MCI CLASSIC

April 18, 1999

Payne Stewart

PAYNE STEWART: Well, I hit some good shots, I hit some poor ones. I really don't think I made a mental error on 12. I thought I could keep the ball underneath that limb. I wasn't even concerning myself with that limb. And, you know, you look back on it, you are supposed to learn something. So next time in that position maybe I will chip out and try to make -- try to get it up-and-down with a wedge. But other than that, I was proud of the way I fought it out. I made some clutch putts. I hit some good golf shots when I had to. But you've got to give all the credit to Glen Day today. He shoots 5-under par, comes out and birdies the first hole of the playoff. I mean, 5-under par out there today is a very good score. It was tough. It was good old Harbour Town tough, with the wind swirling. And it was a beautiful day. And you have got a great champion in Glen.

PAYNE STEWART: 2, I birdied from about 15 feet. 7, I missed the green to the right in the bunker, hit it out to eight feet, missed it. 8, I hit a driver 5-iron to 15, 18 feet, made it. 11, I hit a driver, 7-iron to 15 feet, but I was in the fringe. I chipped that in. 12, I hit it over in the right pine, caught a tree coming out. Next shot thought was pretty good, and it rolled into a tough position. And chipped that 15 feet past the hole, missed it, made double. Next hole made a great saving par. 16, 3-wood, 8-iron to eight feet, six feet, something like that, made it for birdie. Two nice saving pars on 17 and 18.

PAYNE STEWART: Rolled down right on the -- I wish it had rolled in the bunker, you know. But it rolled right in the long grass, hung on the bank, standing with the ball above you. And but you shouldn't have been there in the first place, so.....

PAYNE STEWART: Oh, I guess the first leader board I saw was on 8, and he was at 10-under then. And, you know, then I knew he was started at 5. So he would have been well ahead of us. And then he got -- I guess I saw another leader board I guess at 12 when I made double, he was still at 10. So I figured 10 was going to be the score to get to or beat to win the golf tournament.

PAYNE STEWART: Here I was -- I don't remember how long I had to wait here when I played with Larry Mize and Steve Jones back in 1989 maybe or 1990, one of the two. I can't recall having to wait that long.

PAYNE STEWART: I felt very fortunate to, you know, walk off the golf course, boom, go right back to the 18th tee and tee it up. I felt -- I had the rhythm going and I don't know what the other guys were doing, but they had to wait longer than I did.

PAYNE STEWART: Well, obviously, it wasn't because Glen stepped right up and made birdie.

PAYNE STEWART: Well, you know, I was thinking that, you know, give yourself a chance, but don't, you know, par gets you in the playoff, because the way I was playing I looked at the board before I chipped and I saw where Chris had bogeyed 17, so really felt that, you know, 10-under par is going to be in the playoff; if you happen to chip in this, hey, great, but, you know, let's make par and see what we can do in the playoff.