THE HONDA CLASSIC

March 12, 1999

Dicky Pride

DICKY PRIDE: That's not right. They have the -- I only shot 4-under.

DICKY PRIDE: I think.

DICKY PRIDE: I'm only minus nine, sorry, I apologize. Do you all need this or can you hear me?

DICKY PRIDE: Score card. Do you want the highlights blow by blow or do you just --

DICKY PRIDE: Parred 1, 2 and 3. No. 4 is a par 5. I hit a driver in the fairway, 2-iron. I had -- I can't remember, but I had a wedge in my hand, I think I had like 81 yards -- no, that's the wrong hole. I had 94 yards and I hit a wedge up there about four feet, made the putt. My next birdie was on 7, I hit a 3-wood in the fairway and had 127, I hit a 9-iron left 20 feet made the putt for birdie. 13 would be my next birdie and I hit a 3-wood on that hole and I had a sand wedge in my hand from about right at 94 yards. It was playing short because of the winds and I hit that about a foot and a half, made that which was really nice. 16, the other par-5, I hit a driver, got to the left side -- not in the rough but in the first cut. Then I hit a 3-wood over the green, really hit a great chip shot. I had one of those, it rolled through the green and the grass had been where a lot of people had been walking so it was kind of swirling, it was sitting down and I just hit a great chip shot about eight feet made the shot, it was really, really a great chip shot. I was really happy with that. And that was it. I had no bogeys. I was a lot more interesting yesterday because I made a couple of bogeys.

DICKY PRIDE: Yes, in a while, yes, it is.

DICKY PRIDE: If someone could go find the media guide I could probably find out, but I can't remember. I have been playing really well lately. I haven't been doing a good job of getting the ball in the hole. And after last week, I missed the cut. I mean I just played great and I was really mad at myself for missing the cut and I had a long talk with my wife and I talked to my caddy and we pretty much decided that I just was going out there and not having any fun, I was being real hard on myself. So I just went out this week and said I'm just going to have a great time and we're going to see what happens. I know I'm playing well. I know I prepared myself to play well, so I'm just going to go have fun and follow the ball wherever I hit it I'm going to go find it and hit it again.

DICKY PRIDE: Well, you know, it is a test. It's a very big test when things don't go right. Yesterday I started off with a bogey and I had to get up-and-down for bogey, so it was a test right there, to stay positive, stay up beat and enthusiastic about golf. So, yeah, it's tough, but, God, you know, it is a game, you know, come on, you don't play it to not have a good time, so, I mean it's like go have a good time and it's easy to forget when that's your job and I did for a while and I'm going to try my darndest to have fun the rest of the year and we'll see what happens.

DICKY PRIDE: Well, I played earlier so the greens were a little softer in the beginning, but they did start to firm up towards the end. The wind doesn't seem like it's blowing as hard today as it was yesterday, but if it does, it will play about the same. They've got some really good pin positions, they really set the course up well.

DICKY PRIDE: I like it a lot. I have always enjoyed playing here. I think Mark did a good job designing it. It is always a challenge because of the wind because there is nothing to stop it, it can blow in any direction and it can blow in any direction really hard, so, you know, it's always different so you have to prepare your -- I mean it's tough because you have to prepare yourself for anything out here, because the winds can go anywhere.

DICKY PRIDE: I can't change my approach, no. I mean that's the big challenge right there. Just like you said, if I get off to a bad start or if I am in the lead or two shots back, or trying to get in there, if I can keep the same attitude. If I can keep the same attitude and have fun and be upbeat and just go out and see what I can do, I'll, you know, that's all you can ask.

DICKY PRIDE: Sure.

DICKY PRIDE: There are not many people out here that play that don't want to be in the lead or close to the lead.

DICKY PRIDE: Well, there are definitely nerves, but that's what you play for. You don't play to go out there and miss the cut and just be kind of walking around. You play to get in the middle of things and see how you perform. That's what it's all about. It's a job, but, gosh, you know, it is a game and you go find out how, you know, you want to be in the pressure situation to see if you can respond. If you can't respond you better learn from it and then go back and try to hit it again.

DICKY PRIDE: It seems like it's been a couple of years. I have had spurts where I did a real good job of it the last two years I have been on Tour, but I haven't kept my card the last two years. Both times I did a real good job, qualified in the school, got myself in a real good mood. It seems like I would come out here and instead of just playing like I did and qualifying school, wherever, I would try to do different things, put a bunch of pressure on myself. I would say the last two years I haven't been focused. I know I haven't been focused on having fun and I haven't been having fun for a while.

DICKY PRIDE: Just, I mean listening to people that are good to me. My wife is always in my corner. Bob Rotella is my sports psychologist and he said the same thing. My caddy, Danny Huber, you know, he's a great caddy, he's been out here a long time. It wasn't a physical problem with my golf game. I was hitting the ball well, chipping the ball well, putting the ball well. I wasn't putting my game together. You beat yourself up all the time, it's not going to help. I mean you've got to have that certain edge to get yourself to where you're playing well. But, you know, I don't know how we put the key on it, but I had about three people say the same thing to me, you know, three people that care a lot about me and I was like, you know, there may be something to that, you know. I didn't think any of them were lying when they were all saying the same thing, so you kind of have to take a step back with what's comfortable and say, well, they may be right, let's take a look at it.

DICKY PRIDE: Yeah, that was fun, still can't believe that didn't go in, that almost chipped in -- I birdied 12 and 3 putt 13 and almost -- lipped out -- basically lipped out for chips on 13, 14 -- no, excuse me, 14, 15. Got up-and-down on 16 for birdie. Lipped out on 17. And I'm in the bunker on 18, and every time I'd hit it to the middle of the green to give myself that easy 2-putt I 3-putted, so I was kind of happy to be in the bunker.

DICKY PRIDE: I didn't know exactly with what I stood, but qualifying school is kind of different. They show the people that are right on the edge and they show the people that are leading, and they've been following me since about 11, so I kinda had a feeling that it was an important shot.

DICKY PRIDE: Oh, yeah, I mean that's what we play for, to hit shots under pressure, get in the game and see if you can do it. Q-School is a little different because you may not be winning the tournament but you're under that pressure so you have to be there. I guess it goes back to your question, yeah, I guess I'm kind of comfortable in pressure situations.

DICKY PRIDE: Like this, rolled over the lip, I dropped my glove, looked at my caddy, I said dang, I can't believe I didn't get it in, he said tap it in and just get it in. I'm like I can't believe it didn't go in.

DICKY PRIDE: Yeah, tap-ins are nice things.

DICKY PRIDE: Oh, yeah. I mean just like I said, you can only beat yourself up only so much out here and I just -- I mean it's never been a question whether I worked hard enough. I have always put in the hours, I have never put in -- I enjoy putting in time to get myself better, but, you know, I wasn't getting the results and I was getting very frustrated for almost two years. I was very frustrated about my golf game. When you're frustrated and you tense up, you are not going to hit good golf shots, that's kind of the way I took it, is, hey, if you're that way you know this way isn't going to work, you've done it the last two years, it hadn't worked so let's try this, you know, it's gotta be better, at least you'll be happy, you know.