Q. Were you surprised they played it up today?
TIM HERRON: Very surprised once I walked on the first hole. I kind of understand. They got three inches of rain; they probably didn't think that -- they didn't know how it was going to drain. But by 7:30 everything was drained. Beyond that, well, there must be a couple of puddles in a couple of the hollows and there wasn't anything. We could have played it up easy today.
But, you know, they are just being save. They didn't really know exactly because it's a brand new course, and you don't know how it's going to drain.
Q. How much softer did the rains last night make the course, even though it apparently drained very well?
TIM HERRON: It made the greens a little softer where you could go at a few of the approaches a little more but all in all, we just played on really good surfaces. We were first out.
But the ball probably wasn't running quite as much but you're still getting some run.
Q. What grip do you use?
TIM HERRON: Oh, the Modified Claw, so they call it. For putting?
Q. When you're swinging, yeah.
TIM HERRON: Overlap grip, yeah.
Q. Can you talk about -- it was the Hope where you were right there, just how you put that in perspective and how eager you were to get right back in that spot?
TIM HERRON: Well, you know, I think I really matured because I kind of said to myself, I had a bad hole. It was very disappointing. All in all, third place is more than I won for my first Honda win. So if you look at it that way, it's a good way to -- that's a decent way that start.
I went out and played AT&T the next week and had a chance to win. I was a little too far behind Davis but finished third there. So, I think I've got it behind me.
Q. You're one shot back now. How do you think you'll be the end of the day; do you think you'll be within five of the lead or how far back do you think you will be?
TIM HERRON: I don't know. It depends if the wind picks up like it did yesterday afternoon.
Who knows, I have no idea. I mean, a guy that shoots 9-under can probably shoot 9-under again. That's kind of the mentality the last few years. You've just got to keep it going.
When I first came out eight years ago, it was, you know, someone would shoot a 63 and then they would follow it up with a 73. Now you just kind of have to keep running with it.
Q. I guess my point is, shooting 12-under, that's going to lead 99.9 percent of every tournament, but you might be four or five back at the end of the day; how do you look at that?
TIM HERRON: How you look at it is that you think maybe you can shoot lower tomorrow. 4- or 5- (under) on a course where you're 12-under isn't that many shots. You get on a streak where you're putting and make a couple bombs or do whatever.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Let's go over your birdies, no bogeys, and we'll take a couple more questions.
You started on the front side with a birdie on No. 2.
TIM HERRON: Yeah, I hit a rescue club off the tee, a 9-iron probably about 12 feet behind the hole and made that putt.
4, I hit a driver, wedge to about 15 feet, made that putt.
6, the par 3, I made it from about 20 feet. I hit a little cut 5-iron.
7, I hit's 3-wood off the tee and hit a little cut 5-iron in there about two feet.
Next hole, I hit it two feet.
9, I hit driver, 4-iron and had a little chip and chipped it about six feet and made that.
13 -- I tore out the hole on that. I hit a 3-wood 7-iron and tore out the hole. So if it hits the stick, who knows where it goes; and if it catches a little more of the hole, it's in. But anyways, I hit it about a foot and a half there.
Then I laid up. I hit 3-wood off the tee, laid up and hit it two feet there.
17, I hit it on in two, driver, rescue club, and had about a 35-footer downhill and hit about it about six inches and tapped in for birdie there.
Then missed about a 5-footer on last hole for birdie.
Q. Refresh our memory where you picked up the Claw again?
TIM HERRON: Milwaukee, three years ago or two years ago. I've been doing it a while now.
Q. At 9-under for the day, you could have got 72 at 18. Other than that, do you feel like you left any shots out there?
TIM HERRON: Well, I made a lot of putts, so I'm not going to get -- actually, I hit my putt fairly well on the last hole. I probably just didn't quite hit it hard enough.
Besides 18, I left one out on 10. I had about an 8-footer there, just a little right-to-left and pulled it. That was kind of the worst stroke I hit all day. I had a chance there.
But other than that, I think 61 is probably the best could I have done, unless that shot would have gone in, and 60. And if I would have -- no, just kidding.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Tim, thank you very much. Best of luck the rest of the week.
End of FastScripts....
