WGC AMERICAN EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP

November 5, 1999

Tim Herron

TIM HERRON: Yeah, I played pretty well. I feel like I was real patient, especially yesterday when the wind was blowing. It felt like an Open a little bit, that you just didn't really want to blow yourself out for the big round. Today I knew if I could get the ball in the fairway I'd have some chances for some birdies. I feel like I'm rolling the ball pretty well and made some putts today.

TIM HERRON: Yes, but there aren't many crowds here except for the summers, because this is a vacation spot. That's what I've heard. I don't know if it is or isn't. But I know there's a lot of hotels up-and-down the beach. But I feel like -- I played in a couple of European events, and I feel like it's just a little more laid back, to where it's not as controlled, where you can kind of go do your own thing. Like going out to dinner last night, some people just say good playing, or how are you playing, instead of where it's a little more controlled where you better not go there or whatever. Especially for Tiger, he probably doesn't mind coming over here.

TIM HERRON: I think so. I think you have to be really focused on every shot. You're going to get some bad breaks. You're going to hit a few trees. It's just stuff that's going to happen. You really have to think your way around the course. If you start trying to overpower it, it will probably be a long day. But I hit the ball very well today and yesterday and made more putts today. It also depends on what side -- the greens do get a little soft, so there are some spike marks. If you're on the right side of the hole, sometimes you don't see them. If you're on the other side you see them. It plays with your mind a little bit, I guess.

TIM HERRON: It's taking advantage of opportunities, things that happen. I think I hit probably one really poor shot today and end up making par, because it didn't hit a tree, it just stayed in the bunker, where if it hit a tree, who knows where it would go. If it stays like this, there's plenty of holes where you do have wedges and things like that, you can kind of get it going. It's one of those courses where if you're playing well and putting well, you can get it going. But on the other hand, even on a good day like this, it can also backfire. It can also start turning the other way, because it's a very fine line where you have to hit the ball. There's a lot of target.

TIM HERRON: You know what? I haven't given it any thought. I can't really make a comment on that, until I actually think about it. So I don't know if I really want to say anything right now. I'll take it to bed with me and sleep on it.

TIM HERRON: Yeah, I'd love to, if I didn't have to drive very far. I kind of want to go check out some towns and stuff like that. I'm actually staying over and playing Morocco, and I don't know if I'm going to fly out Sunday night or Tuesday night, depends on when I have to get there. But I love this area, just because it reminds me of Southern California and the weather is good. It was good today. The food is good. Everything is good.

TIM HERRON: Peanut butter and jelly that I brought -- no, I'm just joking. I went to a steak place last night that was really good, it was an Argentinean steak house. I forgot what it was called. And at the hotel the food is good, too.

TIM HERRON: I'm somewhat adventurous, but while I'm over here for two weeks and I'm trying to earn a living, I try to stick to what I kind of know. I'll pick and choose at some stuff. But I like Indian foods and things like that. I guess I'm pretty well-rounded. I bogeyed No. 2. I hit a decent shot and ended up making bogey. I birdied 4. I hit it in on two, and 2-putted, hit it on the bottom shelf. Driver, 3-iron. I birdied 7. I hit driver, 5-iron to about 7 feet and made that, right behind the hole. And 9, I hit a driver, 7-iron to about 18 feet and made that. I birdied 11, hit driver, 3-iron, just kind of -- 50 yards short of the green and got up-and-down. I birdied 13. 13 I hit 1-iron, 9-iron to about 12 feet and made that. 17, I hit driver, 3-iron and 2-putted from probably 35 feet.

TIM HERRON: The texture of the greens are a little different. It's a little softer. So you kind of have to layup to where you're not hitting a full shot. And throughout the year you layup to kind of a full shot on the par-5. So it's kind of hard with water sitting there, things like that. I think if they firmed up the green just a little bit, to where it's not spinning back as much, it would be a fair hole. So I think that's probably the only thing.

TIM HERRON: It was 219 to the front, like 232 to the hole. And I hit it a little thin. And it carried probably about 224 or something like that.

TIM HERRON: Last year I did not, no.

TIM HERRON: Yeah, I think so. I think my ball-striking has gotten better. And my putting is better this week. But I have some imagination where I can hit some different shots, where I feel like some guys can't. Straight shots, you know -- I'm kind of trying to put to use my C-shot and play better. And like I was saying, the shots don't curve as much as they used to, when I see the shots. So that's a little different. But all in all, I'm just trying to make a good living, trying to -- and to do that you have to stay up on top of your game, stay in these World Tour events. There's plenty of ways of making money out here. But these are nice added bonuses. I don't care if you get top 64 in the world, but there's 64 guys you have to beat compared to 156.

TIM HERRON: I think so. I think the Presidents Cup would be a huge step. I think it would be -- if you make the Presidents Cup I think you're on your way to the Ryder Cup. I think it's a stepping-stone. Presidents Cup is a little different, from what I've heard, because you play with -- you're competing against Vijay Singh and the other guys you compete with regularly on Tour. So it's a little different, but it's got the same format. That would be fun to do. It's a dream that you have.