BUICK OPEN

August 11, 2000

Hal Sutton

HAL SUTTON: I played good for two days. I have really hit the ball well. I have made some nice putts at times. Yesterday in the middle of the round I missed three putts in a row from inside seven or eight feet and I wasn't too happy about that, but overall, I have putted the ball well and I have hit it well.

HAL SUTTON: I had two or three weeks off before the British; then two weeks after, since it, so I have only played one time in the last five or six weeks, I think. Just took some time off. I knew we were going to have to go hard this fall and I had a little tendonitis in my left ankle. I was trying to give it a chance to feel better.

HAL SUTTON: Yeah, then take a week off. I don't remember exactly how it goes, but --

HAL SUTTON: Right.

HAL SUTTON: Never hurts to get another birdie, you know. I have hit it in five bunkers this week and I stood in the bunker one time to hit the bunker shot out. I have been right under the lip over every time; not standing in the bunker on 8 was no different. I buried it underneath the lip, I wasn't standing in it. It was pretty much -- I had resolved myself to that bogey pretty much, so it was nice to get that birdie.

HAL SUTTON: I have done all right out of the bunkers, but I have not been happy with what I have been left with in the bunkers, let me put it that way.

HAL SUTTON: Well, that was as big as I could hit it, let me put that it way. It was -- the pin was all the way on the back left, so...

HAL SUTTON: I don't know if -- the pin was all the way to the back left. It was a pretty long drive. Couples hit it closer than I did. He was coming from the 5th tee. (laughter) He hit it in there about like that, but it was the wrong hole.

HAL SUTTON: I went to Valhalla last week and played it on Thursday of last week and, you know, one thing Valhalla does, it takes the driver out of the hands a lot of times. There is not a lot of driver holes on it. That is going to play -- we are going to be playing one from spot to the next spot; everybody is going to be playing to the same spot, basically, and Tiger is a great player. He plays well every time he goes out. I mean, I am always amazed at how well he does play. But if there is a golf course that is going to neutralize his game a little bit, next week is going to do that somewhat.

HAL SUTTON: I don't know. I needed a break. I had played quite a bit to that point, so I was kind of washed out and the one thing that I have noticed is the bad breaks that I have got this week, that kind of just hit my back like water hitting a duck's back. I haven't been mad about it or anything else. When you have played a lot and really trying to grind and get the most out of it, when you get a bad break, you are angered by it. This week I have kind of brushed off all the bad. So I think after a rest, that is what happens.

HAL SUTTON: When I say, you know, Tiger hits it 15 yards further than I do, so he is going to be backing off a little bit. I may hit a driver somewhere where he hits 3-wood. I am just saying that his length is going to cause him to back off a little bit, sometimes, is what I am thinking.

HAL SUTTON: It is all I can shoot. I don't get another chance to make another birdie so I am happy with it. Have to wait until the first hole tomorrow to make another birdie.

HAL SUTTON: Not really. I don't think so. Not from my standpoint anyway. I just -- I think -- it is funny, I didn't say this a minute ago, I was more impressed with Valhalla when I went down there the other day than I was four years ago when we were there. For whatever reason, I don't know why, but it just didn't seem to strike a chord with me four years ago and I actually thought it was a little bit better the other day when I was down there. It was playing a little longer the other day when I was down there and I remember when we were there before, it was playing really, really short. It just didn't seem like a major championship golf course before when we hit driver two, three times a round. I always thought if you won major you are supposed to see if you can drive it in the fairway.

HAL SUTTON: That is what I was kind of saying. I liked it a lot better this time. I played with a member the other day, that is a member at Valhalla and I said, you know, it has been criticized as not being a major championship golf course, but I mean, it is still, in its own right, is still a very, very good golf course. And I think in time it will mature into a really good golf course. Maybe that kind of golf course.

HAL SUTTON: They lengthened 1 and 2. They are talking about playing the left side on No. 7 being able to go both ways. Other than that, I didn't notice a whole lot.