of the green and putted up to an inch from the hole. Almost made it. If it would have rolled one more roll it would have gone in for eagle.

Q. How long was that?

KENNY PERRY: I would say it was about 35 feet.

2, I hit a driver sand wedge about 10 feet past the hole.

3, I hit a driver 9-iron about three feet past the hole. For birdie.

7, I hit a driver and a sand wedge about three feet.

8, I hit a 6-iron about 8 feet left of the hole. Was able to make that.

And 9, I hit a 2-iron and 8-iron about two feet left of the hole and made that one.

11, I hit driver, 3-wood in the front bunker. And blasted it about five feet past. Was able to make that.

14, I hit a beautiful drive and I hit an 8-iron probably 6 feet left of the hole. Made that.

Then 17 I hit a 3-iron and an 8-iron probably five feet right of the hole for that one.

Q. What did you hit on 16?

KENNY PERRY: I hit a 6-iron. I had 194.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: That was to about 10 feet.

KENNY PERRY: Yeah.

Q. How many times you been coming here?

KENNY PERRY: This is probably out of my 17 years, I've got to believe this is about 13 or 14. Because in my rookie years I didn't qualify for this event. But it's somewhere around there. I would say in that area.

Q. We asked this to everybody pretty much today, has the circus left town? Have you noticed that it was a different course today, a different atmosphere?

KENNY PERRY: No. Well, I had a huge gallery . I think they're still hanging around. And I hope they do. I thought they were great today. I loved being out there with them. There was a lot of high fiveing, a lot of cheering, and they called my name out a lot. And that's probably the biggest gallery I've had in a long time.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Kenny Perry, thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow.

KENNY PERRY: Okay. Thank you.

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