BUICK OPEN

August 10, 2001

Kenny Perry

KENNY PERRY: Well, I tell you, it was a great day for me. I told my caddie after the 3rd hole I knew I was playing well. I have had, I guess, four Top-10s out of my last six weeks, finished 11th last week at The INTERNATIONAL. And I just felt really good about my golf game, and when I birdied the first three holes I looked at my caddie, Freddie, I said, my game is ready to run. I just really felt comfortable about what I was doing, about the way my golf swing felt, and I felt like I was going to make a lot of birdies. Ended up birdieing the 5th hole when I birdied 7, 8, 9 to shoot 29, I started thinking crazy numbers, I guess I started thinking 58 and 59 started coming in my head, that's how good I felt about my golf game. I think pace of play slowed down a little bit on the back nine. We started jamming up on that par 5 about No. 12, 13, I kind of got a little out of rhythm but all and all it was a great day. Can't complain, I don't like to end on a bogey on the last hole but that's not an easy golf hole. So 64, get ready for the weekend.

KENNY PERRY: Yeah, my birthday today. So my wife told me last night to go out there and give yourself a good birthday present. So I guess I did.

KENNY PERRY: No, she told me on the phone last night.

KENNY PERRY: I think so a little bit. I hit it close on 10 and 11 and just missed putts there. Then I birdied 12 and 13, I hit it about 20 feet for eagle and 2-putted for birdie. And then 14 I drove it in the left bunker, well just out of the bunker kind of not in a good spot, chipped it to about eight feet, hit a terrific shot and didn't make birdie there. So it hurt. I didn't make birdie on 16 either, hit 3-wood right in the front green-side bunker, hit a poor bunker shot to about 15, 18 feet, so normally I hit those closer than that. I hit a pretty poor shot. But 17, 18 are tough finishing holes, so, they kept me from birdieing. Hit a poor drive on 18, but I played better on the back nine yesterday than I did -- I shoot 66, I think I shot 32 on the back yesterday. Had a better front today and a better back yesterday.

KENNY PERRY: Well, I have switched to a new set of irons, they are called 360s by Taylor Made, seemed like ever since I put those in the bag I have been hitting a lot of real good iron shots and they seem very easy to hit. Look very good optically to me. I feel very comfortable over them. I switched to the 320 driver and I am hitting it further and I guess I am second on the Tour in total driving. So I think it's been a little bit of equipment change helped me a lot, and I think I am just settling down starting to play some -- my swing has come back. I don't know why. I kind of got -- my last win was I think in 1995 there for a couple years, I kind of -- I was making -- you know I was making my card and keeping my job, but I just wasn't quite getting in the top. Just here within the last year I started getting up on the leaderboard; I am starting to want to win again. I think I am hungry then and I think that's the reason why my play has gotten better.

KENNY PERRY: I thought if I could get through 14, if I could maybe slip in an eagle or birdie 12, 13, 14, I thought I had a pretty decent chance. And then when I didn't birdie 14, thought kind of left my mind after 14, I just started trying -- 15 is a tough par 4. And 17 and 18 are pretty tough little holes. So once I didn't make eagle on 13 or 14, I thought, well, we just need to try to make some birdies, or pars and just go on get that notion out of your head.

KENNY PERRY: That's kind of the number to want to shoot, only been done twice.

KENNY PERRY: Golf course is doing well.

KENNY PERRY: My brother-in-law runs it, me and him did the whole project. We built it and he runs it, and I don't really have a lot to do with it. I don't want those numbers in my head. I just know I have got a family working there, my daughter, she's 17, she's working out of there. She's co-opping out of high school so I have got her working behind the counter. I don't want to think a lot about that. I just want to concentrate strictly on the Tour what I am doing here. If I decide to leave the Tour then I will focus in on my golf course.

KENNY PERRY: Yeah, hanging on the lip.

KENNY PERRY: 10 was a good putt. I played it probably 3, four inches right-to-left. It was just outside right. It just missed, so I played a little bit too much -- it was a good speed, almost went in.

KENNY PERRY: Yeah, still have to play two more rounds.