PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 15, 2003

Tiger Woods

TIGER WOODS: Made my way around the golf course pretty good until the end. I made bogey at 16 and bogey at 18, both with wedges in my hand, which is very disappointing.

Q. You seemed to drive the ball a lot better today.

TIGER WOODS: My whole game felt better, but a couple bad ones here and there. But felt a lot better about my game today.

Q. The announcers on TV were talking that it seemed like when you had a wedge in your hand, you were not getting it as close as you needed to or wanted to; problems with wedges today?

TIGER WOODS: I didn't control my distances well today, and consequently, I was always in a bad spot. When I was in an aggressive situation, I didn't hit it close and I put myself under a lot of pressure.

Q. What hole was it that you made a phenomenal par?

TIGER WOODS: I hit a pull-hook off the tee, and hit a 5-iron that buried in the bunker and then just blasted out to about 25 feet and made it somehow.

Q. That was phenomenal.

TIGER WOODS: One of those things that you have to make putts. I was able to make that one, but I really putted well the first two days. I just never put myself in position to make birdie putts unfortunately.

Q. Those 4- and 5-footers, you started making those.

TIGER WOODS: I've been putting well all summer long. I felt real comfortable over that putt, but again, I had a pitching wedge in my hand, I thought it was going to fly, second shot and it didn't fly. Consequently, it came up short. Again, it was another wedge that I should have put on the green, but instead, I'm trying to get up-and-down for par and really working to try and save a shot.

Q. Were the greens getting lightning fast?

TIGER WOODS: They were quick but not that quick. They are getting bouncy now, bumping you all over the place. You can hit a putt and it will kick off-line with all of the footprints out there.

The poa is growing, so you'll see a lot of putts wiggle. David Toms hit some great putts today, but they just catch some of the poa patches that kick it off line.

Q. 72 is not bad considering everybody is dropping around you.

TIGER WOODS: Well, I bogeyed the last with wedge in my hand, not real happy about it.

Q. You were frustrated today, more so today?

TIGER WOODS: More so today, just because -- when you have wedges in your hand, you feel you should make a swing that's going to get you in birdie range, and I thought I did that today. I made good swings to put myself in birdie range. Like on the last hole, I made a good swing, but it flies over the green. I thought I hit a good shot into 16 and it just spun off the green and it was a really tough situation to get up-and-down.

I thought I hit good shots, but didn't hit it close and that's disappointing.

Q. Any other places you had wedge in your hand and it didn't happen for you?

TIGER WOODS: There were a few here and there. Overall, I just didn't hit the ball in birdie range. Heading into tomorrow, I just need to give myself some looks at the putts.

Q. Talk about 4.

TIGER WOODS: 4, I hit a good drive and I hit a great 3-iron up there. It flew actually 248, had a really tough shot right up against the collar, right up against the deep stuff. It rolled down there to about two feet and made that. I hit two of the best shots I've hit all week, a really tough up-and-down, kind of indicative of how today went.

Q. Do you think the course is going to stay as tough tomorrow?

TIGER WOODS: No, it will be tougher, which is fine. You just know that you have to be very patient and that if you can somehow get back to near par, you'll have a chance of winning the tournament.

Q. So even par come Sunday afternoon --

TIGER WOODS: That will win easily. If it stays like this and they don't cut the rough anymore. It's going to be hard to get the ball close.

End of FastScripts....