MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 5, 2002

Kenny Perry

TODD BUDNICK: Kenny Perry, two under 71 today, tied for the lead heading into the final round. Tell us about your day.

KENNY PERRY: Well, I guess, like everybody, it was just a day of survival out there. I played great. I hit 17 greens. I missed one green. I hit it, and it just came off into the fringe. I gave myself a lot of opportunities.

I was very happy with my round, very happy with my performance. I'm excited with the way I'm hitting the golf ball. I'm driving it well, hitting my irons solid, putting well. Couple blunders coming in. I 3-putted the 6th hole for bogey and 3-putted the 18th for par.

All in all, I played great. I mean, I had a lot of opportunities. I couldn't get them in. I don't know how you guys made any putts. I was trying to keep my putter above the ball and not ground it. That ball was vibrating. It looked like it was going to move to me.

I felt pretty uncomfortable. I tried to widen my stance a little bit more, tried to get solid over the putter. I'm sure a lot of guys struggled out there today. It's hard to figure out the grain when you've got that much wind. The wind is blowing the ball everywhere out there. It was just a day of survival. I'm pretty pleased with the position I'm in.

Q. Supposed to be grinding this hard in the first tournament of the year?

KENNY PERRY: No. I said yesterday, "I just want to have fun." There was not much fun out there today. It was survival on every golf shot. A lot of pressure. I mean, you knew if you didn't hit that ball solid, the wind was going to magnify it and really blow it way off line. I hit the ball terrific. I was proud of the way I hit it.

Q. This is the kind of wind that will expose you if you're not hitting it?

KENNY PERRY: That's exactly right. When I hit a good drive and a 3-iron 20 feet past the hole, I knew I was ready to go. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I made, what, a couple birdies, three birdies and a bogey? My birdies, I didn't make anything over six feet with my birdies. I really didn't make a putt today, but I got it around. That's all that matters.

Q. You worn out?

KENNY PERRY: Pretty tired, yeah. I'll sleep good tonight.

Q. Did you always think you were a good wind player? You guys always think you're pretty good in any condition. Would you call yourself a good wind player?

KENNY PERRY: I don't play in the wind a lot. I'm not from Florida or Texas, not grown up in the wind. The key to the wind is just to always hit it solid. Seems like if you can hit it solid, you can drive it through the wind. I was fortunate. I didn't miss-hit any balls into the wind. Hit it pretty solid.

Q. Back home if it was blowing like this?

KENNY PERRY: Wouldn't play.

TODD BUDNICK: You're the second one to say that. Let's go through the birdies.

KENNY PERRY: 3, driver, sand wedge. I was about eight feet, made it for birdie.

9, I hit it in two, 2-putted. I hit a 2-iron off the tee, a 2-iron on the green.

13, I hit a driver and a sand wedge about ten feet right of the hole, made that.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, sir.

KENNY PERRY: You got it.

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