MCI CLASSIC

April 18, 1999

Jeff Sluman

JEFF SLUMAN: We do.

JEFF SLUMAN: Well, I think just like Kenny said yesterday in the telecast when I got done, he thought anybody from 5-under had a chance to win with a good round today. Even though I bogeyed 17 and 18 yesterday, came out with a very good attitude and been playing real well all year. Just hit a bunch of really good shots. And I think the biggest thing in the round was just patience for me today. I got in at 10, I saw Chris at 11, and who knows at that point if you are even going to get into a playoff. But at that point that is all I can hope for. And I got what I hoped for.

JEFF SLUMAN: Birdied 2. Probably everybody did today. Hit it in two and 30 feet and 2-putted for birdie. Made a bunch of pars until 9. I hit a 2-iron off the tee ^ went down the right side and hit a wedge in there about a foot. 11, I made bogey. Actually, I hit a very good drive down the right side and just went in the rough and got hung up on an old divot that was in the rough. It kind of sunk on a divot, was kind of cupping. So although it wasn't, distancewise, too hard of a shot, I really didn't have much of a shot. Just tried to kind of stay on top of it and roll a 6-iron up there and hit it in the left bunker and end up making bogey. Then I hit it, I got up on 13 and had a nice distance again with a wedge, about 108 yards, and hit it in there about -- say about a foot - Bob Verdi distance. I think I had about 163 on 14 and hit a good 8-iron, actually checked short of the hole about 20 feet. Knocked that in. Then 15, good drive and then I laid it up. I had 102, I think, and six yards kind of downwind. It was just a big sand wedge. And I hit that in there -- you guys saw. What was it, two feet? Basically from there I hit a heck of a shot on 16 that I thought was going to be real close. And the greens on 16 was pretty firm, probably the firmest of all 18 holes. 17, hit a nice shot. And I actually thought I made the putt. Just didn't break left. As I saw on TV later, everybody seemed to be missing that one. Then 18, I actually hit a good drive and 5-iron in about just past pin-high. And from early in the week I knew that that putt broke about twice as much as it read. And I hit a pretty good putt. And I think I had it right in the jaws, about a foot short, overall. Obviously very happy with how I played. And I kind of wish I obviously could have got the playoff over at 17, but Glen hit a heck of a putt and he deserves to win.

JEFF SLUMAN: I only got to hit two shots (laughs). Hit a driver exact same distance, 176 to the front. Tried to hit the same shot. And all of my playoff record leaves something to be desired. Still, always figure that somebody is going to make birdie. I actually hit a very good shot on 18. And just one of those ones where, you know, you are a little bit -- you know, into the wind you are just kind of caught with that. I drew it, started down the left side and it is right where it stayed. I hit it very, very solid. So I really wasn't that upset with the shot. But the wind this time didn't take it. I hit a real nice chip up there and relatively easy six foot uphill inside right putt. I am figuring at this point I can probably make that one if I played well enough all week to get into a playoff, I think I could handle that putt. I didn't even get the chance.

JEFF SLUMAN: No. I think at this point, you know, everybody is so good out here, you just have to assume somebody is going to make birdie and you are going to have to try and make it; play it safe and hoping somebody else to make a mistake doesn't work out here.

JEFF SLUMAN: Yeah, I had a nice lie. And although it was a pretty difficult chip downwind and downhill, still trying to make that.

JEFF SLUMAN: I don't know what his feeling was. I was pretty relaxed. I have been playing good golf all year and had no reason to be nervous or upset or, you know, antsy out there. I felt like I was going to go out and hit good shots in the playoffs.

JEFF SLUMAN: No.

JEFF SLUMAN: No. Good playing and that was about it. We were kind of watching the TV to see if we were even going to be in the playoff.

JEFF SLUMAN: Yeah, hit a couple of balls and then off and away.