BAY HILL INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES

March 20, 1999

Tim Herron

TIM HERRON: Today, it was a good day. At the beginning, I felt pretty good. But kind of towards the end, I was feeling good. I thought I was going to make those last two putts. Didn't happen. But I kind of got to where I was feeling pretty comfortable out there. I think all day I felt pretty comfortable. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow.

TIM HERRON: Yeah, one wire-to-wire in 1996.

TIM HERRON: Honda. I won Texas.

TIM HERRON: No, a little different. I have been in this situation. I have been in the media room now before, and you get more comfortable. The Honda was my 7th event on Tour, and it was a whole new experience. I didn't even know you had to talk to the press or anything like that back then. Now I do.

TIM HERRON: I have been playing that driver now for about a month. I matched up a good shaft with it and, yeah, I am hitting it good. I can control the flight of it. I can kind of go at it easy, go at it hard, things like that. So, like when I want to get a little bit more on the par 5s or something, go at it a little harder. I don't think I intentionally do it. I think I just do a little bit.

TIM HERRON: Yeah, I noticed the ball flight is pretty straight too. That was kind of my goal with finding a new driver was to hit it a little straighter.

TIM HERRON: A Ping ISI titanium. It's a Ping.

TIM HERRON: I am a high-ball hitter with my irons. I hit a pretty high shot at 17 and stopped it pretty close to the pin there, so, I think it is better. It is just hard to get the ball close if you are struggling a little bit, but I am hitting my irons good and I am hitting the ball in the fairway most of the time.

TIM HERRON: Yes.

TIM HERRON: No, you try to do the same thing as what you always do. I don't know, you don't play 'til two so you might have to find something to do in the morning. I will see what time I roll out of bed to do that, right?

TIM HERRON: Yeah, go to church.

TIM HERRON: I couldn't hear that.

TIM HERRON: Oh, yeah. My theory is the more shots you have the better off, I guess, you are because that is what kind of makes you win, right, more shots you are in front -- No, I am just saying some guys do like to come from behind they feel more comfortable to where they have nothing to lose or something like that. I guess I feel comfortable, you know, kind of having the lead or whatever.

TIM HERRON: No, I know Davis fairly well and he has got -- he has got kind of a mild demeanor to him and he is fun to play with. We have common friends and we talk about them quite a bit walking down the fairway and stuff.

TIM HERRON: I watched it a little bit because it was a little slow out there, so, I guess you kind of look at it. I mean, I knew there was another day tomorrow. I don't know, there is nothing really you can do until like the last hole, if you feel like you have a two- or three-shot lead or something, you can play it a little different, but all and all you kind of go out with a game plan and kind of play it that way.

TIM HERRON: I think I just stayed patient; a couple of putts dropped in and that is kind of what made it. Hit some good iron shots. Hit a good iron shot on 16. I just felt like I had a chance at those last two putts, kind of feeling like I was in that zone where I was going to make them. I was feeling a little more comfortable over the putter and stuff like that. Just didn't happen to go in, but get some opportunities tomorrow.

TIM HERRON: Minnesota. I think -- I know I am always probably going to be in Minnesota. I love going back there in the summer because of the heat and things like that, so, I do a little travelling out of Minnesota. I got a lot of ties, Target and a lot of outings and things like that up there. So if I didn't have those, you know, it would be harder to get back, but I love going back there. Summers are nice. We can talk about the winters, but I don't know if --

TIM HERRON: Yeah, they are, I don't know. They vary.

An inch, yeah, they are probably about an inch. Depends how far north you go.

TIM HERRON: Probably 15, 18-footer on 18 and about 10-footer on 17, 12-footer on 17.

TIM HERRON: 14 is the par 3. And Davis just hit it over and I was on the back and he putted down and I just kind of hit a putt up there and fed it in the hole. It was about 30 feet and ended up getting there and went in the hole. 14, I hit a good 8-iron. I thought I stiffed it. 15, hit 8-iron and thought I stiffed it. Got up there and it was about twelve feet short of the hole and thought I left it short and it rolled right in the middle. Then 16 I hit a 3-iron to the back edge and hit a good lag putt. Thought I made that coming down the hill. And 2-putted, made about a two and a half, 3-footer straight up the hill for birdie.

TIM HERRON: 3, I usually hit driver, but it was a little downwind and I elected to hit 1-iron. Hit 1-iron, 8-iron to about 15 feet, made that. Then 4, I hit a good drive, 3-wood just over the green and almost chipped it in, rolled right over the edge and made about a foot putt. I hit had a good chance on No. 1 too and missed that. So I had a few chances. It was kind of in my range, I mean, I never knocked one super close besides the 2-putt on 16 or the other par 5, 4, so I had a couple of tap-ins, but not as many as I had the first two days.