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MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 6, 2006

Jason Bohn

KAPALUA, HAWAII

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Jason, for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Mercedes Championship.

Tough day out there. Those winds are blowing pretty hard. You managed to finish up pretty nicely with those four birdies on the last five holes. Talk about how much fun you're having this week.

JASON BOHN: It's awesome. I mean, I'm just -- since day one, since I got here, I'm having a ton of fun. I'm just enjoying it with my family. I brought my parents over, I brought my in-laws, my wife, my six month-old son. It's been as much about family as it has been for golf for me. I think that's kind of good sometimes. It takes my mind off of golf. Being the first tournament of the year, a little bit more low key here than other events.

But I've had a few mai tai's. I'm just chilling out, I guess. I'm really enjoying myself.

The golf, surprisingly it's been pretty good for me. Yesterday I hit a couple balls out of bounds on an easier day than today. Today I really struck my golf ball well. I spoke with my instructor last night. We talked over some things. Actually, it was this morning. I knew the winds were going to blow. We talked over a few things. It was nice. I went out and I hit the ball really solid today.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Questions, please.

Q. Why do you say your golf is "surprisingly" good?

JASON BOHN: Because I had an off-season. Some guys don't have off-seasons, but I really took an off-season at the end. I think Tampa was my last tournament that I played. I didn't play anything in the off-season. I just spent a lot of time at home with my family.

I had no idea what to expect. You know, it's funny, I played the Wednesday ProAm. It seemed so easy. Pins are right in the middle of the green. I sat out there Thursday, I look at the 1st hole, it's three paces from the right. I'm thinking, "Oh, boy, here we go again." It's kind of a slap-in the face shock to you again.

I worked really hard in the off-season, though. My expectations were pretty high to start the year well. I knew this week I was just going to have some fun, you know, guaranteed paycheck for me. It's a good time to have fun.

Q. Mai tai take your mind off the wind?

JASON BOHN: Yeah, a little bit I guess. I just think, I mean, the wind is all about striking your golf ball solidly. If you can hit your ball solidly, you can manage your ball around the wind. I think it's when you miss-hit shots that the wind really moves your ball.

It's very easy to shoot a very high number, and it's pretty difficult to shoot a low number out here today. I kind of came out on the top. I was pretty fortunate. I got some good up-and-downs and I made some key putts. Like in any round to shoot a good score.

I struck my ball beautifully. I hit a lot of solid tee shots, a lot of good iron shots into the greens.

Q. With five holes to play, how were you thinking about your round at that stage?

JASON BOHN: I shot 1-over-par on the Front 9 and I thought I played really good. I hit some really good shots. I misjudged the wind a couple times, kind of hit it through the wind, hit it over the green, which then I short-sided myself a couple times by hitting the ball almost too solidly.

I really felt like I played good golf. If I can make some putts on the Back 9, I thought if I could shoot 1-under, 2-under par, it would be a great score today, I could move up the leaderboard. To shoot 3-under, I don't know, maybe I'll have another mai tai tonight, it was that good (smiling).

Q. How tough was the wind for the putting conditions? Did it play havoc with that?

JASON BOHN: That's the most difficult part of golf, is putting in the wind, absolutely. Especially when it's gusty because you'll step up over your ball, your ball might be oscillating a little bit, you're afraid to ground your putter because you don't want your ball to roll. And to get a really solid-based stance and then get a gust, especially when you're trying to make a nice, smooth stroke, it's very difficult to putt.

I backed off a lot of putts today, and I know a lot of other guys did. I didn't get to see them, but I guarantee a lot of other guys did. It's really tough. That's the most difficult thing when it's really breezy, is putting, no question.

Q. What about the new greens? How did they seem to react in the wind?

JASON BOHN: You know, I never played the old greens, but the way it looks like, to me the greens, even the little bit of rain we've had the past few days, the fairways are soft just in front, and the greens are really firm. So they're not softening up from the rain. They're really kind of difficult because if you land the ball short of the green, it might stop short of the green. If you land the ball in the front of the green, it could go over the green.

I think the greens are rolling beautifully, though. They're as good a Bermuda as I've putted in a long time. But they're tough because they're firm. It's tough to get the ball close to the hole, especially with the wind and the firmness of the greens. I think the scores would still be high, higher than expected, if there was no wind just because the greens are so difficult. It's tough to get the ball close to the hole. Then add 20-, 25-mile-an-hour, 30-mile-an-hour winds, makes it that much tougher.

Q. Did the wind fade a little bit during the day? It seemed like it was pretty hard this morning.

JASON BOHN: It did seem like it was blowing a little harder this morning. But, you know, the way I perceive it, the better you play, you don't feel the wind. A guy comes in, shoots 6-under-par, did the wind even blow out there today? In all honesty, you kind of -- you're thinking well, you're striking your golf ball well. I can feel it in my face that the wind blew today. But because I felt like I played so well, you know, I might not be the best person to ask how hard the wind was blowing today. Somebody who shot high might be a better judge of that (laughter).

Q. How many clubs difference was it?

JASON BOHN: You know, there are times when I had three clubs. I hit three clubs stronger today. I hit a 6-iron from where I could normally hit a 9-iron.

Q. Could you talk about your comfort level out here on TOUR now. You have a couple years under your belt. What are your expectations for this season?

JASON BOHN: I think once I got my first win last year, I started to feel a lot more comfortable. I felt like I knew I could win out here on this TOUR. I'm really starting to feel more comfortable every week that I come out here.

I still believe that I've got a long way to go to where I want to be. I think every guy out here, we all are shooting for No. 1 in the world, there's no question. I don't think honestly any guy wouldn't tell you that. There's a great chance we'll never achieve that, but I still think you set your goals that high, that you're going to keep working hard to attain them.

I feel comfortable. I feel great. I mean, I'm really enjoying the ride right now. It's a fun time for me. Trust me, you ask me three years ago would I just love to play on the PGA TOUR, then yet come to the Mercedes Championship, I mean, it would blow me away to where I am now.

I think that's part of it. I think you got to realize, we play golf for a living. It's a pretty good job. I mean, there's a lot of travelling, there's a lot of negatives, but, I don't know, I don't see what else could be better. We're chasing a little white ball around. I don't care if the wind is blowing 50 miles an hour, especially when it's a guaranteed pay week, too, it's a lot easier on that (smiling).

I feel very comfortable. I know there's a lot of things in my game that I need to work harder on. I look for a great year. I worked really hard in the off-season. I want to come back in 2007 to the Mercedes Championship. That's my No. 1 goal.

Q. Do you hope the wind blows like this the next two days? If it does, how good are your chances to win this?

JASON BOHN: I hope the wind does continue to blow because I think it makes the event -- I don't know. I think the tougher the conditions the better for everyone, for every guy. A guy who can shoot 3-under par, with a field that's only 30, can you jump 20 spots easy. I think I might have done that today.

I like it. The tougher it is, the better I think for everyone. It doesn't look like anybody's going to run away with it. I think the fans, you're going to get a lot more excitement coming down the stretch.

I don't know. I feel like if I can play like I played today, my chances are pretty good, if the wind stays the same. If it doesn't, I'm just going to have fun. I'm really going to go out and try to have a lot of fun.

Q. Being a winner's only event, it's clearly an achievement just being here. What were your expectations stepping on to the first tee yesterday?

JASON BOHN: My expectations this week were to have a good finish, they really were. I think every week we start, you try to win the golf tournament. But today, you know, I just wanted to go out and play a solid round because I felt like, like I said, if I could shoot a couple under par, I could move myself back in a position to where I might have a chance to win the golf tournament. That was a goal I set out today, and I achieved that goal.

I don't know, I was a little rocky yesterday at the start just because it's the first competitive round in the past two months. It makes a big difference. You got your juices flowing. You're not used to that. So every day I think those juices kind of -- you get a little bit more used to them, you're kind of back in the routine of, "Okay, this is what I do for a living, let's just go at it."

The first day is tough. I think the 1st hole, no matter every day the entire year, is one of the most difficult holes we play because you want to get your juices going for that day. You got to learn how to, you know, mellow out.

I accomplished my goal today, to put myself back in a position that I have a chance to win the golf tournament.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Could we go over your birdies and bogeys. You had the bogey on No. 2.

JASON BOHN: Yeah, bogey on No. 2. I think the hardest hole on the golf course. I hit a 5-iron that landed probably 12 feet short of the hole and bounced and pitched all the way over the green. I hit a poor chip, 2-putt for bogey.

Bogey on 4. Hit a weak right tee shot into the right rough. Hit a flyer over the back portion of the green. Chipped it to probably about 10 feet. Missed it, 2-putt.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Birdie on 6.

JASON BOHN: Birdie on 6. I hit driver just right of the bunker. Rolled all the way down the hill. I probably had 30 yards, 20 yards to the front of the green. I hit a little pitch probably about 12, 13 feet behind the hole, made the putt.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Birdie on 12.

JASON BOHN: No. 12, I hit driver off the tee. There again, played very aggressively. I probably had 30 yards from the green. Pitched it up about five, six feet, right underneath the hole, made the putt.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Bogey on 13.

JASON BOHN: 13, hit a drive in the left rough. Hit a little 8-iron that flew right over the flag stick, over the green. Chip came up about 10 feet short. Missed the putt.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Birdie on 14.

JASON BOHN: I hit 3-wood off the tee to about 60 yards from the green, pitched it probably 10 feet right of the hole, made the putt.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: 15.

JASON BOHN: 15, the par 5, I hit driver, 2-iron, just short of the green, poor pitch to about maybe 10 feet, 12 feet, made the putt.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: 17.

JASON BOHN: 17, hit a good driver, nice little 7-iron to probably about 12 feet, right underneath the hole, made the putt.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: 18.

JASON BOHN: 18, hit driver, 3-wood, just short of the green, probably another 30 yards, pitched it to about maybe six inches. Easiest birdie of the day (smiling).

Q. You've talked in the past about the hole-in-one you had in college. Did that kind of impede your progress as a player because all of a sudden you didn't have somewhere to play?

JASON BOHN: Well, you know, the hole-in-one had good and bad things happen, in all honesty. A million dollars is the greatest thing that could have happened to me because it gave me the sponsorship to be able to play and chase my dream of playing professional golf. But I did lose all my amateur status. I was a redshirt freshman at the University of Alabama. I didn't get to play four years of college golf. In those four years, I stayed in school and got my degree like every other student.

Without the million dollars, I probably would have never been able -- I wouldn't be sitting in this chair right here. I don't think I would have had the financial means to chase my dream.

Q. How did you stay sharp in that time competitively?

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: You turned pro.

JASON BOHN: I had to turn pro to accept the money. I got a job and worked for King Cobra. I was what they called "demo boy." I ran around and set up all the tents, demoed all the equipment for everybody. I worked at a golf course, too, during college. I kept myself in the game and around the game. Once I got out of school is when I really kind of started to work hard on my game, where I had every day, all day, to practice, play mini tours. First three years, took a big hit. I was the donator. I just gave them my money, missed the cut, gave them more money, missed the next cut. I had to kind of learn that way since I lost all my college eligibility.

Q. You did get your degree?

JASON BOHN: Yes.

Q. In what?

JASON BOHN: In finance.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you.

JASON BOHN: You got it. Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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