BAY HILL INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES

March 21, 1999

Tim Herron

TIM HERRON: Thank you.

TIM HERRON: Well, about today, made a lot of putts, some lengthy ones. I think I made, starting out on the very first hole, I think I made about a 40-footer for birdie. And Davis had it in there about five feet, and he missed, and I missed quite a few putts. I knew if I just kind of hung in there, you know, give myself a chance, anything can happen when the wind is blowing. So just made a lot of putts coming down the stretch, and that is what it is all about. That is fun.

TIM HERRON: Well, I think when you are hitting the ball solid, you can play in the wind. When you are not hitting it very well, it reflects bad shots worse. But I didn't drive it particularly as good as I did the first three days, but I got the ball around. 6, made a 15-footer for bogey there and just kept on grinding. I knew anything could happen. I just knew I had to make quite a few pars today.

TIM HERRON: Well, I hit a huge drive there. I killed that drive. And you can kind of see it up at the peak, but then you couldn't see, you know, if it was turning over, cutting, or what. So I didn't know exactly what line. I knew it was a decent line on it because it was getting a little dark. Then I had 188 to the hole, and I hit 5-iron. My caddie and I said, just hit it right at that bunker and, you know, get it up there where -- we were trying to kind of hit it, you know, right at the bunker and let the ball turn over.

TIM HERRON: I was probably about 15 feet.

TIM HERRON: 5-iron.

TIM HERRON: He's probably got as bad as eyes as I do. I think it is kind of a nervous habit. I have always kind of done that if I can't see it land. So....

TIM HERRON: Eagle eyes -- I don't know. What is eagle eyes?

TIM HERRON: Oh. Well, I can see close. I can't see real far.

TIM HERRON: I didn't even think about it until I was driving in the car. I told my girlfriend, yeah, some things are going to change. I was going to go up to Minnesota and see her. And we are going to go to The Masters now instead. So that is not a bad deal.

TIM HERRON: I think with this driver I have right now, I am pretty much a fader. But I think I can draw that driver and, you know, if I just stay on top of my game, just practice an hour or two a day, you know, go back to Arizona and practice, I think it will be a good golf course for me.

TIM HERRON: Well, it means a lot, you know, playing the last two days with Davis Love, world-class player, Tom Lehman, world-class player, probably in the last five years probably played the majors as good as anyone. It is a great feeling. It is hard to reflect right now because I am kind of still on the high. But it was just awesome the putts were rolling in and things were happening. I stayed very patient; I was comfortable with myself, I guess. So I was kind of in a zone where I felt pretty comfortable out there.

TIM HERRON: Yeah, I think so. I think I am not far behind. I'm just going to keep on working on my game. And like I said before, I have been trying to get to become a little more of a consistent golfer, which I think I have a little bit this year, instead of one that is kind of hot and cold. I have always made a lot of cuts out here, but I haven't always finished in the top 20 in some events. And there is a lot of money right there right now. So I knew I was in position. I knew just to be aggressive this week.

TIM HERRON: Yeah, a little bit. I knew just to make some pars. I made a good par save on 7, and I knew not to get overly aggressive on 8. And I just kind of hung in there, hung in there. Davis wasn't making many putts, and I couldn't see what Tom was doing. Davis, if he made some putts, could have almost run away with it. I don't know what Tom did. He probably could have too.

But I made a lot of par saves and just hung in there.

TIM HERRON: Yeah, that was huge. That was a big momentum for myself. I am like: I only dropped one shot here. Just keep on plugging it out. And then to hit a good drive on 6, and then I end up making bogey. But other than that, I played well.

TIM HERRON: I haven't thought of it right now, but I got to see where I stand, I guess in the Ryder Cup. All I know is I like playing in Florida. Hopefully get the Grand Slam.

TIM HERRON: Like who? Like Stricker?

TIM HERRON: Yeah, I just noticed. I look at the money list quite a bit, and just see how guys are doing. Because I know most of the guys, and it is kind of nice to see how they are doing. I notice that those guys are consistent and getting the money quite a bit, which means top-tens and things like that. That was kind of my goal this year to get a little more consistent. If I had an opportunity, more opportunities you have to win you can win.

TIM HERRON: You know, just kind of up-and-down with the putter and the driving, but I am working on it and temperament, I guess. I am trying to stay a little more low key.

TIM HERRON: Yeah.

TIM HERRON: That was the first time we have ever played, I think competitive golf together, we have played practice round together before together, but first time in a tournament, that was only two holes, but, yeah, he is a great golfer and a great family man and, you know, good for the PGA TOUR.

TIM HERRON: My first one?

TIM HERRON: Well, I hit a great shot in there and I just kind of wanted to coax that putt down there. It didn't look like it was going to break because Davis Love's didn't break too much. I kind of hit it on the right line and it just seemed like there is more grass over there and it was a lot slower than I thought. Then the second time around I am like: Well, this putt looks fast, but I think it is slower and I just kind of misread it and went to the right.

TIM HERRON: I had probably 7, 8-footer - notice how I never say exactly what it is - I have no idea what it is. 7-, 8-footer the first time around. Then I had about an 18-footer.

TIM HERRON: I think I am just going to go eat with my parents and my girlfriend and relax and -- just try to relax. I used to do that party thing, you know, I got to be keyed up for the TPC. By the way, I am in the TPC, aren't I?

TIM HERRON: All right. (laughs) That is what I said to my caddie, he said, don't even check, don't even check. We are in it.

TIM HERRON: I hit 6-iron both times. Both -- one from the right side of the fairway which is a little more into the wind, I had to kind of hit it up into the wind. From the left side I was a little further back, but it was riding the wind a little more.

TIM HERRON: Yeah, I mean, it is a game. You don't want to get too serious on it or it will drive you crazy, but, yeah, I mean, I think you just kind of have to hang in there, hang in there. I think I have just matured a little bit as a golfer. That is a little bit. But I have matured a little bit as a golfer.

TIM HERRON: Wind gust got up and, you know, the last two times I backed away, were on 1 and then I made a long bomb on 10. So I am like, all right, I am backing away, no big deal. I make a putt every time. I hit a really good putt and the ball just lipped out on the low edge. I thought I made it right in the right side and it caught a lot of the hole.

TIM HERRON: No. I backed away because of the wind.

TIM HERRON: Does it wear on you? I am just joking. They call him Lumpy too - (laughter) - I hate to bring it up. No, because it is a harmless nickname. If they called me something bad, it may wear on me. But Lumpy is like the kid next door, I guess, it is not too bad.

TIM HERRON: Well, if I really got tired of it I will probably start -- I'd stop eating and start exercising, right.

TIM HERRON: No, that is fine with me. You are only as good as you think you are, I guess. What other people think -- you know, some guys can try to drag you down and some people or some people can build you up to much. It is kind of what you think, I guess.

TIM HERRON: I think so. I think if I stay focused and relaxed, you know, I felt at the beginning of the year I was a little nervous and jittery and kind of moving around a little bit, I don't know what I was doing, just kind of there but I was kind of nervous, I wanted it too much. I just felt like my game kind of came together this week and I kind of got to where I just felt real patient and easy going. I guess that is kind of the state I want to be in.

TIM HERRON: No, I was just trying to stay in the zone. It was weird because the -- just trying to stay focused and I knew if I hit a good shot on 16 Tom might have some problems over there. But I can't play his game. I just will to step up and hit that shot. I hit it out of a divot actually on 16.

TIM HERRON: Yes.

TIM HERRON: Yes, out of a divot. Was I a big help? Was I good? Thanks. 10 I made -- I hit in the fairway and hit a wedge and hit it up on the second tier and made about a 35-footer, 40-footer down the hill and I kind of twisted my ankle on that one. I was doing a little dance, I don't know if that was the one that was on TV or if that one is going to be edited. It is live? I thought they had like two seconds deal with it or some things.

TIM HERRON: Whenever things like that pop into my head I know to go back and don't think about that stuff. Just keep on going forward. But I thought about it a little bit last night and then I thought about it a little bit walking down 18 in regulation, but then I got to what I was doing and I don't like to get ahead of myself. I think that is the worst thing you can do in golf is getting ahead of yourself.

TIM HERRON: When I was driving from here to from the presentation to here.

TIM HERRON: Well, I was talking to my girlfriend. I said, well, I think things are going to change because I was going to go up and see her, but now she is going to come to Augusta. Hopefully if she gets off work.