CANON GREATER HARTFORD OPEN

July 4, 1998

Larry Mize

LARRY MIZE: Oh, really? It was like Grant was just saying, we couldn't seem to get anything going on the front. And, you know, I think both of us, we're very patient knowing -- I can't help but think back to the first round I shot. I birdied nine to shoot one over on the front. I shot three under the back. I kind of called on that a little bit today to keep my patience saying, hang in there. You're playing well. I'm sure Grant did a similar thing. We both played enough to know you have to be patient. You can't force it, even though you know scores are going to be good. And, like he said, on the 11th hole he pulled out a bunker shot. I hit a good eight iron in there. That kind of opened the door. We both, I think, played real solid from there in. And gave ourself some chances and able to capitalize, you know, keep ourselves in good position for tomorrow.

LARRY MIZE: Yeah, I would have to agree. Scott's been playing really well. Scott is a very, very good player. So I think that -- you know, they were taking down the leaderboard when I was finished. I've got to look and see, the three of us at 13. I think you'd have to say that. Definitely. I was trying to see who else was up there.

LARRY MIZE: You know, I feel very good. Today was another good day like yesterday and, you know, I played solid and today just continued to give me some confidence and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

LARRY MIZE: Which ever one came in first. I don't know. I was nine starting today and he was eight, does that have anything to do with it? I know whichever score comes in first, goes out last.

LARRY MIZE: I don't know which one is going to come in first. I teed off first. Will I come in first?

LARRY MIZE: I would have to think that's the case, since I teed off first. So I would think my score would be in first. I'm not sure. We'll find out in about 30, 40 minutes.

LARRY MIZE: It will be one of us.

LARRY MIZE: Since -- you know, honestly, I don't really care. I think it will be good playing with him, but then playing next-to-last group is fine, too. I really don't -- I think you can look at the pros and cons on either side. I don't think it matters that much.

LARRY MIZE: You just want to give yourself a chance for tomorrow. I mean, today you'd love to take it deep. Definitely, you want to play well, give yourself a chance to win tomorrow. That's all you can do. If it works out, great. If it doesn't, you learn from it and keep working hard and get them next week. But I think that sometimes if a person has a big lead, it's nice to be in the last group, but since there are three of us tied, I don't think it really is that big of a factor in this situation.

LARRY MIZE: If the weather cooperates, if we get rain, that will make the greens soft. Maybe ease it up even more, even though the greens -- the greens are still receptive. Today you had to be a little more careful. But, yeah, if it's another nice day, I think you're going to have to. Whoever wins is going to have to play a good round.

LARRY MIZE: You know, I'd say in the 65 range would be my guess.

LARRY MIZE: We'll find out.

LARRY MIZE: Very carefully. 17 is a tough hole. You know for me, I'm trying to put the ball on the left side of the fairway and just focus on where I want to put the ball, and then if you put the ball in the fairway there, you know you've won half the battle. Then you're trying to put a good iron soft and keep it under on the hole. It's a tough green, as well as being a good driving hole. I think you have to play 17 very carefully and be very focused on the hole. It just, it demands that.

LARRY MIZE: It really is. You feed off their momentum. If someone makes a birdie, if you're playing with someone who makes a lot of birdies, it does seem to wear off. I can't explain it. I can tell you the opposite to be out there and guys are shooting terrible, you really have to stay focused to continue to play well. It can be a distraction, if everybody is playing good, all you're seeing is good shots, it kind of wears off on you. You kind of get sucked in the flow and everybody starts going. It's amazing how many times I think Scott Gump's group would be a good indication. I think yesterday the three of them were just wearing it out. You get a group where it starts going and all three of them play well. So it's just -- I think it's more of a factor. Everything can go well. It goes well, you're not seeing anything bad. Maybe mental attitude is everything is going in the hole. Might as well knock mine in the hole, too, I don't know.

LARRY MIZE: At that point I was thinking I couldn't believe it didn't go in. It was barely moving and it was on the edge. If it had any speed, I could see it missing. It was going so slow, I thought it would lip in there. That was it. I just couldn't believe it didn't go in. Looking back, I'm still happy with par there because, you know, I mean that fringe that little first cuts of rough and, you know, hitting it, getting it up and down. It's always a good up and down, you know, even though it didn't go in. You got a good feeling because you hit a good chip. I hit the chip like I wanted to. Yeah, I couldn't believe it didn't go in. You still leave the hole with a good feeling because you played it solid and, you know, drive it in the rough, make a four there. You're always pleased I drove it in the rough.

LARRY MIZE: I made a nice par-saving putt at three. I hit a six-iron to the right. I really hit a good chip. It second bounced, landed right on the fringe. I made about an eight -- about an eight-footer coming back down the hill for par there, which was nice. You know, you really don't want to lose one early in the day. And then I hit the nice chip at seven and the rest of it was pretty routine. A really good putt at nine that didn't go in. Ten, I made a nice up and down. It wasn't very hard. I was pin-high level, only about 20 feet, chipped it up there and made par. And then Grant started this on 11. He made the bunker shot. I hit an eight-iron there probably ten feet and made the ten-footer for birdie there, and then I hit a pitching wedge into 13, par five about four, four or five feet. I made that for birdie. And I hit a pitching wedge into 15 about three, three feet and he made birdie there, and hit a really nice five iron into 16; pin high right about, oh, ten feet and made that for birdie. And then two-putted the last two holes. So, you know, I had a good birdie putt at 18 and just read it terrible. It was a terrible read and I missed it real bad.

LARRY MIZE: It was probably in the, you know, it probably was 15 feet, as I looked out. Coming down the hill it broke more than I thought. You know, that was the round, I'm real pleased. You can always look back on the round and see something you left out there. You know, I shot 66 today and I'm real pleased with the round. I feel really good.

LARRY MIZE: Thanks.