MCI CLASSIC

April 13, 2000

Sean Murphy

SEAN MURPHY: Well, it was completely different than yesterday. I didn't know what to expect. This is my first time here, and I've only had one practice round here. This is my first time here. And I came to the course about an hour before the tee time, and I've seen it on TV in the past, and I know that when the wind blows here with these small greens, it can get really tough. Somehow my iron game was really good today. Somehow I got it on the green and got a few putts to go.

SEAN MURPHY: Well, compared to my practice round, there was a couple times where I hit two clubs and three clubs more, and downwind it was two clubs less; or it was -- for me it was a real guessing game, considering I only had one practice round here. But the wind was definitely a factor today. And the rain started making it a little more of a guessing game for about five or six holes. So there was a couple holes where I actually tried to play short of the green and right of the green. I tried to play short, right of the green on No. 6. And I tried to play short and right on 8. And I felt like that was my best play from where I was, with the wind and what it was doing. There was a couple times where all I was trying to do was make par.

SEAN MURPHY: I wouldn't say so, because they are all elevated, you know. You have to kind of pitch it. It's not really a chip when you miss them; it's more of a pitch. But, you know, if you had to choose between going long on them and staying short, you definitely want to stay short of them.

SEAN MURPHY: Yeah, I'd say if it stays windy like this, the lowball hitters like Azinger, a few of the other guys, that keep it low most of the time, it will probably favor them. Anybody that can punch it -- Joey Sindelar I played with today; he had a couple bogeys. He would have had a really good round, I thought, but he punched the ball today. If you punch it and spin it, it will probably be a tough kind of shot to play.

SEAN MURPHY: Yeah, it is frustrating. I thought it would have happened sooner. You never know why. You just keep working on your game. My stats seem to be better this year. I'm putting the ball better than I've putted, and my driving stats have come a long ways in the last two years. I've picked up some distance, and my accuracy has gotten better. I'm not the type of person who is going to overpower a golf course. I've had to really work on my driving and my putting. I'm more like a Fred Funk or a Jeff Sluman than anybody else. I've been really watching those guys and trying to emulate them the last couple of years, because they are good models for me.

SEAN MURPHY: Both of them drive it well, and both of them putt it well, and they both have had quite a bit of success. And you know, early on I used to really watch Norman a lot. He was my favorite, and -- but I can't play a golf course like Greg. So I've had to really start looking at other guys who I can mimic and read. I much pretty much drive it when they drive it, and hopefully chip it, and putt it better than the rest of them.

SEAN MURPHY: It could be a little bit of luck. A lot of guys have been out here a lot. They may know more about what the trouble is at and maybe staying away from it more than we did. I'm still learning the golf course, so there really wasn't a lot to fear out there for me. You've got a point there. Maybe the guys who have been around here a lot probably know a little bit more about it, and maybe they are a little bit more hesitant than Edward or I were today. Maybe that's why -- I don't know.

SEAN MURPHY: I don't think too much about it. You know, typically I get up the next morning, see what the weather is doing, versus dwelling on what the weather might do, and going to bed. I always flip on that Weather Channel every morning when I get up. You know, depending on what it's doing, I'll just try and set my day accordingly, and hopefully be able to get around this course again.

SEAN MURPHY: There's quite a bit of talent out there, that's for sure. With the inception of the Hogan Tour in 1990, it's given a lot of guys a lot of chances to work on their game over the years. It's just so much more competitive than the regular PGA TOUR was 25 years ago. You've got a lot of guys coming up now that they know what they are doing when they get here. No. 11, I hit 4-wood, kind of block-leaped it over the pine needles. Hit another 4-wood on the back fringe and made it from about 30 feet. That was definitely stealing, there. The next hole, 12, hit a perfect drive down the left center and great 8-iron to about four feet and made birdie there. 2, I hit driver 4-wood just short of the green left. Chipped it by about eight feet and made it coming back for birdie. 6 was the hole that I laid up short on. I hit driver down the left side and just out of the fairway over in the waste area, not knowing what it was going to do out of the waste area; that was one of the holes I played up short on purpose. I hit a 3-iron up short, right and chipped it in. I was about 9 yards off the green with about 20 feet of green to work with.