MICHELOB CHAMPIONSHIP AT KINGSMILL

October 6, 2000

David Sutherland

DAVID SUTHERLAND: Solid.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: Played real well. I birdied the first hole from about -- you want to go through my round?

DAVID SUTHERLAND: First hole hit a sand wedge in there about six feet, made it. I really played pretty well. I hit -- for example, I hit four feet, next hole, missed it. Then I hit pitching sandwedge to about three feet on 3. Knocked that one in. Then I actually bogeyed 4. Then I hit it about 25 feet for birdie, eagle 7. Had a little chip shot, chipped it up to kind of a tap-in. Hit it to about six feet on 8. Made birdie there.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: 7-iron. Made a nice par on 9. Actually hit a fellow in the foot. That was kind of unfortunate but he was all right and made par.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: Second shot pulled it -- I was in the rough on the right side, kind of came over and hit a guy in the left rough. Played a little Army golf there. Then I rolled in about a 15-footer for par after -- I was actually kind of scared. I really thought I might have hurt him, but he was fine.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: It is the 9th hole, people kind of hang out around there, so -- I know what you are saying there is -- you are wondering if it's just one guy like a friend or something like that? No, it was just --

DAVID SUTHERLAND: Left of the green.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: In the foot and bounced to the side about ten feet, I guess. I don't really know if the bounce made a difference me making a par. I would have just felt better -- the guy wasn't hurt. Because I ended up making about 20-footer for par.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: He was fine. He seemed like he was totally fine with it. First time I have ever done that, so, first time for everything. Anyways, then I -- you know off the momentum of hitting a guy, I made birdie the next hole. (laughs). I hit a 9-iron about ten feet. Then I made a bunch of pars, solid pars, bunch of tap-ins, and I hit 8-iron about 15 feet on No. 17.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: 15 feet. So kind of tell it wasn't like it was -- had a lot of birdie putts out there. If I would have driven the ball a little better, probably would have played even better than I did because I probably missed 5 or 6 fairways with my driver, and you know, sort of thing where I -- you know, was hitting my irons pretty well and I really felt like probably could have shot a really low score. Oh, well, I am happy with this. Obviously happy with the fact that I am playing pretty well this week. I am a bit surprised that the scores aren't a little lower. Just the conditions could not be better. I mean, it is pretty rare that you have two consecutive afternoons with hardly any winds. Obviously there is a lot of guys at 7-under par and you know, obviously the best player in the field 7 -- long ways to go. I will be happy if I can keep playing the way I am.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: That is what I hear.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: I think a lot of that stuff is how you feel that day. But I don't -- I have -- for example, I have gone over three or four times in my career to the British Open qualifying, got through this year and played St. Andrews, so I have enjoyed the idea of going over and playing in tournaments where the elements aren't the greatest. But when it is windy, a lot of it comes to how you drive the ball and making par putts. You are going to end up having -- it is going to be tough to get it close and that sort of thing. I think that is the magic of Tiger Woods is how good he is whenever I watch him play, when the conditions are tough how he manages his name.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: I haven't seen the numbers, but I mean as far as cuts making, I have been better than I have ever been. I have made, you know, all by -- five or six cuts that I have played in this year which, for me, is better -- I finished 45th every week. I played awfully well the beginning of the year. I was leading at L.A. going in the last round. I played well, you know, the week before San Diego, you know, I played really well at the Honda even though I shot -- I was in the last group on Sunday or second to last group. I just didn't put it together. And finished the tournament off, particularly L.A., and Honda. Then ever since then I finished 7th at Houston which was fine but ever since then I mean, I bet you I have had a dozen tournaments where I finished 50th or higher, which is nothing wrong with making cuts, but there is something to be said for, you know, every now and then getting yourself in the mix. So maybe I have turned the corner, I don't know. You always feel the same going out there. You try to make birdies, but I have shot a million 71s this year. That is just not going to do it. Maybe if the wind picks up, so, maybe that is to my advantage -- but I don't know. It is something that I have thought about, and just I can't put my finger on it.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: I don't. I have played here probably six, seven times; made probably the cut half the times, but...

DAVID SUTHERLAND: Nothing. Because only the reason I say this because the times I made the cut were back when I was first on Tour in 91/92, I think I made the cut both those times. But I have -- I couldn't tell you a single shot other than that it was hot back then. It was in the summertime, a lot hotter. As far as, no, I enjoy -- I am a Civil War buff, so I enjoy always coming to Virginia because I always take in a lot of the historical stuff. Went to Colonial, Williamsburg yesterday; probably do that again today or tomorrow morning, but as far as --

DAVID SUTHERLAND: It is great. I would rank this as one of my favorite tournaments on Tour, but I wouldn't necessarily say that there is -- you know, there was any reason to believe that I would almost play real well this week.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: I am a real Civil War guy. I am sort of a resident expert on the subject. Two days ago I went down to -- took in some of the sites around Richmond, you know, that sort of thing. You can always count on me at least once or twice in the week finding something, driving up to Fredericksburg or going to Richmond, Petersburg.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: On Monday.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: Richmond, all the Richmond stuff.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: They have a new one over there. I have been to Petersburg years ago.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: If the guy just played a little better, you know, obviously it has been, you know, Kevin redeveloped himself into this sort of player that I want to be, he played awfully well in Alfred (sic) three, four years I personally can't remember any underrated players on the Tour -- every single week -- like this week, he is 17th. He doesn't have a lot of tournaments anymore where he doesn't play -- I have talked to Kevin a lot about my own game. He helps me a lot with it. I think my brother is a wonderful player. I am really lucky to have the situation where I can, you know, so easily talk to somebody about my own game and you know, I think -- I help him however I can help him, that sort of thing. I think we are both -- we will have to see one of us win a tournament out here. I know that for sure, I don't care if it's for me or Kevin, I'd just love to see it happen. Hopefully it will be this week hopefully we will be in a playoff between the two of us. We will just decide to tie every hole, 'til infinity. We will all just wear them down, they can't stop us, can they?

DAVID SUTHERLAND: No. Well, yes, I mean, DC is awful good too, sort of close proximity to Manassas, Antietum and Gettysburgh so it is kind of a toss-up. You know, the stuff up there is a little more high profiled if that makes any sense. I mean, bigger tourist attractions, people tend to -- more volume.

DAVID SUTHERLAND: I just love both sides, the stories. Got to be careful around here, say the wrong thing all of a sudden they might come out and lynch you.