MCI HERITAGE

April 17, 2003

Kenny Perry

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Kenny, solid playing today, solid 67, 4-under par puts you in great position for the week. If we could get some openings comments from you.

KENNY PERRY: I only missed one fairway. I think that's the secret to this golf course. I missed the 6 fairway and other than that I just drove it beautiful right down every hole. I left a lot out there. It was a very fun round of golf. It was very easy; not very stressful. I just had a nice day. The golf course is in great shape and there wasn't a lot of wind and it's very scorable. I think somebody this afternoon is going to shoot a really low round.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Talk about the conditions, morning versus afternoon. Obviously tomorrow you will be playing later.

KENNY PERRY: I don't think there's that much of an advantage difference between the morning and afternoon. The greens may dry out a little bit but they are still holding very well. There's not a lot of excess speed, so you can be pretty aggressive on all of the putts.

I think somebody is going to shoot good this afternoon, to tell you the truth.

Q. What is good?

KENNY PERRY: I think somebody will shoot 6- or 7-under, I really do. If I could have putted a little better, that's probably where I would have been.

Q. Can you go through your birdies and bogeys?

KENNY PERRY: I birdied No. 2. I hit a driver and a 2-iron right in front of the green and pitched it up, made about a 4-footer.

5, the par 5, I hit a driver and 3-iron on the green, 2-putted for birdie.

9, I hit a 5-iron and a pitching wedge about six feet short of the hole and birdied. Then I tree putted 11. I missed about a foot, foot-and-a-half putt for my second putt on 11.

Then I hit a 2-iron, wedge, about four feet left of the hole.

15, I hit a driver and 8-iron and a sand wedge about two feet past the hole.

Q. You mentioned hitting 5-iron off the tee on No. 9. Are there many golf holes that you play on TOUR, par 4s --

KENNY PERRY: Might be the only one that you hit mid-iron off of that I know of. I know Muirfield has one but I hit 2-iron off the tee there. 9 is probably the shortest hole we play, I would say.

Q. Do you like it?

KENNY PERRY: It's very difficult. The way the green is laid out and the way the pin is back right, you have to hit it on the left side of the fairway and if the pin is back left, you have to hit it on the right side of the fairway. You have to hit that 5-iron into about a 10 or 15-yard landing area out there.

Q. Are you surprised at the low score so far today?

KENNY PERRY: Not really. Perfect conditions, not a lot of wind, not a lot of speed on the greens so they can be very aggressive. So I think there's going to be a lot of good scores.

Q. Are the greens in good shape, the ball is rolling pretty true?

KENNY PERRY: They seem to roll good. They are a little grainy in my opinion. The ball seems to have a little grain in them, but coming off of Augusta last week, there's quite a bit of contrast between the two.

But they rolled okay. I didn't see them hopping a lot. They just didn't have a lot of speed. I like them a little faster.

Q. Do you ever have back problems?

KENNY PERRY: I've got a herniated L4 disk in my back, yes.

Q. Seems to be the day for guys with back trouble to be up there at the top.

KENNY PERRY: Well, I did it picking up furniture. I didn't do it hitting the golf ball.

Q. When did that happen?

KENNY PERRY: It happened about three years ago.

Q. Other than just picking up furniture is there a story to it?

KENNY PERRY: No, I was just helping my buddy move and my back snapped. As soon as I picked it up, it popped.

Q. What were you picking up?

KENNY PERRY: It was a chest, it was a heavy sucker. (Laughter.)

Q. So has it affected your game? Have you had to adjust or are you okay?

KENNY PERRY: No. I've got no feeling in my right thigh, but that's about it. It didn't bother my golf swing.

Q. Do you move furniture anymore?

KENNY PERRY: No more. (Laughter.)

Q. Do you think the scoring conditions will keep up throughout the weekend?

KENNY PERRY: Do I? I saw the forecast. The wind is going to be very moderate this week. It's supposed to be sunny. Maybe one chance of a little thunderstorm. I think conditions are going to be really good for just a nice week of golf. Somebody is going to shoot real well.

Q. Does that affect your preparation at all? It seems like this time of year, the weather can vary a lot. I remember a couple of years ago it was so windy and cold the first round --

KENNY PERRY: Nice to have a nice week. We had a terrible Sunday at Bay Hill, all rainy, terrible Sunday at THE PLAYERS, it was terrible. Augusta was just mud balls everywhere. I actually had two or three mud balls here today, but the ball -- it's kind of soft out there. If they firm those fairways up a little bit, it will make them play narrower than they are. The ball is kind of hitting and plugging so it's really not running out.

Q. So much talk last week about how the weather changed the nature of Augusta National. Is that the case here or is that more the wind here that changes things?

KENNY PERRY: Well, the wind has always swirled here. You have to be careful how the winds shifts through those trees out there. It's pretty tricky. You know, it's just a neat little place. You really have to position your golf ball here and you've got to really -- you've got to think and you've got to execute your shots. You've really got to plan how to hit them and be committed to them.

Q. When the wind swirls, does it help to have played here and be familiar with it or is it a thing where there's just so many variables giving everybody fits?

KENNY PERRY: Well, that's a good question. Experience is always important. I mean, I've been out here 17 years and I've played here a lot, so I know this golf course very well. So I guess that would be a very good point. I've played them under swirling conditions, so probably would have more of an edge than the younger guys.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Kenny, thank you and good luck.

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