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CHRYSLER CLASSIC OF GREENSBORO

September 28, 2005

Ryan Moore

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro. You've changed your status throughout the year here. You played very well in Canada, got enough money to become a special temporary member which enables you to have as many sponsor exemptions at that point; he's not limited to his seven. Since then, you've made the cut in both tournaments. Now you're looking forward. Just talk about the year a little bit, the process of going through it.

RYAN MOORE: It's been interesting, that's for sure. It's been fun, though. I've enjoyed every tournament. Pretty much go into every tournament just trying to make it count, trying to, you know, move myself further and further up the list as much as I can, but at the same time I'm trying to go into every tournament trying to win, just like any other tournament for me. I mean, that's always my goal at the beginning of the week, all the way throughout the week. That really hasn't changed.

I came close up in Canada, which was great to get back in the mix of it again. I hadn't been in contention to win a tournament since probably even before the Masters, even in a college tournament. My last few, I finished top five, but I wasn't quite there with a good chance to win.

It's just fun to get back in that, get that feeling again. Now I'm excited to get back there again.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Talk about coming back to Greensboro. You had a sponsor exemption last year.

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, it was great. Mark gave me the spot after winning the US Amateur. I've known him for a long time through the AJGA. It was great to kind of come out and get to play a normal TOUR event. I played the Masters, US Open, but I hadn't played a TOUR event. Just get back here again, I mean, I'm obviously excited to play a golf course that I've played before for once. Every course has been a new course for me this year.

Actually, I have three weeks in a row, all courses that I've played tournaments on, which I'm very excited about. It's a little different playing courses that I don't know because I'm spending all my time on the course trying to figure out the golf course instead of the last few years in college, I'm out on courses I've played three or four times in tournament. I can go out and work on my swing, what I feel I need to work on that week. I can actually practice during the practice round because I'm not trying to soak up as much information.

For these next few weeks, the next tournament is in Vegas. UNLV, I played those courses at least a dozen times apiece, then Orlando, I played the Polo Junior Tournament AJGA there three times I think. Played a dozen times. I'm excited to get to play some courses I'm familiar with, that I'm comfortable on. I feel I can go kind of work on the stuff I need to work on in my practice rounds to get myself prepared for the tournament, which is what I felt like I've been able to do this week.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Questions, please.

Q. What has been your transition to playing golf for a living, not having to worry about school and stuff like that? Has it been a blast to be out there or is the more nerve wracking when you have to earn money?

RYAN MOORE: Well, it's definitely different being out there. At the same time, it's the exact same. It's golf. I mean, it's just you got to hit every shot, just like any tournament. Doesn't matter if I'm playing for money or if I'm out dinking around with my buddies. I'm out there playing, trying to hit every shot the best I can. That never changes.

It's kind of hard to block the money aspect out of your mind while you're out there playing. I'm thinking, you know, coming down the stretch at the end of the tournaments, I'm not quite in contention, saying, "This shot could be the one. If I can knock in this 8 footer for par on the 17th hole, this could be the one shot to get me another $5,000 that would get me in the top 125 this year." That's a little bit different. I kind of enjoy that. I enjoy that challenge of just making every shot count and never feeling like I'm giving away shots.

But it's been definitely enjoyable. A little different not having to go to school, although I'm still enrolled in classes right now. I don't know how I'm ever going to take them (smiling). I'm trying to finish up. I still have a few more classes to finish up. Maybe when I'm home for a couple weeks, I'll hop in or something. We'll see.

Q. Did you play any of the AJGAs in Greensboro?

RYAN MOORE: I didn't. I never played in one out here. I even played pretty limited. Just like my amateur schedule, I played a very limited schedule. I would play four or five a year that were close. Being from the Northwest, up there in Washington, it's kind of hard to get out here a lot. I played a very limited schedule.

Q. One of the things Mark is trying to do is go after some of the younger golfers as potential bigger names two or three years from now, trying to build some loyalty into this tournament. Is that something young guys, speaking to them, since he gave you an exemption last year, "Maybe I'll honor him a few years from now"?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, that is big. For choosing one of my seven spots this year, you know, to play this was definitely right at the top of the list. One thing, I had played here. Another thing, he let me in the tournament last year. There is that loyalty there. He kind of put himself on the line a little bit to let an amateur in the field last year when it's a limited field late in the season.

This course, this tournament, will always have a bit of a special feeling to be coming back here. This is my first normal TOUR event I ever played in. It's a place pretty much I can't guarantee anything, but I more than likely will be back here for a long time.

Q. There's been talk outside of the TOUR with the new schedule, trying to get the top players to play every tournament once every four years, five years. Do you think anything like that is realistic, making every player play every tournament on the schedule once every three or four years?

RYAN MOORE: You know, I don't pay attention to any of that stuff. I'm trying to get my card. I mean, I got to get my card so I can worry about that stuff (smiling). Not that I'd really be worried about it. But, yeah, it will be interesting to see what they do with it. I guess I haven't heard a lot. We'll see.

Q. Do you feel you fit in a little more now that you're not just "the kid" tagging along at some of these tournaments? Is that something that you sense?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, I definitely got a very different response after the Canadian Open. The 84 Lumber the next week, it was definitely a different view of me, I could tell, from the players. I just wasn't somebody trying to make my way out there; I had played some good golf in their eyes on a difficult golf course, difficult conditions, and played some good golf, almost won the tournament. Birdied the last hole, that was huge for me, that final day.

I mean, I can't say that I'm still not the kid around here tagging along, because that's what I am. You know, obviously have to ask them their viewpoint. I really don't know. I mean, I definitely got a different response from the players after the Canadian and a lot of congratulations from all them, "Great playing," this and that pretty much from every person I saw. And every person that I've seen since that I didn't see the last couple weeks still bring the, "Hey, great playing. Keep it up." It's been great.

Q. On the TOUR, there's always pockets of cliques of golfers. Being somebody new, do you have any people you hang out with on the TOUR?

RYAN MOORE: On the TOUR? Obviously, there's a lot of guys I know out here. I don't really hang out with anybody yet. Last couple weeks it's actually been great, one of my good friends from college has been traveling, got in the last few, that's Michael Putnam. He almost got in here, as well. We've been traveling. We actually grew up together in Washington. We were like high school rivals. He just graduated from Pepperdine. He played really well in Connecticut maybe about a month ago, took like fourth. He's gotten some good starts. That's kind of been fun. That's both of our goals, to be out here next year, just hanging out.

Not very different I guess from the college days, or junior or high school. It's all about the same.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: How does this course fit your game?

RYAN MOORE: This course, I really, really enjoy this golf course actually. I think it's a very fair golf course. Nothing too tricky out there. It's right there in front of you. You just got to hit the shots. I'm looking forward to it. It's in great shape. The greens are rolling really smooth. Bermuda is Bermuda. Never really changes. It's always nice and smooth. The fairways are good.

I'm really looking forward to it. I'm just excited to play a golf course I've played before more than once maybe, just a practice round. Played here in a tournament. I kind of know where they put the pins, just little stuff like that where I feel like it's a bit of an advantage over even my last few weeks. I'm just excited for that.

Q. Can you talk about the first round of a golf tournament. Obviously, course setup plays a lot into why you see so many low scores. Can you talk about the mental side of it? Not so much experience in the PGA, but college, first round, why golfers always seem to do a little better.

RYAN MOORE: Do a little better the first round?

Q. Yes.

RYAN MOORE: I would say my first round scoring average is probably my highest of all my rounds because I don't really look at it as a day to really go out and try and shoot 62 or 63 or something like that. I mean, if that happens, great, I'm not going to stop myself. But I look at it as just a day to go out, put a good solid round, don't waste a lot of energy out there, just play a good solid round of golf.

Obviously, a good ball striking round would be a good way to start out. Hit 14, 15 greens, make four or five birdies, solid 68, 67, even a 70, that's a good way to start out a tournament. I haven't burned myself, haven't wasted a lot of energy in the tournament. You don't want to go out there, have a quick sprint, shoot 62, waste all your energy for the rest of the week, which doesn't always happen. That's just kind of how I look at it. I've always looked at it that you can't win it on the first day, but you can lose it. You go out there, get too frustrated, burn out yourself, shoot a 75 or 76 or something, with someone shooting 63 or 64, you're pretty much out of it unless all of a sudden you turn it around, start shooting 62 the next day.

I just look at it as a day to go out, be really steady. Obviously, I don't want to be like 15 back after the first round or something like this. Love to be within five or six, just go out, playing a really solid round. Just put yourself in good position to keep moving. That's always my goal, just to kind of keep steadily getting better as the days go on.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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