THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

May 25, 2000

Kenny Perry

KENNY PERRY: You know, early in the round the golf course was tough. It seemed like from holes 13 in -- when you made the turn from 13 in, you were downwind or right-to-left. It seemed like the holes, 1, 2, 3 played downwind, but 4 through 11 were all into the wind. Very difficult. Very hard to choose golf clubs. I drove it really well today. I kept it in the fairway and I kept out of trouble. I didn't miss many greens, and I was able to scramble pretty good and I snuck a couple putts in there. I was happy. You know, it was really swirling. I had like 212 on No. 16 to the hole and I hit a 6-iron and it went about 235. It went all the way to the back left of the green; so it just shows how hard the wind was blowing. I hit 3-wood on the last hole off the tee, and it went all the way to the back left of the green. It went 300 yards off the tee. I normally hit it 240, 245. That's why it, you know, played tough. The greens were fast, but they were very pure. The new grass they put on the greens is tremendous. The ball just makes a slight ball mark on it. Really doesn't make a big difference out there. And the greens weren't scary fast. I mean, they were fast, but yet I think if they would have been -- I think next year, they will be able to speed them up. But it being up such a new, grass, I think they are not quite the speed they want them. And I'm thankful they were not, because it would have really been a nerve-wracking day out there.

KENNY PERRY: Oh, yeah. They changed 11 of the greens and 5, 13, and 15 were big changes. And the other ones they changed were changed -- subtle changes. But, you know, like I said, I lost my local knowledge. I had a lot of luck here and a lot of success, but I was very steady, very patient and tried to keep the ball on the green under the holes as much as possible, and was able to shoot a good round.

KENNY PERRY: It just says it's a great golf course. Very demanding. The rough is very penal. If you hit it in the rough, you're just chopping out. But the fairways are wide enough and very generous that -- I was lucky. I only missed one fairway, and that was on the last hole. And so, you know, I understand to play this golf course, it's a long, high-ball hitter's golf course. Thank goodness I was able to put it up in the wind, and when it came down, it was on the green or in the fairway, one or the other. So I had a good day.

KENNY PERRY: Well, you can, if you lose your patience out there. Today, you needed a lot of patience. All of the sudden, a guy gets a couple bad holes going and he can very easily give up a little bit, and next thing you know you're shooting 77, 78, and which -- that school of thought -- if you can comeback and shoot some 69s and 68s, you can get back in the golf tournament. But like you said only three guys in the 60s. It was a very tough, demanding golf course today.

KENNY PERRY: I was trying to hit it in that right, front bunker. You know, if it didn't get on the green I wanted it in the bunker; I figured I could get up-and-down. I've been in that bunker with the pin over there before and I was able to get up-and-down. If it had been under the lip or against the side of the lip or something -- you know, I was just trying it put it in position to where I could make 4 and was able to do it.

KENNY PERRY: They were all tough. I thought that new 7th green, it's a par 5 and they stuck it in that little bowl to the right over there. That hole was into the wind and that was a tough hole. That is a tough green now. They have really changed that green. Of all the greens that one really stuck out the most, and that was a tough pin. Then on 9 -- any time you get it back right on 9, that's a hard hole. So, you know, every pin out there is tough because they are all guarded every hole. You are either going to put it in one quadrant, you know left, right, back-left, back-right; so all of the quadrants always have bunkering -- it's very demanding to hit the proper distance on the iron shot. You have to have really good ball control.

KENNY PERRY: We had a lot of rain early in the week. I think the course dried out some by this afternoon and the greens weren't bouncing. They were still holding. So actually it might have been a good break. Maybe I just played great and I don't realize how good I played. But, you know, all in all, shoot, I thought the golf course played tremendously. Normally it's a tough field to go out, and try to shoot a good score. So I was happy.

KENNY PERRY: I don't change it. I just sleep, wake up. Tried to eat me a good breakfast, then eat me a lunch, and make sure my body has plenty of energy out there. Maybe sure I don't run out of gas late in the day. It is late; what is it a quarter to 7:00? I don't have time to practice. I'm just going to grab me some supper, hit the sack and try to get ready for the morning round tomorrow.