CANON GREATER HARTFORD OPEN

June 30, 2000

Notah Begay III

NOTAH BEGAY III: I guess my overall philosophy going into any tournament is to try and get in contention. And like yesterday, I said, you know, you can't win the tournament on Thursday, and obviously not on Friday, either. So just kind of going along, having a great, great round. Made a couple good putts for birdie, and had just one little hiccup on the way in, cost me a couple shots, but can't be too disappointed about making a double and still shooting 5-under. So I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I had a 9-iron and just was a little indecisive, couldn't make up my mind, as far as which way the wind was blowing. Just made a swing when I probably shouldn't have.

NOTAH BEGAY III: No. I stepped up and I hit a wedge.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I knew the scoring conditions would be great, because the course is in such good shape and hasn't got any more rain, greens are perfect. So I went out with hoping that at times I could be a little aggressive, and I finished up that side pretty well. I birdied 9 again. I should have birdied 6, but hit a bad approach shot there. Then just got it going on the back and hit a speed bump.

NOTAH BEGAY III: It's strictly on break. Right-to-left, is left-handed and left-to-right, hit right-handed. It's so I always have a hook putt, essentially.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Birdied 4. Driver, 5-iron to about 10 feet made it. 7, was in the fairway bunker. Hit a 6-iron out about 20 feet and made that. 9, 3-wood, pitching wedge, four feet; made that. And 11 hit an 8-iron about 15 feet and made it. 12, hit a wedge about 20 feet and made that. 13, hit 3-wood in to about 18 feet and 2-putted. And 15, hit driver, pitched it up there about a foot.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Oh, yeah, definitely I was at the point to where if I could make one more coming in, I was going to be able to distance myself a little. And that's always nice. But, didn't work out that way. I don't think -- you know, a month from now I don't make that swing. So I've just got to learn from it and move on, and instead of having a little cushion going into the weekend, it's just going to be a dog fight. But it's like that out here every week.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Yeah, just I'm still -- this is only my second year, so I still make mistakes. If I was a rookie, you could have called that a rookie mistake, but I can't use that excuse anymore. I'm going to have to find a sophomore slump or whatever you want to call it.

NOTAH BEGAY III: No. I don't know if the wind was helping or crossing, and I thought it was helping. So I kind of eased off of it; so instead of making a good aggressive swing, hit it a little heavy. It almost got across. It hit on the other side and came back.

NOTAH BEGAY III: 48 to the flag.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I've been mostly down to this point. But I always play well in the summertime and on in through the latter part of the summer, I mean, all the way through. I had my two wins at that sort of time last year, and I think it's because growing up, I only played golf in the summer. And so I guess over so many years, I just get used to the hot weather; and when it's hot and sunny, it's golf time. But when it's cloudy and rainy, it's not golf time. It's time to be indoors shooting baskets.

NOTAH BEGAY III: No.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Yeah, most consistent. But, that just tells me I'm getting better, because my bad rounds are coming down. My good has always been good, which is why a lot of people acknowledge the fact that I could play out on the PGA TOUR because my good scores were always low. But for me, what I've always tried to work on is improving those bad days, and being able to make a double-bogey and still shoot 65 tells me that I'm playing some good golf.

NOTAH BEGAY III: A lot of praying. (Laughs).